Posted On: October 5, 2007, 4:05 pm CDT

Posted By: CCD

I can't help but notice that Superintendent Dinallo's pandering to the media lately, ostensibly in an effort to help consumers, actually is detrimental to consumers.

Dinallo finds fault with insurers who, when deciding whose homeowner insurance policy to renew, base their selection in part on whether a customer has more than one policy with them.

Shouldn't customers that have multiple policies with one company stand out from those that only have one? It makes perfect sense. Repeat customers or multi-faceted customers of any organization almost always receive preferential treatment over the first time or limited customer -and that is as it should be. If you look across our economy you find evidence of this in every aspect of our daily transactions.

Fox example:

1. If I purchase cable television from a given company I pay x price, however, if I also purchase internet and phone I get a better deal.
2. If I buy a season ticket package to a sports venue I get a better price and more amenities than the person who buys tickets to only one event per year.
3. I happen to fly with one airline frequently, as a result I board the aircraft before the folks who rarely fly and I am made aware of discounted routes and seats that a non-member may not be aware of.
4. I get discounts at the grocery store that I frequent with a plastic ring on my car keys.

Companies always treat customers differently, as they should, and as we the consumer expect. It's called capitalism. When government tries to step in and tell companies how to treat their customers they almost always get it wrong.

By interfering in the insurance marketplace, I and other loyal consumers are being put at a disadvantage. I have all of my policies with one insurer and you bet I want preferential treatment!

I think the Superintendent missed the mark in his zeal for headlines and I wish more folks like me would speak up and stop it before someone else in government tries to deny me the benefits of capitalism.