1 /5 Brad White: There really should be a way to give a rating lower than “1”…. If you have insurance coverage from Allstate, and through this office in particular, or if you are thinking of purchasing a policy from them, please read my entire review.
I had been a loyal Allstate customer for decades but the actions of this branch have guaranteed they’ll never see another dollar of my money.
Earlier this year I was informed in writing that Castle Key (an Allstate affiliate) would not be renewing my homeowners policy when it expired in June because my house was built before 2021. The letter indicated that I would be receiving an offer for replacement coverage from Monarch National Insurance Company (not an Allstate company) approximately 40 days prior to my policy lapsing. Upon receiving that notice, I called the office and asked if I would loose the bundle discount (my auto policy was with Allstate) and I was told I would since Allstate doesn’t have an ownership interest in Monarch.
Because I was already paying too much for insurance, I contacted an independent insurance broker and within 2 weeks I had replacement policies through a different insurer. Amazingly, I was able to get the exact same levels of auto coverage through Travelers at about half the cost of my Allstate policy. And, although I had to pay for a 4-point inspection and wind mitigation survey, I was able to secure replacement homeowners insurance for about $1600/yr less than Castle Key charged me in 2023 - with higher coverage limits in most cases.
Needless to say, I immediately purchased those policies and canceled my auto and homeowners insurance from Allstate/Castle Key on May 1st and May 7th, respectively. The refunds for the unused portion of the term was received promptly. I was happy to have saved several thousand dollars on insurance given current market conditions.
Then, on the evening of June 10th I received an email from my mortgage company advising me they had overdrawn my escrow account by several thousand dollars. When I called to find out what was going on, I was advised they had paid Monarch National Insurance company $10,588 for homeowners insurance on June 4. I did not authorize that payment nor had I entered into any agreement to purchase coverage through them. Ironically, that same evening I received a letter from Jeff Cato insurance which read (in part):
“Thank you for selecting us as your insurance carrier. This packet contains information about your insurance policy…..”
Attached to the letter was an invoice from Monarch National Insurance Company. I never selected Allstate or Monarch Insurance - I had changed insurers on May 7, 2024. AND, THEY INVOICED AND WERE PAID BY MY MORTGAGE COMPANY!
Since then, I’ve been in contact with Mr. Cato’s office and have been told that it may take another 3 weeks for the monies to be refunded. I find that completely unacceptable. Imagine for a moment how much interest could be accrued if just 30% of the non—renewed Castle Key customers/ mortgage companies were inappropriately invoiced. Considering the circumstances, it seems like a reputable company wanting to maintain and/or build a good reputation and trust, would bend over backwards to correct their error. Not these folks. In fact, in response to my last email to them expressing my dissatisfaction with the lengthy refund time, the wrote me an email attempting to blame me for the invoice being sent. They knew I had secured alternate coverage when I cancelled on May 7th.
This isn’t the first challenge I’ve had dealing with Jeff Cato Insurance, but I always looked the other way. Not anymore.
If you are looking for insurance, I highly recommend calling an independent broker. Saves time and a lot of money!
