Auto insurance -- good companies?

[Benzadmiral]

Currently I'm with AAA, but the rates are getting way too high. It doesn't help, of course, that I live in the state with possibly the highest rates in America, and inexpensive options like Amica and The General don't operate in this pesthole. Nor am I a government employee or veteran, so no USAA. The only blemish on my record is a fender-cracker of 3 years ago: I hit a stationary object, and I know now I should have paid for it all myself, but live and learn. Older driver and I pilot a Buick Regal, the 2011 sedan which is not a rip-snorting sports car.

Progressive and GEICO both give good online quote, but I have a feeling when I get into the details of coverage, the rate'll rise faster than my cat when he hears a can-opener. Any suggestions?

 

[Rhody]

each state has a standard policy and i guess you have to decide if you want to pay for collision coverage for the 2011 car. i had a 1997 jeep on our policy and i took off the collision about 3 years ago but it was only $500 per year for that coverage and also didn't really drive it anymore either. (sold it 3 months ago) Personally i like the security of collision and UM/ UIM just in case. but not fully sure it makes financial sense. I suppose it does if there is an accident / claim. I expect that is the decision you are facing when you say the details of coverage but you can get an on line quote from prog - geico allstate and farmers with the same coverage to shop around. good luck post if you have any new info during your research.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I checked online with Geico, and if I drop off the comp/collision and do the state minimums, they offer about $940/yr. Progressive online offers $1100, about half what I'm paying now. I'm waiting to hear from the AAA agent, as my "accident" was more than 3 years ago, and according to them, my rates should drop. But I'm collecting some ammunition in the meantime.

 

[Rhody]

I checked online with Geico, and if I drop off the comp/collision and do the state minimums, they offer about $940/yr. Progressive online offers $1100, about half what I'm paying now. I'm waiting to hear from the AAA agent, as my "accident" was more than 3 years ago, and according to them, my rates should drop. But I'm collecting some ammunition in the meantime.

you can start sinking some of these saving into new shave gear ...

 

[Benzadmiral]

you can start sinking some of these saving into new shave gear ...

I would, but the older of my two cats needs some vet work! Once he's clear, then I can shop for that Gillette NEW Short Comb and some aftershave/colognes. . . .

 

[Rhody]

I would, but the older of my two cats needs some vet work! Once he's clear, then I can shop for that Gillette NEW Short Comb and some aftershave/colognes. . . .

oh yikes. sorry to hear that. hope that all works out. i know from experience the high cost of vet bills. we have a special needs cat and when i was leaving the 24 hr vet er with her - and waiting to pay a tech came out and received cheers from the people at the front desk when she yelled ... 23 new patients admitted to icu....i said can you at least wait until i leave ...

 

[AZBronco]

I've had GEICO and Progressive. GEICO raised the rates annually which is why I left. Progressive has been much more competitive. I tend to bid outo my insurance every couple of years and Progressive is still cheapest for me. They were also super helpful when my daughters were rear ended near the high school (I never had to talk with the other insurance about bills until it came time to discuss pain and suffering payments).

 

[Benzadmiral]

oh yikes. sorry to hear that. hope that all works out. i know from experience the high cost of vet bills. we have a special needs cat and when i was leaving the 24 hr vet er with her - and waiting to pay a tech came out and received cheers from the people at the front desk when she yelled ... 23 new patients admitted to icu....i said can you at least wait until i leave ...

Some vets are worse than others. I was taking Chekov to a nicely-appointed place near where we live, but their prices began to go up. When they prescribed a certain type of dry food for him, they wouldn't give me the prescription so I could purchase the stuff online; oh, no. They wanted me to pay full price for it with them. I scooped up the cat carrier, marched out, and haven't been back.

Vet bills are about the same price today as human hospital bills were in the 1940s and 1950s, ever notice? Though of course people earned a lot less back then.

So as you can imagine, I want to trim my insurance costs. The car is a 2011, and to tell you the truth, I could probably afford to have any minor damage repaired on my own, without comprehensive/collision coverage. That's what kills you, at least here, where so many "drivers" are either license-free, insurance-free, or both.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I've had GEICO and Progressive. GEICO raised the rates annually which is why I left. Progressive has been much more competitive. I tend to bid outo my insurance every couple of years and Progressive is still cheapest for me. They were also super helpful when my daughters were rear ended near the high school (I never had to talk with the other insurance about bills until it came time to discuss pain and suffering payments).

I had GEICO myself in 2014-2015. Very inexpensive after I completed the online defensive driving course, very helpful when I (foolishly) put in my claim . . . and then my rates jumped 60%. I jumped ship back to AAA, but now, 3 years later, my rates are even higher than that.

ETA: Just heard back from AAA, and they can't take the incident off my policy until I renew in Jan. 2019. Pfft to that. Progressive's going to get a call from me.

What about Progressive's Snapshot device, for an additional discount? I suppose I'm a safe driver, but there are times when I have to brake hard to avoid idiots, and accelerate briskly to enter the flow of expressway traffic. Does it really tend to lower your premiums, or are they snooping on us as well?

 

[Rhody]

I had GEICO myself in 2014-2015. Very inexpensive after I completed the online defensive driving course, very helpful when I (foolishly) put in my claim . . . and then my rates jumped 60%. I jumped ship back to AAA, but now, 3 years later, my rates are even higher than that.

ETA: Just heard back from AAA, and they can't take the incident off my policy until I renew in Jan. 2019. Pfft to that. Progressive's going to get a call from me.

good move to save $ its really price and apples to apples the days of "service" justifying a higher rate are pretty much over most insurers use independent adjusters these days and as you know they bump your rate after even a minor claim.

i have one of the high / great "service companies and after my accident i talked to three people about the claim. 2 in house - 1 for pd claim and 1 for the bi claim brought by the woman who hit me. yes! she turned from her lane of travel to her right and hit the front left of my car while i was stopped at a stop sign. my car was not in her lane of travel fortunately a responding fire fighter mentioned that i should take pictures.

anyway the service was a joke. not one of the three knew what the other had told me or the status of the claim. despite all the computers and typing noises in the background as you are talking to them the next person has no clue about the facts. not one of the 3 told me the proper procedures to have my car removed from the tow yard. i was essentially on my own and one even suggested i call aaa for a tow. the car was not broken down on the side of the road but at a tow yard. i was lucky when my cpa refereed me to a auto body shop who after one phone call had the car at his place and inspected in 45 minutes.

 

[Toothpick]

I’ve got Progressive. But the underwriter is some company in Florida. I live in Tennessee.....Makes me a bit uneasy. But every other quote I got was way higher. State Farm, Farmers, Geico, Farm Bureau.

 

[ackvil]

I bundle auto, homeowners, and umbrella policies.

I had GEICO for years and about four years ago they started raising my rates and I had no traffic infractions or accidents. The only claims I ever had was a chipped windshield caused by a rock thrown by a truck and a dent from a car wash which the car wash ended up paying for. I had just moved to AZ and the car wash incident took place in Indiana. I called GEICO to ask about a repair shop and they sent me to one. They paid for my auto rental and provided a lifetime warranty for the work done. I had a $500 deductible and the repair amounted to about $780. After the repair, GEICO contacted me twice to be sure I was satisfied with their service. I was impressed with their customer service and would have stayed with them but for the increase in rates.

Then, I switched to Progressive. The rate quoted on the Internet turned out to be less than the rate I got. I could never get an explanation of why. In any event, the rate went up each year even though I had no infractions. I found that talking to Progressive was like talking to a wall. Their agents would say it was based on "experience" but would not explain what they were talking about. They act as a broker of homeowner's insurance and that is where their customer service was horrible. My wife and I returned from Seattle where my wife ended up spending two weeks in a hospital. When I returned home I found that our hot water heater sprung a leak and caused extensive water damage. I called the insurance carrier who told me that they would send out an adjuster in about five days and that the heater and damage would be repaired in about two weeks! I told them my wife was very sick and I could not wait three weeks to get hot water. I ended up having out of pocket costs of $2,000 which they would not pay since they had not sent out an adjuster. Even if the rates had not gone up, I planned to switch companies.

Upon a neighbor's recommendation, I contacted American Family Insurance which is a mutual company. I met with an insurance agent who showed me how I could save money. The auto insurance was less than Progressive and GEICO, the Umbrella was the same, and the Homeowners was slightly higher but had better coverage. The net savings was $275 a year. I have not had any claims and my rate has remained the same.

 

[Benzadmiral]

. . .

Then, I switched to Progressive. The rate quoted on the Internet turned out to be less than the rate I got. I could never get an explanation of why. In any event, the rate went up each year even though I had no infractions. I found that talking to Progressive was like talking to a wall. Their agents would say it was based on "experience" but would not explain what they were talking about. They act as a broker of homeowner's insurance and that is where their customer service was horrible. My wife and I returned from Seattle where my wife ended up spending two weeks in a hospital. When I returned home I found that our hot water heater sprung a leak and caused extensive water damage. I called the insurance carrier who told me that they would send out an adjuster in about five days and that the heater and damage would be repaired in about two weeks! I told them my wife was very sick and I could not wait three weeks to get hot water. I ended up having out of pocket costs of $2,000 which they would not pay since they had not sent out an adjuster. Even if the rates had not gone up, I planned to switch companies.

Upon a neighbor's recommendation, I contacted American Family Insurance which is a mutual company. I met with an insurance agent who showed me how I could save money. The auto insurance was less than Progressive and GEICO, the Umbrella was the same, and the Homeowners was slightly higher but had better coverage. The net savings was $275 a year. I have not had any claims and my rate has remained the same.

Well, we'll see how Progressive goes. Less than $100/month, which is close to half what AAA was charging, is a big saving. If I'm unhappy with them, I can look around.

 

[DoctorShavegood]

I've got all my insurance through Travelers. I've been with them since 2003. To me they represent the best bang for my buck. I'm not necessarily looking for the best rate. What I want is value. I've had two claims over the course of 15 years. One on my house one the car. Both claims were good experiences and dealing with the adjusters was easy.

 

[Benzadmiral]

My AAA insurance in Colorado was through Travelers, and I had a vandalism claim that was handled without difficulty and without a rate change. I'm not even sure they operate in this benighted state.

 

[kwk285]

I have been with Safeco for over 30 years. My wife and I also have our homeowners insurance through them. Neither of us have had a ticket for at least 20 years. I know our rates our good because from time to time when an insurance calls and offers to do a comparison, they can't meet our pricing.

 

[Commander Quan]

My Auto & Home is through Erie Insurance. My rates have not increased noticeably in the 9 years I've been married and I added my wife on my policy. I've also never had to file a claim or received any driving citations more than a single speeding ticket.

 

[ouch]

I've been using this firm since the 70's.

 

[redfalconf35]

I did State Farm for a while, but I found their prices uncompetitive. I switched to GEICO and am pretty happy. The rates creep up around $15-20 each 6 month billing cycle, but they were significantly lower than their competitors when I initially switched to them, so they're just now creeping into the competitive range. I may shop around the next time the auto insurance bill is due. They helped me with a home insurance issue when one of the companies they recommended through their brokerage threatened to drop me unless I replaced the roof. The next company on the list had no problem with the roof.

 

[Stainless Razor]

Odd, AAA had some of the lowest rates for me, but that was also with them saving me a lot of money on my homeowners insurance when I combined them.