We have several policies (mortgage, contents, life, auto insurance) with The Co-operators and have been loyal clients for years. We have never filed a claim for anything, and as far as auto insurance goes, which doubled over a five year period, neither my husband nor I have had so much as a parking ticket. We have given The Co-operators absolutely no reason to question our character; our premiums for all policies are paid in full and on time.
Recently we filed our first and only auto insurance claim. We were treated like trash by this same company who sold us several policies, took our money for years, assured us that they would be there for us should the time come and sealed it all with a disarmingly deceptive smile and handshake. To us, we had purchased peace of mind and a sense of security; we had chosen an insurer who had our back. We could not have been more wrong. Not only did they make me jump through hoop after hoop, the hassles were relentless and underhanded. This company will resort to anything to bully you into going away, and they aren't the least bit interested in the truth. Their goal, their only one, is to protect their bottom line, not you, and their smile has nothing to do with valuing you or your business. No, it's there because they have signed on yet one more trusting and naive person to dupe, string-along, and, when the time comes and should you have the audacity to file a claim, annihilate you using whatever means and tactics available to them.; They must have had a lot of practice deceiving people and lulling them into a false sense of security. They are polished, smooth talkers. They are also accomplished, highly skilled experts at citing all kinds of reasons, whether bogus or irrelevant, to deny benefits. It's all about protecting their interests and corporate agenda; they'll gladly take your money and then pull out all the stops to avoid paying back even a dime. It's a sad commentary but true nonetheless, my husband and I lined their pockets for years, but as it turns out, that's all we were doing.
They will demand access to your personal information and records medical/employment) and then twist and spin it to their benefit and use the information against you and to their advantage. It doesn't matter whether the information has any connection to the accident or not, as long as they can use it to undermine your credibility and call your integrity into question. Their goal? A character assassination and the subsequent basis upon which they justify kicking you to the curb. It's deliberate, calculated, and entirely self-serving on their part. I happen to have a longstanding and preexisting disability. Nevertheless, I've achieved a great deal over the years, both personally and professionally. I've been gainfully employed most of my life, securing several positions of responsibility and authority. I have a College and University education and just recently celebrated my 20th anniversary. My husband, a man of integrity, is and has been gainfully employed for years. I'm proud of what Ive done with my life, my accomplishments and what my husband and I have built together. Or, at least I was.
I wish I could tell you that my story has a happy ending. That's not the case. I recently filed a claim. Because of it, I found myself in an awful and very precarious position. Though I have a disability through no fault of my own, it became an issue, one that this company was clearly and most certainly prepared to use against me, to impeach me. That I've had a disability all my life and long before the accident ever occurred is immaterial to The Co-operators. What does matter is this. My disability makes for great ammunition; it's the kind of "dirty laundry" and information on which they rely to justify their actions and position. Mudslinging is a highly effective tactic to divert attention from the real and central issue, the accident. I have no faith in the integrity of the auto insurance system whatsoever; and any illusions I was under that The Co-operators would act in good faith are gone, with good reason. Since I had to authorize access to this information in order to file a claim, this, to me, is unconscionable. They have the unmitigated gall to complain about fraudsters; in psychology this is called "projecting."
In the end, I dropped my claim. I could not withstand the incessant pummeling, and it was clear that there was more of the same to come. Moreover, I was not in a position financially to go the whole nine yards with such a powerful and wealthy industry giant like The Co-operators, which they surely knew, and would have destroyed myself financially had I attempted to do so. Realistically, I lacked the financial resources they had at their disposal, and dreaded the thought of subjecting myself to what I had every reason to believe would be a protracted and masterfully executed psychological assault. That said, I will be advocating for reforms to a system that, in its current form, does not protect the rights, and by extension the future, of those of us with preexisting disabilities who find themselves in situations similar to mine.
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