What's On Your Mind? Liberty Mutual, AT&T, JetBlue, Countrywide

If you asked most people to explain what their homeowners insurance covered and what it didn't, they probably couldn't tell you. It's not something most of us sit down and read thoroughly, but we should.

“When I signed up for my Liberty Mutual home owners' insurance policy, the agent assured me that it covered 'pretty much anything.' Apparently, it does not,” Emily, of Tucson, Ariz., told ConsumerAffairs.com.

Emily said she had some leaky pipes in her home that caused water damage.

“The adjuster came to my house a week later, spent less than five minutes, and then explained that Liberty Mutual doesn't cover our pipes leaking,” she said. “I am very disappointed, especially because the repairman fully expected it to be covered.”

Some policies may cover things like leaking pipes but others don't. You have to read the policy carefully and not rely on the agent's word that it covers “pretty much everything.”

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Krista, of Fountain Inn, S.C., used to have cable for telephone and Internet and wasn't all that happy, so so switched to AT&T.

“I've been begging to get this service, although after reading all the complaints I have no idea why,” Krista said. “I've been waiting a month for service. I call and they say I'm scheduled for someone to come that day by 5 pm, only no one comes. This is the fourth day this has happened.

Krista says she works from home and has been without telephone and Internet for the last two weeks, meaning she's pretty much dead in the water. And she misses what she once had.

“I can't believe I complained about the cable companies before, they are superior compared to this,” Krista said. “I never would have guessed it.”

Unsafe for flight

When traveling, it's never a good idea to leave valuable items in checked bags. With new security policies, bags are getting more attention these days and Dan, of Bedford, Mass., says his future son-in-law, a Marine headed for Afghanistan, learned that the hard way. Before boarding his JetBlue flight, he put his computer in his checked bag and tried to lock it.

“He was told he would not be allowed to do that,” Dan told ConsumerAffairs.com. “Needless to say, when he arrived in California his computer was gone and when he placed a complaint he was told there was nothing that could be done.”

The best policy for travelers is to either carry valuables aboard the plane or leave them at home.

A very slow payoff

Not all homeowners with a subprime mortgage have lost their houses to foreclosure. A few are still struggling to hold on.

“I purchased my home August 2000 with $4000 down and my loan at $82,000.00, and as of July 2011, my balance is still $81,000.00,” said Darlene, of Cincinnati, Ohio. “I have been forced to file Chapter 11 in 2006. While making my regular payment in addition to my Chapter 11 payment, the company tried to foreclose on my home making fraudulent statements in fiscal 2006 that I missed Feb 1, 2001 payment. When I provided proof they came back with dates from 2003. Once again I provided proof. Needless to say that I am still in my house with an interest rate of 9.25 percent, showing only that I paid less than a $1000.00 towards my principle from fiscal 2000 to 2011.”

Darlene says she would like to have her case investigated, pointing out that last year two Countrywide mortgage servicing companies agreed to pay $108 million to settle charges that they collected excessive fees from cash-strapped borrowers who were struggling to keep their homes.