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Reviews For: ARRL Insurance - Seabury & Smith

Category: Ham Radio Insurance

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Review Summary For : ARRL Insurance - Seabury & Smith
Reviews: 21MSRP: 1600
Description:
Seabury & Smith equipment protection policy.
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00212.6
K4IA Rating: 2006-08-09
Just Adequate Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had a Yaesu Quadra power supply fail due to a power surge. I sent it to Yaesu and they wanted $3,000 to repair and would not guarantee the work. I filed a claim (including the quote from Yaesu) with S&S and got a letter agreeing to pay my claim about two weeks later. Another month went by before I received my check for full replacement value minus the $50 deductible. I would give them a 4 on this aspect - they paid me as stated in the advertising but the way it was handled made me uneasy.

I was paid but it took forever. There was really no excuse for the delay. It just didn't seem like much of a priority and I got a lot of misleading "checks in the mail" kind of messages. Prompt payment of claims is one measure of a good insurance company. Here they get a 1.

Listing all your equipment is a pain. After the policy is issued, they don't make it easy for you to tell what you have listed. Even when you get your renewal notice, it does not come with a list of equipment you have registered. Keep good records! For ease of use - a 2.

I think the other company has a better plan. You buy as much insurance as you think you need and don't have to list equipment if the coverage is under $5000. The result is a much lower premium because you don't have to pay to insure everything against a total loss. And, the other company includes mechanical breakdown for a small fee. I wish I had that when the finals blew in my FT-100D. For plan coverage, I give S&S a 2.
WA7JOS Rating: 2006-08-08
Inept Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have never had to make a claim, but I have talked to Marsh (used to be Seabury & Smith) many times. The only way to get in touch with them is by phone during business hours. They seem to ignore email, and have this unnatural attachment to the FAX machine to do transactions.

And whatever you ask for, they will screw it up causing you to have to call back several times at 2 week intervals until they get it right, or you give up in dispair.
N3FN Rating: 2005-08-04
Puts the "P" in Poor Service!!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I agree with today's other posted comment. On 6/16/05 I sustained a lightening strike which took out my PRO III and Astron RS-35M. Well, after several emails to the claim rep (3rd party)plus faxing documents 3 times, as well as telephone calls to Seabury Customer Service and the ARRL I finally received an email of my settlement. Now, I wonder if I don't receive a check I'll hear on another telephone call, "The checks in the mail." Also, my renewal was do the last week in July, but did I get a renewal notice: NOOOOO! I called customer service and had to reapply by faxing a new application. Well, two weeks later I receive snail mail that they didnot get the page with my signature and date on it. Again, another fax. The "left" hand doesnot know what the "right" hand is doing! "Poor" is an understatement!!!!!!!!!!! I feel like a dentist having to "pull teeth" to get anything done. However, ARRL insurance finally came through, but you have to be on them to get things done.
W0QU Rating: 2005-08-04
Poor customer service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Last July I insured my modest ham radio equipment through Marsh -Seabury & Smith. I'd just gotten back on the HF ham bands by purchasing some 14 year old equipment. During the course of the year I sold my old equipment and replaced it with much newer used and some new equipment. Trying to get paperwork from this company to list new equipment and remove equipment which has been sold is nearly impossible. Phone calls don't seem to help nor does writing. I even found someone who handles losses for them (although I've had no losses) and he wrote asking them to send me a form so I could update my equipment for coverage. I never got the form. Yesterday I got a "lapse notice" saying my policy was no longer in effect since I'd failed to pay the premium. I'd never gotten a premium notice. In frustration I'm switching to State Farm where I have my automobile and renters insurance. They don't know much about ham radio but they actually return phone calls and send forms. If you insure your ham equipment with this company and upgrade your equipment be prepared for much frustration trying to get them to send you the forms. I wrote to them listing all of my new equipment, serial numbers and estimated replacement costs but those changes never appeared on my policy.
former_W4CHL Rating: 2003-03-18
No e-mail response, OK on phone Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Went to apply for insurance on rigs and gear in club's shack. Sent repeated messages on some aspects of setup and coverage for Field Day use of same. Seabury & Smith never responded using e-mail address listed on ARRL site. Never received anything back.

I did finally get through by calling their 800# after waiting for over 15min, got through and rep on phone did seem knowledgable about the ARRL affiliated all-perils insurance.

After reading these reviews, coupled with my experience and those noted in other reviews, I'm going with the competition !

Also, from the dark ages, these guys insist on using SSN as a policy identifying id. Not good and as one who's identity was "borrowed" once,
not acceptable.

The ARRL site is also misleading as it claims that other insurance is far more expensive. HRIA is listed as same cost as the ARRL affiliated plan on their web site.

Cheers & 73s de Mark W4CHL
KA3VVV Rating: 2002-08-24
#1 in my book Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Had lightning damage to my transceiver and other equipment they paid out on equipment. Some make them sound bad on the Reviews. If you stay on it, calling & email etc things will move fast with them. I had quick responded for them. Sometimes I didn't call them back. In they called me.
I had great service with them. Some say service was poor service but the #1 thing is your equipment was covered in it was paid for.In i had them for 6 years.

ARRL Insurance - Seabury & Smith is # 1 in my book.
KD5AIV Rating: 2002-02-01
Paid well - but hard to deal with Time Owned: more than 12 months.
We lost some equipment in a burglary in '99 - the claim was handled quickly and they paid it all. My complaint is with their customer service - or lack of . . . phone calls are terrible and they don't respond to email any better.

Record keeping seems to be from the dark ages - I wanted to double-check my list of covered equipment, so I requested a listing. Several phone calls later, they faxed several sheets of paper to me (mostly copies of the forms I'd sent them). There seems to be no database they access when adds/deletes are made to the policy coverage each year - - - seems kinda odd that they send me a sheet of paper each year telling me that the policy has been renewed, but not an actual list of what's covered !
W8ERD Rating: 2002-01-22
ignorant Time Owned: more than 12 months.
They recently added coverage for antennas and towers etc. I tried to insure my tower and then they said they would not insure any tower whose cost exceeds $5000. They would not even insure it for the first $5000; they would not insure it AT ALL! This is a secret rule not publicized anywhere. The person there I talked with knows nothing about ham radio and how much things typically cost and that MANY towers cost more than $5000. They do not consult with ARRL about anything. I complained to ARRL three times about this and got no reply. The person at Seabury seemed arrogant and had the bad attitude that others have mentioned.
N9LBW Rating: 2002-01-18
Terrible Service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Had lightning damage to my transciever and other equipment. First had to send radio to Kenwood, which cost $75 to verify damage. Faxed Kenwood's report and new equipment estimate to Seabury & Smith on 12-30-01. It is now Jan 18, 2002 and after 3 phone calls, I was told I might hear from an adjuster in about a week. This is totally unacceptable, as I have been without radio for over two months. I certainly will not renew this policy.

P. S. Damage occurred on Nov. 8, 2001.
W0PJK Rating: 2001-10-08
Poor Time Owned: more than 12 months.
While I have been fortunate not to have a claim, the last time I renewed my policy the person I talked to on the phone didn't seem to have a good understanding of their product. Bad attitude for sure, I almost decided right there and then not to renew! I did renew, maybe a bad choice.