Call Kurtis: I'm a Good Driver. Where's My Allstate Bonus Check?

TRACY (CBS13) — Maybe you've seen the commercial. Allstate saying you'll get a bonus check every six months if you're accident free. Retiree Phyllis Thompson says she's been with Allstate since the 1980s and says she hasn't had an accident in decades.

"I'm a good driver. Where's my bonus check?" she asked.

When she called, she says Allstate said this program is not available in California. When you watch the ad, small fine print up for six seconds does say, "not available in all states".

"Then you shouldn't advertise it," she said.

Consumer Attorney Stuart Talley thinks there's too much small print in TV commercials. Randomly scanning just one commercial break, we found four of the six ads had small print.

"Most people don't stop and pause to see what the fine print is," Talley said.

Talley thinks the Allstate ad is misleading. He admits different states have different insurance laws which make it tough for companies like Allstate to produce a commercial universal to everyone. He thinks the text saying it's not available in all states should be larger and even name California.

"Especially in California," he said. "One of the largest states in the country."

We asked Allstate where it does offer the bonus checks program. A spokesperson told is in all but four states; North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota and California. Why not California?

"It's a business decision," Allstate told us.

So why air the ad here? The company says its "unavoidable" based on how they buy ad time through networks, cable and satellite companies.

"What's not unavoidable is the obligation to present this disclaimer in a clear way people could see it," Talley said.

Phyllis says she's frustrated every time she sees the ad.

"I don't want to see the commercial," she said.

A spokesperson for the California Department of Insurance tells us it's actually illegal to offer insurance rebates in California, because the state says it's unfairly discriminatory.

When we asked Allstate if that's a reason why the program is not offered here, they would not say, just calling it a, "business decision".