Uncomfortable insurance questions

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Just for the record...

In response to a post about insurance covering the contents of your home, it depends. In a logical sane world, yes. In todays world, maybe not. Insurance companies feel free to take your check every month, then tell you what they will and won't cover in the event of filing a claim. Check your policies and don't be surprised if the fine print excludes ANY compensation for loss of firearms.
 
The firearms ?'s are none of their business even if they do ask the swimminpool ?'s. The 3rd Amendment is not about swimming pools. Don't remember any others that are either.
 
1911 guy, I like your signature. Sure fits me to a T. Older I get the more closed minded I get & proud of all that it is locked over.
 
they've been doing stuff like this to dog owners for the last few years. Either they won't insure you if you own certain breeds, or will charge extra. Mostly just another excuse to raise premiums, as actual risk is not proportionate to (total) premiums they charge.
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Actual risk of an incident, or actual financial risk? Given the goofy awards that some juries (and judges) give when an incident involves something from the "evil" category, you might find that the premium increase does reflect their potential loss.
 
Doesn't the liability portion of a homeowner's policy offer coverage if someone were to be shot on your property?
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Yea, it should. But none-the-less, I require anyone shooting on my property to sign a hold-harmless waiver. Not sure if it would hold up in court in the event I am sued. But I figure it can't hurt.

If you have property, and you allow people to shoot on it, it would be a very good idea to have them sign a hold-harmless waiver. No need to have an attorney write one for you... I can send you the waiver I use; it's in MS Word format, and all you have to do is change the name of the property owner to yourself. Drop me an email and I'll send it to you.
 
Actual risk of an incident, or actual financial risk? Given the goofy awards that some juries (and judges) give when an incident involves something from the "evil" category, you might find that the premium increase does reflect their potential loss.
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Doesn't matter how much they charge for the policy, there is a policy limit to what they will pay. So it doesn't matter what a jury might award. The home owner is responsible for the rest.

Now everyone, repeat after me.

Umbrella Policy!:D

DM
 
Doesn't matter how much they charge for the policy, there is a policy limit to what they will pay.
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A) Do firearm-related awards hit the cap more frequently than non-firearm-related awards?

B) Are cases involving firearms more likely to be decided in favor of the plaintiff than non-firearms cases?

This is all pretty easy to look up, actually--if memory serves, the actuarial tables are publicized (as required by law, I think).
 
Just my experience here, but try State Farm. As somebody else mentioned finding insurance for certain dog breeds can be tough. State Farm never even asked what type of dog or how many firearms I owned. I think their basic coverage is pretty good. At least in my state it covers my modest collection. Again, as somebody else mentioned you can purchase blind firearm coverage for X$ in firearms no questions asked. This may very from state to state, but it is worth checking out IMHO.
 
Who is this?

I like and use the answer a question with a question idea. Who knows, they might have been asking to give you a discount on your policy if you have a acceptable gun safe. Mine did...

Do you have a gun safe?

Why do you need to know?

If you have an acceptable gun safe we can reduce your premium X.$$...

Yes, I have have a Fort Knox...


I use this approach on the phone a lot too... My pet peeve! This happens every other day seems like.

Who is this?

Who are you calling?

Mr./Mrs. !@#$%^

I'm sorry, you have the wrong number...

And if they happen to say my name, I ask who THEY are before acknowledging they have dialed the number correctly...

It makes me wonder if sometimes the people that ask these questions, are use to people answering and have forgotten how to use a certain amount of decorum or common courtesy...
 
Hal8000, Interesting comment. That is one way of looking at the line of questioning. They did not seem to imply that they were offering me a discount for responsible ownership, training, or storage. I remain a little skeptical. OK maybe there is a teeny tiny bit of tin foil somewhere around me. I won't tell because then "they" would know where it is.:p
I will have to remember the "answer a question with a question" suggestion. It is a good idea. It might be a bit hard on doing online quotes though.
As I stated, I didn't change policies and apparently there are plenty of insurors that don't really make this an issue.
 
I have learned to answer these questions with one of my own.

Doctor; Do you have any firearms at home?

Me; Doctor, are you familiar with the term, Boundary Violation?

Doctor; Yes I am. Is there any history of high blood pressure in your family?

Problem solved.
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DM,

Can you elaborate? What is "Boundry Violation"?

Thanks.
 
Last time I took my son to the pediatrician, the doctor asked him if he wore a helmet while riding his bike. My son answered "yes." Then the doctor turned to me and asked if I did. I just kind of stared back at him. Not being rude or anything, just trying to figure out if he was joking or being serious.

After a few seconds he said "because you can't expect your son to wear a helmet if you don't."

I replied: "My son wears a helmet because I tell him to."

"But he would be sure to do it 100% of the time if you wore one, too."

"No, he'll be sure to do it 100% of the time, because I told him to."

I just kind of got the raised eyebrows and a sigh out of the doc. He didn't ask any other home safety questions.

Message sent, message received.
 
Not State Farm!! Not State Farm!!

I had a car stolen, on vacation. Poop on me--The car was covered by auto insurance, the contents, by homeowners'. Double hassle.

The auto loss was covered with reasonable promptness.

(Rant mode: ON)

BUT: Homeowners' was State Farm. Long story short: They screwed me out of about $4700 worth of loss. Their local agent was the most cheerful, unhelpful, SOB you could imagine.

Being in the insurance business is better than operating a casion at Vegas. First, everybody has to play. Then, they bet you that nothing bad will happen to them. You get to set the odds in your favor, and change the odds to fit each player. Then when some of the players win against you (by having something bad happen--what a win!) you get to tell them how much you will and won't pay, and it's all legal. What a scam!

I can't understand how anyone in insurance can live with their conscience.

(Rant mode: OFF) I feel better.
 
Smokey Joe,

I recently switched insurance carriers from Allstate. After I narrowed it down to the top 3, (Farmer's, State Farm, and Liberty Mutual) I googled each name along with the word "problem."

While I know it's not a scientific method, and that the bigger carriers will have more hits, SF seemed to have a disproportionate amount. Especially in the area of auto losses. Always lowballing the insured on a car's value, always trying to pay a portion of actual losses, etc..

It was enough to steer me clear of them. I ended up with LM.
 
Scientific enough!

Colt--Don't apologize for yr method--I think it's great! And it shows that, once more, the Internet is the friend of the little guy, uncontrollable (at least as yet) by government, not (as yet) at the service of huge corporate interests! :)

I pray that you never will have to find out how good Liberty Mu is at covering your losses. But if you do have a loss, at least you know that you have a chance of being decently compensated.

As for me, I'll look into LM myself. Thx for the reccommendation!
 
Kestrel, be aware that if you raise the issue of 'boundary violations' with most physicians for an issue such as this, they will opt to discharge you or your family member from their practice. This means that you will have to find another physician more in tune with your personal political or medical beliefs. You are free to choose your physician, and physicians are free to choose their patients.

And DM, you have the right to keep and bear arms! If the doctor's staff is uncomfortable with you carrying in the office, why aren't you confronting them on this? Why should you alter your political beliefs for their comfort?
 
MillCreek,

And DM, you have the right to keep and bear arms! If the doctor's staff is uncomfortable with you carrying in the office, why aren't you confronting them on this? Why should you alter your political beliefs for their comfort?
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When did I say I altered my political beliefs? I altered nothing. I have merely made a concession to the comfort of others. Knowing that the medical center doesn't allow weapons, and knowing that it is a pretty good chance that my weapon will be discovered, I choose to put it in my briefcase during the exam.

Kind of like not going open carry to my grand kids open house at school.

Now at my chiropractors office, I'm running late now, I don't care, neither does he. I wear it in and take it off for the treatment, put it on and walk out.

DM
 
Asking gun questions by a physician is not a boundary violation. Boundary violations are determined by other physicians practicing the same specialty, and not by patients or other groups.

Organized medicine favors asking these questions, and encourages them. Therefore they are not boundary violations.
 
I have state farm in NJ, and they did ask about firearms, but in a totally appropriate way.

Basically, they asked if I had any musical instruments, electronics valued over $10,000, firearms, works of art or other collectible or big ticket items.

I said yes to instruments and firearms, they asked me the total dollar value of each, and said I needed a rider for the firearms and to seek a separate policy for the musical instruments if I'd like them replaced in a realistic manner and I should consider separate firearms coverage if any gun exceeded value X or if I sought meaningful replacement. (i.e. if I didn't want a check cut for current market value of a new product with similar features for the instruments or guns regardless of actual value of the firearm).

After I said sure to the rider for the guns they asked me if I had a security cabinet or safe for them.

That was about it. Everything pretty much pertinent and professional.

You want to really upset them, try putting forth the concept of insuring software licenses that are bound to physical media... virtually nobody will insure that, and those that do make it so expensive as to be not worth it.
 
First, everybody has to play
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.

Not true. You do not have to play. Next time you buy a vehicle pay cash and don't finance it. If you do finance it of course the finance company will require you to have insurance. You can also file a financial responsibility form with most DMV's and take on the liability yourself.

Next house you buy pay cash for it. You won't be required to have insurance on it.

Of course most people do not or cannot pay cash for everything. The other option is to simply go without until you can afford to pay cash for everything and assume all financial risk yourself.

I can't understand how anyone in insurance can live with their conscience
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No problem for me. I have dropped off checks from life insurance policies for hundreds of thousands of dollars to people whose spouses have died suddenly for whatever reason. I can tell you I feel great knowing that the surviving spouse and children will not have to worry about money. I also feel great knowing I am the one who convinced them to purchase a policy to protect loved ones.

I have also received calls from families whose homes have burned down and I also feel great knowing that their immediate needs are taken care of and their house is being rebuilt.

Im not saying that there are no horror stories involving insurance companies or agents. On the other hand, there are also many responsible agents and companies out there that do come through for their insureds. You just dont here about them as much. It's like the evening news. If it bleeds it leads.
 
I have State Farm in CA, and they only asked questions about risk and value assessment. Then the agent told me I'd get a better deal for my high value stuff if I used the NRA insurance instead of the State Farm rider. For a personal liability umbrella, including self-defense shootings, the State Farm rate was much better.

Furthermore, I've found them to be very easy to deal with on claims. The woman of the house was going through minivans at an amazing pace, usually totalling them before I needed to do a brake job on them, and SF kept paying and paying with modest increases in rates.
 
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