Help the insurers??

[MAD]

http://www.theage.com.au/national/in...219-1th5w.html

INSURANCE companies hope to avoid millions of dollars in claims by sending text alerts to warn car owners of hailstorms.

According to the Insurance Council of Australia, insurers received more than 77,000 claims following Melbourne's Christmas Day hailstorms, with an estimated worth of more than $550 million. The council said 56 per cent of claims were for damage to motor vehicles; the rest were for residential and commercial property and interruption to business.

Budget Direct is one of several companies and emergency services using SMS and social media to communicate quickly with policyholders.
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A spokesman for the Insurance Council of Australia, which represents about 120 brands, said: ''The industry is watching advances in technology very closely, working out how we can best harness it to speed communications.''

Some still have misgivings about text messaging. ''What we don't want to do is to create panic,'' said Damien Butler, a spokesman for Insurance Australia Group whose portfolio includes businesses such as NRMA Insurance. ''Companies can use Twitter and Facebook to provide general advice on fire, flood, hail and other hazards. Like 'clean out gutters, check for overhanging trees', etc.

''We want to alert but not panic.''

Budget Direct, part of A&G Insurance, is confident its ''hail automated notification system'' strikes the right balance, offering a fast, reliable service targeted at specific suburbs.

Since the system was introduced two months ago, more than 100,000 text messages have been sent.

Read more: http://news.drive.com.au/national/in...#ixzz1mskM1gtG

So they want us to help them cut their costs. I wonder how much of those 'savings' will be passed on in reduced premiums, or yearly CEO bonuses.

What happens if you are warned, but your car still gets damaged?
Very easy situation to occur; forgot phone, in a meeting, at a funeral, flat battery, didn't feel like stalking anyone on FB so you didn't see the 'social' update.