My question for Becky, or any other agent, is: Why the hell can't a potential customer see, read, and review a policy BEFORE purchasing a policy??? That way, it is EASY to compare a current policy to a possible new policy. Think about it - insurance is about the only "product" you can not look at before you buy, and I mean look at thoroughly beforehand! Why is this??? A person can not say "This is not what I thought I bought" or "This isn't what you told me I bought!" Again, you pay for a policy, THEN get to look at it. This is not right!
I sell for a competitor and if you want to look at the policy, I have no problem printing one out for you.
Got Grundy - when i added an additional car...............an extra $25 apparentlly you only pay for the bulk of premium for one car
We can definitely provide you with a sample policy to review. Please e-mail me if you'd like it! [email protected] Becky
So, if I want to take the car home overnight, I cannot be insured by Grundy, since I don't have a garage there. I guess I will look elsewhere.
The age limit at Grundy is 25 years old for the driver. However, I called last year, spoke to someone there and explained my situation. I was 24, in my second year of law school, owned my vehicle since I was 17, and had an unblemished driving record. He said they would underwrite me if I provided a copy of my driving history. I thought that was pretty cool that they handled me on a individual basis and were willing to work with me. When my ride is all put back together, I will definitely be in touch with Grundy to get a policy going
The only problem I had with Grundy was with my shop insurance. Got to reading the fine print and they had exempted wind and hail damage to the property and contents. I found this after having the coverage for about 4 months. I immediately contacted them and asked what the hell good the insurance was with a shop located in Nebraska and that exemption. They said it was a computer error? and lifted the exemption. I keep checking my policy on line to make sure they don't slip it to me again.
Originally Posted by beckyatgrundy View Post It is also important to point out that, a few years ago, Grundy launched a nationwide-search for adjusters who are car guys. As a result we are certain that when we send a claims adjuster to assess damage on a collector vehicle, they really know what they are talking about! Imagine having an adjuster assess the damage on your car after looking puzzled upon their first glance at the unique vehicle! We are sure you would feel a bit unsettled. At Grundy, our adjusters are familiar with collector cars; many of them are hobbyists, themselves. We are confident that our customers will be confident in our adjusters. We are car people just like you! I've gotta disagree with this statement. Granted, my car is a bit "special" in the PNW. it's a full metalflake paint job, with panels, fades, candies, cobwebbing, etc. the "car guy" adjuster they sent (and i was told no need to get a shop estimate, cause their adjuster new "old cars") shook his head when he saw the dent in my fender, and wrote me an estimate for not even HALF of what i ended up having to pay. He was also a bit rude, lied to me a few times, and after i called his superiors to complain about his customer service, he quit returning my phone calls and began TEXTING me about my claim. nice huh? everytime i called Grundy I was treated with respect and courtesy, but that was NOT the case with Philadelphia (the underwriter,,,who is who you ultimately deal with on a regular basis) or the adjuster they sent. i expressed my concerns to Grundy. my claim was finally taken care of properly. i am a bit disappointed to see Beckyatgrundy reply to most questions on here (and not just this thread, as i have posted many times about my situation on other threads about Grundy), but somehow never bother to address the issues of the folks actually handling the claims. I still use Grundy to insure my car. I hope mine was an isolated incident, but it only takes the once for me to tell everyone my story.
First, let me say I don't handle anything outside the 'Sunshine State'. But I handle Grundy's appraisals here in Central Florida. I'm an independent appraiser and run my own business. I've been in the insurance business going on 25 years (or since I was 21). I worked in Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois and Florida. I've handled personal lines auto (your standard daily driver), collector car, homeowners, marine craft, motorcycles, snowmobiles, RV's, 4 wheelers, etc. I will also say that my resume includes those famous words, "Some College". Most of this was in marketing. What does this mean? It means I don't swear in front of clients. It means you are not just Grundy's customer, but mine as well. It means I work around your schedule whenever possible to get your car handled. It means I understand customer service. Now, having said all of that, not everyone has the same experience. It means everyone has a bad day. It means that you may be the only one unhappy with your claims appraiser. I know that no matter how hard I try, I can please most of the people most of the time, but I can't please all of the people all of the time. Even after having 25 years experience, I will honestly say I don't know it all. And anyone who thinks they do is foolish. With that crazy paint job, I'd probably look for an explaination from the painter on what he'll have to do to refinish the car. And I certainly wouldn't be writing an estimate for one coat of single stage on it either. The inside adjuster won't know everything about every car either. They rely on the appraisers to explain what they are not sure about. We rely on our contacts to give us a straight explanation if we need one. Based on the types of cars we get, we become more familiar with certain cars more than others. I'm getting to become an expert on Rolls Royce, Lamborghini and Ford GT's. Here in Florida, by far the most seen are muscle cars and C2 & C3 Corvettes. I can almost write these in my sleep. But if I I look at a car from the '20's, '30's or '40's (other than Fords) I'm doing a little homework. It can be over assembly, parts, suppliers or repair procedures. I've had one Carson Top and it was a learning experience. So after saying all that, what do you want to know? I work for Grundy and others. I don't make the hard decisions, but I know the people who do. What do you want to know? Oh, and for those who want a car policy before buying, I've never saw an insurance company refuse to give a potential customer one. You may have an agent with only one copy, but if you call a claims office, they will usually be happy to give you a copy. One word on these. They are mostly all the same for a given state. It might even look exactly like your daily driver policy. Why? All of these 'forms' are based off of a master copy. It may be hard to realize, but each company will tailor the policy to their company one one small way or another. I doubt you'll see rental car wording in a collector car policy. But generally they are all worded the same way. Remember, these have to conform to the rules of your state. And it's the state that sets 'policy' over how claims are settled. From injury to total losses, you state sets the guidelines.
I appreciate your comments and feedback. I also seem to be in the minority when it comes being unhappy with my service. Like I said, I hope it was just a fluke and things are handled differently next time.. (god forbid I have to go through that experience again) So,,,if it does happen again,,,can I get you to fly up to Seattle and handle my claim???
Have any of you checked with J.C. Taylor Insurance ? That`s who I have for my 1958 Dodge. $8500 "agreed value" policy is $88 year. I had a 67 Chevelle a few years back and filed a $9000 claim. I had a check in my hand within 48 hours. I am very happy with J.C. Taylor.
My mileage is reasonable. $.75 per mile from the end of Citrus County to your door (or about $4600). Of course, you could by my ticket on Southwest, rent me a car, get me a room for two nights and feed me for a lot less . Of just bring the vehicle here during Billitproof.
I am REALLY confused over the occasionally driving my "collector car" to work. When, I believe Jim, Grundy was on My Classic Car he said occasionally driving to work was OK. But I am reading differently on here. And what if your company was having an employees car show at lunch. Could you drive your car that day. A place I used to work had one. Bill
Bill, don't stress out. You can drive the car to work. Just don't do it every day. Like I said earlier, if you drive it three days a week, which is the daily driver? If you have a lunch time car show, take it to work. But pick your day. If your lunch time car show is a daily occurance, I don't think any insurance company will buy that excuse. Look, I'm looking for a daily driver 4-door sedan (or wagon) for a company car. Something from the 1950's or 1960's. But I'll have to bite the bullet for daily driver insurance and hope for the best. How cool would it be to have your appraiser show up in a '63 Impala 4-door to look at your car?
I have been shopping around myself. If you call the particular company, they will email you a copy of their policy for you to review. This is the CONTRACT you sign so be sure to read it carefully. It doesnt matter what somebody tells you is or isn't covered, it matters what is in the POLICY!! Both Hagerty and Grundy have sent me policies to review. One thing that the Grundy rep. did tell me was that while in the restoration process, they would not insure it, buy Hagerty said they would.
Swifster, as a retired damage appraiser I agree with your comments completely. I recently had a claim with my insurer Grundy. The local estimator did an outstanding job, he promised and delivered! Things like the service I received make it easier to write the check when the premium is due!
I sent an email to BeckyatGrundy this afternoon asking for some clarification about wether or not I was covered in certain situations. I received a reply within an hour. Every question I had was answered straight and to the point. If you have any concerns, just ask her!
I had reason to speak to the Grundy claim rep this morning and asked the same question. Yes, they do cover the car during the build. It's basically a 'parts only' policy, and doesn't cover driving the car around. And actually, I haven't seen a Collector Car insurer who doesn't cover while the build is in progress. I'd have the agent do a little more digging.
I think that question has been answered and it is no, comming from Becky herself. I told them I would drive to work , in the summer (in Buffalo) once a week if that; weather permitting. I was told, and again it was stated in this thread, it is not covered. Now if I'm out on a Suday drive, or going to, or comming from a cruise night and I stop at Advance auto to buy brake fluid, I was told that I'm not covered. Now I would hate to misrepresent where I was going and why I was where I was because I was unsure if I was covered. I'm not knocking Grundy they have great prices and their service seems top notch, but it would not work for me, and that is OK. I would hate to see someone have an accident and not be covered...
When I first went with Grundy, Im pretty sure that the driving portion of their coverage was stated as TO AND FROM EVENTS. This thread got me thinking about that so I emailed Becky at Grundy (she is their Public Relations person and Marketing Coordinator). I asked about coverage in the following situations and got a response within an hour stating that she had gone over my email with an underwriter and provided the following answers: Am I covered?? Going for a Sunday drive with no particular destination. YES Taking the car out for a test drive after doing some work/changes to it. YES Cruising around on Christmad Eve looking at lights etc... YES Going out to get gas the day before a run to a show. YES I also asked about taking my car to work to show it to friends/co-workers...and how many trips to work can I take before my car becomes a Daily Driver in Grundys eyes? YOU ARE COVERED TO DRIVE YOUR CAR TO WORK AS LONG AS IT ISNT EVERY DAY. ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH IS OK, TWICE A WEEK IS NOT, BUT THEY HAVE NO SPECIFIC GUIDELINES/LIMITS.
Becky I do have a question. I have Grundy for my Merc and have had them for about 4 years. Is the $250.00 tow coverage just for accidents or also for breakdowns on the road to a show or cruise-in? I thought my Haggarty policy covered breakdowns and accidents but I lost my breakdown tow costs when I switched to Grundy and that contributed to my cost savings of $250.00/year when I switched. Jim
This thread is very interesting. I've had Hagerty for years, but no claims. I'm paid up until Sept, but I am intrigued with Grundy.
Guys, with the one exception that I noted earlier in the thread, I've NEVER seen anyone deny a claim. EVER. If they thought you were using the car consistant with a daily driver, they will not renew you. You have to give them serious amunition for them to deny a claim. This would be insurance fraud kind of stuff. Illegal kind of stuff. They will not deny your claim for going to AutoZone. They will not deny their claim for driving the car to work. But if it's in the gray area or darker, you may get a notice that your policy won't be renewed at renewal time. Heck even regular car policies, it's pretty much the same as above. The insurance company won't deny your claim unless something illegal is going on or you didn't purchase coverage (like sound endorsement if your kicker box was taken). Full coverage is full coverage. But if you burn your garage down for the insurance check, and there is a suggestion of arson, expect them to hold on the outcome. Guilty, and they won't pay off (and that would be true on your homeowners or daily driver). There is no waiting for the 'other shoe to drop' unless you give them reason. If you want a daily driver vintage car, get a daily driver policy. Get the car appraised before something happens to it and keep the paperwork safe. Keep the build pictures. Keep the receipt (bill of sale) showing what was paid. Yes, you'll pay more money, but you'll have the right coverage and if something happens you'll be prepared. Maybe I need to write an article on how to insured your car???
Any suggestions on where to find one of these? All of my local agents stare at me as if I have three heads when I ask. Most seem not able to comprehend anything that does not have a modern 17-digit VIN. Driving my rod is a 3-4 day affair when the weather is good. It is garaged at my shop, but I have no garage at home. Homes with garages are scarce, and renting an actually secure one would be about $1200 to $1440 per year. No luck yet, other than a state-minimum liability policy.
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