Rates Increase to add or exclude driver

Status
Not open for further replies.

Nick1994

$100 site donor 2024
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
16,645
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Last November I switched from State Farm to Progressive for car insurance. With Progressive, I have an independent insurance agent. State Farm was about $200 a month for 3 cars while Progressive was about $150 a month, decided to switch. I paid for 1 year in full for the good price with Progressive. I then bought the Genesis which increased things as well.

Long story short, I somewhat technically live with my aunt, I use her address as mine. 3 days a week I'm there, 4 days a week I'm at my grandfather's house (the two of us trade off sort of as caregivers).

In December, Progressive reached out to me that their records show that we live together. I told them yes, we do. She has her cars, I have mine. She has her insurance, I have mine. They said I need to either add her as a driver to my policy or exclude her. Roughly $400 for the year to add her to my policy or $300 for the year to exclude. Makes no sense to me. She has an absolutely perfect driving record, as do I.

So we excluded her. Occasionally we trade off cars (not since the insurance switchover) if one of us is having cars serviced or to help shuffle out hoard of cars around.

In my opinion, it's none of their business who I live with, especially since that person has full coverage insurance with a perfect driving record.

I could change my address to my grandpa's house but I'd have to show record of that and they say that takes at least a month, but he has a car insured to him at his address, I'd have to tell them I rent the house and he's not here or something.

Any ideas to get a refund for this nonsense of excluding her? And so that she can drive my cars if she needs to?
 
They use registration and info from active insurance policies to determine if you're living with someone. Same way insurance companies already know all your information when you get one of the "express" quotes.

So they charged you an extra $300 to exclude her? If so, I'd be getting quotes from other insurance companies. Explain the situation when getting a quote if you're worried it might happen again.

The insurance companies assume someone of driving age living with you is going to be driving your car. But I wouldn't think excluding someone would cost money, that's absurd. Perhaps sending proof of aunt's insurance coverage could avoid the extra premium for exclusion.

Ever consider going in on insurance together? If this is a semi-long term (> 6 mos) living situation and if you both have decent driving records, you'd probably save a good amount of money.
 
I haven't researched all the car insurance companies lately, but I'd bet pretty much all of them will want to know if there are multiple drivers in the same house. But as you mentioned, if she has her own insurance I'd think that would cover her driving anyone elses car, but maybe not these days.
21.gif
 
I have never heard of paying extra to exclude someone. Since you excluded her I'd make sure she never drives your cars as there is no liability or first party coverage (collision/comp) in the event she's involved in an accident in your car. They typically force the exclusion once they find out there are other people in the household. It's not uncommon for a policy to have one or two drivers and have 3,4,5 + vehicles on the policy for use of the rest of the family members that have poor records and thus high premiums or no licenses.
 
Last edited:
Change your address to "Apt B" at the same address.

I'd have to dig through my emails (not sure if I saved them or deleted them) but my insurance company sent me a request for some information that I felt was "none of your business". I called my (independant) agent and he told me to ignore it and delete the message. He said if they send it again, delete it. He said if they send it a 3rd time, call him again and he'll contact the carrier for me. They didn't.
 
Change your address to "Apt B" at the same address.

I'd have to dig through my emails (not sure if I saved them or deleted them) but my insurance company sent me a request for some information that I felt was "none of your business". I called my (independant) agent and he told me to ignore it and delete the message. He said if they send it again, delete it. He said if they send it a 3rd time, call him again and he'll contact the carrier for me. They didn't.

Edit: Found it - they sent letters. We had (3) cars at the time, two licensed drivers, but our son was over 18 at the time but didn't have his driver's license. I am confident that they knew he exists and suspected he was driving it without us "adding" him. We were doing nothing wrong. My agent's response:

Quote
Hello Hall,

Just ignore it.

If they send you another, ignore it also.

If they send you a third one, call me.

Good evening, J

Dan
 
So you saved $300 net and you don't dare let her drive your cars. Maybe see if you can go back to SF since you have history there and get a refund from the other? SF might give some incentive to get you back. Find an agent to talk to face to face.

I'd be concerned how you'll be treated if you have a claim after this.
 
Forgot to mention, since he's an independent insurance agent, he can quote tons of other carriers. He says Progressive is still the cheapest even with the exclusions.

I even called Geico and they want $300 a month.

Getting the Genesis increased my insurance about $45 a month equivalent. So for the year I've paid $2,700, or $225 a month. I guess not terrible. It's not a huge deal to keep it, I've already paid it. Just wondering about an easy way to fix it.

I think to change my address I have to provide proof I moved, such as paperwork from my work.
 
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
I haven't researched all the car insurance companies lately, but I'd bet pretty much all of them will want to know if there are multiple drivers in the same house. But as you mentioned, if she has her own insurance I'd think that would cover her driving anyone elses car, but maybe not these days.
21.gif



Sounds like bait and switch. Would understand adding to the policy price even to exclude, IF she was driving and had no POV - due to some mathematical risk of borrowing a car and getting in an accident. Since she is insured, it's just ridiculous. They found something to nickel and dime the OP on.

Originally Posted by AZjeff
So you saved $300 net and you don't dare let her drive your cars. Maybe see if you can go back to SF since you have history there and get a refund from the other? SF might give some incentive to get you back. Find an agent to talk to face to face.

I'd be concerned how you'll be treated if you have a claim after this.


The "net $300" scenario is how they want someone to look at it. Offer a teaser rate then add fees back for essentially non-issues that still result in a slightly better rate.
 
If they've decided that you two live together, then the $300 to exclude is nothing more than a risk based charge. They have to make SOME assumption that no matter what, even if you pinky swear that your aunt will never drive the car, that she has some sort of access to it and therefore has SOME (albeit slim) chance of being behind the wheel at some point. That 1% chance is your $300. They're charging you based on human nature and extenuating circumstances, which happen to all of us.
 
Yup, bait and switch... about 1-2 months after starting with them

I had some no-name local CHI insurance, and they did not allow me to exclude SIL, also wanted to increase my insurance by 130% while blaming everything on a 10% IL insurance fee.

Called my broker, got e-surance, than safeco payed yearly. No problem with excluded driver, and the broker made sure we got every discount we could possibly qualify for.

I suggest you shop also around your local agent, but make sure you stay with big or medium sized insurance companies. at least get a quote.

Also warning: it happened to me twice with online quotes that initial price changed after 3 weeks in...
 
Charging you $300 for NOT using something. Sounds about right. There is a reason the company is called Progressive, look it up.
 
Progressive is the worst. I have never had any luck with them. I exclude my Wife as She doesn't drive. It has never cost me a dime. I was with AAA for over ten years. Geico for the last 5. I am paying just under $100 a month for two cars with full coverage.
 
Originally Posted by Blkstanger
Progressive is the worst.



I was told the same by the owner of a local body shop.
 
I need a broker... currently paying $200/month for auto and like $1,500/year for homeowners with Allstate. Only problem is my wife scraped a pole a year ago in the 300, so we had a claim, but we had accident forgiveness so I don't know if that counts or not. Otherwise clean driving records and no other claims.
 
My latest dealings with Body Shops and Rental car companies has taught me some things about insurance

They all told me they all act about the same, Geico can sometimes be fickle, and avoid Progressive at all affordable costs
 
Gawd I'm glad we only own old stuff and have good records. I pay $360/6mo for f/C on the 05 Aviator and liability on an 00 Accord and 04 F150
 
Originally Posted by Nick1994
Last November I switched from State Farm to Progressive for car insurance. With Progressive, I have an independent insurance agent. State Farm was about $200 a month for 3 cars while Progressive was about $150 a month, decided to switch. I paid for 1 year in full for the good price with Progressive. I then bought the Genesis which increased things as well.

Long story short, I somewhat technically live with my aunt, I use her address as mine. 3 days a week I'm there, 4 days a week I'm at my grandfather's house (the two of us trade off sort of as caregivers).

In December, Progressive reached out to me that their records show that we live together. I told them yes, we do. She has her cars, I have mine. She has her insurance, I have mine. They said I need to either add her as a driver to my policy or exclude her. Roughly $400 for the year to add her to my policy or $300 for the year to exclude. Makes no sense to me. She has an absolutely perfect driving record, as do I.

So we excluded her. Occasionally we trade off cars (not since the insurance switchover) if one of us is having cars serviced or to help shuffle out hoard of cars around.

In my opinion, it's none of their business who I live with, especially since that person has full coverage insurance with a perfect driving record.

I could change my address to my grandpa's house but I'd have to show record of that and they say that takes at least a month, but he has a car insured to him at his address, I'd have to tell them I rent the house and he's not here or something.

Any ideas to get a refund for this nonsense of excluding her? And so that she can drive my cars if she needs to?


This nonsense is to catch people not adding their teenagers to their policy and then suddenly their cars have a much higher accident risk. I have friends who excluded his roommate in college and then ask his roommate to drive him back home after a night of drinking, then crash the car, and the insurance didn't pay a penny for the accident.

Your best bet is to change your legal address and make sure you don't share cars with your actual roommates.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
Change your address to "Apt B" at the same address.


That's insurance fraud, you can go to jail for that.
 
I have been with State Farm for 30 something years now. I have a policy every 6 months. The last two 6 month policies went down each 6 months. This current policy has gone down the most, $10 each month. That's a total of $22 it has gone down since it went down the 1st 6 month policy. I must be doing something right.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top