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I had a terrible experience with Farmers. I purchased a homeowners policy and, a month after paying the annual premium in full, Farmers sent a vaguely worded letter stating that my premium would be increasing in the middle of the coverage period because they made a mistake when they calculated it. At that point, I decided to cancel my policy because I didn’t want to do business with an insurance company that would do such a thing in the middle of the contract period. For the next two months, I battled Farmers and its inept customer service representatives trying to get a refund of the premium that I had already paid. Every step of the way, Farmers was a nightmare to deal with. Their customer service “systems” are extremely outdated and disorganized, and their customer service representatives are incompetent and unpleasant. After a lot of stress and wasted time, I finally got my refund. If it was that difficult getting my money back after they made a mistake, I can imagine how frustrating it would be getting Farmers to pay a claim when I needed them. There are better options out there. Avoid this company. –SteveL

Source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/insurance/farmers-insurance-review/

September 26, 2016, 09:00:00PM. By Heidi Turner
San Francisco, CA Insurance adjusters for Farmers Insurance and their employer have reached a $4.9 million settlement in the California labor lawsuit filed against the insurance company. The California wage and hour lawsuit was filed by adjusters who alleged Farmers Insurance violated state and federal labor laws and owed workers for unpaid wages and overtime.

Farmers Insurance Claims Adjusters Reach 4.9 Million Settlement According to reports, approximately 2,000 class members who worked as claims representatives in California from September 2011 to August 2016 will split the settlement. The lawsuit, which was initially filed in 2014, alleged company policies on the part of Farmers Insurance resulted in claims adjusters missing required breaks.

“…Plaintiffs sought certification of their claims for unpaid overtime and missed meal and rest breaks, unfair competition under the UCL, and statutory and civil penalties based on their belief that Farmers has class wide policies and practices that led to off-the-clock work and missed breaks,” court documents note.

Among the allegations are that Farmers Insurance practices—including competitive rankings among employees and work volume demands—resulted in claims adjusters working overtime and skipping breaks. Furthermore, plaintiffs alleged that prior to 2015 Farmers did not have a meal or rest break policy that ensured workers either did not miss a meal or rest break, or if they did miss the break, could report it properly.

Farmers Insurance denied any wrongdoing in the case and stated its policies and procedures complied with federal and state law. The company agreed, however, to settle the lawsuit. US District Judge William Orrick gave his approval to the settlement, noting that the settlement was fair.

The lawsuit is Alvarez et al v. Farmers Insurance Exchange et al., case number 3:14-cv-00574, in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

Source: lawyersandsettlements.com