After reading this thread I decided to shop around a bit and see what I could do with my rates. I had been with Metropolitan, in a group policy for Cornell employees, for 20 years (since I worked for Cornell, about that long ago). As recently as about 10 years ago, it was commonly known around here that no other company could touch the low rates available via that group, and I had that confirmed by a local independent agent about that time.
So, I shopped a bit online, and ended up with Progressive. My prior premium (6 mos.) for a 1998 Tracker (no comp or collision), a 2002 Ford Escape, and my '05 FEH, with 100/300 liability, comp deductible of 50, collision of 500 (for the Fords), and nothing else optional, was 790. I am now paying for all of those cars (temporarily) AND MY '06 PRIUS, same liability, raised the comp deductible to 250, collision still 500 (on both Escapes and the Prius), and I added a couple of optional coverages that cost a few dollars each, AND we have a recent accident (one-car, slipping on ice, deemed "at fault" as ALL one-car accidents are) that was not included in the Met. rate, but IS in the new one - and the premium has DECREASED to $741! THANK YOU all so much for making me curious enought to look into this! (I'm sounding like a stupid commercial, telling all my friends "I saved so much on my auto insurance"! But now they're shopping too.)
Not to mention that going from the v6 Escape and the FEH, to the FEH and the Prius, will save us at least $1,000 per year in fuel. And then there's the tax credit...
My wife and I with perfect driving records, pay $2300 per year for 05-HCH and 01-Accord LX, and live in the burbs. Insurance company is Arbella. Looks like I need to shop around a bit. Unfortunately, MA controls all the rates so there aren't many companies doing business here...
Texas has some of the highest rates since the TX Department of Insurance is in bed with the insurance industry.
Actually, Jeff, I worked hard on a lot of stuff for my company's product in Texas. TDI, like most state insurance departments, publishes vague regulations for the industry which the department then interprets however it feels like interpreting on any given day.
In other words, they're not in bed with my company.
Resolution,, what a pain in the arse!!!
To recap
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For years and years Ive been with Allstate Ins. Rates where always good, service was great and they took a whole lot more in from me than they ever paided out. Kinda like a Casino.
Well since buying our Hondas, Allstate has seen to screwing the crap out of us. Ins. has went up to $200.00 a month for full coverage on the Accord and Civic. With liablity on the Ranger. Uninsured/under insured. We have perfect records and no claims in history.
I went all the way to corprate with Allstate on the insane amounts they where chargeing us for the Hondas. I never got a clear cut answer. Just alot of dubble talk from folks not smart enough to be politicans.
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So pissed off and a new comentment to asult any Ins. Co. employee I meet in the future. I turned the problem over to my agent. We only chat on the phone. Meeting her in person would get me thrown in jail.
Anyway she found us a good deal if thats what you could call it for extorsion.
We left the thugs at Allstate at $200.00 bucks a month.
Went with Safeco at $119.00 bucks a month,, with full coverage back on the Ranger.
These rates beat Progerssive, Gieco, Mecury, AAA, Travlers, and atleast 20 other companys Ive checked with in the last 3 months since purchaseing the Civic.
The current extorsion rates of Safeco will save us $960.00 per 12 months over Allstates numbers.
Glad this mess is over. Death to Insurance Companys!!!!!!
I'm glad to hear you saved some money by shopping around. I've never thought it was very difficult. I shop my insurance policy every year or two (Progressive has been the cheapest for me the last 3 years) and I even shop my homeowners insurance policy. I saved about $120 this year on my homeowners insurance even though I increased my coverage at the same time. I've never wished death upon insurance companies though. To me, making some phone calls and stuff is the easiest way in the universe to assure I'm not paying too much for good coverage. It's actually rather satisfying when I shop insurance policies around.
I have never really shoped for Ins. in the past. And Im not going to do it now either. Ive entered into a agreement with my Ins. agent. She will from now do a reveiw on our policy's every March from this date forward. Auto's, Home Owner's, Health adders and life adders. We have health and life through work. We do carry some backup tho.
As it turned out she presented me a quote from Progressive and other online carriers lower than I could get from the net. So I let her at it.
This a direct bill kinda setup which I do not like one bit. To solve the issue we went to one of our banks. We have a joint checking and savings acct. at two banks and use finenacial services at both. I keep supplemntal retirement at one wife the other. we pit them against each other for the right to use our money.... LMAO. Anyway we opened a checking acct. with no service fee's for the debit to be made from. The acct. isnt linked to any of our other stuff.
Im so glad this whole Ins. mess is over. Had to learn the hard way I guess. Now back to not paying it any attention at all in my life. Maybe I didnt learn anything....
Re: Insurance $UCKS on my Civic.
