Thomas J. Wilson, Chairman, Pres., CEO
Allstate Corporation
2775 Sanders Rd
Northbrook, IL 60062
Mr. Wilson:
I am writing this letter to you as I have to believe that you could not have had such a successful career without caring about your customers, stock holders and employees. I want to make sure that you and every Board Member of your organization know what is happening to your loyal customers.
I have been a customer for many years and would have “jumped ship” a long time ago except that I have a wonderful agency to deal with and I dread switching companies and perhaps getting an “I don't care” agent. Although my agent cares, they represent one of the worst (in my opinion) insurance companies on our planet and are bound by what you people want to shove down our throats.
A few years back I had medical problems which put me out of work. I went from $80,000 per year to no income at all for 10 months. Until that time I was able to meet my obligations without even 1 late payment for more than 15 years. I had a couple of surgeries and was finally awarded Social Security disability. During the 10 months we were still not late with utilities, house payments and insurance payments. Yes, we managed to pay you right on time even during those trying times.
Because of the drastic reduction in income and the 10 months of no income at all, we were forced into bankruptcy. Since that time we have never been late with any obligation, including our payments to Allstate. Read it again. We have NEVER been late with an Allstate payment! I know that statistics prove that people who file bankruptcy tend to be a higher risk. So what! Why would you use statistics when you have an actual track record to base your rate on?
We should have changed insurance companies at that point but they would charge the higher rate also. Of course they didn't have the actual payment records at their disposal like Allstate. We stayed and paid more every month.
When I did have an accident, your adjuster in her emanate wisdom said I was at fault and my rate went up again. She probably flipped a coin to determine who was at fault because she could not have looked at the damage. My front fender was NOT pushed back. It was pushed forward. My headlight ring was broken loose on the outside edge and pushed forward. The damage to my fender started just in front of the wheel well. The other vehicle sustained damage from the very front fender down the side of the vehicle. This is proof that he struck my vehicle and his speed exceeded mine. Otherwise, if I hit him, my fender would have been pushed back and the headlight rim bashed in rather than just torn loose. All four entrances to this round-a-bout have yield signs. I was obviously being passed on the left side where there is only one lane, not two. He apparently felt I was not going fast enough. Well, there is a neighborhood swimming pool on the right and kids will run out in front of you in a heartbeat. The round-a-bout is there to slow people down.
Again, I complained but held on to Allstate because of the agent. All of the above has kept my rates very high. I would hate to think that putting the blame on me for the accident was a way for Allstate to increase the rate for someone who they know pays on time, every time.
Now, I received a notice on Saturday, February 12 (dated Feb. 8) stating that we had failed to make our payment and our policy was being cancelled. We had changed banks after being with B of A for 33 years (that's another story) but had not closed the account because the check #1962 we mailed to Allstate on Jan. 19 had not cleared.
On Monday, February 14 my wife authorized a payment to you folks from our new account via the phone. You accepted it. We then went to B of A, checked to make sure the Allstate check had not been cashed and closed our account. That ruined a perfect payment record with Allstate but we figured it was the fault of the post office.
The next bombshell happened on Feb. 18 when Allstate presented the original check (sent a month earlier) to B of A against a closed account. Now Allstate wants $20 for returned check fee and B of A will probably hit us with a $35 bad check fee. There went a perfect record at B of A with 33 years and no bounced checks!
Guess what, Allstate is losing a good customer. I may not be the biggest, but a 100% on time record makes us damn good customers in anybody's book. I expect Allstate to cancel the $20 charge, correct my payment record (since you obviously misplaced the original check, not the post office), pay any B of A charges I incur and send me a written apology.
This information is being sent to the other board members and anyone else who might listen.
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