What should I do?

Rather than my typical narrative voice, this post will be more of a straightforward request for help. As you know, my poor car was in a collision four weeks ago today. It took Allstate nearly all that time to determine that my car is a total loss. Why did this take so long? No clue. All I know is yesterday, Allstate finally called to report this outcome and to tell me what my cash back would be once they pay off my loan. Oh, and then they added this little tidbit: In cases of total loss, Allstate will only pay for a rental car for two additional days after they declare the car totaled.

Seriously?

That means I need to buy a car by tomorrow night. Because, no, I can't be without transportation even one day, unless that day is a Friday, the only day I don't have to go anywhere. My job takes me to four different college campuses around the valley. 

I don't know about you, but when I have to make larger financial decisions, I like to have more than 48 hours to consider my options. And since I taught all day today, that window is now down to just over 24 hours. I have to return my rental car tomorrow night. 

Shulamith and I went to Carmax yesterday to check out their inventory, but they didn't have much. Cars within my price range that seat 7 people all had like 70,000 miles. That's too many! I have no desire to pay more money for a car that's less desirable than my beloved, red, now crunched, Dodge Journey crossover. 

Also, I detest all car dealerships that aren't Carmax. I find their lack of transparency and high pressure sales techniques utterly disgusting. At Carmax, the price is the price is the price; there is no negotiating. If you want the car, they are happy to sell it to you, and when you go to sign the paperwork, the price that was discussed during the sale is literally the exact price you pay. I know, right? And the process is smooth and quick; it takes maybe 20 minutes to sign everything and be out of there. If you decide you don't want to buy a car, that's fine as well. You say "Thank you for your help," and you leave. You walk right out the door. No one tries to block your way. No one asks you to sign a piece of paper agreeing to buy the car if they can finagle a certain price. No one leaves to go talk to a manager. And guess what? No incessant phone calls from salespeople once you finally escape!

After super sucky experiences with Shulamith when she bought her van and with Eli and Amanda when they bought their current vehicle, I vowed I'd never go anywhere but Carmax. And I haven't. Isaiah bought both his cars there, and I bought my above-mentioned, now-crunched car there as well.

But if Carmax doesn't have a car that fits my needs and price by tomorrow, whatever will I do? Also, a foot of snow is expected overnight and tomorrow. Car shopping is bad enough, but car shopping in the snow? You've got to be kidding!

And that's where you come in. I ask you, my friends and loyal readers: 

What should I do? 

Are you in bad hands?

I really, really prefer to write good reviews, positive letters of recommendation, complimentary notes. In fact, I do this often. Whenever I receive exemplary service from an employee in a restaurant, at a store, or even from an airport shuttle driver, I make special note of his or her name and then write a letter to the company expressing my gratitude. It's way more fun to focus on our positive human interactions and to surprise people when they learn their goodwill did not go unnoticed.

Sometimes, though, it isn't like that. Sometimes, it's the polar opposite. Such is the case with my recent experience dealing with Allstate, the company that insures "the other driver" in my recent car crash, the driver who ran a red light and hit me as I passed through an intersection.

Not to be histrionic, but dealing with Allstate has been a nightmare. First, they never, ever, answer their phones. "If you would like to speak with a claims representative, please press 3." Yes! YES! That's exactly what I want to do, but when I press 3, I'm connected to another message directing me to log onto a website and deal with my claim online. No, I don't want to do that. If I wanted to deal with it online, I wouldn't have called in the first place! Next, the voice mail instructs me to leave a message, and they will return my call. 

I did. 

They didn't.

A week later, after I called multiple times, each time leaving a detailed voice message using the kindest of all possible tones, I pressed the key to indicate I needed immediate, emergency assistance. After I was put through a series of prompts which involved being directed and redirected, a woman named Cindy (yes, an actual human being!) answered:

"This Cindy from Allstate where you're in good hands. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with today?"

Except I didn't feel like I was in good hands at all; Cindy had the least friendly tone ever, and I don't think she felt any pleasure whatsoever speaking with me. When words contradict tone, tone always wins!

"This is Terrianne Webster, and I'm calling in reference to Claim #077042837. I need Allstate to accept liability for this accident so I can get my car repaired. Would you be able to help me with this?"

Our conversation to follow was challenging and way too long. She told me that, as of then, Allstate was denying my claim because they hadn't been able to reach the other party, their insured driver, the one who hit me. 

Well..... great. She implied that I should just use my own collision insurance through Geico to get my car fixed, since she couldn't reach the other driver to get her statement. Because I guess she thinks I have an extra $500 lying around to pay my deductible? 

You should be so proud of me. I stayed calm. I demonstrated that I do, indeed, teach rhetoric and that I do, indeed, know how to use you-attitude, positive emphasis, and a respectful tone.

"Thank you so much for trying to locate your insured customer; I really appreciate that. Would you mind continuing your effort to find her? I'd prefer not to use my collision insurance and pay the $500 deductible for car repairs, since the accident wasn't my fault. Is there anything more I can do to help you through this process? Is there any further information I could provide?"

Cindy seemed baffled by all this but promised me she would continue to try to find her customer, while reminding me that if she was unsuccessful, the two insurance companies would need to "fight it out," and that could take weeks or even months.

Unsure what to do next and feeling the weight of all this crushing down on my shoulders, I went for a walk.

"I don't think this car thing is gonna work out for me?" I told Shulamith.

"Yeah, it doesn't sound like it," she replied.

Say what!?!?! Shulamith is the most optimistic person I know. Seth used to say that she is as optimistic as Sponge Bob and President Hinckley!

Frustrated and exhausted, I returned home to make some avocado toast with egg before trying to sleep. I hadn't had a good night's rest since this whole thing happened; my body was rebelling. But before I could even finish eating, my phone alerted me with an unknown number on caller ID. I picked up. Just in case. It was my new best friend Cindy. She sounded no happier than she had during our prior phone conversation, possibly less so, but she informed me that she had contacted her insured driver, along with the independent witness (bless him!), who had stopped at the crash scene to give me his card in case I needed him to make a statement. 

Allstate accepted full liability for my claim.

I stood, stunned, in my kitchen for several seconds before responding to Cindy. Was this real? For a full week I had tried to contact someone who would move on this claim, and suddenly, within two hours, it was fully resolved?

In the Gospel of John, the Savior teaches the wedding guests at Cana (Ch. 2), Nicodemus (Ch. 3), and the Samaritan woman at the well (Ch. 4) that God is in the details of their lives. I'm pretty sure that's the case for us as well, and I am so grateful.

As for Allstate, though. Let's just say I've edited their well-known slogan: "Allstate. Are You in Bad Hands?"