cindyabs

My Mom has GEICO and when she had her accident last year, the rental vehicle she got was a compact, so not apples to apples.

Hiro11

I'd like to see a reliable study that definitively links a driver receiving one or two speeding tickets in a decade to increased risk of an accident or filing of other types insurance claim. I'll bet there's no correlation at all. Frequent tickets for dangerous driving are of course a different story, but for an average driver an odd once-a-decade speeding ticket is simply a tax under another name.

The insurance industry has an extremely powerful lobby that pushes for increased ticketing, red light cameras, speeding cameras etc. It seems pretty obvious to me that none of this has anything to do with public safety. Witness Janet Napolitano's ridiculous speed camera farce in Arizona:
http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/21/2180.asp

It's a scam.

Ash UK/US

The rep I talked to at Progressive tried talking me into the 'Myrate' program apparently you can have a kind of tracking device put on your car and it reports how fast you drive, how hard you break and the time of day you drive. If you behave you can get up to a 25% discount. I declined as I drive alot at night which is supposed to be the worst time to drive... interesting though.

Captain Cheesestick

Seeing as I work for an insurance company I will have to agree with you. Don't care about safety at all. Care very much about booking business and upping rates and premiums.

snowbunny

As the ex-wife.... don't think I'd qualify, but hell I'll give anything a whirl.

cindyabs

Worth a shot- I tried to get a USAA credit card after the divorce and they turned me down- we'd been customers, insurance wise, loan wise and credit card wise for 15 years at that point and of course I was the one who paid the bills.

A year later THEY contacted me about getting a credit card.

I have my insurance, auto loan and credit card with them.

snowbunny

I'm a little afraid of leaving State Farm since they are loathe to take on new Texas customers in some cases.... and I've been with them for donkey's, but I am of the mind that the LAST TIME you want hassle is when you've been involved in a collision. I have had ONE that was my fault (aged 20) but the rest have been whack jobs. In the short time he's been here, Toon's been sideswiped and rear-ended. I'll bet he even had a cigarette afterward.

NC Penguin

Been with GEICO about three years now but have yet to make a claim. I want to keep it that way.

fatbrit

It's a scam whose days are numbered! If the legislature doesn't outlaw it first, it'll most definitely be whacked by a ballot proposition.

One judge already automatically dismisses all the cases, and the other courts are enjoying people awaiting their due process rights rather than paying the mailed bill. If you want to be a $20/pop process server in metro Phoenix, now is your time!

BigDavyG

Agree - as an ex-ins company employee - they are pure scum. With the bigger outfits they are also spectacularly badly run - any mis-management can just be covered over with a premium raise - they know full well most customers are loathed to change policies.

As for progressive - I have always found them to be very good, though thankfully have never had to claim. I have found them to be surprisingly flexible if you call to "discuss" your premium.

AdobePinon

This is why in NM, you ask for a court date. That way, the ticket goes to the court, who then decides at your hearing whether the ticket ever makes it to the MVD (and hence your license). Usually taking the driver's ed will make the ticket disappear.

Of course, these things work differently everywhere.

scrubbedexpat091

Just be glad you can pick and choose an insurance company and not forced by the government to use their insurance company for liability.

Ash UK/US

fatbrit

Land of the brave and home of the free, eh?

scrubbedexpat091

I'm living in British Columbia, Canada right now, and drivers have to buy the mandatory insurance from ICBC (Insurance Corporation of BC) which happens to be a government corporation who also issues drivers licenses and tests.

The mandatory insurance just happens to be the most exspensive as well, so even buying the optional insurance from a private insurance company doesn't always save a whole lot.

Some provinces like Alberta allow you to buy all your insurance from private companies though.