I saved a shitload of money on car insurance.... - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Push-Pull · 10-24-2007, 06:00 PM

So today I wanted to check on some home owner's insurance so I could get my ducks in a row regarding the mortgage. While I was there, I noticed that they also represented Progressive Auto insurance. Once they got the ($30 cheaper than my current policy) quote for the home owner's insurance, I ask if they can do a quick quote on my auto insurance as well. I'M GLAD I DID! Turns out that Farmer's was F&*KING me, big time! I will be literally saving like $135 a MONTH on car insurance. I can buy SIX MONTHS worth of the same coverage for less than what 2 months with Farmer's cost me.

Now don't get me wrong, Farmer's has been good to me in the past, and my agent has been very tolerant of my questions and troubles. He's even gone to bat for me a few times to make things work in my favor. But when money is this tight for the wife and I, $135 a month makes a HUGE difference.

So the moral of the story here is to not be afraid to shop around. It may make a big difference to you.

I feel like such a chump for not checking sooner.....

ngdawg · 10-24-2007, 06:14 PM

Always, ALWAYS get a second quote...
We used to get insurance solicitors calling (before no-call registry) and they'd say "We can save you possibly hundreds of dollars on your car insurance.", to which I always answered, "No. You can't." We have insurance through a not-for-profit company that only takes the employes of companies they insure Workers' Comp with. The solicitors would guess correctly and then hang up.

(we get a yearly dividend check too, based on what's left in the kitty after claims-usually over $100)

That $1600 a year you'll be saving could pay the insurance of another car or two for a full year!

Plan9 · 10-24-2007, 06:23 PM

The title of this thread should be some kind of Geico parody.

Yeah, I have USAA. They're pretty good. Better than Geico or Farmer's.

QuasiMondo · 10-24-2007, 06:32 PM

USAA is the shiz.

snowy · 10-24-2007, 06:32 PM

I have Progressive. Haven't had to use it yet, but I've found their service so far to be satisfactory.

tinydancer · 10-24-2007, 06:51 PM

I have Nationwide and most of the time they really aren't on my side... HA!!

okay.. ehem... I pay around $150 a month for liability only, and just for me. Of course that has to do with my age, and a not so great driving record. Although hopefully some points should be coming off here real soon...

I recently moved and when I updated them with my new addy.. my premium went down $120!! Just because my dang addy changed. I was like, what what what??? Apparently the previous area I lived in was considered "high risk" for traffic, accidents, etc... so premiums were higher. I had no clue until then that where you live can make a big difference.

Glory's Sun · 10-24-2007, 07:01 PM

We have a great rate with State Farm but I've heard alot of good things about USAA about their auto and home stuff.. I'll be looking into them soon.

When it comes to any time of insurance, mutual funds, bank accounts etc, it *ALWAYS* pays to do comparison shopping.

The_Jazz · 10-25-2007, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guccilvr

We have a great rate with State Farm but I've heard alot of good things about USAA about their auto and home stuff.. I'll be looking into them soon.

When it comes to any time of insurance, mutual funds, bank accounts etc, it *ALWAYS* pays to do comparison shopping.

USAA is a unique company in that they aren't open to everyone. You generally have to be in the military or have a parent who was in the military.

As I've said a lot in similar threads, do NOT be afraid to shop around. There are literally thousands of insurance companies out there, and there are lots of little mathmatical tricks that they can use to bring premiums down. I like Progressive as a professional for a lot of the things they do on the commercial side of things, and they make things easy for us when we have to write over them. They know what they do well, and they don't try to do things that they don't do well.

WarMoney · 10-25-2007, 05:44 AM

I switched from Geico to USAA and am now paying insurance on two cars for the price of Geico's one. The_Jazz is corrct though, you have to be Military, or prior.

Glory's Sun · 10-25-2007, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Jazz

USAA is a unique company in that they aren't open to everyone. You generally have to be in the military or have a parent who was in the military.

My dad is retired military.. does that count?

The_Jazz · 10-25-2007, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guccilvr

My dad is retired military.. does that count?

It might. My dad is too, but when I bought my own, they offered to quote for me and were lightyears cheaper than anyone else. They did that because bascially they'd been providing me insurance anyway for years.

If he has it, then I'd say you have a decent chance. If he doesn't, I honestly don't know. It's worth a phone call, though.

Bossnass · 10-25-2007, 09:41 AM

I recently changed companies too; to a Canadian subsidiary of TD Canada Trust (the bank), Meloche Monnex (the insurance company). It is available to members of Canadian professional organizations, for which I qualify and my wife does a couple times over. Through them we are insuring a brand new car for $47 a month less than were we insuring a comparable 5 year old car. If you can use them, I recommend it.

teflonian · 10-26-2007, 06:20 AM

I agree that shopping around is a good idea. What is the best way to do it though? On-line? Call a few companies up? I suppose I don't mind spending an hour some day to do this, but I hate the idea of giving a bunch of companies a bunch of personal information if I don't have to, is there a way around that?

Glory's Sun · 10-26-2007, 06:53 AM

Alot of companies offer comparison's online.. however, I've found the best way to get what you want is by a face to face discussion. I can get a quote over the phone or online, and still get a much better rate by talking to the actual agent to his face.

Push-Pull · 10-26-2007, 06:54 AM

Heh. I called Farmer's yesterday to cancel my car insurance with them after paying for 6 months worth of Progressive. I've known my agents at that Farmers office for years. The conversation went like this....

Me-"Yeah, I'd like to go ahead and cancel my insurance."

Him-"Why? Did something change for you?"

Me-"Yes, I was quoted a rate considerably lower than yours for the same coverage."

Him-"Really? I wish you would have called before doing this. I may have been able to match them."

Me-"Well, I don't know, they had a great rate for me."

Him-"You'd be surprised at what we might have been able to do for you. I can still check if you'd like."

Me-"Well, let me ask you this. If you can do such miracles with my rate, why are you waiting until now to tell me?"

Him-"Well, uh, you see....Well how much did they quote you?"

Me-"Less than HALF of what I'm currently paying you. And once that accident rolls off in February, it'll drop even further."

Him-"Well, hmmm, yeah, I don't think we're going to be able to match that, but you need to consider the service we provide."

Me-"I have, and you've been great, but when I find out that I'm over paying twice as much as I need two, that factors in to my current situation."

Him-"Well we're sorry to see you go."

Poor bastard. First he loses my business from the business insurance, then the homeowner's, and now the car. He was banking on me, but the bank of me is now closed.....Ha!

The_Jazz · 10-26-2007, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guccilvr

Alot of companies offer comparison's online.. however, I've found the best way to get what you want is by a face to face discussion. I can get a quote over the phone or online, and still get a much better rate by talking to the actual agent to his face.

This is very true in my experience. If you're looking for an agent that represents more than one company, try finding one here:

Independent Insurance Agents of America

I've never traveled anywhere where I haven't been able to pull at least a few names off that list to cold call (I get all my business from other insurance agents).

Push-Pull - good for you and doing the responsible thing. You could have taken the chicken's way out and just not paid the bills and never talked to your agent. At least he knows the story, and maybe he can use the experience to improve things.

Redlemon · 10-27-2007, 11:17 AM

Another quick-save money method: call your telephone provider and ask them if you are on the right plan. I do this every year with what was SNET, then became SBC, and is now AT&T. They run my current phone usage through the computer, then switch me to some other plan that saves me money. The last time, not only did my rate go down considerably, but they doubled my DSL connection speed!

KellyC · 10-27-2007, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin

The title of this thread should be some kind of Geico parody.

I seriously expected him to say, "By switching to Geico." I would've changed my insurance to Geico in a heart beat.

Schachman · 10-29-2007, 06:17 PM

As Redlemon mentioned above, a good idea is to call your own insurance provider yearly and ask if they can reduce your rates - chances are they can do something. I was amazed when I called to find out why my rates were so much higher than my neighbor (he has similar car, similar age, no tickets or accidents) and the agent told me that they could reduce my rates by 15%! Amazing! I asked the same question - why didn't you tell me? They said that they usually do, but there are too many people and they hadn't got to me yet! Typical!

intecel · 10-29-2007, 06:27 PM

USAA charged me quite a bit more than any other company out there. I ended up going thru esurance for years ($150 a month at the end), until i finally had an ex-girlfriend, who works at State Farm, gave me an auto quote and it was $40 a month cheaper than esurance.

10-24-2007, 06:00 PM	#1 (permalink)
Push-Pull I'll ask when I'm ready.... Location: Firmly in the middle....	I saved a shitload of money on car insurance.... So today I wanted to check on some home owner's insurance so I could get my ducks in a row regarding the mortgage. While I was there, I noticed that they also represented Progressive Auto insurance. Once they got the ($30 cheaper than my current policy) quote for the home owner's insurance, I ask if they can do a quick quote on my auto insurance as well. I'M GLAD I DID! Turns out that Farmer's was F&*KING me, big time! I will be literally saving like $135 a MONTH on car insurance. I can buy SIX MONTHS worth of the same coverage for less than what 2 months with Farmer's cost me. Now don't get me wrong, Farmer's has been good to me in the past, and my agent has been very tolerant of my questions and troubles. He's even gone to bat for me a few times to make things work in my favor. But when money is this tight for the wife and I, $135 a month makes a HUGE difference. So the moral of the story here is to not be afraid to shop around. It may make a big difference to you. I feel like such a chump for not checking sooner..... __________________ "No laws, no matter how rigidly enforced, can protect a person from their own stupidity." -Me- "Some people are like Slinkies..... They are not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs." -Unknown- DAMMIT! -Jack Bauer-

10-24-2007, 06:23 PM	#3 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	The title of this thread should be some kind of Geico parody. Yeah, I have USAA. They're pretty good. Better than Geico or Farmer's. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake."

10-24-2007, 06:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
QuasiMondo Wise-ass Latino Location: Pretoria (Tshwane), RSA	USAA is the shiz. __________________ Cameron originally envisioned the Terminator as a small, unremarkable man, giving it the ability to blend in more easily. As a result, his first choice for the part was Lance Henriksen. O. J. Simpson was on the shortlist but Cameron did not think that such a nice guy could be a ruthless killer. -From the Collector's Edition DVD of The Terminator

10-24-2007, 06:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
snowy Kick Ass Kunoichi Location: Oregon	I have Progressive. Haven't had to use it yet, but I've found their service so far to be satisfactory. __________________ If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

10-24-2007, 06:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
tinydancer Tilted Location: Ohio	I have Nationwide and most of the time they really aren't on my side... HA!! okay.. ehem... I pay around $150 a month for liability only, and just for me. Of course that has to do with my age, and a not so great driving record. Although hopefully some points should be coming off here real soon... I recently moved and when I updated them with my new addy.. my premium went down $120!! Just because my dang addy changed. I was like, what what what??? Apparently the previous area I lived in was considered "high risk" for traffic, accidents, etc... so premiums were higher. I had no clue until then that where you live can make a big difference. __________________ My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I'm happy. I can't figure it out. What am i doing right? -Charles M. Schulz

10-24-2007, 06:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
ngdawg peekaboo Location: on the back, bitch	Always, ALWAYS get a second quote... We used to get insurance solicitors calling (before no-call registry) and they'd say "We can save you possibly hundreds of dollars on your car insurance.", to which I always answered, "No. You can't." We have insurance through a not-for-profit company that only takes the employes of companies they insure Workers' Comp with. The solicitors would guess correctly and then hang up. (we get a yearly dividend check too, based on what's left in the kitty after claims-usually over $100) That $1600 a year you'll be saving could pay the insurance of another car or two for a full year!

10-24-2007, 07:01 PM	#7 (permalink)
Glory's Sun Registered User	We have a great rate with State Farm but I've heard alot of good things about USAA about their auto and home stuff.. I'll be looking into them soon. When it comes to any time of insurance, mutual funds, bank accounts etc, it ALWAYS pays to do comparison shopping.

10-25-2007, 05:44 AM	#9 (permalink)
WarMoney Upright Location: Northern Virginia	I switched from Geico to USAA and am now paying insurance on two cars for the price of Geico's one. The_Jazz is corrct though, you have to be Military, or prior.

10-25-2007, 09:41 AM	#12 (permalink)
Bossnass Détente Location: AWOL in Edmonton	I recently changed companies too; to a Canadian subsidiary of TD Canada Trust (the bank), Meloche Monnex (the insurance company). It is available to members of Canadian professional organizations, for which I qualify and my wife does a couple times over. Through them we are insuring a brand new car for $47 a month less than were we insuring a comparable 5 year old car. If you can use them, I recommend it.

10-26-2007, 06:20 AM	#13 (permalink)
teflonian Appreciative Location: Paradise	I agree that shopping around is a good idea. What is the best way to do it though? On-line? Call a few companies up? I suppose I don't mind spending an hour some day to do this, but I hate the idea of giving a bunch of companies a bunch of personal information if I don't have to, is there a way around that?

10-26-2007, 06:53 AM	#14 (permalink)
Glory's Sun Registered User	Alot of companies offer comparison's online.. however, I've found the best way to get what you want is by a face to face discussion. I can get a quote over the phone or online, and still get a much better rate by talking to the actual agent to his face.

10-26-2007, 06:54 AM	#15 (permalink)
Push-Pull I'll ask when I'm ready.... Location: Firmly in the middle....	Heh. I called Farmer's yesterday to cancel my car insurance with them after paying for 6 months worth of Progressive. I've known my agents at that Farmers office for years. The conversation went like this.... Me-"Yeah, I'd like to go ahead and cancel my insurance." Him-"Why? Did something change for you?" Me-"Yes, I was quoted a rate considerably lower than yours for the same coverage." Him-"Really? I wish you would have called before doing this. I may have been able to match them." Me-"Well, I don't know, they had a great rate for me." Him-"You'd be surprised at what we might have been able to do for you. I can still check if you'd like." Me-"Well, let me ask you this. If you can do such miracles with my rate, why are you waiting until now to tell me?" Him-"Well, uh, you see....Well how much did they quote you?" Me-"Less than HALF of what I'm currently paying you. And once that accident rolls off in February, it'll drop even further." Him-"Well, hmmm, yeah, I don't think we're going to be able to match that, but you need to consider the service we provide." Me-"I have, and you've been great, but when I find out that I'm over paying twice as much as I need two, that factors in to my current situation." Him-"Well we're sorry to see you go." Poor bastard. First he loses my business from the business insurance, then the homeowner's, and now the car. He was banking on me, but the bank of me is now closed.....Ha! __________________ "No laws, no matter how rigidly enforced, can protect a person from their own stupidity." -Me- "Some people are like Slinkies..... They are not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs." -Unknown- DAMMIT! -Jack Bauer-

10-27-2007, 11:17 AM	#17 (permalink)
Redlemon Devoted Donor Location: New England	Another quick-save money method: call your telephone provider and ask them if you are on the right plan. I do this every year with what was SNET, then became SBC, and is now AT&T. They run my current phone usage through the computer, then switch me to some other plan that saves me money. The last time, not only did my rate go down considerably, but they doubled my DSL connection speed! __________________ I can't read your signature. Sorry.

10-29-2007, 06:17 PM	#19 (permalink)
Schachman Upright Location: Greenville SC	As Redlemon mentioned above, a good idea is to call your own insurance provider yearly and ask if they can reduce your rates - chances are they can do something. I was amazed when I called to find out why my rates were so much higher than my neighbor (he has similar car, similar age, no tickets or accidents) and the agent told me that they could reduce my rates by 15%! Amazing! I asked the same question - why didn't you tell me? They said that they usually do, but there are too many people and they hadn't got to me yet! Typical! __________________ 'Tis all a Checker-board of Nights and days where Destiny with Men for Pieces plays: Hither and thither moves, and mates and slays, and one by one back in the Closet lays.

10-29-2007, 06:27 PM	#20 (permalink)
intecel Psycho	USAA charged me quite a bit more than any other company out there. I ended up going thru esurance for years ($150 a month at the end), until i finally had an ex-girlfriend, who works at State Farm, gave me an auto quote and it was $40 a month cheaper than esurance.