Hey everyone,
I'm sure everyone is aware of what has happened so far with my car being vandalized and totaled by my insurance.
New problem, my insurance: State Farm is refusing to pay for my after market radio system that was installed 3 weeks before the vandalism to a tune of $3300.
The day after it was installed I went to SF and dropped the deductible from $500 to $0, submitted all the receipts and paperwork from the sound shop, my insurance agents took pictures of the car with the equipment in, pics of the boxes, manuals, etc. I sat down with them and they told me SF does not do riders anymore but as long as everything is documented with them it will be covered. They proceeded in telling me a guy has a $10k bike with another $10k of aftermarket parts that was stolen the other month and SF payed out the $20k. I went over everything with them for over an hour that day.
Now.... State Farm has taken over a month and a half and just got numbers back to us. They are giving us a fair value for the car but only $200! TWO HUNDRED! for the sound system that cost $3300 three weeks before.
They made me go through 2 hours of statement recording over the phone just on the sound system, they hired an outside insurance sound shop called AJRS who in turn hired a shop out in Chicago to send out a sound technician to check out the sound system wiring and to take more pictures. (This was separate of the claims adjuster).......they got all the paperwork and photos that were originally taken and submitted to my local agent also.
Now youre telling me SF made me jump through hoops, and spent over $200 on a 3rd party to see if they would only give me $200 for the system that was supposed to be covered? Then I was told by the main office in Bloomington that we didn't have a rider for the stereo system.... even though my local agent took all the paperwork, pictures, told me they dont do riders but it WILL be covered for the full replacement value if anything ever happens to it. Now they will not cover it?
What is going on here? We have yet to accept the offer because of this matter of $3100 that I would be loosing right out of my pocket. After 30 years of the family being with them for all the cars and the house, we're being screwed.
I was only able to get in touch with one property damage lawyer who was curt and rude about the issue, "Its not worth your time or mine unless youre willing to pay me by the hour at $250. "
Do I take the settlement and take the loss? Do I accept and sue my local agent in small claims? Go after his insurance for essentially "lying" to me? Do I go after SF itself? What can I do?
Adam..... Just like the oil spill counter: Day 38
