[Windswept]

Well, whoa! I just went to the J.D. Power website to check on the mileage of whichever Honda it was that got 40-45mpg, when I happened onto the rating of car insurance companies. Holy moly! Was I surprised. I found that Amica has fantastic ratings, and GEICO seems to also.

I have Farmers insurance on my car, and for some reason have had my premium raised 20% in the last year. That is quite a chunk of cash, and I don't know why. So, now I'm interested in information about other companies.

I'd like to know what companies you've had cars insured with, and what your experience was like with the various companies, especially when you had to file a claim.

After looking at the rating list, I'd particularly like to hear as much as possible about Amica and GEICO.

How good was your company about getting your car repaired, sending you money, referring you to quality body shops, giving you enough money to cover damages, etc.

Please mention both good and bad experiences with your various companies, for those of us who might be seeking a new insurer for our car, and possibly even prices and levels of coverage, if you don't mind.

Also, if you get better rates by insuring your car *and* home with the same company, please mention how great the savings might be.

Thanks for any information and recommendations you might have about car insurance.

Here's the link with ratings of car insurers:

http://www.jdpower.com/insurance/rat...ovider-ratings

I plan to put up a poll a bit later on.

[apple007]

I had GEICO for years and years and they were always (a) the cheapest option for me in New York, and (b) great to deal with when I had claims (one minor accident and a cracked windshield from a tractor trailing kicking up stones).

I'm surprised Allstate ranks so low. I thought they had been leading the country in new-customer acquisitions for the past few years (??). Perhaps the latter led to the former.

[apple007]

Originally Posted by Windswept I have Farmers insurance on my car, and for some reason have had my premium raised 20% in the last year. That is quite a chunk of cash, and I don't know why. So, now I'm interested in information about other companies.

Aren't you in California? If so, between the legal system there and the high numbers of uninsured drivers, 20% isn't necessarily a huge increase.

Please mention ... and possibly even prices and levels of coverage, if you don't mind.

The above would be borderline useless. The factors that determine one's auto insurance price are so complicated, there's almost no chance of anyone here being able to offer a true comparison for you and your situation.

Also, if you get better rates by insuring your car *and* home with the same company, please mention how great the savings might be.

Forgot to mention this above: GEICO does offer discounts to people who carry coverage in multiple categories with them (auto, home, renter's, boat, etc.).

[turtle2472]

I have USAA and have never looked back since switching to them from GEICO. GEICO will drop you like a bad habit if you get claims they don't like. I've known several who have had this happen to them.

USAA on the other hand is great, though I think relatively closed in it's requirement for new members. I think you must be active duty or family to join. Well worth it if you can though.

Edit: I didn't even look at the link before making my post. Yes, USAA really is all it's cracked up to be.

[spotcatbug]

I've had Amica for my auto insurance for nearly 15 years. I've been very happy with the apparently low cost, although, I admit, I haven't shopped around really at all - the bills just haven't been high enough for me to think, "Sheesh, I should really look into trying to find a better deal here."

I have only had one car insurance claim. About two years ago I hit a deer. I called Amica up and they simply told me to get an estimate for the repairs. I went to a well-known body shop in town and got an estimate. Amica accepted that single estimate and cut me a check for that amount very promptly.

[Souflay123]

Well, Allstate in California just got a 15.9% rate decrease we have amazing rates for younger drivers. PM me for a quote and in about 6 months we will be getting your choice auto.

Mercury is a horrible company, I was rear ended by a Mercury customer and they denied the claim b/c the driver, who had just moved in with his father from living with his mother had not been put on the policy yet. Oh and they are assholes.

I looked at the survey, it is kinda stupid b/c a national study of insurance companies really isn't fair b/c pricing differs greatly from state to state. I had a customer who bought a escalade in new York and was going to insure it under his CA policy, and it was like 800 for his one car. but b/c of the way NYC is he had to get his own policy in new York and when I called for a quote it was upwards of 3000 per 6 months. so the pricing bar is way off per state that you are in. Insurance differs for every state soo much, again in ca we can write any one not matter what, in NYC they cant write any one under 25 without 2 other people who have more that 25 years driving experience with no tickets or accidents. And also in New York they run a credit check on you, and you have to have perfect credit, and here in Cali we are not even allowed to run your credit.

[veryamusing]

Originally Posted by Windswept I found that Amica has fantastic ratings, and GEICO seems to also.

Amica Mutual is *by far* the best P&C insurer out there, followed by USAA. From Amica's Web site:

"Being a mutual company means that we do not have any stockholders or investors – we are owned by our policyholders. Because we are a mutual company, profit is not our primary goal. Amica’s objective is to serve our policyholder needs to the best of our ability."

This explains why in your first year with Amica you'll be paying a higher premium; your rates will decline in the following years, from what I've read. Also, the application process is *very* thorough (more like "intrusive").

Also think about Fireman's Fund or Zurich.



Now then, I've been insured on my parents' GEICO policy since 2002; they've been customers for *many* years. Since I've been driving, I've caused two collisions. GEICO honored both claims and were great throughout the whole process. The first collision I lost control of my vehicle coming around a corner too quickly for conditions (it had begun raining). I jumped the curb and slammed into the back of a hospital, but not after I mowed down a water main and scraped the electric junction boxes off of the building first. The car should've been totaled, and I caused many tens of thousands of dollars worth of property damage. They didn't total the car though, and instead spent more than it was worth to fix it. It took the body shop more than six weeks, but I think the delay was due to a parts snafu and/or a paint issue. Again, GEICO was great.

Shortly thereafter, I rear-ended another driver because I was choosing a song on my iPod and not paying attention as we pulled away from the light. I caused extensive front-end damage to my vehicle (I managed to wedge myself underneath his low bumper--Mazda3 hatchback), but almost none to the rear of the other vehicle. GEICO totaled the car because it was more than ten years old, and I picked up a check for the value less my $500 deductible a few days later.

In short, I'd recommend them.



Finally, I personally would never choose Allstate or Nationwide. As I've posted before, I work for PI attorneys and we deal with these companies a lot. And frankly, they suck. They've got absolutely horrid claims reps who won't pay the true value of claims and force expensive litigation on their insureds. You don't not want these people working for you, trust me. This is what people fail to realize: your insurance company has a duty to protect you. They assume risk on your behalf, and in exchange you pay them a premium, yet somehow policyholders get shafted every time. Two real-life examples:

Our client, an elderly woman insured by Allstate, was the passenger in a vehicle being driven by her friend. They were rear-ended, and she suffered a compression fracture at T1 (thoracic spine). Allstate wouldn't offer more than $15,000. GEICO offered $20,000. Same facts, different insurers.

Another client of mine, a young man with muscular dystrophy, was t-boned by a red light runner. We settled his BI claim with the offending driver's insurance company for her policy limits, $10,000. He sustained significant injuries, especially because of his condition. His insurance company, Nationwide, wouldn't pay his $10,000 UM limits. Why not? The adjuster would never say; all she did was keep requesting the same records she had been provided many times over. Anyway, she forced us to attend an "Examination Under Oath" (it's like a deposition or a recorded statement with a court reporter present), which my attorney wasn't happy about. When we got there, we explained to the Nationwide rep the situation, and he said that she hadn't followed their guidelines and he'd be in touch. One week later we were in receipt of a check for the policy limits. Also, our client had been with Nationwide for almost two decades and this was his second claim.

Bottom line: the adjusters working for these companies are given bonuses for paying as little as possible on claims. I don't know anyone who wants to be exposed to a lawsuit because their insurance company was too focused on shafting claimants...

Good luck!

[Souflay123]

Originally Posted by veryamusing Finally, I personally would never choose Allstate or Nationwide. As I've posted before, I work for PI attorneys and we deal with these companies a lot. And frankly, they suck. They've got absolutely horrid claims reps who won't pay the true value of claims and force expensive litigation on their insureds. You don't not want these people working for you, trust me. This is what people fail to realize: your insurance company has a duty to protect you. They assume risk on your behalf, and in exchange you pay them a premium, yet somehow policyholders get shafted every time. Two real-life examples: Our client, an elderly woman insured by Allstate, was the passenger in a vehicle being driven by her friend. They were rear-ended, and she suffered a compression fracture at T1 (thoracic spine). Allstate wouldn't offer more than $15,000. GEICO offered $20,000. Same facts, different insurers.

First there are these little things called BI limits, In that case yes they would not pay out very much b/c the party who would be paying out would be the other company. My bet is that the reason that allstate would not pay out more that 15K is that she carried min limits aka 15 thousand per person, and 30 thousand per incident. and that Geico liability would pay more b/c they carried higher limits of liability. there is where you run in to the biggest issues with claims is when people are carrying min limits, that yes contractually a company will only pay out 15K and then send you a letter saying that they fulfilled their contract.
That is why you should carry high limits, IE I carry 500/500/500 which in turn means that if I hit someone it will pay out up to 500 thousand per person, or if I am hit and the other person does not have enough coverage to cover my passengers injuries or my personal property my policy takes over.

Also most people dont understand nor pay attention, but not all insurance contracts are made the same and that is one big thing that can cause issues.

[alcimedes]

Funny, I switched from GEICO to Allstate and I couldn't be happier.

I had a nice string of my car getting damaged (rear ended while stopped at a red light by an idiot on a cell phone, stupid driving on my part and side swiping a pole, then someone hit it in the parking lot at work.)

All three cases Allstate was great to work with, they paid for everything the body shop I brought the car to asked for, and my car is in great shape.

We also qualified for their program so that your rates don't go up due to claims or accidents, and the premium drops every 6 months you go without a claim. I really couldn't be happier, and this was after GEICO wanted to double my rates when I moved from WI to MN.

[veryamusing]

Originally Posted by Souflay123 First there are these little things called BI limits, In that case yes they would not pay out very much b/c the party who would be paying out would be the other company. My bet is that the reason that allstate would not pay out more that 15K is that she carried min limits aka 15 thousand per person, and 30 thousand per incident. and that Geico liability would pay more b/c they carried higher limits of liability. there is where you run in to the biggest issues with claims is when people are carrying min limits, that yes contractually a company will only pay out 15K and then send you a letter saying that they fulfilled their contract. That is why you should carry high limits, IE I carry 500/500/500 which in turn means that if I hit someone it will pay out up to 500 thousand per person, or if I am hit and the other person does not have enough coverage to cover my passengers injuries or my personal property my policy takes over. Also most people dont understand nor pay attention, but not all insurance contracts are made the same and that is one big thing that can cause issues.

Thanks for clearing that up, Souflay123. All this time I thought everyone had million dollar umbrella policies!



In fact, both our insured and the driver of the vehicle she was riding in had 100/300. (The driver who hit them had PIP and Property Damage coverage only--no BI.)

I have a question for you. After you've sold the insurance and written the policy, you have no further involvement with that insured, do you? Do they ever call you to make a claim? That's why I have a bit of a unique perspective, because I deal with claims departments and not salespeople, which matters much more to someone looking to be "made whole" after a collision. Just wondering.

[Freewell]

I DETEST GEICO.

I had them for years, and one day got a "Congratulations... You've been such a good girl that you will be seeing it positively reflected in a significant drop in your premiums!!" letter. Needless to say I was more than enthusiastic as I anticipated my promised fabulous new rates! I was promptly disgusted when I received my notification that my rates *had indeed* changed... They WENT UP!!!! When I called and asked about it, they explained it away as something to the effect of: "Well yes... while you and most of the people in your general geographic area have been so good as to save us millions of dollars, we threw a dart at some confounded magic board on the wall and decided to screw over certain geographical blocks, so that we could smooze the rest of our customers in that area and not really spend anything extra out of pocket... It's your lucky day!!!"

I now take fiendish delight in personally hand-shredding ANYTHING that dares to attempt to desecrate my household with its loathsome presence from those scum-suckers!! That is junk-mail that has a sentiment all its own!



If you'd like, I can tell you how I *really* feel...

[Naderfan]

It's funny how different everyone's individual experiences can be with insurance companies.

I have Geico and have had them for at least 4 or 5 years and so far, I've been very pleased with them. I've had two accidents while with them. The first was last summer, when a motorcycle rearended me (he decided to pass me, then realized I had my turn signal on and was making a left turn, tried to get back behind me, lost control, and bounced off my rear bumper, scraping it open). That was a terrible accident as far as scaring the hell out of me (I'm always nervous around motorcycles, and this just increased that fear). The police said we were both responsible, because I didn't check to see if anyone was passing me before I turned, but Geico told me that if I was rear-ended, then it was the other person's fault. They worked with the other insurance company, who ended up paying me for the damage and my deductible, which was great.

Then over the winter, my car went bouncing off the guardrails on the freeway during an ice storm. Again, Geico was good in handling it - they even sent out a free tow-truck to take the car from my house to the garage (the cops and tow truck that arrived on the scene had jerry-rigged the car so I could drive it home, but it was one pothole away from collapsing). The only complaint I had then was it took the adjuster a week to get to the garage to do his estimate. However, there were also a ton of accidents that night/next day, so I think that was the reason why. Geico paid for everything, including the extra costs that came up as the car was being repaired - I only paid my deductible.

I'm not sure the effect this will have on my rates, but so far it's been pretty stable, and a lot cheaper than anything else I've found (even Allstate, who insures our home and their bundle rate). Oh, and the customer service people I've dealt with have been great too, and they usually call back after a couple days to see how things are going and make sure the local agent is doing his/her job.

[BuonRotto]

I've found that the quality of your agent makes a big difference.

[Windswept]

Wow, thanks so much for all the information about your experiences, everyone. I really do appreciate your comments.

I've been with Farmers for a long time. Do you think that matters, when it comes time for a claim? Do they treat a customer better who has been with them for ages and ages, compared to someone new?

I guess what I'm asking is, would I be smarter to stay with Farmers, my long-time insurer, rather than change to another company to save 10-15% on my premiums? I did once get a letter from Farmers saying that they appreciated how long I'd been with their company, and that they'd never cancel my policy for any reason, except for non-payment, of course.

Veryamusing, you mentioned about the intrusiveness of the Amica application process. What did you mean, exactly? I do remember when I first applied for Farmers long ago, the agent actually came out to my house, came inside to glance around, and sat in my car with me, too.

Though he didn't explain, I imagine he was trying to determine whether I smoked or not (I don't), because I remember that he opened the car ash tray. They gave a considerable discount to non-smokers then. I didn't mind the intrusiveness at the time, and I suppose I wouldn't mind it now, if the discount proved worthwhile.

I was wondering if this is the kind of thing Amica does when accepting customers... or are they even *more* intrusive?

[Souflay123]

Originally Posted by veryamusing Thanks for clearing that up, Souflay123. All this time I thought everyone had million dollar umbrella policies! In fact, both our insured and the driver of the vehicle she was riding in had 100/300. (The driver who hit them had PIP and Property Damage coverage only--no BI.) I have a question for you. After you've sold the insurance and written the policy, you have no further involvement with that insured, do you? Do they ever call you to make a claim? That's why I have a bit of a unique perspective, because I deal with claims departments and not salespeople, which matters much more to someone looking to be "made whole" after a collision. Just wondering.

First, i am not sure what state you are in but i would think that most are like CA in that you ALWAYS have BI along with PD, and you cant just have PD and not have BI---

And second we are involved with my customers all the time. For all of my prospects and current insureds I give them my cell phone, they call me for claims and then I transfer them to the allstate claims department, they call us for follow up information about their claim, and we talk to adjustors and the such. One of my customers was rear ended on the 405 and she called me at 11pm on a sunday to let me know, and find out what she needed to do. Another family, his car was hit late at night when it was parked on the street in front of his house, we followed up with the woman who hit his car, and her insurance carrier, got his car in to the shop the next day and got him a rental car with no out of pocket to him. We try our best to make sure that our people are properly insured, so there is no issue of min limits, and to indemnify them after an accident. But we don't just sell, and after that do nothing. We also send out Birthday gifts to all of our customers, and also gift cards and gas cards too.

[Souflay123]

Originally Posted by BuonRotto I've found that the quality of your agent makes a big difference.

very very very true!!

[veryamusing]

Originally Posted by Souflay123 First, i am not sure what state you are in but i would think that most are like CA in that you ALWAYS have BI along with PD, and you cant just have PD and not have BI---

I'm in Florida. From the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles:

What type of insurance is required to purchase and maintain a Florida tag and registration?

Florida's minimum coverage is $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 property damage liability (PDL) as long as you have a valid Florida tag.

Originally Posted by Souflay123 And second we are involved with my customers all the time. For all of my prospects and current insureds I give them my cell phone, they call me for claims and then I transfer them to the allstate claims department, they call us for follow up information about their claim, and we talk to adjustors and the such. One of my customers was rear ended on the 405 and she called me at 11pm on a sunday to let me know, and find out what she needed to do. Another family, his car was hit late at night when it was parked on the street in front of his house, we followed up with the woman who hit his car, and her insurance carrier, got his car in to the shop the next day and got him a rental car with no out of pocket to him. We try our best to make sure that our people are properly insured, so there is no issue of min limits, and to indemnify them after an accident. But we don't just sell, and after that do nothing. We also send out Birthday gifts to all of our customers, and also gift cards and gas cards too.

I'm really glad you're so involved with your customers after you've closed the deal. That's refreshing to hear.

Originally Posted by BuonRotto I've found that the quality of your agent makes a big difference. Originally Posted by Souflay123 very very very true!!

I don't know about y'all, but I don't know more than a handful of people who have purchased insurance from an agent. I'd argue that in this technological era, most customers purchase their policies directly from insurers via the Web or by phone ("15 minutes could save you 15% or more on your car insurance." - GEICO).

[veryamusing]

Originally Posted by Windswept I've been with Farmers for a long time. Do you think that matters, when it comes time for a claim? Do they treat a customer better who has been with them for ages and ages, compared to someone new? I guess what I'm asking is, would I be smarter to stay with Farmers, my long-time insurer, rather than change to another company to save 10-15% on my premiums? I did once get a letter from Farmers saying that they appreciated how long I'd been with their company, and that they'd never cancel my policy for any reason, except for non-payment, of course.

It's hard to say whether being a newer customer will hurt you when you file a claim. It shouldn't, but it may, and the insurance company wouldn't be forthright about it.

As I alluded to in my second example, in my experience dealing with my clients' insurance companies, insurance companies don't *generally* discriminate in this way. In fact, I don't usually know how long a client has been insured with their insurance company, unless their claim is denied or they get frustrated and tell me, "This is the first claim I've made in fifteen years..."

Also, think back to the hurricanes that struck Florida and the Gulf Coast back in 2004 and 2005. I'm sure you, like me, saw people being interviewed that had paid premiums for decades and never made any claims, yet when their homes were swept away State Farm and others screwed them over and wouldn't honor their claims. That is, until they started getting bad press (and even then they still wouldn't do the right thing). Food for thought.

Originally Posted by Windswept Veryamusing, you mentioned about the intrusiveness of the Amica application process. What did you mean, exactly? I do remember when I first applied for Farmers long ago, the agent actually came out to my house, came inside to glance around, and sat in my car with me, too. Though he didn't explain, I imagine he was trying to determine whether I smoked or not (I don't), because I remember that he opened the car ash tray. They gave a considerable discount to non-smokers then. I didn't mind the intrusiveness at the time, and I suppose I wouldn't mind it now, if the discount proved worthwhile. I was wondering if this is the kind of thing Amica does when accepting customers... or are they even *more* intrusive?

You know, although I haven't personally applied for insurance from Amica, I heard just the other day on Clark Howard's radio show that Amica's application process was exceptionally tough. From Clark's Web site, "As for Amica, it’s almost like joining a private club because it’s so difficult to become a member. The company doesn’t seek out customers or advertise much because it doesn’t have to. They will also question you to the nth degree if you apply. If you make it in, you won’t get a deal your first year. You will pay the equivalent of their retail rate. After that, you’ll pay more of a co-op rate."

He actually talked about Amica again just recently in reference to the JD Power report that originally inspired you to create this thread.

Also, I'm pretty sure most insurers are doing this nowadays, but on Amica's Web site, they talk at length about an insured's "credit-based insurance score." Here's their explanation, but basically they will pull your credit report regularly to make sure you're a risk they want to take (not to say they're going to cancel your policy). Again, I want to caution that I've heard that most insurers are doing this.

[momentary derail]
Clark Howard also says on his Web site, "The L.A. Times has found out that a number of homeowner’s insurance companies are taking satellite pictures of customers’ homes to determine whether to keep you or not. It’s happening in California, and insurers think this is a great idea. They’ve developed an artificial intelligence risk meter that determines where your house stands with the company. Based on that scale, the companies decide whether to keep you or not. These are homeowners who may have never filed a claim. It’s ridiculous!"

Also from his Web site: "In Britain, insurance agents are using voice recognition software to determine if you are lying. The caller is withdrawing one out of every eight claims, as a result. It’s so valuable to insurers that they are paying as much as $35 per phone call. The software found that about 70 percent of people were telling the truth, meaning that 30 percent were being dishonest. But when the agents checked further, they found that one third were actually telling the truth."

Holy. Crap.



[/momentary derail]

I hope this helps!