State Farm® Insurance Agent Steve Barney

"UPDATING REVIEW

After reading Steve’s response, my first direct communication from him in over 30 days, only confirms the pattern described in my original review.

When Steve initially mentioned personal matters, I intentionally gave him time and space before politely following up on my policy changes. Even then, neither he nor anyone in his office reached out.

When he finally attempted to contact me yesterday (only after seeing my initial Google review) the phone rang quickly before hanging up. No voicemail, no follow-up text, and no answer when I immediately called back.

It is disappointing that it took a public 1-star review to get any acknowledgment, and it highlights a focus on managing public perception rather than supporting paying clients. If you are considering this agency, be aware that getting timely communication when you actually need help will be an uphill battle.
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I am beyond fed up and frustrated with this branch and Steve. Possibly one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever had.

About 5 months ago, I started a car insurance policy with this branch. While selecting what policy was correct for me, Steve and his team walked me through different options, answered questions, and were very attentive in selecting coverages. After choosing a policy, I supplied all the information to the branch that they required. This included my previous State Farm policy, auto details, etc. I selected my policy, rate, and coverage, and felt satisfied.

After making my first monthly payment, I submitted an email to Steve's office because of a significant cost increase on my monthly payment. They respond initially stating the increase was because "my documents showed that I was a previous State Farm policyholder". I found this very confusing because I had already supplied this office with all the information they required (including my previous policy) before agreeing on a rate.

When first trying to resolve this issue, Steve and his team could not give me a clear explanation behind the increased rate. Beyond a clear explanation, Steve and his team were very late to respond, sometimes going 5+ days. This seems to be an issue with his office mishandling our initial application and not adequately managing the paperwork that they asked me to supply. While I understand that some underwriting conditions are out of people's control, I really just wanted a clear explanation of the rate increase.

I finally decided to call Steve to see if I could get a better answer to this mess. After picking up the phone, Steve told me "That they had escalated the issue, were looking into it, and that I should receive a callback from him the following week". Well, I never received that call. As a matter of fact, I have been dealing with Steve for 2+ months now trying to get a clear answer on this. Multiple text messages and calls, and NOTHING. I finally got a call from Steve, who again assured me that "They were looking into it and that I would get a call from him with more information the following week". That was at the beginning of September 2026.

Well today is 10/6 & I have now sent 8 new messages since the beginning of September. Ghosted and ignored multiple times. ZERO answers, ZERO communication, ZERO responsibility.

I'm posting this to warn prospective clients about the complete lack of service and accountability from this branch, especially Steve.

Lastly, I sit here and think to myself: "What if I need to use my policy? What if I get into an accident?" Do we think Steve will answer and serve his customers then?

Sure, maybe 30 days later .... if you're lucky."

"Other than one error, I’ve had a pretty good experience with Barney’s State Farm.

In my most recent interaction, Matthew Shinall-Robinson provided me an update on my auto policy renewal. He was thorough and generally pleasant to talk to. I appreciated his five-star service."

"Karyn is the best there. She’s kind and patient. Definitely recommend asking for her."

"Today I upgraded my coverage and it was a very good experience .Ryan was very informative and explained in detail what I need and then some extra information which was very important and useful.
Ryan is asset to Steve Barney State Farm agency thank you so much. I appreciate you"

"Matthew was wonderful to work with. For only a few extra dollars on our policy we added life insurance for my husband and myself. He made it easy!"

"Don’t usually like to deal with insurance companies but this office is the best always there when you need help and so easy to talk too."

"Matthew was very helpful. He answered all my questions and I walked away satisfied with my new auto policy."

"Karyn was so helpful on getting my new cards out to me in a flash thank you so much I’m loving my new ride!"

"Matthew and Steve (and the rest of the team in this office) have always been excellent to deal with. Whether I have a simple question or have an issue, they are always there to help. Communication is always great, service is fantastic. I highly recommend using them for your insurance needs. Thank you!"

"Always a pleasure to work with, they have taken care of me and my two businesses"

"Purchased a new suv today and called to add to policy. I spoke to Karen and explained what I needed to do. She went to work and added the new car and emailed my new insurance cards in a very short period of time. Very satisfied."

"Steve and his team, care deeply about the people who he insures and it's important to him that people really understand what insurance products they are getting. If you are in need of a honest, down to earth agent, who hasn't lost touch of what is most important, give the office a call."

"Very Personal, Professional and Patient!"

"I called Steve Barney’s State Farm office today and spoke with Matthew. He was great to work with—friendly, knowledgeable, professional, and got everything I needed taken care of quickly.

I’ve been really happy with my car insurance and the service I’ve received from this office. If you’re shopping around for insurance, I’d definitely recommend giving them a call!"

"Mathew at State Farm was wonderful to work with; he was knowledgeable and answered all our questions. I highly recommend Mathew at Steve Barney’s State Farm location in St Petersburg!"

"Matthew was really helpful and very nice. Five stars."

"Matthew was great. Very informative and helpful"

"Great policy review with Mathew-S who is very kind and answered all my questions.
Great call."

"I want to say thank you Steve you are absolutely wonderful. I appreciate you so much. I’ve been with them about a year and I just had car insurance and now I have life insurance.
just wanted to thank you all again for the awesome care, consideration and of course the awesome coverage I have with your company. And again, thank you, Steve"

"If you want an insurance agent, that is responsive and knowledgeable, ask to speak with Matthew. He’s the kind of guy that you wanna deal with when you are discussing insurance needs or God forbid, dealing with a terrible situation. Thank you, Matthew."

"I contacted Matthew with State Farm concerning car insurance for my husband, Dan, my daughter, Bryanna, and myself, and he was extremely helpful, very honest and a true pleasure to work with. It was so refreshing to work with someone who was truly looking out for my best interest and was not trying to upsell me to encourage me to purchase more than I needed. Not very often do we work with someone like that. If you’re considering changing your policies, whether it a car home or positive life insurance I would highly recommend you contact Matthew with State Farm insurance on Central Avenue because he will do you very well. Thank you, Davis."

"I spoke with Matthew and he was so thoughtful and very helpful and answered all my questions (I had a lot of questions). Thank you Matthew 😊"

"Matthew was great to work with!"

"I bought a new car over the weekend and Karyn had all the coverages in place and cards right away on Monday"

"⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’ve had an excellent experience working with Matthew at Steve Barney State Farm. He has been incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and—something I really appreciate—accessible whenever I’ve had a question or needed assistance. He takes the time to explain my options clearly and has helped me find the coverage I need at a rate that is both affordable and competitive.

It’s refreshing to work with someone who is responsive, professional, and genuinely cares about his clients. I highly recommend Matthew and the team at Steve Barney State Farm to anyone looking for great service, dependable assistance, and affordable insurance coverage!"