Bad News/Good News

[barogers]

First sorry for the delay in posting this, but hope you all will understand after reading this post that I have been busy /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif dealing with issue. On Monday June 30 sometime between 8am and 9:30am someone came to my home (garage) and stole /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif and/or damaged several items. Those items are 1)Scag Turf Tiger 27HP/61" ZTR, 2)BCS 710 Tiller, 3) Stihl 009 16" Chain Saw, 4)6'x10' Utility Trailer, 5) John Deere 4410 CUT. They tried to steal the JD4410 by knocking out the ignition switch area and hot-wire the tractor, however hot-wiring the tractor isn't a sure fire way to steal a E-Hydro JD. I am sure the JD4410 was the primary target, but since they couldn't get it to move and the trailer was too small they took everything else /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. Apparently according to the service manager who came to pickup my tractor to repair the damage the transmission is connected into the ignition system through several actuators and will not function just because the engine is running. It was proven by him by starting the tractor by the attempted hot-wire job and depressing the forward and reverse pedals until I was happy (although I wasn't really /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif, I was still steaming at this point). I guess this makes me feel much better about deciding to purchase the E-Hydro instead of the Power-Reverser which I liked very well. I talked to the dealer about the repair bill this morning, so far it looks as though it's going to be about $1,600.00 /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. I'am glad I have replacement-cost insurance that will cover all but the $500.00 deductable. I was thinking about getting a new diesel ZTR but didn't want to go about it this way. This interruption /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif puts a serious kink in my 22 acres I mow every week, so I had to go out and get a new ZTR the following day. I also had a tuff time trying to finish putting up a 575' new stretch of fence without my tractor /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. At least I have good neighbors which are farmers and they let me borrow the skid-loader to work, I really tried to find something that I needed to use their Agco-Allis RT215 for. Supposed to get the JD4410 back tomorrow afternoon /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. Will post pictures of the damage area later.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

First, I'm sorry to hear of your misfortune. It's far more common than we'd like to believe.

Second, you can be happy they didn't know you had a JD in there before they broke in. If they had, they might have been able to just go to any JD dealer and simply bought a key. My 4200 key fits any 4200, 4100, 4300, etc., etc., etc.

I wonder if Deere changed that in the 'ten series' or not. That might be a question to ask your dealer. If not, they should be able to put a non-JD ignition lock in for you with different keying. If they can't, any locksmith should be able to do it for you.

I must admit I've had some fun looking at used Deeres on non-JD lots and firing them up with my key. That'll generally get the salesman out from behind his desk to come talk with you. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Henro]

Barogers,

Bummer...guess that is the term we use locally...

Glad you won't be out more than $500 when it is all over...if I understand your post right.

Shame people like those guys who hit on you exist. I usually forget they are out there...

Keep your chin up!

 

[Russell]

I\'ve Been There

I know how you feel. I had my 1 month old 16' trailer stolen out from my back yard early one morning while I was in bed (probably 4 am or so) back in May. My tractor wasn't more than 20ft from the trailer, but they didn't bother it. They couldn't have moved it without making lots of noise. Insurance ended up only covering $500 of the $1500. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif I don't know who makes me more upset...thieves or insurance...wait..is there a difference?

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Re: I\'ve Been There

Russell,

Did you have a coupler lock on your trailer?

 

[Russell]

Re: I\'ve Been There

No, I didn't. I had bought a lock a week prior, but it wouldn't fit the coupler. I didn't have a chance to go back and get one that would fit. And it was in my back yard. I was the 4th victim in the the immediate area in a 2 week span. One of the other trailers stolen was locked up, but they still got it. A coupler lock will not stop a determined thief. They can use the saftey chains to carry the trailer to a safe location. No, it's not a good idea to pull a trailer by the chains, no, it's not safe, but neither is crime. When a thief wants something, they will get it. The only thing I know of that will stop a thief is a large link chain wrapped around a large tree or post (set in concrete).

I guess this is one of those "live and learn" deals.. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[dmccarty]

Re: I\'ve Been There

Russell,

"I don't know who makes me more upset...thieves or insurance...wait..is there a difference?"

No, not really. I had a car stolen years ago. Long horrible
story but the bottom line is that Nationwide screwed me far
worse than the thief. I was still in school and did not
have much and I was spending a fortune
in insurance which did not do me much good. I would have
been far better off to have been UNINSURED by Nationwide.
They where that bad. The thief just stole my car and trashed
it. Nationwide took my money, made promises and lied.
When I was having problems with the claim, I called the 800
number that Nationwide had for problems. According to the
agent my calling the complaint line was a mistake! HUH? Then
why have a complaint line?

Bottom line is that Nationwide is NOT on your side.

I'm sure there are other horror stories about other insurance
companies but Nationwide I'll cuss to the day I die. Allstate
handled a car break in I had a few years ago. Nice and
painless. They did more than a great job handling the claim.
I can't say enough good things about Allstate. I can't say
enough bad things about Nationwide. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'll sit back and wait for someones horror story about AllState as well a great story about NationWide /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Later,
Dan CanYouTellIDontLikeNationWide? McCarty

 

[Golfgar4]

Re: I\'ve Been There

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Dan CanYouTellIDontLikeNationWide? McCarty )</font>

Hmmmm...... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif If I were a betting man, I'd bet you don't like Nationwide! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Well, no stories about Nationwide or Allstate. But I do have a similar story about another company. Now I don't want to mention any names, but their initials are STATE FARM .

I had a problem with some damage a repairman did while doing a repair. After trying to get the repairman to take care of it, I finally called my insurance agent, who sent out an adjuster to take a look. A very nice lady showed up, checked the damaged area and said that it would be covered. While she was there, she noticed a problem in our bathroom. The house was only about 3 years old at that time, and she said that she believed we had a leak inside the shower wall. We should get it looked at, and she would report it as a claimable problem depending on what we found.

So after a few days, we had a plumber come out and he did confirm that there was a leak and that the entire wall would need to be rebuilt. We called the adjuster and told her what had been found. She said that she would report the problem and submit the claim for us. Pretty good service! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

A short time later, we get notified from State Farm that our rates were being raised because of the "frequency" of submitting frivolous claims! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif We called our agent and raised holy h _ _ _. We reminded him that it was their adjuster that told us to submit the claim, and there was nothing frivolous about the problem. We'd had to have a whole wall rebuilt. His comment back to us was, "Well, you shouldn't have let the wall get that damaged in the first place!" /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Needless to say, we did some quick checking and found another insurance company real fast! I don't think Nationwide was one of the companies that we checked with. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[dmccarty]

Re: I\'ve Been There

GolfGar4,

Did your frivolous claims issue happen in the last few years?

I was reading an article in the last month or so about what
insurance companies are doing to lower risk and make more
money. They are basically going after people who have had
claims and either raising their rates or dropping them. One of
our local TV stations ran a story where a mouth piece for the
insurance industry encouraged people to NOT file small claims.
In other words don't hold us to our promises/contracts.

The companies where driving by some houses and if they saw
a risk they would up your rates or drop you. One of the bad
things was a trampoline in the yard. I could see how these
things could lead to increased claims but only SOME companies
had a problem with the trampolines. Other companies could
care less...

Later,
Dan

 

[Golfgar4]

Re: I\'ve Been There

Dan,

No, my experience was back in '87 or '88.

You know, it wasn't so much that our rates were increased (although that by itself would have been irritating /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif), but it was how they were raised and what was said. Especially since we (my entire family) had been with State Farm for as long as I can remember.

I think the entire insurance marketplace has taken a huge hit because of 911 and the lousy economy, and they're all trying to recoup their losses the only way they know how, by raising rates. I certainly don't agree with it, but what can a guy do? You increase your deductible to a level that is so high, that the only way the insurance company is going to pay anything is if the event is classified as catastrophic. In reality, how often does that happen to most people? Not very!

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( They are basically going after people who have had
claims and either raising their rates or dropping them. )</font>

I don't necessarily believe that either. I think the insurance companies are using any excuse to raise rates and make money. My in-laws have never filed a claim in their life, and they got hit with a 40% increase a few months ago. The reason they were given (as told to me by them) was because they had never filed a claim, the chances that they would keep increasing so the company had to prepare for that eventuality! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif I don't know which company they had, and I questioned my father-in-law when he told me this. He's not the most "financial" person in the world. Then I asked the mother-in-law, and she confirmed it. Since she pays the bills, I gotta believe.

That's pretty bad when a company can raise your rates because you've never cost them money! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif