What car insurance do you have?
- Thread starter twopu
- Start date
Thomas Dekany
New member
state farm - excellent service.
SpoiledMan
New member
We insure through Costco. Excellent prices and very good service.
My mother-in-law has been with State Farm for more years than she'd like me to point out. They have always treated her well. We use them now. They are reasonably priced and pretty good service. I used to have Amica when my parents insured me. That was the best service I have ever seen from an insurance company, but you definitely pay for it.
Accumulator
Well-known member
I'm insured with Chubb. They let me get 'em fixed the way *I* want them fixed whereas other companies (e.g., Progressive) wanted to use used parts and otherwise cut corners. Unfortunately I've had a lot of cars damaged in accidents over the years, and Chubb has taken care of me.
I heard/read, though I dunno how accurate/not this might be, that Geico has issues with their customers using radar detectors.
I gotta say that I have issues with Progressive. Besides wanting to use the used parts on my immaculate vehicle (this was when it was *their* customer who caused the wreck), they pressure the bodyshops I patronize to fix things as quickly/cheaply as possible, to the point that the shops say they simply cannot do decent work if Progressive is paying for it.
An in-law of mine worked for both Progressive and, later, Geico. He says that Geico recently "got just like Progressive". FWIW he got fed up with the industry and went into another line of work and IIRC he's insured through Nationwide.
I heard/read, though I dunno how accurate/not this might be, that Geico has issues with their customers using radar detectors.
I gotta say that I have issues with Progressive. Besides wanting to use the used parts on my immaculate vehicle (this was when it was *their* customer who caused the wreck), they pressure the bodyshops I patronize to fix things as quickly/cheaply as possible, to the point that the shops say they simply cannot do decent work if Progressive is paying for it.
An in-law of mine worked for both Progressive and, later, Geico. He says that Geico recently "got just like Progressive". FWIW he got fed up with the industry and went into another line of work and IIRC he's insured through Nationwide.
tdekany said:
I've had a very different experience. My parents were with SF the whole time I was growing up, so naturally I went with them as well, at least at first.
After getting burned by SF a couple times, I've vowed to keep my distance. First case, in 1985, was attending college out of state in a state that allowed no-fault insurance. Got rear-ended by a fellow SF policy holder while I was sitting at a red light and SF would only allow me inferior no-fault coverage for accident in spite of the fact I had a "normal", non-no-fault policy. The other guy was 87 and it was his 5th at-fault accident that month. Police said they were finally gonna take action against his license. I still have arthritis in my neck from that one.
Second case, about 1998, had SF renter's policy and made a claim for $800 for surge damage to my computer. They paid, then 18 months the SF state underwriter wrote to tell me I was "non-renewed" because I'd made a previous claim. Checked around and confirmed they were dropping all customers who had the gall to actually expect to use the coverage they were paying for, even for a single, fairly small and valid claim. Since I was dropped by them, no one else would accept me as anything but a high-risk customer with outrageous rates and many exclusions. Less than 2 years later had a loss of several thousand dollars due to flooding that my ex-SF agent confirmed would have been covered if I'd still had a policy.
Right now my car's in the body shop for storm damage that's being covered by Farm Brureau of Missouri and they've been very fair with me. Here's a pic of virtually all the damage. Just a couple small dents on the top of the door and a couple barely noticable dings on the edge of the roof. There was also a little pinhole-sized ding in the door molding.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e222/velobard/DentsOnRoof-Door.jpg
I faxed in estimates for over $2800 and emailed these two pics and I had a check in the mail within 2 days minus my $100 deductible. After the car went in the shop and I already had the first check I called about a scuff in the rubber molding around the rear window.
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e222/velobard/ScrapesOnRoof.jpg
The next day they mailed a check for $350 for an appearance allowance and I received it the following day. The molding comes with the back window and would have cost $700 to replace and they would have replaced it if I'd asked, but I opted for the cash. I also received an assurance from the adjuster they will not have a body shop install non-OEM parts.
They've definitely treated me right. I plan on sticking with FB. They're considerable less expensive than my previous company and have given outstanding service. BTW, I also made a claim just this past spring when I had damage to the rear of the car from an accident and the service was just as good then. I imagine if I hunted around long enough I'd find a company that cost less, but they've proven they're very fair on rates, plus that there's a lot more to insurance than just cheap rates up front.
I was with State Farm for 6 years underneath my parents and had no problems.
Their premiums were about $800 more per year than Geico and I just didn't see the need. I went with Geico and have loved them for the past 3 months. No claims (thankfully), but the bills and customer service have been well put forth.
Their premiums were about $800 more per year than Geico and I just didn't see the need. I went with Geico and have loved them for the past 3 months. No claims (thankfully), but the bills and customer service have been well put forth.
I'm going to check on State Farm and Liberty, but Geico is $400 cheaper than my current policy. My biggest concern is how Geico handles accident claims. I've read that they cut corners with repairs, but on the flip side I've read they were fine. I'll just keep researching, thanks for all the input.
I've been on High Point (aka Prudential) ever since I started driving. My parents are longtime members of them. I don't know a lot about insurance or how it really works; I do know you pay a lot of money to hope to never use. I was happy with High Point when I caused a three car accident on the highway a couple years ago, due to traffic completely stopping 
They handled my claim nicely, and since my parent's we're loyal customers with the only other incident being a car accident 6-7 years ago, my insurance didn't go up which was really good
As for Geico I would do a lot of reseach on them. My one friend who is really pressed between a wall and a hard rock finacially had them and said it was really cheap at first but they slowly rose up in time(couple of months). I then overheard someone at work saying the same exact thing happened to her. Not sure if it's because they are younger drivers or what, but I though that was noteworthy.
They handled my claim nicely, and since my parent's we're loyal customers with the only other incident being a car accident 6-7 years ago, my insurance didn't go up which was really good
As for Geico I would do a lot of reseach on them. My one friend who is really pressed between a wall and a hard rock finacially had them and said it was really cheap at first but they slowly rose up in time(couple of months). I then overheard someone at work saying the same exact thing happened to her. Not sure if it's because they are younger drivers or what, but I though that was noteworthy.
Old tip my Dad taught me and should save you alot of money. Find about 5-10 Independent Ins agencies. They usually write policies for 5-20 different Ins companies. Tell them your particulars and they will shop to get the best rate for you. Usually they'll call you back with their best quote. Its a big time & money saver and you'll be suprised at the good rates available.
kpounds said:
That's pretty basic stuff when you're price-shopping. The problem is that you're rolling tie dice on what kind of service you'll get if you ever make a claim. I know some state governments have insurance departments that track performance and complaints. If you're not familiar with the company it would be worth a little research. A cheap rate up front gets expensive very quickly when you have problems with a claim.
velobard said:
Yes it seems pretty basic but people generally don't do it. And you don't have to roll any dice as far as service goes since you choose the best company & price from the quotes you receive. My best rate was with Progressive and the rate difference was $70 per 6 months between agencies for the same insurance! The main point is being able to make a few calls and letting each independent shop 10-20 Co's for you vs. calling 50 or more individually. Also with an independent agency, they may have access to some smaller Co's that aren't well known but are still good quality.
I was on Amica when I was on my parents policy. I am on Progressive now that I've got my own policy. I tried to get my coverage through Amica, but they wouldnt take me because of my speeding tickets. They actually forwarded me to Progressive, who just so happened to be the cheapest. Hopefully, I'll never have to deal with how they handle accident claims.