A couple paragraphs in, the article says insurers are “educating policyholders on why they don’t need to and shouldn’t sign an AOB, as well as by responding to claims in a timely manner, officials say.” Wish you had said who those official are, because I think everyone knows that the statement is false. An AOB agreement can be very helpful to a homeowner recovering from a disaster. It is often the homeowner’s first time dealing with the situation, and they are at a disadvantage. Contractors often have experience not only with assessing and making repairs, but also in dealing with insurance adjusters. This is a great benefit to consumers.
In the Legislature, bills have been submitted with ways to improve AOB without killing it or depriving consumers of their right to counsel by increasing transparency into AOB contracts and increasing the time and ease with which consumers can back out of the contract if desired. But insurers are rejecting these reasonable measures, with the support of the unnamed “officials” who likely accept large donations to their campaigns. If they had their way, consumers would be completely defenseless.
A couple paragraphs in, the article says insurers are “educating policyholders on why they don’t need to and shouldn’t sign an AOB, as well as by responding to claims in a timely manner, officials say.” Wish you had said who those official are, because I think everyone knows that the statement is false. An AOB agreement can be very helpful to a homeowner recovering from a disaster. It is often the homeowner’s first time dealing with the situation, and they are at a disadvantage. Contractors often have experience not only with assessing and making repairs, but also in dealing with insurance adjusters. This is a great benefit to consumers.
In the Legislature, bills have been submitted with ways to improve AOB without killing it or depriving consumers of their right to counsel by increasing transparency into AOB contracts and increasing the time and ease with which consumers can back out of the contract if desired. But insurers are rejecting these reasonable measures, with the support of the unnamed “officials” who likely accept large donations to their campaigns. If they had their way, consumers would be completely defenseless.