Erie will not insure my Biz, because I work on " race cars "

[fastfredracing]

I am shopping . I have Nationwide now, and they have rate creeped me to the point where I am done, not even giving them a second chance.
I have had one claim in 20 some years of business. A door ding on a mercedes. It was 7 years ago, and the total pay out was $1200.00
Erie offered me a great rate, but on their application, was the question " Do you work on classic cars, antique cars, or race cars "
I answered honestly , and explained in detail to the agent about a few auto cross cars, and track cars that I maintain .
Erie is out, will not even look at the policy now.
I hate dealing with these people . Farmers dropped me 4 years ago, because out of the blue, they came in and did a property inspection .
They wanted me to install a railing on part of the property that is not even part of the business. Never used by customer, or myself, or anybody really , completely assinine .
It was mid january, 10 inches of ice all over everything and they gave me 30 days to remedy the problem . I refused to comply .
Anybody know of a good commercial agent? Not all companies write policies in Pa.

[Baz]

Fred....FWIW, I have The Hartford.

Not sure where they write policies but I hate dealing with insurance companies any more than I have to.

I pay my "tax" once a year and chalk it up to overhead.

One day in the VERY near future I'm dropping off the grid - and look forward to that day!

[yetibone]

Does Farm Bureau do biz in your area?

[LWJ]

Ask some other folks in the business. You need to find an independent agent. Cincinnati is strong in many states. I am not licensed in PA. Pm me if you want to. I do this for a living.

Good luck,
Larry

[wswartzwel]

I have used EMC for going on 20 years. Very happy with them.

[MRM]

Fred, I would encourage you to shop for an insurance broker, not an insurance agent. Insurance brokers are all independent and they owe their duty of loyalty to you, not the insurance company. Agents, even independent agents, have an agreement with the insurer in in exchange for being able to sell that company's insurance, and they owe their duty of loyalty to the insurance company. An insurance broker has the duty to evaluate your insurance needs and make the best recommendations based on coverage needs and price. The two biggest insurance brokers are Marsh & McLennan and the Willis Group. Many local insurance brokers will be owned independently but will work through one or the other of these two larger brokers.

Brokers have access to all insurance companies and have access to insurance products that regular agents don't. Using a broker should give you a level of confidence that you got the best coverage for you at the best price.

I don't know any brokers in your area. Just do a quick Google search and talk to a couple. Tell them you're shopping your coverage and looking for a broker to work with. They will have similar abilities but obviously some brokers are better than others. Just sort them out until you get one that you like. LWJ may have brokerage recommendations in the area. Cincinnati would be a good fit for your business but there are others.

[9146GUY]

Agree with MWM about look for a different agent. I had this issue a few years ago when I was with Nationwide. Now have Westfield.
Good luck

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Fking time wasting morons. I can't stand insurance agents. I recently applied for a liability / E&O policy with Hicox - which advertises themselves as SPECIFICALLY being "coverage for architects". When I talked to their agent, he asked if I used any outside consultants for mechanical, electrical or structural engineering. Of course I said I did. They flat-out refused to underwrite it for this reason. I was flabbergasted.

This is exactly what architects DO as the prime designers on a given project and we're obligated professionally to secure expert consultants as needed for any work or portion that we don't have the expertise to do ourselves (like designing advanced structural systems, complex MEP systems with automation / control components, etc.) They obviously are completely ignorant of architectural practice despite their claim to specialize in covering architectural firms. We're generalists who have advanced training in all aspects of building construction, much like a general practitioner versus a surgical specialist.

I eventually got it set up with someone else but I just don't understand why someone would spend lots of money advertising to a particular niche market, then refuse to cover EXACTLY what that niche market does (and in fact is professionally obligated to, REDUCING potential liability!)

I swear insurance agents delight in wasting people's time for nothing. I love it when I can buy policies online without the need to deal with their stupidity.

[MRM]

I recommend using an insurance broker - not an insurance agent. They are not the same thing.

[LWJ]

The broker / agent differentiation is not accurate in all states. I am in Oregon. We don't differentiate. Independent agents I know have zero affiliation with the big brokerage houses. For the best of the clients. Those big brokers want nothing to do with small businesses.

Hey POP, get an architect focused broker and you will be happier. Local association for a referral.

I get thank you's every day. You need a pro. Bad insurance people are the worst.

[DanielDudley]

Fred, the answer is, ''I work on ALL cars, foreign or domestic, and do not specialize in any one market.''

''We are a general service facility, and I am the sole proprietor.''

Practice saying that, and make sure that if Anyone asks your wife, she says the same thing.
And clean up your yard. Make any changes you need to, to keep liability to a minimum. Fence in your pound if you need to, and put up signs that say ''no customers allowed beyond this point'' in your driveway.

Seriously, you need to work with your agent, and you need to get your story straight. Figure out what the minimum statement is, and never deviate from that statement EVER.

Don't elaborate, don't volunteer. You are just a simple country mechanic who cares about quality and safety. Less is more.


Consider that a few T posts and some orange safety netting would have gotten you by indefinitely on the safety front, and that insurers like to take your money and run at the first excuse.
I had to learn the hard way, but I did learn. I now have a local firm procure all my insurance, and I bundle. I save money, and they have a real interest in keeping my business. They also tell me how to fill out the forms BTW, and will actually do it for me to make sure I don't screw up.

[looneybin]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Fking time wasting morons. I can't stand insurance agents. I recently applied for a liability / E&O policy with Hicox - which advertises themselves as SPECIFICALLY being "coverage for architects". When I talked to their agent, he asked if I used any outside consultants for mechanical, electrical or structural engineering. Of course I said I did. They flat-out refused to underwrite it for this reason. I was flabbergasted.

This is exactly what architects DO as the prime designers on a given project and we're obligated professionally to secure expert consultants as needed for any work or portion that we don't have the expertise to do ourselves (like designing advanced structural systems, complex MEP systems with automation / control components, etc.) They obviously are completely ignorant of architectural practice despite their claim to specialize in covering architectural firms. We're generalists who have advanced training in all aspects of building construction, much like a general practitioner versus a surgical specialist.

I eventually got it set up with someone else but I just don't understand why someone would spend lots of money advertising to a particular niche market, then refuse to cover EXACTLY what that niche market does (and in fact is professionally obligated to, REDUCING potential liability!)

I swear insurance agents delight in wasting people's time for nothing. I love it when I can buy policies online without the need to deal with their stupidity.

That's odd, I've had Hiscox E&O for several years and never any issues with using consultants, the only thing they won't cover is condos
To the OP, I just switched my general liability to Farmers, they have a great coverage package and umbrella policy. It was slightly higher than the policy I had, but the coverage is better, and I now have a local agent that actually answers the phone