Car and homeowners Insurance..is it me or what? (Port Charlotte: 2013, houses)

[Trbl39]

Okay so what is the deal with Insurance people here ? I am looking for rates on both homeowners and car. Bought a house in Port Charlotte last year. Looked on here last year for recs on insurance agencies. I only need homeowners at first and called AAA and got some last year with ASI. This year when I got my renewal my rates went up quite a bit like everyone seems to be saying about theirs. Okay fine.
In the meantime I just got a new car, so I also need car insurance.
I have called most of the people that I have seen recommended in thee forums and NO ONE gets back to you or seems to want your business.

I called Ezzi All State. The agent there who deals with people in Port Charlotttw just seemed like my questions were too hard to deal with and she didn't know the answers and kept having to wait for her boss to answer them.
I called Schaefer Agency which is in Port Charlotte and Venice--they had sent me a postcard in the mail which had obviously pulled public records and was directed at the fact that my homeowners renews in April. They never got back to me. Guess that was a waste of their advertising dollar if they pull a customer in with a direct mailing and then don't bother to call them back.
I called the girl who I had dealt with originally at AAA to see about adding the car insurance and also seeing if anyone else had anything better for homeowners. She never got back to me.
I called Farm Bureau Insurance and they never got back to me.

All except Schaeffer were from recommendations I saw on these forums. I gotta say this is getting a bit ridiculous. Does no one want new business here? I ended up getting the car dealer to have one of their people get me insurance through Progressive just so I could walk out with the car being insured. Of course I knew that insurance would be high and it was, but figured it shouldn't be a problem to at least get rates elsewhere...but I can't even get anyone to talk to me.

It's not like the car or house is old...we're talking 2007 house and 2013 car.

Any ideas or suggestions?

[AnotherTouchOfWhimsy]

Wow! We use Amica for our car insurance. They don't insure houses built in 1990, so we won't be using them for homeowners (we're in the process of buying). They might insure your newer home, though. We've used them for home and car insurance for many years and have had three claims (one homeowners and two vehicle: one comprehensive and one accident where the other driver was at fault); they've always taken care of everything right away.

[TamRE]

Call Island Insurance Agency, Mary Laurie - 941-764-8050 for homeowner insurance. They represent several different companies and can shop around for you.

We shopped around for auto insurance. I went with Met Life and my boyfriend went with Travelers.
We got our car insurance quotes from AAA. We both had Allstate for auto insurance before and our rates are significantly lower now. I went with Met Life because I got a discount for paying the entire year up front. My auto insurance was cut in half from Allstate.

[mr&mrssunshine]

call Brian Lough, the insurance man, 941 312 5771. we had exactly the same scenario with AAA. at renewal they went UP.

Brian combined our auto, home and flood and boat AND got us an umbrella insurance all at excellent rates

AND he responds to emails quickly.......................

[Harbor Hopper]

We've talked about the work ethic down here many times on the forum (and it usually offends a hard-working member or two). Like it or not, it is the truth. So many people and businesses bit$h and moan about slow times, barely make ends meat, etc... but when the phone rings it goes unanswered or they never show up for the scheduled appt, etc... It is ridiculous.
I had the same problems with Ezzi Ins as Trbl39, so I started looking online. Got a much better rate with 21st century (state farm company) and didn't have to deal with the human interaction (or lack thereof!!). No waiting for call backs. No scheduling appointments. Just click, pick coverages, pay and print. Done.

[daFrogMan]

Originally Posted by mr&mrssunshine

call Brian Lough, the insurance man, 941 312 5771.

AND he responds to emails quickly.......................

+1 Although we didn't go with him for our homeowners he did email back on a Sunday night. He does respond quickly!
Luck

[chuckycheese]

This is an interesting thread. Having bought a lot and built a house, I've noticed there seems to be a huge lack of interest in doing business here in SW Florida. At first, I was really surprised but it is so prevalent, I've gotten used to it. I think a lot of people could double their incomes...if they could only muster up a little initiative.

[ArmyChief]

Originally Posted by chuckycheese

I think a lot of people could double their incomes...if they could only muster up a little initiative.

My thoughts exactly. I'm shocked to get follow-up calls and people showing up early..let alone on time. Customer service is NUMBER 1 with me.

[Trbl39]

My employment has always been in businesses where customer service was top priority and it irritates me when I don't get the kind of service that I gave. And that is really non existent here, except in Publix.
In any event I went online and looked at 21st century(thanks Harbor hopper) which I got a car quote but they don't do homeowners here. I am probably going with them as their rate was much better (saved 100's)for all the same coverage as others(what little I've gotten).
And in all fairness I did have Farm Bureau get back to me today, (I had originally called early yesterday morning). Although they could not help me they suggested an agency in Port Charlotte who could. That would be Amberg, and I spoke with Linda. She took my info and although she told me she couldn't get back to me until Monday (3 business days just to get a quote???) when I told her I was going out of town on Monday and wanted this taken care of before the weekend, she got back to me in about 3 hours with a great quote on homeowners.

[HarborRat]

SWF is full of lazy businessmen. It's just the way it is, they make what they want to make and don't need any more. They'd rather be fishing and I can't blame them. That is why I can't listen to people talking about how poor the job market is here...If you want to make money just start a business, and actually run it during normal business hours.

Anyway, insurance companies are blood suckers. The best rate you sign with this year will surely be raised next year, and the year after and so on and so on. The best insurance company is a new one every two years. If you are still with the same company as you were with 3 years ago you are probably getting screwed. You gotta shop around all the time and get the intro price. Your old company will never drop the price, only raise it every year. When you shop around after a couple years the new companies quote will usually cut your old one in half for the first year or two, then they start to ***** you too.

I went from Liberty Mutual to Progressive, and am about to switch to maybe Geico, all online...don't need to deal with the locals. They are a dime a dozen, don't be afraid to make each one beat the previous guys quote. I've never made a claim in my life...car or home insurance, so I will not stand for them raising rates for no reason.