Warning! Geico is NOT fulltime insurance in Texas

[Rice]

I just spent an hour on the phone getting a quote for fulltimer's insurance from Geico. When the agent first answered the phone and I said I wanted fulltimer RV insurance, he said I'd come to the right place, that they specialize in fulltimer coverage. Great!

After I gave him all my information (including my mailing and garaging addresses in Texas) and he gave me the quote, he tried to get me to sign up and pay for the policy right then, but I asked him to send me a quote instead, and specified that I wanted it broken down into the various elements instead of just a total amount.

He did so, and in examining it carefully, I noticed there wasn't a premium for fulltimer coverage, so I called back. I said I had a question about my fulltime RV policy quote, and the agent said he could certainly help me with that because Geico specializes in fulltimer policies, and there are one of only a few companies that do.

So I asked him about the missing fulltimer liability coverage premium from my fulltimer coverage quote, and he said it wasn't available in Texas. I said, "What?" He said Geico doesn't offer the liability portion that I was referring to. I said, "Then how is this a fulltimer policy?" He said it's written for using the RV 365 days a year and covers my personal effects, so it's a fulltimer policy.

I replied that the liability portion is an integral part of fulltimer coverage, and he said Texas is the one state where Geico doesn't offer it. So I said it's not a fulltimer policy if it doesn't provide the liability coverage that other people get via a homeowner's policy. He repeated that it is a fulltimer policy because it provides coverage for 365 days a year and covers personal effects.

I asked if there was some other type of coverage that would substitute for the liability portion that a homeowner's policy would provide, and he put me on hold for a minute, and came back and said no, there's nothing they offer that will be the equivalent of the liability portion of a homeowner's policy. Now would I like to pay for my premium in full or in installments?

I'm not often speechless, but that one got me.

So...WARNING! GEICO DOES NOT OFFER REAL FULLTIMER'S COVERAGE IN TEXAS.

And worse, they will happily let you pay for a policy without telling you that, and the ONLY way you'll know it is if you (1) get an itemization, and (2) scrutinize it enough to notice that there's not a premium listed for fulltimer's coverage and call and ask about it.

They should be ashamed of themselves. They knew my mailing address is in Texas, and my garaging address is in Texas, and even when I told them the policy didn't include essential coverage for a fulltimer, the agent still tried to get me to pay for it.

[Fulltimer50]

Ok. So what exactly IS fulltimers coverage? I suspect it is somewhat like: what are full hookups? 🙂

[Aridon]

Fulltimer50 wrote:
Rice
I dont see the problem. You were doing your due diligence and found that Geico did not offer you what you wanted. I see no reason to bad mouth Geico.

No bad mouthing going on. Plenty of people use TX as their place of residency and GEICO is a popular option. The fact they don't offer FT coverage anymore is an important detail many might miss. Especially in the days of auto pay and electronic policies.

When a bad representative can cost you a cool 100k or 300k that is a problem and I'm glad it was shared with everyone.

[DianneOK]

I think the point is that the salesman was pushing and stating that it was fulltimers coverage......

[Fulltimer50]

Rice
I dont see the problem. You were doing your due diligence and found that Geico did not offer you what you wanted. I see no reason to bad mouth Geico.

[Rice]

CarnationSailor wrote:

Fulltimer50 wrote:
Rice,
Why not just go with another company that does offer what you want?

Well, I'm sure the OP will do just that, but I, for one, thank him for posting the warning.

Of course I will go with another company.

CarnationSailor, you're welcome. That was the point of my post--to warn people about this issue, so they don't make a mistake. I wish someone had done that before, so I wouldn't have wasted my time.

DownTheAvenue wrote:
This just proves that insurance, like any consumer product, requires the purchaser to read and understand what he is buying, not just taking a salesperson's word for it. I always amased that people spend more time studying the sports page of the paper than researching before purchasing a big ticket item.

It's just not that easy. Half the people are of below average intelligence, and it's unreasonable to expect them to read an insurance policy, and it's insane to expect them to understand it. Hell, I made an honor grade in Insurance Law in law school, and my eyes glaze over when I try to read insurance policies. Plus, I have yet to ever see an actual policy before actually signing up.

The only reason I noticed the Geico issue was because I have a spreadsheet where I've put the premium breakdowns for policies and quotes for the last 10 years, so I can compare them. That's how I noticed there wasn't a number for fulltimer liability. Agents always give quotes as just a total, and the breakdown comes only if you ask for it, and what they provide doesn't have blank cells to notice.

So I don't fault the consumer. The fault here is all on Geico.

[rexlion]

Sounds familiar! I asked Geico specifically if a cargo trailer used for business would be covered along with my other vehicles, and they said sure, no problem. When I got the policy, the fine print specifically excluded business use of a cargo trailer. I moved on to another insurer shortly afterward.

[CarnationSailor]

Fulltimer50 wrote:
Rice,
Why not just go with another company that does offer what you want?

Well, I'm sure the OP will do just that, but I, for one, thank him for posting the warning.

[Fulltimer50]

Rice,
Why not just go with another company that does offer what you want?

[DownTheAvenue]

This just proves that insurance, like any consumer product, requires the purchaser to read and understand what he is buying, not just taking a salesperson's word for it. I always amased that people spend more time studying the sports page of the paper than researching before purchasing a big ticket item.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

As full timers in Texas our umbrella policy requires that we provide proof of $250,000 liability coverage under our base fulltimer policy.

Geico was specifically mentioned as not being acceptable as base insurance.

[wildtoad]

Rjdreyer wrote:
Add an umbrella policy for liability.

This may work but I thought umb policies require the underlying policy provide a minimum amount of coverage.

[Aridon]

Rjdreyer wrote:
Add an umbrella policy for liability.

Umbrellas are "excess" policies and require underlying insurance. If you don't have coverage the limits are still required to be met before it will play a nickle.

So if it requires a 300k liability policy and you have none, you essentially have a 300k deductible.

[Rjdreyer]

Add an umbrella policy for liability.