Community Chat

[SilleeMee]

I live in Colorado and everyone here is experiencing huge spikes in rates primarily because of the great numbers of people moving here causing many accidents. Couple this with law suits, pot legalization and high tech car gadget repairs...just getting way out of hand. I'm seriously considering going w/o a car and calling Uber. I don't drive much at all and I could save thousands of dollars and possibly my life.

[IMW]

USAA if you have/had military connection, great cs and rates- my son raves about them.

Met Life-through my union saved $700 last insurer, Hartford from AARP. Had Liberty Mutual before that, raised rates yearly.

It pays to shop around, you can do this via phone.

Re your claim- you were not driving, it was clearly not your fault. Your rates should not have increased.

[Katcat1]

@conlt  All insurance companies do that and if you have a couple claims, they drop you.  I have State Farm and I finally dropped collison because the insurance was getting so high and my car is old now.  I did shop around to 3 other insurance companies and they were all higher.  I stayed with State Farm.  

[PilatesLover]

I am very happy with Allstate. I'm used to premiums automatically going UP every time your policy renews, even if you haven't had a ticket or made a claim. My Allstate payment goes DOWN a little bit for each policy term that we stay "clean." My deductible goes down, too.

NEVER use GEICO. Sure the reps are fun and sometimes they have regional price reductions, and cute commercials. Just wait until you have liability. They'll throw you to the wolves and not do a good job defending you. My former boss, a personal injury attorney, told me that GEICO is known in the legal industry for being the worst in defending their  clients. Aside from all that, before my accident they increased by policies every term "just because."

[Carmie]

Also,remember.to keep up your credit ratings.  car insurance companies in all states except CA, HI and MA  determine your rates by using your credit rating. Even if you never had an accident in your lifetime, you could be paying higher premiums if your credit rating is less than stellar.

I can’t figure out why that is legal, but it is.

[151949]

@PilatesLover My parents had Allstate insurance when they were in a huge accident that took both their lives. My father's hospital bills totalled over 2 million dollars after it was all said and done. The other driver was at fault  and he also had Allstate. His insurance paid to the limits of the policy without question, and then my Dad's insurance took over, then Medicare. All in all we never paid for any of his care. He was paralysed from the neck down in the accident plus the day after the accident he had a massive heart attack.He survived for 7 months - most of which he was in ICU, and he was on a ventilator the rest of his life. You can't imagine all the legal tie ups there were over this but Allstate took care of it all.

[Nataliesgramma]

I have Nationwide and I could probably find a lower rate but when I had a kid hit me....speeding down my street so fast that I didn't see him....they "were on my side".

The kid tried to sue me saying I pulled out in front of him, but Nationwide sent an accident reconstructionist to look at the scene and interview me and the police Officer who can to the scene. It was determined that he WAS traveling to fast for me to see him....and his Attorney dropped the case...

[Cakers3]

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@Carmiewrote:

Also,remember.to keep up your credit ratings.  car insurance companies in all states except CA, HI and MA  determine your rates by using your credit rating. Even if you never had an accident in your lifetime, you could be paying higher premiums if your credit rating is less than stellar.

I can’t figure out why that is legal, but it is.

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@Carmie  Because insurers do not rely on standard FICO scores-they have their own formulas.  The FICO scores are used to determine where on their own scale the customer fits.

It's the risk factor; they look at poor FICO scores as an indication that you are not a responsible person. 

I am assuming it falls into the same legal corner as charging more for smokers, e.g., for life insurance. 

[Laura14]

After the experience I just had with State Farm who I have had my entire life, I'm looking to switch away from them too. 

I was treated like a criminal when another driver ran a stop sign.  Both of us had State Farm and they protected the heck out of the at fault driver and made me jump through hoops and do their job so I could get my car fixed. 

They were incensed I wouldn't use my own policy because the other driver wouldn't cooperate at first.  Excuse me?  How about I put the repairs on your insurance and you can pay for it?  The other guy started cooperating after I made one text and I got my car repaired on his insurance.  I'm still not over it.  What am I paying SF for anyway?    

My entire family has gone I believe to American Family and are very happy with them.  I have AAA so I may be getting quotes from them and others when my insurance comes up again in July.  I too have been getting major premium hikes for no good reason and I am over it and the unprofessionalism.    

[happycat]

@Laura14 that is so frustrating. I had an accident several years ago on the interstate. A lady decided to change lanes, and didn't see me.

She was in a rental. It took forever for her insurance to come thru. And then when I finally got my car fixed, the body shop didn't match the paint and also didn't put something together correctly on the outside of it.

I don't remember how long her insurance had, but they took up till the very last few days to take care of it. I was mad at my insurance ppl for not helping me get my car fixed. It was drivable, but I hated driving it anywhere.

So much aggraveation and stress, all because of someone else carelessness.