Allstate Insurance: Darlene Masamori

I picked Darlene out of the phone book about 10 years ago. I’ve used Darlene for years, through new homes, car accidents, and living overseas. Darlene has helped me save money on premiums and even referred me to other insurers when Allstate didn’t offer the products I needed. I appreciate her integrity and candid approach.

Using Allstate and agent Darlene Masamori may get your insurance policy cancelled…
We are honeymooners and first-​time homeowners who were referred during escrow to Darlene and Jim Masamori’s Allstate office for a homeowners’ policy. She quoted us and asked for a home inspection, which we worked with the seller to provide. A policy was issued. No problem, right? Read on…
Within two weeks of the effective date of the homeowners’ policy, Jim Masamori called to inform me that the policy would be cancelled. I asked him why. He responded that a necessary inspection had not been provided. I reminded him that an inspection had been provided, with good results — and that his office had a copy. He told me that Allstate required a second inspection, this one based on the age of the house, which had not been provided. I told him that he could have had any inspection he wanted, but to insist on it then, when the policy was already in effect and being relied on by us and our lender — and to blame the property owner for not having provided the inspection when it was never requested — was irresponsible and placed me in a position of not having insurance should he cancel it. Neither he nor his wife responded to my concern, nor were they apologetic for their own error of not recognizing that Allstate required this particular inspsection.
I received a cancellation notice. Once the Masamoris were non-​responsive, I objected to the cancellation to their regional manager, as well as to Allstate corporate customer service. While the customer service folks (when they finally got back to me) knew enough at least to apologize, none of them would waive the inspection in order to reinstate the policy. The regional manager told me that they would order the missing inspection, but that it might not be done, and the results reported, prior to a lapse in coverage — never mind that the missing inspection was the agent’s fault.
Lesson learned: if you want an insurance agent who knows his/​her field, who will take responsibility for his/​her errors without blaming the customer, and who will do the right thing by the customer, do not use the Masamoris. Moreover, with all the insurance companies out there, stay away from Allstate — a company which wants us to feel that we are in «good hands», but whose hands will drop you at the first opportunity.