Fall 2005 Progressive flashed a discount program on their website which offered $50 to me if I signed up in the Trip Sense program. It sounded great. I just plug a recorder into my under dash computer and they would collect info about how far I drive, how fast I drive, what days of the week I drive, and about my braking habits. After 6 months of doing nothing but having this plugged in, I send in the info and I get the $50 check.
I got the little plug and plugged it in. A month later I got an email telling me I need to immediately uplug it - the device is not compatible with my make/model/year car. They said they would send an envelope to return the plug in device and when it was received, they would honor the $50 offer regardless of the time not being fulfilled.
I called Progressive and asked what the problem would be. The rep told me a guy with my same kind of car had computer damage and some of the devices were recording nothing so they are discontinuing the program for my make/model/year. Doing exactly what I was told, when I got the envelope, I mailed it back.
Weeks went by, no check. I called Progressive worried that the device did not make it. I asked them if they got it. They said:
1) we did not get it
2) we usually do not ask for the devices back, why did you send it back to us and where did you send it?
3) if you did not do the 6 month contracted time plugged in, you will not get paid the $50- period
I explained that I had gotten an email from them stating this (though since, I erased it) and followed the directions exactly.in the email it stated I would be given the $50 anyway, because they wanted to "honor" the their end of the contract with me for my inconvenience.
The girl looked up all the emails sent to me and WHAT DO YOU KNOW - that was the ONLY one she couldn't manage to find. Huh. Also, she added that my make/model/year car was still on the list of eligible cars for the program and she could not undertsand why I would need to send it back and that there is no notation about my car being discontinued in the program.
I was made to feel like it was all merely a figment of my imagination. Poof! Where did that GIANT postage pre-paid self-adressed envelope with tracking number and Progressive's logo on the upper left go? Who sent it? Not Progressive, Progressive tells me. LOLOL
I feel like they tricked me into giving them detailed info about my driving habits for free. It's the classic bait and switch; they made a promise and they are reluctant to pony up the dough. It's like squeezing blood from a turnip, people.
It may be that Progressive is so big that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. Regardless, you cannot take them at their word.
This is not the first mix up they have had with me. I just filled out one of those online price quotes for car insurance and 7 eager insurers called me with offers. One was $185 below for 3x coverage as my current policy. Time for me to do a little bait and switch of my very own.
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