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Old 07-18-2021, 07:40 AM   #1
ChaseTX
Seasoned Camper
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: JB MDL
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M.O.C. #26041
Fraudulent Insurance Adjuster

!!!!!!!Attention this is a Long Read, but you won't regret it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few days ago I had an adjuster try to pull a fast one on me. Some of you may already know, I had damage to my camper from a rough road in the Carolinas. I hit a monster pothole, when I came to my destination I noticed a substantial crack to the top right corner of one of my slide outs, and I thought there might be possible frame damage from a picture inside the wall. I called progressive and an adjuster came out a few days later. The adjuster looked at it verified that the crack was from the road and wrote up an estimate. I could not find a repair shop in NJ, so I called Valleybrook RV in PA. Seemed like they had pretty good reviews and they specialized in RVs, so I went that route.

I called the insurance company and let them know I would be sending it to PA. They told me a PA adjuster would have to verify the damages since I was getting the repairs done in PA. I brought the RV to the shop on the weekend because it was a 2-hour drive.

That next week I recieved a phone call from the PA adjuster. He told me the crack was not only from the pothole. There was water damage. He said he used his moisture detector and it read 100% around the area of the crack. I asked him a few questions like what model moisture detector "MMD7NP" (General-Electromagnetic pinless sensor). I asked him if it was still vacuum-bonded and he said yes. After this conversation, I became extremely suspicious of what happened.

I called the mechanic, he told me the adjuster used his tool and it said it had moisture, he also told me he couldn't get the slide-out. He was worried about doing the repair since there was water damage. I told him that's because I forgot to turn it back on, the knob is located in the auto level box. Look if this was a wooden framed camper, then I would be worried about doing the repair as well, but it is aluminum and come to find out there was no water damage, you will see this later on. If you are an RV repair shop, I feel like this is common knowledge to know how to operate an RV or call the owner. So, that means the insurance adjuster did not look at the camper with the slide-out. I also asked him if it was still leaking, he said NO, it appeared to be dry. I said good, I have been over that camper with a fine tooth come and haven't seen any leaks. I asked him to please look at the camper now that he knows how to open it. He said, ok... Needless to say, I picked up the camper 4 days later. Don't tell someone your going to look at something, then don't. I drove a total of 8 hours just to get the run around to make my situation worse. This is besides the point, just a little irritated about that situation.

I called the insurance adjuster and asked him if he looked at the hole camper, he said yes. I asked, how did you look at the hole camper if you did not put the slide out? He then got irritated and said he didn't need to. I said, how do you know if it was still vacuum bonded together on the outside if you didn't see it with the slide out? This made him extremely irritated. He said his supervisor was reviewing everything and I will hear a determination later on.

I pointed out the type of moisture detector at the beginning to say this. Those types of moisture readers will through false readings over metal. They will show 100% If used on a material that is over any type of metal. I have a video over this. I work on campers on the side to make a few extra bucks for camping with my family. I actually went ahead and opened my camper up and found out the frame was not cracked and it was just a scratch from the spool mig gun. So the only thing messed up was the crack. I sent the video to the insurance company showing that there was no moisture on the wall, as well as, how the moisture detector will through a false reading in that section due to the Aluminum superstructure in that area. A few days later they denied the entire claim, said that road damage would not have caused that type of damage if there was no suspension damage or tire damage.

I know this is a long read, but I want everyone to educate themselves on things before taking someone's word for it. I have never loaded a video to youtube, but I am trying to load this one. I want people to be prepared if something like this happens to them.

Not all adjusters are like this, I know that. This could be an isolated incident, not sure but I spent close to 10 hours showing that my camper had no pre-existing damage that caused the original damage. I have a feeling with camper sales going through the roof, people will have a harder time getting claims taken care of. Don't be afraid to challenge insurance adjusters' diagnoses. I will let you all know when I get the video figured out, you can make your own determination.

You can view the camper damage from the post " Not the surprise I wanted"
 
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Old 08-28-2021, 11:37 AM   #2
Chef
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Location: California’s Central Valley
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M.O.C. #24970
A couple of years ago we were hit head on by a drunk driver. Luckily there were no serious injuries. The adjuster for Allstate deemed our car totaled. However, he tried to deduct $400 from the car value because he stated the “engine compartment was dirty”. Of course it was dirty, it was in a head on collision and the battery exploded leaving acid everywhere inside. Then he deducted $250 for the window having a crack. Again, it was a head on collision. When I pointed out the discrepancies the adjuster got very defensive and blew his stack.
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Old 08-28-2021, 12:48 PM   #3
BB_TX
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That’s why we have been with State Farm for home, auto, and RV for 30 years or more. They have never questioned a claim (and there have been a number of them) or tried to juggle what they would cover.

Did not question a $14,000 estimate on damage to the Monte due to tail swing. Paid full minus deductible.

And when a baseball size hail storm hit our house and broke skylights and damaged the roof, the adjuster came out and started adding things in addition to roof and skylights I had not even considered (all screens since some were torn but some only scratched, metal chimney cap since it had dents you could not see from the ground, repaint of all facia and soffits because some paint was chipped, roof and repaint of stand alone storage building, repaint of drywall under skylights even though cracked paint was from before the storm, etc.) and paid full amount minus deductible.
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Old 08-28-2021, 02:35 PM   #4
Thorsell
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Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Medina
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M.O.C. #19945
We have Progressive as well and just had to submit a claim for damage from a bad section of I-80 eastbound where we had a damaged leaf spring and blown tire which damaged the trim and J panel. Sure hope we have a decent adjuster. Did you report this to Progressive Corporate and was it rectified for you?

Respectfully,
Laura Thorsell
MOC # 19945
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Old 08-28-2021, 05:36 PM   #5
mlh
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Bill gets the same type of service from State Farm I get from Allstate.
Lynwood
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