Time to Shop Car Insurance. Reason to choose any certain carrier over another?

[JeffKeryk]

I have umbrella from Costco Connect. You can get a quote online. Easy peasy.
Beat the snot outta everyone else.

 

[nthach]

I’ve heard horror stories from body shops about Allstate. I’d never go with Geico - while it is cut-rate, it’s Warren Buffet’s cash cow financing his other ventures(Duracell/Benjamin Moore/Lubrizol/DQ). Parents are on CSAA(AAA NorCal) but one car is on Allstate due to rideshare. I’m trying to get them to switch to Mercury.

 

[64bawagon]

If you have a body shop that you use its always a good idea to ask the manager if they have any companies that are easier for them to work with. In an era where replacement part quality is mega sketchy its good to know.

 

[grampi]

USAA isn't the cheapest around. I don't know how this rumor gets passed around. They do however take very good care of their clients.

I've heard this before and I don't get it. I've priced just about every company that offers auto insurance and USAA has beaten them all by a large amount. None of the others have even come close to USAA's rates...

 

[CKN]

I've heard this before and I don't get it. I've priced just about every company that offers auto insurance and USAA has beaten them all by a large amount. None of the others have even come close to USAA's rates...

That's why discussing this topic on a forum with members located all around the country is pretty much useless. You may be in a State, in a City, in a zip code where USAA is what you say it is. But your case doesn't hold true in many other locations.

 

[grampi]

That's why discussing this topic on a forum with members located all around the country is pretty much useless. You may be in a State, in a City, in a zip code where USAA is what you say it is. But your case doesn't hold true in many other locations.

Not necessarily, in general, USAA has the lowest rates of any company nationwide. That doesn't mean that another company wouldn't beat their rates ever, but in most cases, USAA will have better rates...

 

[Astro14]

Not necessarily, in general, USAA has the lowest rates of any company nationwide. That doesn't mean that another company wouldn't beat their rates ever, but in most cases, USAA will have better rates...

Would you like me to post my insurance bills?

Same coverage. USAA was more than double the cost of GEICO. In Virginia, USAA is now one of the most expensive.

USAA is not the company it used to be.

They are not cheapest. They are not best.

 

[grampi]

Would you like me to post my insurance bills?

Same coverage. USAA was more than double the cost of GEICO. In Virginia, USAA is now one of the most expensive.

USAA is not the company it used to be.

They are not cheapest. They are not best.

You would like me to post mine to prove you wrong? I think some people in here just like to argue...

 

[CKN]

You would like me to post mine to prove you wrong? I think some people in here just like to argue...

No. Rates are so regional and based on other factors as well ( credit scores, vehicles owned, coverage limits, zip codes. etc) threads like this are about 99% useless.As is anymore debating the matter.

 

[Finklejag]

My insurance premium went up last renewal because the State Insurance commissioner told the Insurance companies they couldn’t use credit scores ( because they’re racist) to factor in the total premium. So my 800 FICO was useless in determining my premium.

 

[john_pifer]

Just a reminder that this thread wasn’t actually about which insurance carrier is cheapest.

The last few times I’ve shopped carriers, there hasn’t been a vast difference in rates, at least, for us. The companies we’ve shopped have been pretty close.

So, that’s why the thread was titled, ”Any reason to choose any particular carrier over another”. As in, do any insurance carriers stand head and shoulders over the competition in terms of service.

From reading the thread so far, it seems that there are mixed opinions, for example, with GEICO, some folks claim it’s a “cut rate” carrier that likes to cut corners wherever possible, using cheap aftermarket parts where they can get away with it, etc.

With how competitive the auto insurance business is, it seems to me that most carriers will have policies in place to attempt to limit their $$$ payouts, especially when the insured is at-fault, as opposed to when theyre paying out a claim to someone who was hit by their client.

 

[CKN]

Just a reminder that this thread wasn’t actually about which insurance carrier is cheapest.

The last few times I’ve shopped carriers, there hasn’t been a vast difference in rates, at least, for us. The companies we’ve shopped have been pretty close.

So, that’s why the thread was titled, ”Any reason to choose any particular carrier over another”. As in, do any insurance carriers stand head and shoulders over the competition in terms of service.

From reading the thread so far, it seems that there are mixed opinions, for example, with GEICO, some folks claim it’s a “cut rate” carrier that likes to cut corners wherever possible, using cheap aftermarket parts where they can get away with it, etc.

With how competitive the auto insurance business is, it seems to me that most carriers will have policies in place to attempt to limit their $$$ payouts, especially when the insured is at-fault, as opposed to when theyre paying out a claim to someone who was hit by their client.

You need to check the "AM Best" rating service that nobody ever does......then again-your claims experience will differ if your independent agent and/or body shop goes to bat for you or not in the event of a claims.

Threads like this are still 99% useless-IMHO.

BTW-what most fail to realize is that any auto policy I have ever seen contains language that allows insurance companies to use whatever replacement parts they deem needed to make you whole. That includes foreign country source parts, and used (i.e. junkyard) parts. Yes -you do have an option of OEM parts-and most will make you pay the difference.