After more than 15 years with Allstate, our recent experience with Fairbanks Insurance Agency…read moreultimately led us to move our auto insurance elsewhere and begin looking at alternatives for our homeowners coverage as well.
I am leaving this review because I believe prospective customers should understand our experience before choosing this agency.
Over the years, we encountered multiple errors with our policies. We generally tried to be understanding and gave the agency opportunities to correct them, even in situations where we did not feel the financial impact was completely resolved. We remained loyal customers.
The situation that finally changed that involved requesting a quote to determine the cost of adding a household driver. We believed we were requesting pricing information so we could make an informed decision. The driver was subsequently added to our policy, resulting in additional premium, even though we had not understood our request for a quote to be authorization to make the change. When we questioned this, we were told it was required by underwriting.
I repeatedly asked for clarification about how requesting a quote triggered the underwriting requirement, how the rule applies to other licensed household members such as roommates or people carrying their own insurance, and for a detailed breakdown of our premium/refund calculation after we cancelled the auto policy.
Rather than receiving clear written answers to those questions, I was repeatedly encouraged to call the office. Because trust had already been damaged, I specifically requested that communication remain in writing so there would be an accurate record. I also made clear that if the agency was not the appropriate resource to answer my questions, I was happy to contact the appropriate Allstate department.
The final response I received provided Allstate's 800 number, directed me to information in MyAccount, and stated, "I will no longer be able to respond to further emails."
Another significant concern for me was how previous mistakes were addressed. On more than one occasion, responsibility for errors was attributed to individual staff members rather than the agency taking ownership of what occurred. As a customer and as someone who manages people professionally, I found that particularly disappointing. When mistakes happen within a business, I believe leadership should take responsibility for resolving the customer's concern rather than placing the blame on employees.
I understand that insurance agencies do not control every underwriting requirement or rate increase, and my dissatisfaction is not simply about the price of insurance. It is about communication, accountability, transparency, and how questions and concerns were handled.
After more than 15 years as a customer, I expected a very different conclusion to our relationship. I would encourage anyone considering this agency to ask detailed questions about how quote requests involving household drivers are handled, what changes can be made without additional authorization, and how billing disputes or policy errors will be addressed.
Unfortunately, based on our experience, I can no longer recommend this agency.