“It’s crazy how many people don’t understand the policy.”
Car insurance is supposed to be the thing that keeps you calm when everything goes sideways. You choose a plan, pay monthly, and trust the company on the other end to help when disaster strikes.
But sometimes that moment arrives, and the math doesn’t add up the way you expected.
That’s what one woman says happened after her GMC was stolen, wrecked, and eventually returned to her driveway, damaged and unfixed.
TikTok creator Ellen (@ellenmartinez69) posted a video that garnered more than 16,000 views. She films herself walking toward her car as it gets towed back onto her property, and the scene looks rough. The entire front bumper is collapsed inward.
“So indeed, I am not in good hands with Allstate,” she says. “They did not protect us from mayhem. The car was stolen, and this is the way they’re gonna leave it. Do not go with Allstate ever.”
In a second clip, she provides a little more context.
“Look, this is what happens when you got full coverage with Allstate. Your car stays like that,” she says as she films the damaged GMC again. “So people do not go with Allstate because even when your car [is] stolen, they don’t fix it. This is what they’re leaving us with.”
She never mentions where the car was found, who recovered it, or what Allstate told her after the theft.
It’s not entirely clear where things broke down for Ellen, whether she filed a claim, whether it was denied, or what else happened behind the scenes. But Allstate’s own explanation of comprehensive coverage gives us an idea of how these cases usually work.
According to Allstate, comprehensive insurance helps when a car is stolen or damaged during a theft. It can contribute to the full replacement cost if the car isn’t recovered, replace stolen car parts, cover damage from a break-in or theft-related incident, and more.
But there’s fine print. Comprehensive coverage comes with both a deductible and a coverage limit. The limit is the car’s actual cash value, meaning its depreciated value, not the price you first paid.
Allstate uses the example of a car worth $8,000 with a $500 deductible. If the car is stolen and not returned, the owner gets $7,500.
We don’t know what exactly happened in Ellen’s case, whether she actually filed a claim or if Allstate ever reviewed the damage. We don’t know whether her plan was truly full coverage or something she assumed was full coverage.
However, legally, if she purchased comprehensive coverage and Allstate approved the claim, the car should either be repaired or totalled.
In the comments, people weren’t exactly rallying behind Ellen.
“Well, with all the context you’ve given, I’m going to be team Allstate,” one person wrote.
“It’s crazy how many people don’t understand the policy they buy,” another added. “Everyone expects full coverage but pays for the cheapest option which isn’t full coverage.”
Someone else chimed in with, “I have Allstate! And it depends on what kind of coverage you have. Check your insurance on what it covers and does not cover.”
But not everyone defended the company.
“I’m fighting someone who hit me with Allstate,” a viewer said. “Any lawyer I’ve talked to says Allstate is one of the worst along with State Farm when it comes to actually needing them.”
Motor1 has reached out to Allstate via email, and to Ellen via TikTok messages. We’ll update this article if either responds.
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