Allstate Agents Meet with State
April 9th, 2008 by Mike VasilindaAllstate has until Monday to ask a court to let it keep selling new policies. The company remains at odds with state regulators over what documents it is required to turn over. And as Mike Vasilinda tells us, the companies 1100 independent agents feel like they are caught in the middle.
Hear it here: Allstate Agents Meet with State
Their faces grim, a handful of Allstate agents and their association executives came to the Capitol to plead their case to state insurance regulators.
“We’re here to just urge the parties to work it out,” Tim Meehan with the Fl. Assn. Of Insurance and Financial Advisors said. “Allstate agents are small business men and women, getting caught in the middle.”
An hour later no one was smiling. No one was claiming a truce was on the horizon.
“Having the agents not be able to produce business, actually bankrupt some of our members,” Dan Brown, president of the FAIFA said.
Agent Carolyn Hersh from Pasco County says her customers are calling with questions.
“My Customers, thankfully I have a personal relationship with most of them, that they can come to me and say ‘ok, what is going on? Is my current policy in jeopardy?’ And I can say no, your current policy is not in jeopardy and I am happy to continue to service you,” Hersh said.
Still at issue is whether the company can claim lawyer-client privilege on a 196 page list of documents the state wants to see.
Allstate has until Monday to ask the appellate court for a rehearing. And every day of delay gives the company time to write new policies
The agents got no sympathy from the governor.
“They oughta work for a better company, that’s more ethical and more honest and not so damn greedy,” Crist said. “No, I’m not happy at all. Bad Hands.”
In a statement, the state says the Allstate agents should express their concerns to the Allstate corporate office.
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