TRENTON, N.J., April 26 – Some-where in the Insurance Department, a group of workers pored through 3,300 written complaints from consumers about car insurance beefs last year. The mere thought of a group going through 3,300 written complaints triggers sympathy and admiration for this worthwhile drudgery.

So questions were asked.

Getting the details was like trying to uncover a secret war invasion plan. Did the complainers gripe about the high cost of insurance, or did they damn the insurance companies, or the politicians or whatever? Were there nasty letters? How does the operation work? And just what is the name of this squad that comes in every day to a pile of unopened envelopes that contain the frustrations of people out there seeking help for real or imagined car insurance problems?

What was learned is that the office has operated for more than 20 years and is now the Consumer Assistance Unit within the Consumer Protection Service. The letters they receive are confidential, so thats why there is a hush-hush response to any detail.

In general, the written complaints deal with issues of coverage, claims handing eligibility, and cancellations and non-renewals of policies. It was hard to imagine that not one of the 3,300 complaints received had a beef about the high costs, or some nasty things to say about an insurance company, or a question regarding why the other guy got off from paying for damages while they were stuck with the bill.

Behind the Scenes

It was an effort to spotlight a group of hard conscientious state workers want-ing to do something for the people out there.

Not only do the workers receive these complaints, they answer each one individually! So really this rarely publicized group last year handled 6,600 letters " 3,300 that came in and the 3,300 answers that went out.

But without further details of the operation, one is left with the coldness of it all " an image of a big office in a tall building where workers sit in cubicles in front of silent machines on desks with small bins containing piles of letters that must be answered.

The department report about the consumer complaint operation is given with no pizzazz, no hype; no tinsel. Its straight report is like an arrowed line on a blank sheet and is bureaucracy at its zenith.

Valid Complaints

The department received 3,300 complaints from consumers in 2005, and 154 of them were valid, the report declares.

Only 154 of them were valid and worth something?

Another direct official answer from the consumer department explains, A valid complaint is deemed as one where the insurers action violated rules or laws, or the issue in controversy should have been resolved by the insurer without departmental intervention.

The results of this year of tedium is reported to the public in a table listing 28 car insurance companies and their ranking in handling valid consumer complaints.

The rankings are based on a ratio of valid complaints to 1,000 insured autos, but confined to companies that insure 3,000 or more vehicles a year.

If the company is ranked 28th then thats the top mark. If a company is listed as number one, that is the worst mark.

Considering there were only 154 valid complaints, it would be unfair to say which is the best and which is the worst in handling consumer gripes.

All in all, though, the companies must be doing something right. They insured 5,164,414 cars last year, yet the consumer office in the Insurance Department received only 3,300 complaints about them. And of those gripes only 154 of them had some meat to them.