Daniel Dillenbeck

Review of West Bend Mutual Insurance

I strongly advise against West Bend for home insur...

I strongly advise against West Bend for home insurance. A hail storm recently came through our neighborhood severely damaging both of our cars, as well as our roof, siding, gutters, and window sills. While West Bend was willing to cover the car damage, they were only willing to cover a small portion of the damage to our home. I had an initial home inspector come after the storm. He clearly documented in photos damage to our shingles caused by the storm. West Bend s adjuster disagreed, telling me verbatim He s a roofer. He wants your money. This of course ignores the fact West Bend is an insurer that has an interest in avoiding payments, but I let it slide. I did however hire a second home inspector who agreed with the first, clearly documenting damage caused by the hail storm. I was under no obligation to have any damage fixed by the first or second inspector. They were entirely impartial, simply offering their expert opinions. I sent pictures provided by the second inspector (attached) to West Bend who then hired their own inspector. This inspector found damage to our shingles, but didn t consider it consequential enough to be covered by West Bend, the insurance company to whom I pay an annual premium to cover damage to my home. Asking what my course of action was at this point, I was told I could go through a long, drawn-out process to appeal their decision (which I m sure wouldn t go my way) if I were to pay a $1,500 fee.

Very important to note is that at least six other houses in our neighborhood, including our next door neighbor, had roofs replaced by insurance due to damage from the same storm.

Clearly, West Bend has a well-thought-out strategy to avoid covering expensive damage to homes. Do your homework and don t be afraid to pay a couple extra bucks in premiums if you d like insurance you can count on.