A hail storm ruins this couple’s roof. Good thing their home is insured by State Farm—or so they thought.
In a TikTok with over 327,100 views, content creator gigiandgrumps (@gigiandgrumpsdeals) breaks down their experience with State Farm home insurance and why they never plan to do business with it again.
The couple first revealed they’ve had State Farm home insurance for over 30 years and had never filed a claim. When a storm with hail and wind hit their region last May, however, they filed their first claim to fix the extensive roof damage.
The day after the storm, they called the solar panel installer to come to repair the roof’s solar panels. They also allowed a roof inspector to further inspect the damage to their roof.
State Farm denies the claim
The solar panel installer talks with State Farm. To gigiandgrumps’ surprise, State Farm denied their claim, saying that the damage to the roof was because of poor maintenance by the owners. State Farm also denied their neighbors’ claim for the same reason.
State Farm told the couple they would need to get another roof inspector’s opinion. The roof inspector from the previous day, who was from “a very established company,” confirmed a new roof was needed. The roof inspector told the couple he would fight for them in order to get their roof repairs covered. They signed a contract, and the fight began.
After five months and various additional inspections, the State Farm representative signed off on their claim. In November, they got a new roof, new ring gutters, a new shed door, new window screens, as well as other repairs.
“I highly recommend this company. They have been absolutely awesome to us,” gigiandgrumps recounts.
The cost of repairs is still not fully covered
But the fight was not over. As of January 31st, the couple is still waiting for State Farm to cover the full costs of the repairs.
Gigiandgrumps believes this reflects State Farm’s tactic: reject claims and draw out the process for so long that customers give up and cover the repairs on their own.
Of the 68 claims filed to State Farm on the day of the storm, gigiamdgrumps says that State Farm denied all of them.
“State Farm wants you to give up and replace [the roof] yourself [so] they don’t have to do it,” she says.
After the ordeal, gigiandgrumps says they are done with State Farm.
“We are switching everything. I will never do business with them again,” they declare. The couple also recommend State Farm customers find a company that will fight for them.
“If you need a roof, send me a message and I’ll send you a really good company here in Texas and in Oklahoma,” they offer as the video ends.
Viewers weigh in
In the comments section, viewers react to gigiandgrumps’ testimony.
“Just cancelled my State farm home insurance today,” wrote one viewer.
“If you have State Farm you don’t have insurance. It took me $10,000 to find out,” a second person weighed in.
“We had State Farm for 20 years and they cancelled our homeowners insurance after we made a claim (tree fell on our house),” a third viewer added.
“Sad to hear. I have State Farm. So far it’s been great. Field two claims but not for a roof. I will take this advice seriously,” yet another viewer weighed in.
What is homeowner’s insurance?
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau defines homeowner’s insurance as “insurance that pays for losses and damage to your property if something unexpected happens, like a fire or burglary.”
With the average homeowner’s insurance cost in the United States at $2,110 a year (or $179 a month), it’s no wonder homeowners are frustrated when their claims are denied or require a third-party company to fight on their behalf for coverage.
@gigiandgrumps State Farm Insurance horror story #statefarminsurance #statefarm #horrorstoriestok ♬ original sound – GigiandGrumpsDeals
Redditors share their homeowner’s insurance woes
In a Reddit thread dedicated to homeowners, users voiced their grievances about companies’ “predatory practices” and called homeowner’s insurance as a system a “scam.”
“What’s the point of paying premiums year after year if you get penalized for actually using the service you’re paying for? It feels like a scam—insurance companies are quick to take your money but even quicker to drop you when you need them the most,” one user wrote. “My homeowners insurance policy was just canceled because I filed two claims in the past four years. The most they paid out on one of the claims was a measly $3,500.”
Other users argued that homeowner’s insurance is designed to protect homes against “catastrophic disaster,” not smaller-scale inconveniences.
“Stop using [homeowner’s insurance] for small things. Home insurance is NOT a maintenance plan. It’s a ‘I lost my home entirely and have no home now’ backup plan,” one such person wrote.
The Daily Dot has reached out to gigiandgrumps via TikTok direct message and State Farm via email for more information.
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