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Oklahoma UFAA Contacts:
UFAA Chapter 15 serving Eastern Oklahoma:
President- Glenn Johnson 918/252-0561 Tulsa
UFAA Chapter 12 serving Central-Western Oklahoma:
President- Jeff Roberts -580-224-0808 -Ardmore
United Farmers Agents Assn. National Office 800-275-8668
UFAA Oklahoma Voice Editor
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choose one closest to you and
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United Farmers Agents Association Web Site
UFAA Chapter 15 Newsletter Archive & Homepage
Letters to the Editor
Learn more about our advertisers in this issue. Ads are hot links to their websites.  As a result of several reader requests, we have changed most of the article background colors to white in the Oklahoma Voice to speed printing and use less ink.
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For The New Year 2013: UFAA Sues Farmers Inc.
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UFAA LAWSUIT INTRODUCTION For many months, the Farmers Insurance Group of Insurance Companies (under the control of their management company, FGI, itself a subsidiary of the Swiss giant Zurich) have sought to exert greater control over the  independent contractors who own Farmers Insurance Agencies. FGI has introduced an endless series of performance standards and productivity requirements that have Farmers Agents running like hamsters in a stationery wheel. Ignoring the clear boundaries of Farmers' contract with its agents, FGI threatens to terminate agents who fail to perform to its standards and has, in fact, done so on an alarming scale. Agents who have invested their life's work and earnings into their businesses suddenly find that those businesses have been snatched away. Adding insult to injury, Farmers agents find themselves competing to survive with other insurance brands owned by Farmers and controlled by FGI. Indeed, FGI has gone so far as to take sales leads and customer data obtained by the efforts of Farmers agents and given this same information to these competing brands. Having asked FGI repeatedly, and unsuccessfully, to modify its conduct and to comply with the Farmers contract, agents have been left with no choice but to sue to enforce their rights and to protect their agencies. On Monday, December 17, the United Farmers Agents Association (UFAA) filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of its members. The suit challenges FGI's improper violations of the contract with agents, its pattern of sharing agents' data with 21st Century Insurance, and its unconscionable practice of terminating lifetime agency owners on ninety days' notice or less. Dirk Beamer UFAA Corporate Counsel To view the actual filing go to www.ufaa.com |
Agents Say Farmers Group Cut Their Throats
Courthouse News Service By MATT REYNOLDS Dec 19, 2012
LOS ANGELES (CN) - Farmers Group insurance cuts its own agents' financial throats by taking information from them and using it to offer their customers lower rates through a subsidiary, the United Farmers Agents Association claims in court.
The association, a California corporation with members nationwide, sued Farmers Group Inc. and five affiliates, which the association describes as shell entities managed by Farmers.
The association claims Farmers "began a campaign of systematic tortuous interference with its agents' business relationships and expectancies" in 2009, after Farmers bought the 21st Century Insurance Group, which is not a party to the complaint.
"21st Century is a direct writer of insurance, including car insurance and homeowners insurance, among others," the complaint states. "As a direct writer and unlike the traditional agent-based model typically employed by the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, 21st Century does not rely on agents to sell its insurance products; instead, it markets and writes policies directly to consumers.
"By employing a direct writer approach, 21st Century can offer insurance at low rates which undercut the rates being charged to the agents' own customers and policyholders." The association asks the Superior Court to order Farmers (FGI) to comply with contracts the independently contracted agents signed before and during 2009.
"On or around 2009, FGI initiated a campaign of systematic tortuous interference w ith its agents' business relationships and expectancies," the complaint states. "Under this scheme, FGI utilizes information and data about the agents' policyholders - information and data acquired by the agents through agents' efforts - to directly solicit those agents' existing policyholders with less expensive insurance policies sold through a subsidiary of the exchanges.
"FGI's tortuous interference has caused, and continues to cause, agents to lose current and prospective policyholders, to the detriment of the agents. "Ironically, and as further set forth herein, FGI's conduct hinders agents' efforts to comply with arbitrary and unfair performance standards that FGI began imposing shortly after the initiation of its tortious interference campaign. [AGM, EDGE, Take 5 & others]
"On or about 2010, FGI unveiled a series of programs requiring all of its agents to meet various performance standards - most notably, unreasonable production minimums, quoting requirements, and office hours - or else face adverse action from FGI up to and including termination.
"These new programs were unlike any past programs, in that they impose explicit production minimums upon agents without their consent; irrespective of an agent's past performance; and without regard for whether an agent even markets and sells the particular type(s) of insurance required to be marketed and sold under the various programs.
"FGI has used and continues to use these programs as a basis for taking disciplinary and other action against agents, including termination, in violation of the contracts, which do not contain any provision requiring agents to meet performance standards of any kind.
"FGI has also taken adverse action against agents on the basis of the location, type, and nature of the offices maintained by agents, including termination, notwithstanding the fact that, in all instances, the offices maintained by the agents were fully consistent with the contract."
The reason for all this is obvious, the association says: "FGI can generate higher management fees and in turn, greater profits - by selling insurance directly through 21st Century rather than through the agents."
The complaint continues: "Ironically, while FGI continues to wrongfully require its agents to meet production minimums through illegal programs, as further explained in the sections that follow, it simultaneously engages in systematic conduct designed to deprive those same agents of their existing customer base, to the detriment of the agents.
"FGI is motivated to pressure its agents to quote new business, in part, so that FGI can then harvest [f]ile data obtained through the agents to solicit new customers for 21st Century without any resulting benefit to the agents."
The association claims Farmers used the amended 2009 contracts to rank agents based on how many contacts and quotes they notch each day. It claims these programs are a pretext for firing agents and taking away their client books.
"Termination has devastating consequences for agents; not only do they lose their ability to sell insurance for the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies, but also in most cases, they lose their entire book of business, which FGI claims as its own and which FGI vigorously protects with non-competition provisions," the complaint states. Agents may spend decades building a book of clients, only to see it snatched away, the association says.
Named as defendants are Farmers Group, Farmers Insurance Exchange, Truck Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange, Mid-Century Insurance, and Farmers World New World Life Insurance.
Farmers Group's parent company Zurich Insurance is not a party to the lawsuit. United Farmers Agents Association is represented by Paul Mahoney, with Mahoney & Soll, of Claremont, [CA.]
The group's spokesman, Mark Toohey, disputed the allegations of the complaint.
"Farmers Insurance strongly disagrees with the issues raised in this lawsuit and we
take great pride in the strong relationship we have built with our agents during Farmers'
nearly 85-year history," Toohey said.
What is your opinion of UFAA's action to sue Farmers on the issues stated in this article?
PULSE OF THE Agents POLL
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Greetings!
Join us January 3rd at the Lone Star Steakhouse
for the UFAA Chapter 15 Monthly Meeting
Chapter 15 will hold the next monthly meeting on Thursday, January 3rd 11:30 AM at the Lone Star Steakhouse 101 E. Albany St. Broken Arrow- located just past the driving entrance to Bass Pro. Exit B/A Exp. @ 161st E A aka (Elm PL) 101 E Albany St, Broken Arrow, OK Menu (scroll to bottom for lunch) Message From the President
AGENDA For January
1. Latest info on the Platform, what an OK DM is saying to established agents about the new contract & platform 2. Pending Legal Proceedings (ears only) 3. 2013 Goals for Chapter 15, come & bring your thoughts for how to improve our brand & help agents. Glenn Johnson, Chapter 15 President.
Please arrive for Lunch @11:30 - UFAA Meeting begins at Noon.
Non Members Welcome
Meeting attendees should prepare to order lunch upon timely arrival at 11:30 AM The staff will be prepared to take your order upon your seating and cooked to order. We will no longer order as a group as in the past as this has caused our meeting to run overtime.
Chapter 15 2013 Election Results at the December 6th Chapter Meeting
President- Glenn Johnson
Immediate Past Pres- Mike Ward
V.P.- Mike Gately
Secretary- Drinda Collins
Treasurer- Terry Wilson
Also the same were approved to represent C15 as delegates to the 2013 UFAA National Convention.
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| Greetings!
Farmers Rose Parade entry is a "Love Float" for Jan 1st
 | | Click on the floatagraph above to see the video of the float preparations and love float story. |
Here is a video sneak peak at the Farmers Rose Parade Love Float, its 54th consecutive entry in the Rose Parade�, featuring the first-ever live wedding in the parade's 124-year history. The Love Float #72 will travel down Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena on Jan. 1st. Hundreds of couples across the nation competed to be married on the Farmers float. The selection was Gerald and Nichole from Virginia. Charles Browning of Farmers explains the magnitude of the contest in the attached video by clicking the floatagraph above.
Farmers Press Release of 12/24/12
Float Theme: We chose to host a live wedding on the float because we wanted to do something as spectacular as the parade itself. Farmers Insurance provides coverage to its customers through many different life stages, from getting married, to buying a house, to having a baby and beyond. What better way to celebrate one of life's big changes through the pomp and pageantry of this magical event, by uniting a couple in a joy filled ceremony.
The live wedding theme ties wonderfully to "Oh the Places You'll Go" because it's literally a couple going into the next step in their life. They are going to the most magical place of all. A place where they'll live happily ever after. Farmers Insurance is fully dedicated to helping its customers stay protected no matter where their life is going. Whether you're getting married, having a baby, buying a house or just getting a new car, nobody has you covered like a Farmers agent. FLOAT BUILDER: Phoenix Decorating Company FLOAT DESCRIPTION: Height: 24' Width: 18' Length: 55' Farmer Insurance "The Love Float" will feature a live wedding of two participants who have been chosen in a nationwide contest. The float's centerpiece is a Fabreg� egg. The egg is open to reveal the bride and groom who will stand over 25 feet in the air. The base of the egg is flanked with two angels. One playing a trumpet, the other a harp. The base of the float displays an elaborate floral accompaniment that extends outward. FLOWERING: Roses, approximately 7,200 White, Hot Pink, Pink, Red, Bright Yellow, Light Yellow Carnations, approximately 8,400 Pink, Yellow, Hot Pink. |
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Greetings!
Overall claimant satisfaction has increased significantly to 852 index points, a 6-point improvement from 2011. Satisfaction has increased in five of the six factors year over year, with settlement, the most important factor contributing to overall satisfaction, increasing by nine points to 846. Settlement satisfaction has increased by 16 points among claimants with a total loss. The average total loss settlement has increased by nearly $690, compared with 2011, driven by increasing used-vehicle values throughout much of 2012.
Note: Farmers score was 804 in 2011 and increased significantly in 2012 to a score of 838, pushing Farmers rating from the "All the Rest" category "D" in 2011 to "About Average."C-" in 2012. You can click on the graphic above. Then, click on the HEADINGS over the listed companies to see the comparisons. 21C who ranked a "D-" as dead last in 2011 has moved up but stayed in the same "D" category for 2012. -ed |
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Best and Worst Insurance Companies to buy from
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Clark Howard, Consumer Expert
Host of the nationally syndicated The Clark Howard Show on radio and co-host of HLN's Evening Express on TV. Clark Howard is a nationally syndicated consumer expert who advises consumers how to save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off. His radio show is heard every day on more than 200 radio stations throughout North America. He is also co-host of HLN's nightly news program Evening Express with CNN's Ryan Smith and Isha Sesay.
"Save more and spend less" is more than just a motto for Clark; it's a way of life. As a successful lifelong entrepreneur, media star and best-selling author, the Atlanta-based "consumer champion" is dedicated to helping Americans of all means get ahead in life.
You may view the Consumer Reports ranking in the Sept Issue of the Okie Voice on-line at ufaa.com > Top of page Publications Tab > Chapter news letter from the pull down > Oklahoma > Sept 2012.
Here's Clark's Best and Worst Insurance companies to buy insurance from Video 1:02 min |
 | | Click here to obtain an Oklahoma UFAA Membership App |
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Click logo above to view the UFAA Website
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If you wish to be excluded from future mailings please let us know by emailing us at [email protected] or by using the Unsubscribe feature at the located within this document. Disclaimer - The Oklahoma Voice is published twelve times per year for the United Farmers Agents Association, Chapter 15 Northeastern Oklahoma. The United Farmers Agents Association and the editor neither assumes any responsibility for the accuracy of the articles or advertisers, nor any liability arising from reliance upon them. The Oklahoma Voice expresses its appreciation to the many members who assist in and support its publication,. Opinions in the Oklahoma Voice do not necessarily express the views of any single member or Chapter officer or UFAA organization. Products and services advertised are not endorsed by this Chapter or United Farmers Agents Association, Inc. Complaints or inquiries should be forwarded directly to the advertiser. All purchases and services are at the complete discretion of the consumer. Trademarks and/or logos are the respective products or trademarks of their respective owners. |
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GEICO Hiring More Than 4,000 New Associates in 2013
GEICO, an insurer that handles auto insurance coverage for over 11 million private passenger auto policies and insures more than 18 million vehicles (auto & cycle), announced it will hire more than 4,000 new associates in the upcoming year. The company, which has grown its associate population by nearly 20 percent in the past five years, will hire new employees in all offices, including auto damage adjuster and legal positions in many states throughout the country. More on Geico hiring here.
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Family surprised Farmers won't cover sinkhole
By Jessica De Nova/KTVL.com 12/29/12
CENTRAL POINT, Ore.-A family says it will work hard to raise funds to fix a sinkhole next to it's home after discovering Farmers Insurance does not cover it.
The family discovered the sinkhole in its yard by the master bedroom the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Homeowner, Lori Etapa says she has not slept in her room since, for fear the ground underneath the room will give. She says getting it fixed has not been an easy task.
A contractor quoted the family $4,000 to fix the problem. Etapa says the 20-foot deep, 10-foot wide hole is a problem her insurance company will not cover. "We instantly called the city and called insurance too. It took forever to get the insurance company out here. They said they were going to send an engineer the next day to see what was down in the hole. The next day we got a call saying it wasn't covered because they didn't cover ground movement," says Etapa.
Farmers Insurance Head of Media Relations, Mark Toohey, replied by saying the company does not cover "earth movement," not only for the Etapa's policy, but for all of it's customers.
With a make-shift net, the family fished out Clorox and other liquid-filled bottles and bulbs dated back to the 1930's.
Etapa has contacted the state to see if there is any historical significance to these, but she has not heard back. She spoke to a lawyer about suing Farmers Insurance, but the lawyer says there is only a 25 percent chance she will win the lawsuit. Etapa says her family will just have to work hard to raise the funds for the unexpected expense.
Note: The Sinkhole is a likely site of an abandoned outhouse. Back in days of burning one's trash, bottles and cans were usually thrown in the outhouse as such items would not burn with other trash. There are several websites where people travel to old abandoned outhouse digs and find valuable glass bottles of yesteryear. -ed Outhouse Glass
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Bethel Collision Center in Broken ArrowBBB Rated A+
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Oklahoma Agents Bite the Dust in 2012
Looks like another rough year with farmersagent email addresses returned marked non-existent addresses from these issues of the Oklahoma Voice.
February issue- 6
March issue- 0 -a first in 30 months.
April issue 3
May issue 2
June issue 4
July issue 5
August issue 1
Sept. issue 1
Oct issue 1
Nov issue 2
Dec Issue 4
Jan issue
Total for 2012- 29
*These figures may not match actual as it's based on returned email only.
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Windows 7 Keyboard shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of two or more keys that, when pressed, can be used to perform a task that would typically require a mouse or other pointing device. Keyboard shortcuts can make it easier to interact with your computer, saving you time and effort as you work with Windows and other programs.
Most programs also provide accelerator keys that can make it easier to work with menus and other commands. Check the menus of programs for accelerator keys. If a letter is underlined in a menu, that usually means that pressing the Alt key in combination with the underlined key will have the same effect as clicking that menu item.
Pressing the Alt key in some programs, such as Paint and WordPad, shows commands that are labeled with additional keys that you can press to use them. Click here for a listing of shortcuts.
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Zurich issues $700 Million loss estimate for U.S. East Coast Tropical Storm Sandy
Read more at Zurich.com
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Farmers kept busy with catastrophes, public events and news releases
Here is a listing from Yahoo News
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Oklahoma Voice has reprint rights. Copyright 1995-2012 WestStar TalkRadio Network. Reprinted with permission. No further republication or redistribution is permitted without the written consent of WestStar TalkRadio Network. Visit Kim Komando and sign up for her free e-mail newsletters. KimKomando.com
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Source: Farmers Community on Dashboard with dozens of replies from upset & frustrated agents in several states.
Dec 12, 2012 2:37 PM- I was warned by our CIS Inspector a few months ago to "hold on" because FIG had told CIS that they weren't finding enough problems, and he was "directed" to find more problems.
I can't say he has been finding many problems because I haven't been able to write much new fire business. But I have enough friends getting policies declined for chickensheet problems that I have no doubt about what he said about directives to CIS from Farmers.
Pulse of the Agents POLL
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 Greetings!  
Foremost Insurance to Take Over Zurich's Small Business Insurance Program Insurance Journal 12.18.12 Beginning January 2013, Foremost will introduce business insurance into its portfolio of products. Foremost is a part of the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies. Zurich North America is ending the Zurich Small Business program and is working with Foremost to offer small business policyholders and agents the opportunity to become part of the new Foremost program. The addition of business insurance to the Foremost portfolio allows the company to offer its producers, and in turn their customers, over 600 classes of business under one brand. The company also offers a single quote engine and other resources for independent producers. Beginning January 2013, Foremost will begin rolling out business owners policies, employment practices liability, commercial auto, workers' compensation and umbrella. In addition, the new business roll out will be phased nationally with the roll out for renewals following. The transition process will be completed by 2015. |
Judge signals she'll rule against Granite Bay man suing Farmers Insurance By Andy Furillo Published: Friday, Nov. 9, 2012
A judge has come down against a former Sacramento district manager for the Farmers Insurance Group who wanted millions from the company over his 2009 termination.
Michael Pexa of Granite Bay filed a lawsuit that sought $13.8 million from the insurance giant, saying it treated him like an employee instead of an independent contractor and therefore owes him additional compensation for overtime and other expenses.
But in a tentative decision, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Judy Holzer Hersher found otherwise. She said in her 45-page decision that Pexa not only was an independent contractor, but that he also "suggested his own termination."
Farmers, the judge said, "took him up on his offer" - after he complained vociferously about what he saw as the company micro-managing his Sacramento operation in a way that he said was costing him money. Read more here
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918-663-5848
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Greetings!
Membership has it's truthful factual benefits
Dear Okie Voice
I have been hearing the Farmers plans at monthly UFAA Meetings. Thanks UFAA for the heads up.
1. Farmers has gone from 450 DM's down to 270 as of last week. 2. Yes, a new contract is coming, but its optional. If you want to be a platform agent, you have to sign the new contract. But, you have to be eligible in order to be a platform agent. That means having the right square footage, the right signage, the right inside office furniture, staffing, etc. 3. My NEW DM came in yesterday unannounced and took pictures of the office inside and outside. No, I would not sign the new contract nor am I eligible. Nebraska Agent and UFAA Member 12/14/2012
Thanks, Nebraska Member. Yes, we have known this for several months of Farmers plans for the agency force. We make this info known to our Oklahoma Members as well as some hearsay from sources that have been reliable in the past. However, these subjects are only discussed in detail at our Monthly Chapter 15 Meetings. We generally do not publish to non-members, although, non members are welcome to attend a meeting and sign a membership app if he/she desires membership. Of course. our members are always welcome while member attendance and interest has increased 100% over the last quarter of 2012 as It is evident that something is severely wrong See our chapter meeting dates and times in this issue. -ed
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 December 21, 2012 OID Investigation Leads to Embezzlement Charges OKLAHOMA CITY - A Luther woman has been charged with embezzling a significant amount of money from the Oklahoma County Farm Bureau. Bonnie Maloy, 31, is accused of using her former position as office secretary to write herself fraudulent checks from the office account. "We take embezzlement cases very seriously," said Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak. "The investigators in our Anti-Fraud Unit do all they can to protect businesses and prevent crime, which helps reduces costs for consumers." An Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) investigation found that Maloy tried to cover up the theft by falsifying records. She created fake invoices for office supplies and other expenses, which initially matched up with office bookkeeping software. It was later discovered that the invoices she created were fake and that Maloy had been writing herself checks from the office account. "We are working with local, state and federal law enforcement and agencies to prosecute this individual under the full extent of the law and ask that restitution be sought," said Executive Director Monica Wilke, Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Affiliated Companies. "We've built this organization on a foundation of trust and integrity and have a zero tolerance for anyone compromising our standards and purpose." The OID revoked Maloy's customer service license on March 14th. The Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office has charged Maloy with five counts of embezzlement and five counts of using a computer to commit a felony. About the Oklahoma Insurance Department The Oklahoma Insurance Department, an agency of the State of Oklahoma, is responsible for the education and protection of the insurance-buying public and for oversight of the insurance industry in the state. For more information contact: Kelly Collins (405) 522-0683 [email protected]
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Check out the UFAA Chapter 15 Home Page with more Farmers, industry news, lots of member benefit information, newsletter archives and breaking news too late or too large to publish above.
The Articles below are on our Home Page link this month
UPDATED: Okla. Company Comparison Rate Charts- Auto: 06/12 Home: 08/12
========================================================================== Quick reference Advertiser listing in this issue you can print or download for your office referral 
===================== Okla Ins Dept: Change of address or name more than thirty (30) days after the change occurred shall be $50.
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Did you know? As a member of UFAA you get:
1 hour of tech support a month
1 Free @ufaa.com email address
1 Free web page with your domain name
Call us today Toll Free, Primary # 1-866-441-8018 Alex Conger - UFAA Tech | | Click here to access the Oklahoma Membership app. |
Have you missed past issues of the Okla. Voice? If you missed past issues, you can access them and other article headlines on our Chapter 15 Home Page Link above.
Have you joined UFAA?
We just can't make it much easier. Just mouse the Join UFAA logo to obtain the a membership application. Fill it out and attached a check and mail or use the bank card option and fax it to 1-314-631-7963. United we stand. Divided we fall.
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