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. 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.

[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.