Auto Insurers like Farm Bureau Financial Services Moving to Real Time Driver Surveillance Today's insurance market is simply the pits especially where automobile coverage is concerned. Consumer complaints are on the rise and even though one can get a feel for how he or she may fair under insurer policies from these complaints, there is little relief from industry abuses. One such example is Farm Bureau Financial Services of West Des Moines. Iowa. Farm Bureau is a financial conglomerate that provides Home and Auto coverage through its subsidiaries as well as questionable innovative technologies like 'driveology'. What's that you may ask? View the FB Driver real time monitoring brochure. We now live in a technological age where government and its affiliated partners can render total information control over every individual. Farm Bureau has a history of making promises which never materialize. I was involved in several rate saving programs in the past promising discounts but about halfway through, a general rate increase nullified the discount. I even requested a 7500 mile travel limit option but it didn't result in any noticeable rate reduction as I wound up with back to back double digit rate increases. The company raises insurance premiums on drivers with no accidents to help offset its uninsured loss claims. As you might imagine the Farm Bureau website doesn't give any system details on its driver monitoring package. Their 'safety' brochure mailed to potential insurance renewals is all the information that is available. They want you to talk to their agent where nothing promised is in writing to establish that the insurer wasn't acting in good faith in the event of future litigation. Now before one can actually qualify for the kind of savings they hint at (up to 30%) you need to own the right car. What might that be you respond? Now given the fact that Farm Bureau raised my auto rates 18% last year with no claims for the last 15 to 20 years that I've been insured, I have to conclude that one must have the latest vehicle technology in addition to their software for any savings. So I must accept their electronic surveillance package in my car (it could be as simple as a flash drive plugged into my car's USB port) that would query and store my vehicle's health, environmental and operating data. Expect this to be a 'points' based rating system like trading carbon credits. The 'FB insurance system records how often the brake pedal is actuated, distance traveled, speed of the vehicle and if the driver is wearing a seat belt. Likely it will also test driver alertness on long trips as most new cars have a camera screen for receiving visual messages and alarms from your 'driving safely' monitor. The Farm Bureau software surveillance system is capable of virtually infinite expansion as any new WIFI device can communicate with your vehicle WIFI. Also, they'll know what you're listening to on the radio and if you're texting because these are all WIFI devices. And because most fast food restaurants have WIFI, the company will be aware of what you're eating and drinking. The Farm Bureau driver monitor will also know the last time your car was serviced and if the environment is being harmed by using the AC too often. It can interface with the police license scanner system ALPR alerting an expired license -(a ticket). Or perhaps, you didn't schedule that emissions test when told to by the system within the time window allotted - more points. The driveology data is viewable externally as their brochure claims but you can't correct it. It will testify against you in any legal proceeding resulting from a citation or an accident and will be justification for endless rate increases just as one experiences each year for those over retirement age. Companies like Farm Bureau also force you to subscribe to their quarterly Kansas Living magazine as a condition of purchasing their auto insurance. You can't cancel it because your FB auto insurance is contingent upon remaining a Kansas Living subscriber. So, how effective is Farm Bureau's claim management you may think? Well, in short, they almost never return your phone calls. Particularly, if you have a question about their rates don't expect to get an answer For a supposedly rural company they come off like the snobbish global company they truly are. One recent user named Rachel from Kansas laments: "Extremely dissatisfied with Farm Bureau. We have paid additional to get residential home equipment breakdown coverage. Our heat and air unit outside needs replacement. It has been eleven days since we have filed our claim. We have tried to contact the insurance agent several times. He does not pick up his phone and neither does he answer back." (https://www.consumeraffairs.com/insurance/farm-bureau-homeowners.htm) Farm Bureau's real time driver monitoring system is a privacy threat and a consumer rip off.. read more

Kansas Farm Bureau - Farm Bureau Real Time Driver Surveillance - Topeka, Kansas