Hi folks,

Just got an e-mail from Travellers:

. . . The hybrid discount is currently available in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin. We will roll out the hybrid discount in most remaining states by the end of summer. If your state is not yet included, we will make every effort to contact you by email when the discount is available to you, or please visit www.hybridtravelers.com for an update. . . .


Looks like Alabama will have to wait.


Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
Free speech, dialog and knowledge thrives without the poison of SPAM.

Hey, Michigan! I'm shocked!

Maybe I'll look into it. I doubt it'll be worth it, but worth a look, maybe in the future or something.

First 4WD Hypermiler

Have you read the FEH FAQ?

Live in Michigan? Let it be known in Michigan Roll Call

Read My Automotive Blog at Rich Rambles

Hmm. Well I don't like their online quote process at all, and in fact, abandoned it. Then answered a survey on why I didn't finish it.

I just don't feel comfortable looking for a quote, and then being asked my Social Security number, home address, and all that information. Just to get a quote? No thanks. Add in that one of the select boxes didn't work, and that my current carrier, AAA isn't an option aparantly outside of CA.

First 4WD Hypermiler

Have you read the FEH FAQ?

Live in Michigan? Let it be known in Michigan Roll Call

Read My Automotive Blog at Rich Rambles

FYI, the most likely reason to ask for your SSN is to pull a credit report. The overwhelming majority (90+%) of auto insurance companies use credit as an underwriting factor in states that allow it to be used.

Using credit is a touchy subject, but it has been shown to be a powerful predictor of future claims. If anyone is interested in delving more deeply into the topic here are a couple of reports

EPIC Actuaries, LLC -- The Relationship of Credit-Based Insurance Scores to Private Passenger Automobile Loss Propensity -- http://www.ask-epic.com/Publications...res_062003.pdf

University of Texas -- A Statistical Analysis of the Relationship between Credit History and Insurance Losses -- http://www.utexas.edu/depts/bbr/bbr_creditstudy.pdf

I put in a quote request. I should get an email in a day or two.

Heard a 'brought to you by' quasi-ad for the hybrid discount on NPR this AM.

Our policy expires at the end of May. Perhaps Fla. will be on the list by then.

For what it's worth, I just knocked $700 off my annual premium by switching from GEICO to Travelers. 2 cars in all, and a slight discount for having homeowners with Travelers also, but it seems to me that Travelers is pricing its personal auto insurance aggressively for now. Bear in mind that the premium savings are not even attributable to the hybrid discount that I'm only eligible for at renewal.

$700 is amazing, justaterp -- in fact, that's such a big savings that I have to ask if you're sure you chose the same limits/deductibles

(we just saved $125/6 mos when we switched our insurance -- down from ~900 to ~775 -- I didn't even look at Traveller's, but I may do that soon)

Definitely apples for apples. It's identical coverage, and I will add that I received two other quotes that were $200-350 cheaper than what I had at the time. I believe part of the explanation lies in the fact that my prior carrier may have been inflating the premium. We never received meaningful discounts for a clean driving history, there were no adjustments for moving to a more rural area, shortening the commute, etc. Not surprisingly, when I cancelled, the same carrier was more than willing to begin making "appropriate adjustments." No thanks.