Why are some car insurance companies so bad?

[B!nd!]

As the other answerer stated- you can contact an outside agent- in the case of Australians, this would be the insurance Ombudsman, for issues regarding your insurance if you believe your claim is not being handled properly.

Some insurance companies are better than others.
Unfortunately, many people choose cheaper cover, don't read their Policy Disclosure Statements only to find that they are not covered in the result of a claim. Or that they are not covered for all that they thought they would be.

As the other person also said- going to a local insurance agency is a good option if you want to speak to somebody face to face. It is really good to have everything set out in black and white right from the start, and to ask every question you can think of and get great answers straight away.