Knutsen Insurance dishonest elderly abuse thief ripoff Astoria Oregon

I have nothing but sympathy for this situation.  As a 35 year veteran of the insurance industry I have heard these complaints all too often.  Frankly, you hear them about every company under the sun but especially directed at agents who ignore their valued customers, very similar to this situation.  I have a couple of observations and recommendations for the future.  Observation #1...The wording in this particular homeowners policy was likely very clear that this kind of original damage was indeed a maintenance issue and there fore not covered.  Good agents counsel all of their customers in this kind of policy language and ask their customers to look at the areas around toilets, dishwashers, under the sinks and around ice-makers, just to name a few helpful hints that good agents provide.  However, having said that I cannot tell you how often I do see companies repairing damage like this.  Now the caveat.  In my state (Idaho), state filings and statutes make it very unwise to file these kinds of claims for this reason; once you have 2 or more claims within a 4 year period you cannot under the statutes and filings, I repeat ,CANNOT, continue with "preferred" premium rating classification and your premiums will go up maybe 400% and coverages greatly reduced.  Small claims like minor water damage are never worth reporting because of the major risk of losing coverage altogether.  Once you have this damage repaired and go shopping you may well run into huge problems getting a company to give you a quote at all because of "reported losses".  A good agent will take your calls and give you the best advice he possibly can but filing claims, whether settled or not will just go on the books as "losses".  Frequency of losses is a huge factor in deciding whether or not to offer coverage at any price.  Fair or not, this is the system.  For the price of $400 - $600 you are buying sometimes close to a $million$$$ of coverage in many cases inclouding personal property, theft, fire, etc. and this is probably the biggest bang for the buck in the insurance world.  Claims make companies run fast and far because, since everyone charges these very low premiums they must be competitive in order to stay in business but are forced to either not acept business from individuals with several losses or give policies with very limited benefits and very high premiums.

I know this isn't the kind of information that does you any good now but it would probably have at the very least been enlightening earlier on in this whole mess.

Oh yes, Claims adjusters, usually independent contractors when you deal with an independent agency (as opposed to employees of large companies like Farmers, State Farm, etc.) have absolutely no right to make payment decisions like that and should have been terminated by their company on the spot.  They are never allowed to make that kind of verbal judgement to a claimant, ever!  They do not know the actually policy limits and kinds of coverage, they are merely doing an investigation.  The adjuster was borderline criminal in that action and very definitely greatly overstepped the bounds of his given and licensed authority.

The next agent you get should provide all kinds of advice without "ratting you out" and filing losses with his carriers.  He should give information (whether or not you read it is up to you) about policy coverages and limits as well as advice on whether or not to consider filing a claim.  That may not be what his carriers want to have happen but they are representing you more than the carrier, in my humble estimation.

Good luck in your search for another agent.  God bless your mom for keeping her business local.  If she'd done business with GEICO or someone over the internet her situation would definitely have been at least this bad on every claim. 

As the agency President, I became aware of this service issue on 9/23/07, months after we managed to make a mess of handling this long time customer. I was appalled at the situation and how this long time customer was treated. As I spend most of my time in one of our offices that is not in Astoria, I was not in the loop as to this account having a problem.

My grandfather started our business in 1919, and odds are it was my Father who wrote the insurance for this customer in 1948. I have been in the business for 25 years, and have worked diligently to provide the best customer service possible and carry on the reputation that has been built over the last 88 years.

Upon discovering this issue, I immediately contacted a contractor who was able to look at the bathroom floor of this customer on Thursday 9/27, and by the end of the following week (10/5) the old bathroom subfloor floor had been ripped out and a new plywood subfloor installed and new vinyl laid and the toilet reset. This work was all done by contractors licensed with the State of Oregon and paid for by Knutsen Insurance.

This long time customer of our office was wronged, and upon finding out the problem, I did everything that I could as soon as I could to make things right.

I have apologized to both the customer and her daughter for what we put them through. There is no excuse for what happened.

The problem has been resolved and this type of service, which had never happened before, will never happen again.

Bob Knutsen, President
Knutsen Insurance

As the agency President, I became aware of this service issue on 9/23/07, months after we managed to make a mess of handling this long time customer. I was appalled at the situation and how this long time customer was treated. As I spend most of my time in one of our offices that is not in Astoria, I was not in the loop as to this account having a problem.

My grandfather started our business in 1919, and odds are it was my Father who wrote the insurance for this customer in 1948. I have been in the business for 25 years, and have worked diligently to provide the best customer service possible and carry on the reputation that has been built over the last 88 years.

Upon discovering this issue, I immediately contacted a contractor who was able to look at the bathroom floor of this customer on Thursday 9/27, and by the end of the following week (10/5) the old bathroom subfloor floor had been ripped out and a new plywood subfloor installed and new vinyl laid and the toilet reset. This work was all done by contractors licensed with the State of Oregon and paid for by Knutsen Insurance.

This long time customer of our office was wronged, and upon finding out the problem, I did everything that I could as soon as I could to make things right.

I have apologized to both the customer and her daughter for what we put them through. There is no excuse for what happened.

The problem has been resolved and this type of service, which had never happened before, will never happen again.

Bob Knutsen, President
Knutsen Insurance

As the agency President, I became aware of this service issue on 9/23/07, months after we managed to make a mess of handling this long time customer. I was appalled at the situation and how this long time customer was treated. As I spend most of my time in one of our offices that is not in Astoria, I was not in the loop as to this account having a problem.

My grandfather started our business in 1919, and odds are it was my Father who wrote the insurance for this customer in 1948. I have been in the business for 25 years, and have worked diligently to provide the best customer service possible and carry on the reputation that has been built over the last 88 years.

Upon discovering this issue, I immediately contacted a contractor who was able to look at the bathroom floor of this customer on Thursday 9/27, and by the end of the following week (10/5) the old bathroom subfloor floor had been ripped out and a new plywood subfloor installed and new vinyl laid and the toilet reset. This work was all done by contractors licensed with the State of Oregon and paid for by Knutsen Insurance.

This long time customer of our office was wronged, and upon finding out the problem, I did everything that I could as soon as I could to make things right.

I have apologized to both the customer and her daughter for what we put them through. There is no excuse for what happened.

The problem has been resolved and this type of service, which had never happened before, will never happen again.

Bob Knutsen, President
Knutsen Insurance

As the agency President, I became aware of this service issue on 9/23/07, months after we managed to make a mess of handling this long time customer. I was appalled at the situation and how this long time customer was treated. As I spend most of my time in one of our offices that is not in Astoria, I was not in the loop as to this account having a problem.

My grandfather started our business in 1919, and odds are it was my Father who wrote the insurance for this customer in 1948. I have been in the business for 25 years, and have worked diligently to provide the best customer service possible and carry on the reputation that has been built over the last 88 years.

Upon discovering this issue, I immediately contacted a contractor who was able to look at the bathroom floor of this customer on Thursday 9/27, and by the end of the following week (10/5) the old bathroom subfloor floor had been ripped out and a new plywood subfloor installed and new vinyl laid and the toilet reset. This work was all done by contractors licensed with the State of Oregon and paid for by Knutsen Insurance.

This long time customer of our office was wronged, and upon finding out the problem, I did everything that I could as soon as I could to make things right.

I have apologized to both the customer and her daughter for what we put them through. There is no excuse for what happened.

The problem has been resolved and this type of service, which had never happened before, will never happen again.

Bob Knutsen, President
Knutsen Insurance

That figures, but that's very common. Many insurance companies look for ways to drop older homes cause they figure they're gonna start needing repairs for whatever reason as the structures begin to wear out and need repairs. I'm "waiting" for the next hail storm to replace my 13 year old roof. Heck, let the insurance company replace it. See what I mean. The same thing goes for health insurance.

As that "group" gets older, they're going to need more and more health procedures which will cost the insurer more money. By closing down that program and opening up a new one with limits on pre-existing conditions they can limit their exposure.

As the commercial says, A pox on that insurance weasel. He knew what was coming down the line. That's why he didn't have the balls to return your calls or e-mails. Typical insurance guy. I've known a few of them and they're all the same. They're your best friend until something happens then they're no where to be found. Little frickin' weasel.

I have two suggestions:

Contact DSBS Insurance Division on Oregon.gov. FIle a complaint against the Insurance Agency. They have to respond to the State of Oregon. Contact DCS by phone - online on the website there are names and phone numbers. Be sure to get the name - keep accurate records. Be succinct, do not get personal.

Most insurance agencies use software specially created for their industry when someone calls into an agency - the phone call is logged - and cannot be erased. You can also ask DCBS if there have been any complaints against this agency.

Since there has been a loss sustained by your mother, and it looks like it was at the error of the agency, write the agency (certified letter) tell them you intend to file a claim against their E & O insurance (errors and ommissions), since it looks like the claim would have been paid had the claim been actually filed by their employees. E & O policies usually have HUGE deductibles to keep the premium down. The own would probably be well advised to pay to get you mom's cllaim resolved rather than pay the deductible.

Remember that the agency is representing the insurance company - you could also speak directly to the company and get their side - make you document time, date and the names and titles of the people you speak with.