Any used a private insurance adjuster

[Scott Ficek]

I have a customer that just had a fire at one of their 5-plex buildings. They were wondering if they should use a private insurance adjuster to make sure the insurance company is treating them fairly. As you expect, the private insurance adjuster gets a percent of the recovery.

Anyone have any experience with them?

[Timothy W.]

Scott,
What you are referring to is not a private adjuster. What I'm about to tell you will probably insure (no pun intended) that I never get another job in the insurance industry....lol. What you are referring to is a public adjuster.

A public adjuster is a consultant you hire to represent you to the insurance company. Insurance companies HATE HATE HATE HATE public adjusters. Want to know why? Have you ever read your insurance policy? Understand a freakin' word of it? Nor do most people. When I was an adjuster with Farmers Insurance, they invested about $60,000.00 into training me to understand insurance policies. What does this mean? When you have a claim and are talking with your adjuster, you are working with an agent of the insurance carrier who has a clear educational advantage over you. Yes, they may say they are taking care of you....but who writes their paycheck?

Now I am not a public adjuster but imagine someone like me talking to your insurance adjuster. Suddenly the playing field is level. The insurance company no longer has the upper hand. They're dealing with someone who now knows policy just as well as they do. Insurance companies don't like that one bit and that is why public adjusters are one of the best kept secrets of the insurance industry.

Hmmmm.... Just talking about it again makes me think of getting my public adjusting license. Best part is I own a commercial building right next to a Farmers agency I could put my sign at....LOL Man, I'd piss them off.....

Tim