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

[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.

[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!