Denied Insurance because of pellet stove??

[cdodge04]

Hey guys,
Been a while since I posted here but something happened today that reminded me of this forum...

I'm in the process of buying a new house, all is approved and I'm just shopping around for homeowners insurance now. I called the company that we have our auto insurance through and got a quote...and it was perfect...low price and our auto insurance goes down as well!

I got on the phone with some jerk who who copped an attitude with me first thing, he told me that they would never give me insurance because I will be having a woodstove. I explained to him that we were going to have a pellet stove which is very different and is as safe as the boiler that is in the basement. This made him even angrier...he told him that he would call me back but that I should just go elsewhere! All this and I didn't even give him an attitude...yet. After that I told the guy exactly what I thought about him and where he could stick a few objects...

What do you guys make of this? Denying coverage because of the pellet stove? The house we are buying is a newer home...built in 1996 and currently only uses an oil fired boiler for heat...

I can't believe they would deny coverage because of a pellet stove....just doesn't make sense...

 

[Dr_Drum]

Sounds to me like the agent has a beef with the agency or his boss/management etc. That's just crazy, everything can be insured for a price. I would call back and ask to speak with his supervisor, they probably don't even know he is acting this way?
Mike -

 

[Fsappo]

You can insure the space shuttle or Evander Holyfield, you can insure a house with a pellet stove. In 26 years I have never had a customer denied insurance for a properly installed pellet or wood appliance. I think you were just talking to a dickhead. My next call would be to his supervisor.

 

[krooser]

My insurance company likes pellet stoves... they tack on a surcharge for wood burners but not pellet stoves.

 

[Xena]

In 26 years I have never had a customer denied
insurance for a properly installed pellet or wood appliance. I think you were just talking to a dickhead.
My next call would be to his supervisor.

Bingo

 

[cdodge04]

That's what I was figuring on...it makes absolutely no sense...but this d-bag has inspired me to find a new company and I'll also be pulling my auto insurance from the company...I'm usually quick to lose my temper with people like this, but I actually didn't even begin to lose it nor did I give him any attitude...I was pleased with myself haha...

 

[BJN644]

what company was it?

 

[cdodge04]

Metlife.


EDIT: Just called back and talked to them again, apparently the reason for not insuring it is not only the pellet stove but also because there isn't a fire hydrant within a certain number of feet from our house. Which again seems stupid to me, we live in friggin MAINE, the majority of the state is rural. There is more land not covered by fire hydrants then there is land covered...

Whatever this company obviously doesn't want our business so I'll be pulling the auto coverage I have on 3 auto's with them away and going with a company that actually wants business...

 

[Lousyweather]

can the whole thing, get a new company......its still a service business! Imagine the problems you'll have if you ever have a claim, and dickhead is still there?! This should be a big red flag for you..........take your business elsewhere!

 

[gbreda]

Metlife.


there isn't a fire hydrant within a certain number of feet from our house. Which again seems stupid to me, we live in friggin MAINE, the majority of the state is rural. There is more land not covered by fire hydrants then there is land covered...

Damn, I dont think there is a fire hydrant in my town at all.

Hey, isnt Metlife the one with Snoopy and Woodstock? Maybe you can tell them you have a dog and he can pee on the fire. They might require a Beagle though :lol:

 

[geek]

I got Metlife and when I installed my stove they didn't have any issue adding this to the policy, and I live in a sort of rural area and my closest hydrant is about maybe a mile, maybe a little less? don't remember...........

 

[rona]

You are in the drivers seat on this one. Their loss and your gain as now you can imagine what good claims service you would have gotten.
I had problems with my ins co and had to pay a surcharge back when I burned wood. When I switched to a corn or pellet stove they weren't going to drop it as the pellets were made of wood. I asked them when was the last time a corn stove blew up a house or started a fire? After a look at what a corn stove actually was they backed down.
The adjuster had never seen a corn stove before and didn't know anything about them.
So find a different company to deal with. Maybe you can get it rolled into your obama insurance.

 

[Ladderlieu]

Anyone want to buy some used hydrants, cheap??? They grow all over my town like weeds

 

[cdodge04]

Yeah we have decided to give Metlife the big kissoff....We were very happy with them for our auto policy, but this whole thing has soured us on them. I know people who had State Farm and had a woodstove installed with absolutely no problems...I can't believe that it is a big deal to have a pellet stove...Companies have policies for a reason though I suppose...whether they make since to me or not!

 

[drewsome]

The insurance rep sounds like a tool, but ultimately each insurer uses its own underwriter criteria in deciding what risks to "write" and which to pass on. Maybe Metlife has an issue with pellet stoves. Seems silly, and it could be based on ignorance. Insurers are risk-averse by nature. If they don't understand it, they just as soon let someone else underwrite it. I'm sure you'll find another insurer to suit your needs. And it's smart to take your auto insurance to the new carrier as well, since many give multiline discounts (be sure to ask).

As for proximity to fire departments, this is commonly used by most all types of commercial and residential insurers for both underwriting and pricing (i.e. figuring your premium).

 

[smalltown]

When we first inquired with our Insurance agent about our having a pellet stove installed we were told that they would like to inspect it afterwards. So when it was installed we went to the agent to tell them we were ready, and when he heard it was professionally installed he said That's the way I like to see it done" the agent then said an inspection wasn't necessary.

 

[twojrts]

I have my homeowners ins. with Nationwide. I called my agent and asked if I had to tell him I was having a pellet stove installed and would my ins. premium change. He said NO and NO.

 

[Snowy Rivers]

Yess indeed, call the company back and do an end run on the Richard Cranium and make his life miserable as all get out.

My house has 3 pellet stoves and has been insured with no issues at all.

As long as the stuff is put in to code there should be no issues at all


Snowy

 

[Stentor]

Replaced an old wood stove with a pellet stove. Got a "building permit" and paid maybe $50 (I forget the exact amount) and had a very fast one minute inspection because it was "professionally installed". Gave a copy of the signed inspection and Harman's glossy sales brochure for the stove to my insurance agent. No problem, no added charge and now the stove is "grandfathered" in my homeowners' insurance going forward.

Considering this is Massachusetts, that's pretty good.

 

[bfgmt]

Maybe you can get it rolled into your obama insurance.

hahahahaha this is great

 

[imacman]

Yeah we have decided to give Metlife the big kissoff....We were very happy with them for our auto policy, but this whole thing has soured us on them. I know people who had State Farm and had a woodstove installed with absolutely no problems...I can't believe that it is a big deal to have a pellet stove...Companies have policies for a reason though I suppose...whether they make since to me or not!

I did a lot of shopping around last year for insurance. I tried all the major companies, and the hands down the best company rate and service wise, was Liberty Mutual. They beat Met Life's prices & coverage easily. I then called MetLife back, and gave them the chance to "match or beat" the prices (and after having been with them for almost 20 years), they simply said "no, we can't".

Now, I have the car & house with Lib. Mutual.....and the agent was a great guy to work with. Also, no issues w/ having a pellet stove at all.

 

[forya]

I have an Accentra Insert, and called my insurance co. after I had it installed by a pro. They came out to take pictures, and let me know that it was safer than the fireplace it was inserted into. My rates didn't drop though. I have Erie Ins.

 

[FireintheHole]

Soon after I had my pellet stove put in I called my insurance co. and the rep. said that it didn't matter because the safety precautions
with the newer stoves are good (and don't have to be examined if they are professionally installed).

 

[CarbonNeutral]

Amica - I installed it, told them, nothing changed.

You can insure a house on fire for $2 on the $1...

 

[Panhandler]

Yeah we have decided to give Metlife the big kissoff....We were very happy with them for our auto policy, but this whole thing has soured us on them. I know people who had State Farm and had a woodstove installed with absolutely no problems...I can't believe that it is a big deal to have a pellet stove...Companies have policies for a reason though I suppose...whether they make since to me or not!

I did a lot of shopping around last year for insurance. I tried all the major companies, and the hands down the best company rate and service wise, was Liberty Mutual. They beat Met Life's prices & coverage easily. I then called MetLife back, and gave them the chance to "match or beat" the prices (and after having been with them for almost 20 years), they simply said "no, we can't".

Now, I have the car & house with Lib. Mutual.....and the agent was a great guy to work with. Also, no issues w/ having a pellet stove at all.

Switched to Liberty Mutual for auto last fall, saved $800 per year. Going to homeowners soon.