How is your auto insurance?

[gene8522]

I have had Geico Auto insurance for about 15 years, so when we bought our new 5er last February we added it to the Geico insurance. Not a bad deal (so I thought) at that time. The Geico is due to renew on July 7. I received a renewed policy from Geico for my insurance earlier this week and I thought the quote seemed a little high so I gave them a call to ask about the increase in my premiums. I was told that I filed a claim in April against my Geico insurance and I had another claim back in November 2011. I told the guy on the phone that I had not had any claims before that or been ticketed in over four years so why would that make my premiums go up so high. Of course he didn't know.
So now here is the kick in the face from the Ugly Ass Galapagos Iguana, not the cute little green lizard that you see on TV.
I was paying $1772 for 6 months for my 2013 Dodge 2500 & a 2012 GMC Arcadia with the 2015 Silverback 5er. Because of the claim in April they now want me to pay..........................................................................
..............................................................................................
$4098 U.S. Dollars for six months an increase of about 231%.
That is $8196 per year for auto insurance. NO WAY JOSE!!!!

You want to know what the claim in April was for?? I backed into a mail box pole at a friends house. A $1600 claim!

I looked on line at that cute Little Flo's insurance company (Progressive). Looked like a good deal. $1278 for six months for just the auto. Right! So I called them on the phone, they asked who I had had my insurance with. I told him Geico. He said let me put you on hold while he worked on a quote for insurance. When he came back on the phone he said I see you had a claim, so the price will be a little higher that the price you saw on the web site.
Are you sitting down to read this????
Progressive's quote is $3282.15 for six months and that was without the RV. I almost dropped the phone.
Out of desperation I went down to talk to "Farmers" they have my home insurance. The quote from Farmers is within reason $1329 for the two cars and $773 for the 5er RV. And after looking over the coverage from Farmers there is more that I have been getting from the Ugly Ass Galapagos Iguana.
I'm not sure what the moral to this story is, these are just the facts.

[Earl_E]

kaydeejay wrote:

agesilaus wrote:
We were with Progressive for years, cars and RV then Allstate sent use a much lower quote. We just shifted to them. They give you discounts if you let them track your driving habits via a small box that plugs into the OBDII port. And more discounts for our 11th grader getting B's.

Careful with that little box! If you actually stop for a red light or accelerate too fast it will ding you and any savings go out the window.
I tried it and it had me driving when I was in a four hour meeting! Took the little box back and told All State where to put it!
It also does not work with diesels.

That's not quite right. We have a diesel truck--the little box worked fine and got us a 15% discount on the truck. You can stop at red lights all you want, but you do have to slow down, not hit the brakes hard. Same with acceleration. My wife has a heavy foot and only got a 5% discount on the car!

[gene8522]

want-a-be wrote:
It also has to do with your credit score.

Funny I just got a credit score in the mail last Thursday.
Mine was 735.
My DW was 760!
She is still laughing at me.

[ralphnjoann]

Golden_HVAC wrote:
I wonder why it is legal for the proposed insurer to ask what your prior coverage was, or it's cost! I have been asked to show a renewal form to the insurance agent before they could give me a quote. It is sort of like the 'sealed bid process that Governments are required to have for when they buy a new truck, however the insurance agents are requiring that they look at what your renewal is before giving you a price!".

Hopefully you will be as happy with Farmers as I am.

Fred.

Good luck!

Fred.

Two reasons I can think of. First, they want to know if you have been driving without insurance, a big no-no; and second, they want to know, by looking at your premium, if your were in a high risk category. Either one could could have an adverse affect on their decision to issue a policy.

[ralphnjoann]

agesilaus wrote:
We were with Progressive for years, cars and RV then Allstate sent use a much lower quote. We just shifted to them. They give you discounts if you let them track your driving habits via a small box that plugs into the OBDII port. And more discounts for our 11th grader getting B's.

State Farm offered me one of these a while back. Problem was, the cost of the monthly monitoring service was more than the savings I would have realized by installing it. I politely declined.

I've also read, I don't know where, that there is some dollar cutoff where it doesn't pay to file a claim.

[jmtandem]

Wow yerself!

Apples to apples.

What levels of liability?

Minimum for your state (here it's 15/30) - or 100/300 (or more)..??
(IMO - personal minimum should be 100-300)

Collision coverage (deductible)? 250-500-1K?

The RV - simply an add-on (common for trlrs) or separate coverage?
(Which is usually much better).

If you say so! I don't live where there are hurricanes or tornados. But we do have earthquakes. And if you look carefully adding 100/300 or more liability (my minimum) does not raise the rates from $500 in six months to $1700! It is only a few dollars a month more. Same with adding uninsured motorist, medical, and going with $500 comprehensive deductables. There is something else going on with the OP, perhaps teenage drivers. But his post does speak to the industry and the need to shop around.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Agree that comparing rates between posters is irrelevant because besides coverage (I agree 100/300 is my personal minimum), insurance varies greatly by area. Crime rate, rate of uninsured motorists, cost of repairs in an area, etc.

I've had good luck with Farmers, Farm Bureau, State Farm, and USAA. But the test is a claim. The only claim I've filed was Farm Bureau when my truck was vandalized. They were amazingly fast, paid for everything, and didn't raise my rates. Of course that was a while ago so they may have changed. I've not filed a claim with USAA but hear good things from friends.

To OP, your post is what's wrong with the industry though. I understand a rate increase after a second claim but even then a reasonable amount. My father-in-law didn't file a claim with All-State after Katrina because he didn't want his insurance to go up the and the damage was less than $1,000. All-State cancelled all South Florida policies regardless of claims.

Good luck on your search.

[SanMarMor]

State Farm is the only insurance I've ever had in 41 years of driving. We have all our cars, 5er and house there. Over the years I've priced around and haven't been able to beat it. From the perspective of being paid for a claim, I asked my body shop owner one time about the different companies. He said State Farm is the best, they pay what it takes to fix your car correctly, without questions. I asked who was the worst, he said Nationwide. I've had issues being paid by Allstate when the other cars insurance was paying for damage to my car. I've been VERY happy with State Farm, and the way I've been treated.

Mark

[want-a-be]

It also has to do with your credit score.

[C-Bears]

We used Progressive mainly because of their full timers RV policy. The added auto policies were cheaper with Progressive when we switched them over a few years ago also.

Now with purchasing another home and it being in Florida they are no longer the best deal around. I think you almost have to get quotes about every year or two anymore to make sure you aren't paying too much.

[WyoTraveler]

It is difficult to compare insurance rates. Different people have different coverage depending on their circumstances. If I carry basic state liability limits my rates would be much cheaper than someone carrying maximum amounts of liability such a $1 mil liability.

I had State Farm for 30 years with no claims. My first claim for a broken window in my MH doubled my rates. That is the time to move on to another insurance carrier.

[Y-Guy]

So much depends on the State you are in, if you're in a Metro area, your credit score and your insurance history plus the type of car(s) you're driving. We use PEMCO, a NW company for everything home/auto/umbrella. But for the Boat we use Nationwide and the motorhome we're with Blue Sky RV.

Sadly insurance is not really for taking care of small accidents as you pay for them several times over.

[laknox]

I have my total package, home, truck, 2 cars and FW with Farm Bureau. Biggest issue is that I can still get some Ag benefits since we still have ag interests (buy Bee Sweet citrus!), BUT, I want to be damn sure my '36 Model A John Deere is covered if I'm in a non-tractor-club-sanctioned event, or even just driving it around my neighborhood. Most companies won't even touch it if I take it out of my driveway. I =have= had some claims, and a couple tix in the past few years (they now go back 5-7 years on tix), so any other quotes we get are almost double.

Lyle

[Golden_HVAC]

I was with State Farm for many years, but took a friends suggestion to call Wawaneas Insurance. They started in Canada, and then started offering insurance in California back around 1988? Now they offer insurance in Oregon and other states. They will include a motorhome if you already have a auto policy. But will not cover a E-450 based handicap van.

I had to go with Farmers Insurance for the E-450 van. Wawanesa would not call it a motorhome! It is only for personal use, and only 5,000 miles a year.

I wonder why it is legal for the proposed insurer to ask what your prior coverage was, or it's cost! I have been asked to show a renewal form to the insurance agent before they could give me a quote. It is sort of like the 'sealed bid process that Governments are required to have for when they buy a new truck, however the insurance agents are requiring that they look at what your renewal is before giving you a price!".

Hopefully you will be as happy with Farmers as I am.

Fred.

Good luck!

Fred.

[Dtank]

jmtandem wrote:

I was paying $1772 for 6 months for my 2013 Dodge 2500 & a 2012 GMC Arcadia with the 2015 Silverback 5er.

Wow! You got to be kidding! I pay $540 for six months for my Ram, VW Jetta, and 30 foot travel trailer and I complain that it is too high with Allstate. You must have a couple teenage drivers or something.

Wow yerself!

Apples to apples.

What levels of liability?

Minimum for your state (here it's 15/30) - or 100/300 (or more)..??
(IMO - personal minimum should be 100-300)

Collision coverage (deductible)? 250-500-1K?

The RV - simply an add-on (common for trlrs) or separate coverage?
(Which is usually much better).

Flo *is* the "Sea Hag", USAA is smoke & mirrors -supposedly catering to active & retired military and Am Legion- (but prices are not really competitive) - as well as insurance companies that reduce prices for "bundling".
(Bundling is simply a means to keep you "hooked"!)

Some insurance agencies lo-ball, then raise rates the second year.
Some will automatically jack up rates if you have a claim - even it it's insignificant. (It's an excuse).

Unfortunately - the best I have found (Wawanesa, past 10 years) doesn't do business in Texas.

Former insurers have included:
AAA
Allstate
State Farm
Farmers
CA Casualty
USAA
Progressive
Mercury

So (OP) - you need to shop around - *ALWAYS* comparing the identical coverages you want from each company...:W

Ask when your "accident" will cause your premiums to be reduced..:@

Happy hunting!

.