nikknakk

Hello,
I've just passed my California Driving license and looking around for Car insurance deals. The problem I have is that no one accepts my UK driving history or I think any other countries so I'm seen as a new driver which makes the cost into the thousands and I'm in my late 30's with a clean history for 20 years.
Any one else have suggestions of reasonable insurance companies, especially as the car is very basic and not high performance.
thanks.

Dogbyte

Unfortunately welcome to the USA. I had all UK Police driver qualifications but still ended up paying $1000 per six months for a smallish family saloon . thats with what is now 21st Century .. used to be AIG, some say Gieco or Progressive are good but no one here takes your UK history anymore,your now officially a snotty nosed young driver.

lansbury

It does depend to some extent of the State you live in but Farmers, in Oregon, accepted my UK insurance history and dropped the premiums 20%. I had to produce 2 years of insurance certificates to get it, fortunately I had kept them.

Others I'm sure have said on here they have had similar luck with other companies. Who have you tried.

lansbury

That was your mistake then they knew what you drove like.

I paid $383 for the first six months on a Grand Cherokee with Farmers

CelticRover

The only thing that comes to mind would be if you could have yourself put on an established family member's policy for a multi car discount or even try raising your deductible.

BritishGuy36

Get over it and stump up, is unfortunately the best advice that can be given, we all have to go throught this when we arrive.

Welcome to america.

Bob

Drive a beater, get house/renter insurance with the same place, get crappy basic liability only till you've got credit history...

And don't get caught for speeding or have any accidents!!!

I still can't believe my premium just went down 8% but it's still the same sodding rate because of a side swipe which wasn't my fault, but went down as a 50/50 blame so I have 3 SID points and not the perfect driver record I had.

More annoying, the insurance down in Mass is more than twice what we were paying for the same level of coverage in Maine.

Meh.

Arseholes, the lot of 'em

paul_79

That's what I did - added to my in-laws family policy as we're currently staying with them for the time-being. It's with Allstate in CA and they did take into account my UK license and how long I'd held it for.

Dogbyte

Ours was with Intl Autosource and AIG originally $850 per 6 months then I got rearended and it got put up $80 for now being a risk ? and I was stationary at a red light !! then they wapped it up $120, cos of cover for uninsured idiots, doesnt look at coming down in the future with the insurance co as they are.

Sonic5

I found this too and was quite annoyed at the attitude of insurance companies since it didn't make much sense.

I have since discovered that in my state (NC) there is a quite problem with Mexicans and it seems that the insurance companies have decided that anyone from any other country gets tarred with the same brush.

We found Progressive gave us the best deal, but only by making my USC spouse the principal insured driver and then me added on top.
Works out to about $1500 per year for 2 cars.
When my license is 3 years old, our rates will drop.
All the others were anything from $1900-$3000+ per year, which is bonkers and which makes it not worth having a car.

Wilto

Same here unfortunately. Although I'm 22 and driving a cheap 1999 Dodge Stratus and am paying $500 for 6 months and that is comprehensive but I was talked into it, going to go for just liability in Jan.

Just have to accept it, when my wife's parents moved to the UK from the US it was the same for them just have to start over.

bromleygirl

I wonder what approach with a different scenario insurance companies would take: I am a dual UKC/USC hopefully returning next year, held insurance with GEICO for 8 years and had my good driver discount, have maintained my credit record and US drivers licence. Incidently, when I moved to UK my UK insurance accepted my good driver discount from GEICO.

I think if you know that you may be relocating it is a good idea to keep all your documentation to prove that you have no claims discount/good driver discount and to only insure with a company who is prepared to accept it.

jmw236

JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I GOT INSURED THROUGH
<link deleted as no clue where the OP lives>.

They use to be owned by AIG but Farmers just bought them.
I just moved over from Ireland and they recognised my 18 years driving over there. My wife and I got a great deal of $550 for 6 months.

Kar98

This.

Paid $1,400 per six months when I started having my own car insurance in 2002. Now I am on my wife's policy.... which actually lowered hers by $200/year... and I'm paying nothing.

jmw236

Who was that with?

Paid $1,400 per six months when I started having my own car insurance in 2002. Now I am on my wife's policy.... which actually lowered hers by $200/year... and I'm paying nothing.[/QUOTE]