Desert Captain wrote:
ron.dittmer wrote:
It has been our experience that any insurance claim regardless how minor, and "yes" even simple inquiries to determine if we should file a claim to our insurance company, auto or home policy, the rates jump up so badly that we have to switch insurance companies.
Once we learned how the insurance system actually works, we get the highest deductible plans, and pay out of pocket without informing our insurance, even when exceeding the deductible by "reasonable" amounts. We save BIG money over-all this way.
And if you wonder, we had so few claims over our 42 year driving and home ownership history. All claims were very minor incidents that we felt did not warrant such high increases in our policies. The few claims we had were smaller than the cost of coverage for that given year.
Ron, Insurance companies can NOT raise your rates for simply making an inquiry regarding a potential claim.
I wish someone would have told that to Allstate.
I had them since I bought my first car in 1978. Back in 2008 I had a 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder that someone in a store parking lot backed into the rear quarter panel and messed it up a bit. This happened while I was in the store shopping, so I had nobody to blame for the damage. They just drove off without leaving a note. I called Allstate and after talking with them, and then getting an estimate from a local auto body shop, I said I would pay the repair myself because it was so little above my deductible. That call ended up on-record and my rate jumped yet again. I called Allstate after the painful rate hike and they said it was because of the damage to the MR2. I explained the chain of events and reminded them that I took care of it myself. That meant nothing to them. They just "stiffed" me.
A few years later, after talking with family and friends, we switched to AARP Hartford and have been with them since. So far so good......crossing my fingers.
