A follow up to my latest thread - Dealing with car insurance companies.

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R18Civic

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Ok so on Monday I traded in my old car and got a newer car from a dealership. I had a liability policy on the older car.

I attempted to get a full coverage policy through State Farm but they wanted $338 down and $280 a month. I didn't change my mind right away as I wanted to be a loyal customer. On my way out the door I found out the receptionist whom I continue to have issues with (poorly trained) used the wrong vin and quoted me the wrong amount. I went inside and straightened things out, but then the premium went up. Fed up - I told them I would go to Progressive for car insurance.


The next day (yesterday) I ask them to cancel the old liability policy and I would just keep my renters insurance with them. It was under my impression that policy cancellations should be immediate (as was with Progressive years ago), But no. As of today I'm still listed as having a policy with them.



Then something odd happened. I received an email saying the drive safe and save dongle was ready and would be shipped to me for my current car which I don't have a policy with State Farm on. I immediately thought the girl at the front desk messed up again, so once again I call my agent.

They say the policy for the old car is currently being cancelled and that I can keep the drive safe and save dongle at no cost to me. I'm confused and angry at this point.


How long does it take to cancel a simple liability policy these days? I was under the assumption that it's rather easy thing to do.
 
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Be sure to also tell the DMV that you traded the car. This is important as otherwise a new owner's parking tickets and other problems can come back to you. Keep proof of the date that you no longer owned the car as the old insurance company is likely to try to charge you beyond that date.
 
1. Ditch the save dongle.
2. Renters Insurance should be very inexpensive and plenty of places offer it ( I had it through my bank). I wouldnt expect to save money or look to bundle this with car insurance. Just one guys opinion.
3. Pick up the phone and start calling insurance companies. It seems like half your frustrations are through dealing with people face to face. Gone are the days of loyalty to insurance companies. There are Zillions of car insurance companies out there.
4. You cancel a policy by requesting the refund. They should refund you any money you have paid in advance including month to month.
5. This is a good thread: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/shopping-for-insurance.382710/
 
We're Metals said:
1. Ditch the save dongle.
2. Renters Insurance should be very inexpensive and plenty of places offer it ( I had it through my bank). I wouldnt expect to save money or look to bundle this with car insurance. Just one guys opinion.
3. Pick up the phone and start calling insurance companies. It seems like half your frustrations are through dealing with people face to face. Gone are the days of loyalty to insurance companies. There are Zillions of car insurance companies out there.
4. You cancel a policy by requesting the refund. They should refund you any money you have paid in advance including month to month.
5. This is a good thread: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/shopping-for-insurance.382710/
Click to expand...
Do it online-most of my frustraions with auto insurance companies were related to their brain-dead agents!
 
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I do all my insurance online; it's just so much easier to cut out the middle man. I've only had to talk to a person directly from the company when dealing with claims.
 
We're Metals said:
1. Ditch the save dongle.
2. Renters Insurance should be very inexpensive and plenty of places offer it ( I had it through my bank). I wouldnt expect to save money or look to bundle this with car insurance. Just one guys opinion.
3. Pick up the phone and start calling insurance companies. It seems like half your frustrations are through dealing with people face to face. Gone are the days of loyalty to insurance companies. There are Zillions of car insurance companies out there.
4. You cancel a policy by requesting the refund. They should refund you any money you have paid in advance including month to month.
5. This is a good thread: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/shopping-for-insurance.382710/
Click to expand...

Good advice- minor correction though.

Renter’s insurance used to be cheap. My good friend’s daughter just got her own place with with renter’s that sounded like the price of house insurance . And it was required before she even moved in (No surprise there) Company was Progressive. Surprised, I talked to a few folks that were renting. Seems like it too is up quite a bit…..
 
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daves87rs said:
Good advice- minor correction though.

Renter’s insurance used to be cheap. My good friend’s daughter just got her own place with with renter’s that sounded like the price of house insurance . And it was required before she even moved in (No surprise there) Company was Progressive. Surprised, I talked to a few folks that were renting. Seems like it too is up quite a bit…..
Click to expand...

It might be worth shopping around. I have my renters through State Farm, and it is less than $150/year.

I also have car insurance through SF, so maybe multiline discounting comes into play. I don't know; it bumped up about $20 last year, and it won't surprise me if it goes up again this year. Everything else except my salary seems to be going up.
 
You pay 288 USD a month for car insurance? Am I hearing that right?

That's even worse than for a new immigrant from India with no driving record, driving in the Toronto, a region of Canada where insurance fraud, accidents, auto thefts including car jackings are a daily occurrence.

I thought in the USA it's like 50 bucks a month?
 
camrydriver111 said:
You pay 288 USD a month for car insurance? Am I hearing that right?

That's even worse than for a new immigrant from India with no driving record, driving in the Toronto, a region of Canada where insurance fraud, accidents, auto thefts including car jackings are a daily occurrence.

I thought in the USA it's like 50 bucks a month?
Click to expand...
Theres plenty of places in the world that have high premiums. Most big cities the premiums are up there. OP may have a careless driving ticket or only be like 19. $288 a month is not unheard of anymore.
 
Just did the same thing with our X3. Statefarm wanted over $200 more than Progressive. We have our scooters, RV and X3 with them and the Escape, Dakota and Festiva with Statefarm. Really should switch them all over but we're in a sticky situation with our 16 year old driving now and the house insurance. If we try to get new home insurance we'd need to get a new roof and inspection.. pain. Might just cancel home insurance like our 80 year old neighbor, they never had insurance on the house.
 
camrydriver111 said:
You pay 288 USD a month for car insurance? Am I hearing that right?

That's even worse than for a new immigrant from India with no driving record, driving in the Toronto, a region of Canada where insurance fraud, accidents, auto thefts including car jackings are a daily occurrence.

I thought in the USA it's like 50 bucks a month?
Click to expand...

I was paying ~$320/month 10 years ago, under 25, no tickets at the time, and several claims. Mistakes are expensive.
 
I've never cancelled a policy myself.

If I get a quote I like for a new policy from a new carrier, the new carrier does all the work for me.

In terms of having the dealer call your insurance, I always give my insurance a heads up with the new VIN# because I have such low expectations of dealer personnel.

There's so many factors that drive your premium cost, no two are going to be alike.
 
Annd I'm already taking it back under warranty. Passenger rear brake making a light scraping noise under low speed/light braking conditions.

EDIT: Looks like Magnussen Moss Warranty Act says I can work on my vehicle as long as its regular maintenance and I don't damage anything. I'll entertain them next Friday and see what the outcome is before I crack open the tool bag.
 
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Policies are immediately refundable and cancellable.

Call a local Erie agent. I cross shop every few years (including state farm) and have yet to be disappointed.

I'm in Virginia. Just say no to the tracker dongle. Get a dash cam.
 
We're Metals said:
1. Ditch the save dongle.
2. Renters Insurance should be very inexpensive and plenty of places offer it ( I had it through my bank). I wouldnt expect to save money or look to bundle this with car insurance. Just one guys opinion.
3. Pick up the phone and start calling insurance companies. It seems like half your frustrations are through dealing with people face to face. Gone are the days of loyalty to insurance companies. There are Zillions of car insurance companies out there.
4. You cancel a policy by requesting the refund. They should refund you any money you have paid in advance including month to month.
5. This is a good thread: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/shopping-for-insurance.382710/
Click to expand...
There is a different quote structure for new policies. Those with
" drive wise" ( dongle) and those without. The OP seems to have more drama with insurance companies than I have had in over 50plus years of driving.
 
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