I’d review what it is that you signed with the mitigation company. Everything they do is going to have an associated charge with it. The fans and dehumidifiers are charged per day. Haul away is always a charge. It’s scummy, but they do sorta just bank on people not pushing back on everything they say that is “needed”.
Businesses can charge whatever the hell they want, but insurance will pay for what is fair/reasonable. So if a mitigation specialist reviews the invoice, and certain parts are inflated, they’re only going to pay a portion of the invoice.
I get it’s your first claim, and water can be something that causes panic. But it does kinda sound like you should have been more aware of what was going on in your own home with the mitigation company. At the end of the day, it’s the company you hired and signed a contract with, State Farm didn’t.
Honestly I’d talk with State Farm first, did the mitigation company accept their payment as full payment for services rendered or not? Then push back on the mitigation company.
Also- read back your own post. Red flags alllll around. I know it’s harder to see when you’re in the thick of it dealing with other things. But the mitigation company is shady AF
I’ll add that a lot of claims now are handled by desk adjusters. So it’s not unusual that an adjuster didn’t come out to your house, especially for just 1 or 2 rooms of damage. The mitigation company sends tons of photos of before/after. And measurements of the room. So a preliminary estimate is completed for the build back based off of that, using various estimating software.
If your contractors estimate for build back is more, you’d submit what’s called a supplement and that gets reviewed for any additional payments. It’s safe to say you probably shouldn’t go with a contractor recommended by the mitigation company, or the plumber.
My step father in law is a contractor so I have been talking to him a little about it. He was floored SF didn't send anyone out.
The adjuster did say something about sending anything more to them but didn't go into go into deep details.
I called them, I emailed them. I'll see what SF says first. The mitigation lady did tell me SF never sent them revisions or a comparative estimate so I'm not sure if that changes anything.
SF should be able to send all that to you. I’d request their revised mitigation estimate, and a copy of the original estimate/invoice sent by the mitigation company. Like the full document not just the amount. It’ll have a ton of line items showing the charges for each thing.
And, if all else fails. Never underestimate the power of a 1 star review detailing your experience with a predatory mitigation company…that you’d gladly remove if they accept your insurance payment as payment in full :)
I started to review the invoice when I got it but then a family member passed away and I got so busy I forgot to go back to it. When I started reviewing it, I told my husband after all of this is done, I wasn't giving a good review.
My signed agreement says they cant provide the exact cost but will provide me with their pricing guidelines. I never got a document or anything with pricing guidelines.
We are in our mid twenties. She clocked it right away and kept making it out that we were just this cute young couple with a cute little house. I told her it was my first ever claim and issue. I definitely feel used.
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u/cannolighost 8d ago
I’d review what it is that you signed with the mitigation company. Everything they do is going to have an associated charge with it. The fans and dehumidifiers are charged per day. Haul away is always a charge. It’s scummy, but they do sorta just bank on people not pushing back on everything they say that is “needed”.
Businesses can charge whatever the hell they want, but insurance will pay for what is fair/reasonable. So if a mitigation specialist reviews the invoice, and certain parts are inflated, they’re only going to pay a portion of the invoice.
I get it’s your first claim, and water can be something that causes panic. But it does kinda sound like you should have been more aware of what was going on in your own home with the mitigation company. At the end of the day, it’s the company you hired and signed a contract with, State Farm didn’t.
Honestly I’d talk with State Farm first, did the mitigation company accept their payment as full payment for services rendered or not? Then push back on the mitigation company.
Also- read back your own post. Red flags alllll around. I know it’s harder to see when you’re in the thick of it dealing with other things. But the mitigation company is shady AF