Author Archives: blogger

Reverse Auctions – Tips for Successful Bidding

Posted on by

Reverse auctions provide an excellent opportunity for increasing your business, particularly in the service sector. The website will notify you of projects posted on a reverse auction site in your area of expertise. You review and bid on those that interest you, and increase your business as you become more successful in your bidding.

To get started, register with selected reverse auction sites that cover the services you provide. Select all the categories you are interested in being notified about, and select the geographical areas that you cover. Most websites will notify you of new projects in your categories and locations. Some reverse auction websites offer the opportunity to include a description of your services, licensing, insurance, bonding, how long you’ve been in business and the like. Most, however, insist that you do not list your contact information, so you’ll need a user name that is different from your business name, and you won’t be able to list phone, e-mail or website address.

This prohibition on contact information stems from two basic causes: First, listing your contact information is an invitation to the customers to contact you directly and subject themselves to your sales pitch before they have had an opportunity to see what other offers the posting might bring out. Second, reverse auction websites normally charge a small fee for successful transactions, and if the business is completed off line, the website will see itself as being short-changed.

So how should you respond to a posting for something you are interested in bidding on? Several factors make for a successful approach.
– Study the posting carefully. Is there enough information for you to adequately bid? Are the size, quality, time frame, accessibility, and other factors clearly spelled out? Are there sketches or photographs to support the posting, so you can better visualize what the job entails?
— If there are details missing, request clarification from the customer. Use the site’s communication tools to tell him or her what you need to know, maybe giving examples of the type of thing required. For example, on a house painting job, maybe the customer didn’t specify the type of paint to use. Suggest your favorite brand and two or three grades for them to pick from. If the sizes aren’t clear, request the specifics you need. If the geographic area isn’t specified, request a zip code so that you know pretty closely where the job is located, assuming it’s a physical job.

– Be sure you check the complete content of the project listing. The contract you enter into is binding on both parties, so you want to be sure you understood everything that was required.

— The other side of this is that the person listing the job may not have included all the information required to do the job, even though the listing appears complete. Include in your bid what your drive-up charge is (again, for a physical job), so that, if the scope is larger than was described, you can describe to the customer how it’s different once you see it, and what the extra charge would be. If they decline, you will have told them what it costs to have you come out to the site and then go away without doing the work. As long as the scope of the work is significantly different than what was described, the contract won’t be valid, but you’ll still be compensated for the time and trouble to show up.

– Many reverse auctions involve programming, website development, editing, technical writing and such, that can be done without ever meeting the customer. In reviewing this type of contract, be sure that the details are clear, and that you ask for clarification you need before bidding. You can, as many suppliers of this type of work do, bid a scoping price, in which the specification and scope of the work will be detailed out in a preliminary contract. Once the full specification is available, you can then bid on the resulting specification.

— Keep an eye on what competitors are bidding, and how they are describing it. Generally you can go back in and modify your bid if you either discover through reviewing their bids that you missed some element of the project, or if they are undercutting your price just don’t allow yourself to become so competitive that you cause yourself a loss!

If you haven’t tried reverse auctions yet give it a whirl. For a few minutes spent registering with a few sites, you may get business opportunities you wouldn’t have seen without being registered. And, as your reputation and rating on the site build up, you will attract more business.

Insurance Company Complaints Who Are The Top 10 Companies With The Least Number Of Complaints

Posted on by

The New York State Department of Insurance (DOI) just released the 2008 Annual Ranking of Automobile Insurance Complaints. The report has been issued to help consumers find the automobile insurer that best meets their needs. You can use this report to compare the ranking of the insurance company you are doing business with now, or check another company you may be considering.

This report analyzed data collected from 2006 and 2007. It only ranks companies doing business in the State of New York. However, as New York is a heavily populated state, with both big urban centers and big suburban areas, the report can be considered a good representation of insurance company performance nationwide.

How The Ranking Works

The insurance companies are ranked on a complaint ratio. The ratio is calculated by the number of complaints upheld against companies as a percentage of their total private passenger auto business.

Insurers with the fewest upheld complaints per million dollars of premiums are shown at the top of the list. The companies with the highest ratio of complaints are ranked at the bottom.

Other Information to Consider

The ranking of an insurance company is important, but it is only one characteristic that consumers should weigh when considering doing business with an insurance company. Others are:

Referrals from friends, relatives, neighbors or co-workers about the experiences they had with their insurance companies
Price of the premium versus perceived value
Search the Internet for other ideas
Check your states DOI website, which may contain valuable consumer information about companies doing business in your state.

What The Ranking Does and Does Not Contain

Private passenger insurance is the only type evaluated.
It only includes the complaints referred by consumers to the DOI. It does not include complaints made directly to the insurance companies.
Complaints are upheld when the DOI agrees with a consumer that an insurance company made an inappropriate decision.
Information from prior years is included in the tables so consumers can see if the company has improved or gotten worse.
All companies with at least $10 million in premium in 2006 and 2007 are included in the ranking. Insurers with less than $10 million were included if they had 10 or more complaints against them.

Top Three Most Common Complaints

1.Monetary settlements settlement amount is too low.
2.Policy terminations
3.Promptness of insurance payments

2007 Auto Complaint Listing (ranked lowest number at top, higher as you go down)

1.Mercury General Group
2.American Express, Amex Assurance, IDS Property Casualty
3.Eveready Insurance Co.
4.Electric Insurance Group
5.Amica Mutual
6.Preferred Mutual Insurance Co.
7.United Services Automobile Assurance Group (USAA)
8.Chubb
9.Utica Mutual
10.State Farm
11.Central Services Group, Central Insurance Group, NY Central Mutual Fire Ins.
12.Main Street America Group, National Grange Mutual
13.Progressive
14.Liberty Mutual
15.Kingsway Insurance Group, Lincoln General Ins.
16.Response Insurance Group
17.Nationwide Insurance
18.American Modern Ins. Group, American Family Home Ins.
19.St. Paul Travelers
20.Unitrin Group, Kemper
21.Erie Insurance Group
22.Berkshire Hathaway Insurance, GEICO
23.Allstate Insurance
24.The Hartford Insurance Group
25.Hanover Insurance, Citizens Ins., Allmerica Financial Alliance
26.Metropolitan Group
27.American National Financial Group
28.Allianz Insurance Group
29.GMAC, Integon, MIC P&C, National General Ins. Co.
30.Zurich Ins.Group, Foremost, Maryland Casualty
31.Hannover RE Group, Clarendon National
32.State Wide Insurance
33.White Mountains Group, OneBeacon, Esurance, Auto One Ins.
34.Countrywide Insurance
35.Safeco Insurance Group
36.American International Group (AIG)
37.Tri-State Consumer Ins. Group
38.Interboro Mutual
39.Infinity Property & Casualty
40.Long Island Insurance

Conclusion

If your auto insurance provider is not shown on this list, it could be that they dont sell insurance in New York. Or, it could be that their number of complaints is worse than the company in the #40 position!!

Think about this statement, my friends.

The only thing that truly matters about your auto insurance is what happens when you submit a claim. Claims are about KEEPING PROMISES. When the insurance companies dont keep their promises, the complaints pile up!

So, why would you EVER consider doing business with any insurance company LOWER than NUMBER 10 on the list?

If you are one of the unfortunate people who experience an automobile loss of any kind, you’ll need to know how to handle your insurance claim so that you maximize your recovery. You will need to know how to take control of your insurance claim, and add hundreds or even thousands more dollars to your claim settlement. For more information, check out the website shown below in the Resource Box.

Five Crazy But Common Car Insurance Exclusions

Posted on by

Five Crazy But Common Car Insurance Exclusions

You buy your car insurance, you glance at the policy documents, and you assume you’re covered for all eventualities where your car is stolen or damaged. Think again.

Read through your policy documents in detail. Some insurers don’t cover injuries to passengers aged over 75. Others won’t pay out if your car is stolen by someone who deceives you into handing over your keys. A small number won’t cover damage to your car that’s caused in a road rage incident. It’s common industry practice not to provide gap insurance, so if your car is written off or stolen, you won’t receive the full amount you paid when you bought your car.

Every car insurance policy includes some exclusions. Many of the exclusions would be extremely frustrating if they happened to you, and you then discovered that you’re not covered by your insurance firm. Some of them are downright crazy. Five of the most crazy but common car insurance exclusions are:

1. Nuclear Fallout
If Britain was wiped out by a nuclear bomb and you managed to survive, you wouldn’t receive a pay out from your insurer for the damage caused to your car. This is not only because the insurance firm will probably have been destroyed in the blast; it’s because it’s standard practice for motor insurance policies to exclude damage caused by nuclear fallout.

The same applies if your local nuclear power plant explodes and destroys your car, or if your car is contaminated by radioactive waste: you will not be compensated for the damage caused.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all the major motor insurance firms, including Admiral, Direct Line, Aviva, Churchill, Saga, Prudential, Sheila’s Wheels, and Co-operative Insurance to name a few.

2. UFOs
Most car insurance firms will not pay out if your car is damaged by pressure waves from aircraft travelling at or beyond the speed of sound. This includes damage caused by sonic and supersonic UFOs from outer space.

If you are zapped by an alien laser-beam while driving on the motorway, your insurance firm is unlikely to cover your injuries or the damage to your car. This is because such aggression would be considered an act of war. Car insurance firms usually exclude cover for damage caused by war, civil war, acts of a foreign enemy, or revolution.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all major car insurance firms, including Direct Line, Aviva, Admiral, Churchill, Saga, Prudential, Sheila’s Wheels, and LV=.

3. Car Stolen by Jealous Husband or Wife
Motor insurers will not provide cover if your car is taken without your permission by any member of your household or family. This includes your spouse or partner, your children, your parents or a lodger in your home. The only exception to this rule is if you report your car as stolen to the police, and prosecute the person who took your car in court.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all major motor insurance firms, including Direct Line, Admiral, Co-operative Insurance, Sheila’s Wheels, and LV=.

4. Earthquakes
Fortunately for us Brits, the UK is not prone to earthquakes or tremors. However, were the worst to happen and the ground opened up and swallowed your car, or even if a less violent earthquake shattered your windscreen, it’s probable that your insurer would refuse to pay out.

A small but significant number of car insurance firms do not cover for damage caused by earthquakes. Admiral is the most notable insurer with this exception. Other insurers who refuse cover for earthquakes include Saga, Prudential, and Sheila’s Wheels.

As well as looking out for earthquakes, remember to check your insurance policy documents for the phrase “acts of God”. Sheila’s Wheels breakdown service, for example, cannot be held liable if they leave you stranded by the roadside because of an “act of God”.

5. Blind Drivers
Unsurprisingly, there is not a single insurance firm who will provide cover for drivers who can’t see. This is never stated explicitly in insurance policy documents, but insurance companies cover their backs by saying they won’t pay out for claims resulting from damage caused by “unlicensed drivers”.

Being unable to get insurance or a licence wasn’t enough to stop one blind person from getting behind the steering wheel. In 2006, 31-year-old Omed Aziz was banned from driving for three years and given a suspended jail sentence after police caught him driving on the wrong side of the road.

This exclusion seems to apply to policies bought from almost all motor insurance firms.

How do you make sure you’ve got the best possible insurance cover for your car? Firstly, don’t just choose a policy based on price. Research what’s covered and what’s excluded by each company you’re considering. Secondly, if the level of cover you want isn’t available from standard car insurance firms, consider taking out extra insurance, such as gap insurance, from a specialist insurer.

Car insurance exclusions are usually not that hard to find, you just need to have a look at the rarely-read policy documents.

To be sure you’re not hit by a nasty surprise when you need to make a claim, make some time to read through policy documents when choosing your car insurance. Most insurance firms make their policy documents available online as a free download.

Getting Cheap Insurances

Posted on by

The insurance policy is a type of contract between a client and a company, according to this contract the company will compensate the client in case of loss or damage of property. The client can be an individual or a business organization. The main purpose of the insurances is to protect you, or your family from the financial impact, which any unexpected accident might bring. Insurance is all about transferring risk, when you purchase insurance the company takes the risk for a certain event and if it does happen, the company will cover your financial losses. In return, you will have to pay a certain amount of money every month. Depending on the risk, which the company takes, the price of the insurance is determined. If you want to purchase cheap insurance, there are some things, which you should consider. You will have to make a detailed research if you want to find the insurance policy with the best price and with the best risk coverage. The ways to buy insurance are mainly two. You can purchase your policy from an insurance agent or you can purchase it yourself. The advantage of getting insurance from an insurance agent is that you will get the most accurate information for the purchase. And when you buy it yourself you will not be able to make the best decision because you are not well informed. An insurance agent will give you the best suggestion for your situation. And this way the insurance agent will advise you for the cheapest alternative that you have for your insurance needs.

The prices of insurance policies depend on the type of the policy which you are going to get. There are different policy types available. Most commonly people purchase auto insurance, home insurance, life insurance and accident insurance. All of these insurance types have different prices; usually the prices for all of these insurances are determined by the risk, which the insurance company takes. The larger the risk is, the more money you will have to pay for insurance. For example when you purchase car insurance, you will pay more when the risk is higher, if you drive a car that has a lot of horsepower and that is very fast, the chance of getting into an accident is higher. Because of this, the price for insurance will be higher for such cars. If you purchase fire insurance for your home and you live in an area where there is a large chance of fires, the risk for the insurance company will be larger and you will definitely have to pay more money.

Getting cheap insurance is possible when you are exposed to less risk. Moreover, you will have to make a detailed research. You cannot expect to find the cheapest insurance policy unless you have made a research of the market and you have contacted at least several different insurance companies. This way you will be able to find an affordable alternative and you will purchase cheap alternative.

Eksempler p opsigelsesvarsel (examples of term of notice) and Hvordan opnr jeg ligeln (How can i get equal pay)- the examples are in Danish, are the two most important key phrases in any language you need to know when you start dealing with this issues.

What Are The Cheapest Cars To Insure For Teenagers – Best Tips And List Of Cars

Posted on by

If you’re thinking about buying a new or used car for your teen or teenager no matter if they are 16 years old or 19 years old, there are a few cars that you can usually insure cheaper than others. So what are the cheapest cars to insure for teenagers or student drivers?

Generally, cars that are more expensive will cost you more for car insurance and lesser expensive cars will cost less. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. Even if a car is older and is a less expensive car, it should cost you less to insure it. Cars made in the U.S. are cheaper to insure than cars manufactured in other countries. 4-door cars, cars with 4 cylinder motors and minivans are cheaper to insure also.

Of course, the most popular car among teenagers is the Honda Civic. It ranks high in the safety ratings and insuring it is usually low. It’s a good car because it’s also economical and easy to operate. However, the Honda Civic, the Ford Focus, and the Saturn models below are still relatively light and not good from a safety standpoint. Other popular cars include the Mazda3, Toyota Corolla and Mitsubishi Lancer.

I wouldn’t buy cars for teens that are smaller than those above. They’re just not safe. The larger the car the safer it usually is. My mother was a nurse and worked in the emergency room for years and she told us that she could always tell if someone was driving a small car when someone came in who’d been injured in an automobile accident, by the severity of the injuries. Small cars don’t do well in rollovers either.

Other good choices would be the Honda Accord, Ford Taurus, Nissan Maxima and Toyota Camry. Because they are larger cars, they are safer cars. They are economical to run and insurance rates are good or cheap depending on the insurance company.

Small SUV’s are not good for teens because of the possibility of a rollover. The center of gravity is higher. Teens are not experienced drivers and may tend to overreact in emergency situations.

So for a partial cars and vehicles, that are low cost or cheap to insure, the following vehicles with makes and models would fit that bill. Keep in mind the safety tips mentioned above and try to buy a new or used car for your teen that will be safe also. Some may no longer be made such as Saturn but there may be used vehicles around.

Honda Civic, Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Mitsubishi Lancer, Chrysler PT Cruiser 4-door wagon, GMC Safari SLE AWD 3-door minivan, Dodge Caravan SE 4-door minivan, Saturn ION 1 4-door sedan, Pontiac Sunfire 2-door coupe, Jeep Liberty Sport 4WD 4-door SUV, Saturn L300 1 4-door sedan, Volvo S40 4-door sedan, Saab 38600 Linear 3t 4-door Sportwagon, Buick Century Special Edition 4-door sedan.

Keep in mind when you go over this partial list of cars, minivans and SUV’s that are cheapest to insure, that local rates, discounts and quotes may vary depending on what part of the U.S. you live in whether it’s Texas, New York, Florida or any other state. Make sure to get several quotes before making your final decision. You may find a rate that seems to be cheap but keep checking until you’re sure you have the cheapest auto insurance quote. You can get several online quotes from several car insurance companies all at once in just a couple of minutes.