Long story short, I never had a problem with Nationwide either. They were always happy to cash my premiums; multi-car and home. Claim free for many years. Then, some the vermin swiped and stripped my GN which was insured with an stated value ($13,500) policy, suddenly I was just a pest to be swatted away. First, an 'investigator' came out and basically accused me of staging the theft. The adjuster started stonewalling and low-balling like it was some sort of game. My GN was very clean with a super slick paint job and a wall full of local show awards.
I provided numerous references that proved otherwise to which they responded with an evaluation of my claim by their 'third-party' appraisal service; Stated Value Automobile Appraisals, Fort Worth, TX. Those buffoons 'concluded' my GN was worth $2,500 which played right into the adjuster's sleazy hands. I countered by getting the president of the Buick GSCA Club involved as he's also an NADA classic car appraiser. Nationwide and their cronies basically frustrated and ran him off. I then got another appraiser involved and after six months of back and forth we came to an agreement in the $10k ballpark.
Meanwhile, I wasn't going to be treated like sh*t and remain a paying customer so I took my business elsewhere. Don't you know that Nationwide then sent me a $211 bill which amounted to a short-rate penalty for dropping them before the renewal came up. They said I had to pay the difference between the 'discounted' premiums I had and what it would have cost to carry the policy less than six months. I had to fight that one all the way to collections.
Finally, once we agreed on the settlement, I asked them how much I could buy the GN's remains back for. I've often heard of folks getting their vehicles back for a song. So you know, my GN was mega-stripped. Basically, all that was left was the frame, front suspension, the bare body shell and some dingy T-Type wheels with a 7.5" rear to keep it rolling for disposal. Not that i could have done much with that, i was more curious what they would say after what transpired. They said I could take the remains if they knocked $1000 off my settlement.
At the time their Website boasted that they were the largest insurance and financial service company in the world with more than $157 billion in statutory assets yet they did absolutely everything possible to squirm out of a sub $15k settlement to a good, paying customer. Oh, and I forgot to mention that through this entire ordeal, my agent was as worthless as a screen door on a submarine. Not interested in helping me at all. So, they can go to Hell!
Lessons learned: Don't trust a Stated Value policy because the insurance company can depreciate as they see fit. Get an Agreed Value policy. Don't trust Nationwide. And lastly, don't trust a Nationwide Stated Value policy most of all!
Guess that wasn't too short after all but it covers a lot of screwing. :x It also chapped my *ss that the same year this was going on, they announced that they were replacing Busch as a NASCAR sponsor so the Busch
Grand National series became the Nationwide series...How, F'ing ironic.
