Car Insurance Question.

[katlnhats]

Dear Abby,

We've have clean driving records and always have had them, not even a ticket. We've also used the same insurance agency for years, and we're comfortable with them, BUT, our car insurance goes up "every year", and let's see... year before last, we had The Hartford, last year for about a 50 buck lower fee, we used Travelers, and now it's almost that time again and Travelers is going up, meanwhile our car is getting older and we are so far on the mileage scale, we put well UNDER 10,000 miles on it per year.
Our agency handles about 9 -10 different companys. I called and they checked them and said that our insurance was the "best they could do".
I checked with Gieco, who isn't one of the 9 -10 they "don't" use and it's HALF the price we're paying!
My question is, does anyone use Gieco here, and are they any good JUST in case something should happen. I really think we're paying way too much now for our insurance and have been right along. We'd like to switch but would like to hear from anyone else that's used this company. Thanks in advance.

Kat
PS - Our car is 7 years old, a '99 Hyundai Elantra, anti-lock brakes, air bags, no accidents EVER on any car, no tickets, nothing, we're both licensed drivers, we carry comp but not collision. And minimum needed coverage. We're paying almost $900 a year for insurance now.

[WhaddaDeal006]

All I know is their commercials. lol

State Farm is one of the biggies...and they are (in my experience) cheaper than the other biggies. And they do have good service (the one time I needed them).

[katlnhats]

Hi,
I will check them too, thanks

Kat

[kells3]

I agree check around. Sometimes you get comfortable with what you have and end up paying way to much. We had Farmers for years and then switched to State Farm because they were cheaper. Then the Automobile club of So. CA called and gave me a quote out of the blue. It was about 1/2 of what we were paying so I thought there is no way this could be right. I did nothing until a couple of months later when he called back and found that yes it was 1/2 as much for much, much better coverage and a new car on the policy too. If he had never called we would still be paying to much. So call around and see what is out there. I also like mine because I can pay once a month for nine months instead of a big amount twice a year. Also the see how much they save each year and send an adjusted bill in Jan which is usually about 1/4 of a regular payment. So these might be other questions you might want to ask when calling around. I have never heard anything bad about Geico.

Our car is a 2000 Ford Windstar with full coverage. We also put very high coverage on it when my son was also on our policy. Something like 300/500 and never changed it when he got his own policy and we pay around $850 a year.

[katlnhats]

Thanks!
We had almost minimum on ours and it's a '99, and are paying more than that! Ouch!

Kat

[jcsaxx]

I have never had Geico but was involved in an accident with someone who had Geico and I was paid within a week. Also, just this year I switched from State Farm to AAA, for a monthly savings of about $30-$35. Also, AAA has many many discounts for hotels, vacation, and many other activities. This might be worth checking out for this reason ALONE, if you travel much.

[Markdamon]

Be careful with some insurance companies who offer low prices, it’s usually the minimum coverage allowed by the state which wouldn’t cover very much in my opinion.

[Kreal]

Hi! I stumbled upon this forum by accident, and scanning through to find something interesting - I found this post.

I registered just to post this.. hopefully this helps.

I am a 22 year old guy, with several traffic tickets, previous history of a large pay out accident, and otherwise not clean driving record.

I pay $14 a month. To insure TWO vehicles, one full coverage, the other liability - AND, fire/theft on two classic vehicles of mine.

I do NOT pay monthly, I pay YEARLY. I cut them a check each year. If they raise my rates, I fax my info to another insurance provider with my favorite message ' Beat this, and you'll earn my business. If you include a discount, I'll pay you in full for the entire year. '

I pay just under $170 a year for insurance. When I marry my girlfriend, she'll be added to my policy, so we'll see what that brings me there, but I'm sure I can handle it.

I also do NOT have my homeowner's policy, or my insurance I put on several other homes I own and rent to tennants, with the same company. JUST car insurance.

Insurance companies obviously work off of comission. As so most cell phone plan companies, etc. You can ALWAYS get them down on price, especially if you offer to them a way that they do not have to wait for you to pay each month.

I collect antique foreign cars, and having a 1938, and a 1959 on my policy - the cars are SO old, they actually bring the price over-all down by adding a MULTIPLE CAR DISCOUNT.

Another thing - - with utility bills, if you offer to have them directly debit'd from your account, rather than having to write a check and mail it each month (you also save on cost of gas to post office, stamps, envelopes, etc). They will usually knock $1-$5 off monthly, for this. YOU HAVE TO ASK. Do not assume.

Once you start being very frugal with your spending money, it'll come second hand, and you'll do it without even knowing it. Its great.

Good Luck!

ADDED: Every year most companies throw the 'your insurance rates went up this year', due to the fact they know they've done it year after year in the past, and you'll more than likely accept it this time. This is NOT how it works. Ask for proof to see WHY it has raised, and while you're at it - ask for proof for the previous years. More than likely, the insurance hasn't raised so significantly in your area, or due to the history of the type of vehicle you drive, etc- MORE THAN LIKELY - they are finding you to be quite gullible and until you put a stop to this, you'll receive an insurance increase every single year.

I know, they did this with my parents - and I was FURIOUS! Until I fixed it, hehe.

[jjennifer1971]

It could be the car. I had a Hyundai. I was advised by mechanics, body men, and insurance company reps to get out of it. It was not quality-built. Therefore, in the event of a mishap more damage occurs to the vehicle. More damage also occurs to the occupants. Therefore, claim costs are higher for the insurance provider. When I got rid of my Hyundai and replaced it with a better-built same year model car, my rates went down. I was also advised by the same people to never purchase a Kia. Specifically, on my Hyundai, many parts which are stainless steel in other vehicles were made of thin aluminum-even in the engine!!! I had to replace the transmission twice because the aluminum part kept falling to pieces and destroying the entire transmission. That's when I got angry and started asking questions of the mechanics and others. Good luck and drive safely!