Comment on car insurance

On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:43:24 -0700, rick++ >
wrote:

>Does it pay its claims?
>Often no-nme insurance companies do not pay claims.

Citation? Evidence?

catalpa wrote:
> "Useful Info" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
>
>>*My consumer experience*
>>
>>I've had insurance with Allegiance, Geico, Traveler's, and now Erie.
>>
>>Geico was expensive. I knew I was paying for their prime-time TV ads.
>>I paid something like $1200 per year.
>>
>>Traveler's was cheaper. I assumed it was the cheapest in town.
>>I paid $920 per year.
>>
>>Erie, I was stunned to learn, is extremely cheap for the same
>>coverage.
>>I pay $530 per year. Yes, per year.
>>
>>I cannot explain the discrepancy, other than to say that I've
>>never seen a TV ad for Erie nor heard a radio ad. Also, my customer
>>experience with my local rep has not been great. I call the corporate
>>office whenever I have a question.
>>
>>Before Geico, I had Allegiance, which I recall was at the time
>>quite cheap. I may have been near the Erie price. However their
>>insurance became unavailable.
>>
>
>
> Get a rate quote from Electric Insurance, my auto insurance is now under
> $400 a year. I previously had Allstate and then Progressive, but all they
> did was raise their rates each year.
>
>
>


I did and the quote was 3X higher than I'm currently paying State Farm.
And, that was for less coverage.

JT

Bonehenge (B A R R Y) wrote:
> On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 11:43:24 -0700, rick++ >
> wrote:
>
>> Does it pay its claims?
>> Often no-nme insurance companies do not pay claims.
>
> Citation? Evidence?

DIY, check out the insurance carrier (BEFORE you sign up) with

http://www.ambest.com/

You have to register to get their ratings information but it's free.

Rick++'s info may only be anecdotal but generally speaking what happens
in one claim from a sub-standard carrier, happens with most, if not all,
of them.

If they have ANY leg to stand on they will deny the claim and make you
sue to collect. There's a certain attrition rate that makes it
profitable for them to do so.

The better companies will try to keep their cost down but do so in a
"penny-wise, pound foolish manner."

I once had Country Companies, a good carrier, that insisted on using
non-GM parts in its repairs. I talked to the body shop and they said
the bumper cover from either GM or second party would do but to avoid
the sheet metal.

I struck a deal with the adjuster who used genuine GM metal but a second
party bumper cover.

The second party bumper cover wound up actually costing more since it
came pre-primed and was a dead-nuts fit on the Pontiac. The 2nd party
cover needed prep, primer and additional labor to make a perfect
fit/finish and Country Companies was cool with that. IIRC, that
substitution cost them an additional $130 but since they had used the
second party cover, their bean counters were happy, etc.

Dumb, dumb, dumb but that's the way it goes.

You run across some sub-standard carrier that specializes in insuring
drunks, bad drivers, etc. with the minimum required - $20k liability
here - and charging their drivers $700 or more a year for what is
practically nothing and you will find they won't give you a cent until
you file suit or back them into a corner with a threat of "bad faith."

It does happen and it happens all too frequently. If you haven't
witnessed it you're just leading a charmed life<G>

On Jun 29, 3:11 pm, Unquestionably Confused >
wrote:
> Mike Hunter, wrote the following at or about 6/29/2007 1:54 PM:
>
> > I had Travelers but switched to Geico to save the 15% they advertise. Then
> > to Erie to save the 15% they advertise. Then I switched to All State to
> > save the 15% they advertise. I figure if I switch enough times, my
> > insurance will be free LOL
>
> Think big, Mike! Don't stop there, keep whittling it down until THEY
> pay YOU!<g>
>
> If you're >50 it pays to compare the AARP's auto insurance through The
> Hartford Insurance Company. I have full coverage on four cars, two of
> which are used for business travel and got excellent coverage and
> pricing. My old carrier was highly rated and AARP gave me better
> coverage for about $900/yr less. Been with them four or five years now.
>
> I've been fortunate and thus unable to tell you how they handle claims
> but with it being The Hartford, I can't foresee any problems.

My experience with AARP Hartford has been pretty good also. I insure
two sedans and the truck, all without collision, for under $800/yr.
Some 7 or 8 years ago I backed into somebody in a parking lot. Not
much damage to the other car and none to mine. They paid the other
party and raised my rates about $100/yr for four or five years.

I've had Geico and Allstate and wouldn't consider them again. All
they do is raise rates every year and I never made a claim. I once
got two renewal bills from Allstate about a week apart for the exact
same policy with a different price for each! I dumped them on the
spot. I also have no intention of paying Geico so that they can make
Madison Avenue and Warren Buffet's stock portfolio rich. I definitely
pays to shop around. Easy to do these days with the internet. Al

"al" > wrote in message
ups.com...

<snipped>
> I've had Geico and Allstate and wouldn't consider them again. All
> they do is raise rates every year and I never made a claim. I once
> got two renewal bills from Allstate about a week apart for the exact
> same policy with a different price for each! I dumped them on the
> spot.

Huh. I've had Allstate for many years, with no probs. And my premiums have
gone down. Multiple policies (homeowner's & auto), along with a slew of
various other discounts pertinent only to the car insurance.

Cathy

I also have no intention of paying Geico so that they can make
> Madison Avenue and Warren Buffet's stock portfolio rich. I definitely
> pays to shop around. Easy to do these days with the internet. Al
>

"Useful Info" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> *My consumer experience*
>
> I've had insurance with Allegiance, Geico, Traveler's, and now Erie.
>
> Geico was expensive. I knew I was paying for their prime-time TV ads.
> I paid something like $1200 per year.
>
> Traveler's was cheaper. I assumed it was the cheapest in town.
> I paid $920 per year.
>
> Erie, I was stunned to learn, is extremely cheap for the same
> coverage.
> I pay $530 per year. Yes, per year.
>
> I cannot explain the discrepancy, other than to say that I've
> never seen a TV ad for Erie nor heard a radio ad. Also, my customer
> experience with my local rep has not been great. I call the corporate
> office whenever I have a question.
>
> Before Geico, I had Allegiance, which I recall was at the time
> quite cheap. I may have been near the Erie price. However their
> insurance became unavailable.

Is Erie aware of ALL the details of your driving record and of the driving
records of ALL people who EVER have access to ANY of your vehicles?

I thought not.


>

"Unquestionably Confused" > wrote in message
.. .
> Mike Hunter, wrote the following at or about 6/29/2007 1:54 PM:
>> I had Travelers but switched to Geico to save the 15% they advertise.
>> Then to Erie to save the 15% they advertise. Then I switched to All
>> State to save the 15% they advertise. I figure if I switch enough times,
>> my insurance will be free LOL
>
> Think big, Mike! Don't stop there, keep whittling it down until THEY pay
> YOU!<g>
>
>
> If you're >50 it pays to compare the AARP's auto insurance through The
> Hartford Insurance Company. I have full coverage on four cars, two of
> which are used for business travel and got excellent coverage and pricing.
> My old carrier was highly rated and AARP gave me better coverage for about
> $900/yr less. Been with them four or five years now.
>
> I've been fortunate and thus unable to tell you how they handle claims but
> with it being The Hartford, I can't foresee any problems.

There is one guaranteed way to cut your insurance bills: do not have ANY
more vehicles than you really NEED.

"Unquestionably Confused" > wrote in message
.. .
> Sir F. A. Rien, wrote the following at or about 6/29/2007 3:07 PM:
>> If it's similar to my past experience, they bump you back up, the next
>> three
>> renewals so that in the end you are paying MORE than a 'non-discount'
>> offering company would charge.
>>
>> If you want to play 'merrygoround insurance', fine - OTW find a good
>> stable
>> company, pay fair rates and get GREAT servce!
>
> Haven't found that to be the case with The Hartford (AARP. This thread
> caused me to check the past three annual premiums. $1539 in 2004 and
> $2007 in 2006. That seems like a big change BUT the coverage has remained
> constant with no changes to the limits, etc., there have been no claims
> BUT the number/type of vehicles insured has been a moving target.
>
> Currently they are insuring a '01 Buick Park Av, '03 Chrysler T&C, '06
> Honda Accord and '94 Corvette convertible. A fifth car was on that $2007
> billing which has since been sold so they haven't been playing the "Merry
> Go Round" game with me. It's not worth the time and effort to pro-rate
> the premiums based on acquisition dates and sale dates to figure out an
> exact increase/decrease. Suffice it to say it's pretty stable. There's
> been some fluctuation in premiums on the individual cars but very nominal
> and not always an increase.

Do you REALLY need ****FOUR***** vehicles? Since my wife and I dumped our
extra vehicles we have saved THOUSANDS.

"sharx35" > wrote in message
news:X1khi.15173$tB5.11875@edtnps90...
>
>
> Do you REALLY need ****FOUR***** vehicles? Since my wife and I dumped our
> extra vehicles we have saved THOUSANDS.
>
>
Say... you aren't a Commie, are you? ;-)

sharx35 wrote:
> Do you REALLY need ****FOUR***** vehicles? Since my wife and I dumped our
> extra vehicles we have saved THOUSANDS.

Need? WTF? Maybe he WANTS four vehicles. What difference does it make
(other than perhaps lowering the rates on some of the cars due to
multi-car discounts, low annual mileage rating, etc.)?