Time to renew the car insurance -- Is Geico too good to be true?

[W4GPL]

Anyone have any experience with Geico?

I'm currently with <other big name insurance company> and I've not had any claims with them; I have a very clean driving record... and they offered me a whopping $5 discount on my 6 month premium. So I went and did a little shopping and Geico is nearly $250 cheaper for a lot more coverage and a lower deductible. I'm suspicious. :)

What's their deal? Are they 2nd rate? Or.. what? Will they triple my premiums in 6 months? ;)

The Internet reviews are mixed, people love 'em or hate 'em. What say you?

[N2CHX]

I've used them for years and had no problems. Yes, they really do pay out claims and no they won't triple your premiums in six months. But just as a disclaimer, YMMV.

BTW, their call center is just around the corner from me so I can tell you that when you call, you will definitely get a live person in the United States and they will most likely have a Buffalo accent. I have several friends who work there. But in all seriousness, I'm not biased because of that. If they truly sucked I would tell you so.

[W4RLR]

Jeff, as a satisfied GEICO customer for years, I can tell you they are the real deal. I was claims free for years, then in the last few months I had an RV claim due to a lightning strike that took out the air conditioner, then an auto claim when I ran my wife's car into a tree (pitch black night here on the mountain, someone stole the stop sign at the end of the street and I missed the stop) Both claims promptly paid without complaint, they even picked up my wife's car and towed it to Chattanooga and put the XYL in a new Malibu for two weeks. Both my policies renewed and both went DOWN.

You will hear me say nothing bad about the gecko. They do right by me.

[W4GPL]

Thanks Kelli and Richard, good to hear.. I think I'm going to give them a shot. $250 is a lot of money right now..

I have a few more days to decide though, but Geico is a front runner -- Progressive is next, they are also considerably cheaper than what I'm paying now.

[W4RLR]

I would advise against Progressive. My son had his car totaled in a hail storm. Progressive paid, then would not renew, saying that if the car had been in a garage or carport, they would not have had to pay out. Their words, either get a garage, carport, and pay a higher premium, or hit the road. I helped my son get another car and put him on the wife and I's policy. GEICO knows about his claims history, he still got a low rate. After the way they treated him, I dropped my RV policy with Progressive and told them why. They could have cared less. I could just imagine where I would have been if they were my insurer when I had the lightning strike on the power pole at the campground.

[W4GPL]

I've heard the same stories about Geico if you search the interwebs. :dunno: I like the Gecko a lot more than Flo, she bugs me. ;) Though the Geico pig needs to die and be fried into tasty bacon.

Yes, this is how you should decide about insurance -- their TV ads. ;)

[AE1PT]

Yes, this is how you should decide about insurance -- their TV ads. ;)

Absolutely! I am rather fond of the "Mayhem Man" but alas--Allstate sucks. When we moved from Florida to Kentucky they doubled our auto insurance cost--and a year later told us that they would no longer offer homeowners insurance to us in that state. Fuck them.

We have had Progressive since then (2000). But they have really ceased to be the 'first choice.' Twelve years and we really don't get a good deal from them here in New York. There is something inappropriate I would like to do with Flo, but let's not go there...

The daughter has Geico. I really want to piss on that lizard, but she gets a good rate for more coverage than we can. Others I know that are insured with them are satisfied. I think that we have renewed the last time with Progressive--and poor Flo will not get another money shot.

http://ae1pt.com/photos/imh/geico.jpg

[WØTKX]

I have Geico for multiple vehicles, home, theft, and a rider for lightning/bad power on all my electronics, including the ham gear. Fairly high coverage, two vehicles with collision, etc. Under $200 per month. They also were very cooperative after my motorcycle wreck.

I have used State Farm and Progressive in the past. Much prefer Geico, and they really kick in the discounts with bundling.

Flo is still a hottie, but I'll stick with the lizard. FWIW, discounts are a bit higher because I am a gummint employee. Imagine that, it's what the company started with... Government Employee Insurance Company.

Besides, I like Warren Buffet.

[W5GA]

I've been with Geico for about 35 years now. Had several claims with no unrealistic increases in premium, and the claim service is first rate.

[N2NH]

I've heard a lot of good things about GEICO, but am leery of them. Back in the late 70s, they got out of the auto insurance business in NYS. Friends I knew couldn't get comparable rates in the time they gave them to switch. Those that stayed with GEICO to the end got put in assigned risk and got rates that were incredibly high despite having a great driving record. That sort of sours me on GEICO, but that was over 30 years ago...

I applied with Allstate, the agent never told me, but he turned around and put me in assigned risk with another company I didn't want. I had that for 3 months when I got a much lower rate with Prudential. They in turn tripled my rates in 10 years despite having a clean driving record and no claims. I found a place that insured me for 1/3rd what they were charging (but I don't remember the company)...

What did I learn from that? When the going gets tough, change insurance companies.

[KC2UGV]

Thanks Kelli and Richard, good to hear.. I think I'm going to give them a shot. $250 is a lot of money right now..

I have a few more days to decide though, but Geico is a front runner -- Progressive is next, they are also considerably cheaper than what I'm paying now.

I don't know your current rate, but the $250 might be a stretch. However, their ads of saving 15% or more is about par (The 15%, not so much the "or more" part).

I switched from Progressive to Geico. Progressive was increasing my rate by $10 every 6 months, and I had a clean driving record. I finally said,"No mas", and shopped around and landed with Geico. I also got a bit of a discount because they carry my homeowners insurance as well.

[N2CHX]

Allstate royally f*cked us over with our homeowners policy and we ended up going to State Farm. When we bought this old Victorian, we went with Allstate. A few months later we get a check from Allstate for about $200. We call, ask what it's about and they say they don't know, but not to worry because all's well. A bit later we get threatening letters from the bank because they've been notified that our homeowners policy was voided and we had no homeowners insurance for months. Allstate apparently decided -- without telling us of course, that our old Victorian was too old and too much of a risk. State Farm gladly picked us up and has treated us well.

I would rather eat week-old roadkill than use Allstate ever again -- those assholes almost made me lose my house.

[kf0rt]

Allstate royally f*cked us over with our homeowners policy and we ended up going to State Farm. When we bought this old Victorian, we went with Allstate. A few months later we get a check from Allstate for about $200. We call, ask what it's about and they say they don't know, but not to worry because all's well. A bit later we get threatening letters from the bank because they've been notified that our homeowners policy was voided and we had no homeowners insurance for months. Allstate apparently decided -- without telling us of course, that our old Victorian was too old and too much of a risk. State Farm gladly picked us up and has treated us well.

I would rather eat week-old roadkill than use Allstate ever again -- those assholes almost made me lose my house.

I got dropped by Allstate when I was 18 for getting a traffic ticket. That was 38 years ago and I've never forgotten -- they haven't been allowed near my lawn since. :neener:

[W3WN]

I also had some bad experiences with State Farm and Allstate in years past. The details aren't important. Suffice to say that the local agents for both were playing games (either on their own, or at the direction of their corporate bosses, who knows?) to either jack up my rates, or shift me to assigned risk.

I've been with Erie for close to 30 years now. Originally, when I got married the first time, I went on my wife's policy. When we split, the agent we had split me off onto my own policy. I've had exactly two claims on my own policy ever since -- one an auto, when someone hit the (current) wife's new car, and one for homeowners, after some snow-related damage after Snowmaggedon. No significant hassles... well, at least with Erie themselves... and more importantly, no rate increases, for my own policies at least.

However, I am reminded of one incident, back when my step-son started driving. His dad gave him a car to use. Checked with my agent, she told me that since it was his dad's car, and he wasn't driving our cars, I didn't have to worry. His dad was told (by a different Erie agent) that since Bud lived in our house, he should be covered umder my insurance, even though it was his car. So neither of us had him covered. And of course, after a year or so, there's a small fender-bender. Turned out I was given bad information by my agent, who had gotten said info from the underwriters. Now... Erie did admit that their underwriter made the mistake, so I wasn't dropped... but I was hit with a surcharge to cover Bud's insurance retroactive to the start date on the policy. That was a cool $1000 I didn't have, but I was able to work out payments with them.

Meanwhile, I don't know what Bud's dad's agent was told... but suddenly, the car is now in Bud's name, and he has his own insurance policy. And as soon as that happened, my insurance went right back down to where it originally was, and they dropped the unpaid part of the surcharge. Go figure.

So... getting to the present day, Little Miss Field Day is now old enough for a learner's permit, though she hasn't gotten it yet. So as soon as that happens, my insurance may spike.

... incidentally, my current employer is an insurance broker, but is not my agent. I've looked into it, and even with employee discounts, Erie offers me a better rate than I could get from any of the carriers the company works with. Part of that is a "loyalty" discount since I've had the policies so long (not exactly what they call it, but...)

Recomendation, courtesy of our Personal Lines Department folks: Shop around. Call a few agents. Call a few brokers. You can almost always find a cheaper price... but you usually get what you pay for as well. Still, you can often find the same coverage AND service as good (or even better) than what you have now, but you have to look. Not everyone advertises, not everyone blows money on Maxwell and cavemen, Cirano aka The President, and The World's Most Annoying Sales Rep, and all the rest. BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK. They don't always come to you.

[W4GPL]

Re: Corey's 15% comment, it's damn near 30% -- no misunderstanding -- and it's more coverage.. better bodily injury coverage and lower deductible ($500 vs $250).

Well, long and short if it is.. Geico seems like a reputable company based on the comments in this thread. I think we can all concede that insurance is a business and they'll look to save and pinch wherever they can get away with it -- but I generally expect this from any corporation.

[NY3V]

I'm happy with Safeco.

http://www.safeco.com/personal/auto-insurance

[K7SGJ]

I'm thinking of going with Mutual of Guadalajara.

[kb2vxa]

Nobody trusts the government but a lot like Government Employee Insurance COmpany. Oh the irony of it all.

[N7RJD]

I'm happy with Safeco.

http://www.safeco.com/personal/auto-insurance

I have Safeco through AAA. When the underwriter I had been with for years pulled out of the state after paying out a bundle in homeowner's claims for hail damage AAA came up with a choice of Progressive or Safeco. I said "I've heard a lot about Progressive...Let's go with Safeco." The only semi-complaint I have about them is they got a little nit picky on a claim they weren't even paying. They got down to wanting to replace adjuster screws on headlights instead of replacing the whole busted up assembly. The other person's insurance adjuster showed up about 20 minutes later and replaced everything from A to Z and provided a rental car.

Her insurance was Geico. That was the only experience I have ever had with Geico and can honestly say from the receiving end of things they flat take care of business. After writing his estimate the check was at the house within three days. When they needed a paper signed they called me and arranged to send a $100 check where the endorsement was considered agreement to the terms of what we had discussed.

If Geico takes care of their customer as well as they do the "injured" party in an accident involving one of their clients I don't see where a person can go wrong with them.

[kk4fpx]

Been with Geico over 11 years.No conplaints.One car totaled and one speeding ticket and still have a good rate!

[AE1PT]

I'm thinking of going with Mutual of Guadalajara.

Good luck with that. I think that they only pay funeral expenses if you have been kidnapped for ransom...