Switching from State Farm to Geico insurance?

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Originally Posted By: crazyoildude
I have NJM here in NJ for my house and cars and never have problems they are very hard to get into... their prices and ratings are great.. everytime someone calls trying to sell me insurance i say i have njm and they politly say thank you and hang up


Yes I had NJM for years. Geico came in much cheaper on auto though when we shopped, but couldnt touch NJM for homeowners, so now Im split between two companies. If Geico ever gives me any issues, Ill jump right back to NJM for auto.
 
RE: xBa380

I had the same experiences with GEICO...easy company...
THEY DO WARRANTY REPAIRS IF YOU GO TO ONE OF ITS AUTHORIZED SHOPS, but you can go anywhere and THAT SHOP will give its own warranty...and possibly save money AFTER THE GEICO ESTIMATE.
...on parts, (yes, whether, OEM, 3rd party, or used...and PAINT...whether single coat or multi-coat and clear coat, and whether partial or the ENTIRE car), and labor.

...especially if that shop is one you have dealt with in the past...a good thing to do, just like having an indie mechanic you can rely on....
 
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I wouldn't use GEICO on principal as they have given money and radar equipment to cops, acually, I think they are #1 in these "Donations".

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-06-14/news/1992166072_1_laser-speed-gun-picha-laser-units

They also "bailed out" one of the makers of Lidar guns:

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=7127

They also stopped writing poicies to those who own radar detectors:
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/16/style/consumer-s-world-battling-the-radar-busters.html

No thanks - I'd rather not deal with a company that tries to scam its customers.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2

Doesnt one have a say in terms of what shop is used, and what parts are used? I thought that the person getting repairs done had a lot of say.

If I were hit by someone who has geico (and was at fault), would they only give me aftermarket junk, even if I were insured by State Farm?

Fortunately Ive never had to go through this to know...


AFAIK, at least in CA, you have the right to choose your own shop, but you do not have the right to dictate what parts are used. My understanding, at least for one major carrier, is that they will always quote the repair with aftermarket or used parts if available...and will only allow for the use of OEM if the shop can prove that the aftermarket part did not work properly.

Some insurers, such as Farmers, have an OEM part endorsement that you can get. If that is the case, then you should go through your own insurer for the repairs and have them subrogate against the at-fault party.
 
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Originally Posted By: KitaCam
With so many reckless/wrecker drivers here in Florida driving 90mph in traffic, I'm all for police with radar...thank you very much...


That's fine but you need to realize speed is not the only thing that determines if you are going to get in an accident. And speed alone is not a major factor in accidents at all. It is a factor but driver inattentiveness and error is more of a factor than speed alone. It's also been proven that those that drive fast are not necessarily more likely to be involved in a crash. And you'll be just as dead at 65 as at 80.
 
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YES, you do have a say in what parts go on your vehicle and where you can have it fixed. Don't any of you ever forget that. Its YOUR car.


AFAIK that's how it is here in NJ.

If customer service means anything to you, Geico is top notch. You can get someone on the phone without a wait and they are really nice and helpful.
 
I believe OEM vs. non-OEM parts depends on your contract. I have State Farm and if you want all OEM parts for a repair and recycled or aftermarket parts are available for less, you have to pay the difference.

http://www.statefarm.com/_pdf/non-oem-recycled-parts.pdf

"The Choice Is Yours
The final choice as to which parts will actually be used in repairs rests with you, the vehicle owner. If you prefer parts other than those included on the estimate, you should notify your repairer. Should the use of those other parts increase the repair cost, you will be expected to pay the difference."
 
I called State Farm this morning and was told my premium next month will be $463... I have every discount available and nothing they can really do. They mentioned that because I have been so long with them that I have a GNP or something, in which they cannot drop me for any accident and such, regardless of fault/reason... They have always been good with us and everything, so its tough to leave (if I do). Customer service has always been top notch with them and the agent office we contact is really good and personable.

Tough call though... I will just have to dig into it a bit more and see what comes out of it. I am mostly interested in Geico and if rates will go up after the first six months or year, and stuff like that. Worried the excellent quote may just be an introductory ploy.
 
Originally Posted By: itguy08
I wouldn't use GEICO on principal as they have given money and radar equipment to cops, acually, I think they are #1 in these "Donations".

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-06-14/news/1992166072_1_laser-speed-gun-picha-laser-units

They also "bailed out" one of the makers of Lidar guns:

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=7127

They also stopped writing poicies to those who own radar detectors:
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/16/style/consumer-s-world-battling-the-radar-busters.html

No thanks - I'd rather not deal with a company that tries to scam its customers.



Glad to see someone is wise to them. I would NEVER even consider purchasing insurance from them.
 
Dropped State Farm 18 years ago and never looked back. Even the second most expensive quote from the 11 I solicited would have saved me $200/year.
Since you are in Ohio, you might want to try getting a quote from Erie. Not only are they a quality company with excellent service, they are extremely competitive. I shop insurance every 2 years, and the last time that I got a quote from a State Farm agent, not only couldn't he come close to my current rate, but he even admitted that he carried his own personal home and auto through Erie.
 
I walk into my State Farm office (two cars, house & life) and my agent that is 40 years my senior comes out of his back office, addresses me as Mr. Xxxxxxx and shakes my hand. I can schedule appointments any time, any day and my agent meets with me.

Warren Buffet doesn't shake my hand or address me as Mr. Xxxxxxx.

Any premium I pay over Geico is WELL worth the customer service I receive.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: itguy08
I wouldn't use GEICO on principal as they have given money and radar equipment to cops, acually, I think they are #1 in these "Donations".

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-06-14/news/1992166072_1_laser-speed-gun-picha-laser-units

They also "bailed out" one of the makers of Lidar guns:

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=7127

They also stopped writing poicies to those who own radar detectors:
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/16/style/consumer-s-world-battling-the-radar-busters.html

No thanks - I'd rather not deal with a company that tries to scam its customers.



Glad to see someone is wise to them. I would NEVER even consider purchasing insurance from them.


Seems like this aligns to the trick they pulled on us with the 4 year old, no point, no record (except it apparently shows up someplace) cellphone ticket that my wife had.

They want to get you with teasers but want you to get caught and pulled into higher rate tiers.

Still, when we went from super-ultra preferred or whatever they called their lowest risk to the next one down, we were still cheaper than NJM, which is a GREAT company and known as having some of the best rates in our state.

But Im ready to jump at any funny business beyond what they did with the ticket.
 
njm is the highest rated insurance company in nj ... i will check rates with other companies now that i hear that someone has cheaper rates but i will compare and let everyone know what i found...I find it best to go with a broker that has lots of companies and fight for the lowest rates if you dont qualify for njm
 
I decided to switch to Geico today... I figured it was worth a try... Never know until you do.

Apples/Apples on my current State Farm policy, it was $263 versus $450 I currently pay. I decided to improve my deductibles from $100/$500 to $0/$250 and add the accident forgiveness thing (which becomes free after 2-years with no-accidents). I also got improved uninsured motorist as well. Final cost is $315, which is still $135 cheaper every 6-months.
 
Geico had excellent customer service when I had a claim with them. However, they raised my 6 month premium by $60 and gave a [censored] reason - NY State is charging $5 to the insurance company if someone cancels their insurance.

Apparently they expected me to cancel my insurance twice a month?

I'll check back in 6 months when I'm over 25.
 
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Originally Posted By: dparm
Ask yourself this: how is it that they're so much cheaper? Does State Farm really have THAT level of overhead?

Unlikely. It comes down to the level of coverage and their likelihood to pay out (and the amount) on claims. If you are a very safe driver and never get into accidents, this might help you save some cash.

However, will they go-to-bat for you if there's a problem with a collision someone else caused? Will they be your advocate?


I've called them for a quote and they end up being more expensive than my current AAA insurance, by a lot.

Turns out they count not just tickets, but no point incidents as the same as tickets too, and I end up going into a different bracket for that reason. The scary thing is you can do traffic school for point violation but those no point thing? you can't do anything about it.

So it may be cheaper for you, it may be not, depends on which group you are in.
 
Originally Posted By: xBa380
I have been insured through State Farm ever since I start driving when I was 16... Nine years now. Never had ticket or accident, just two windshield claims (easy enough).

My premium for 6-month is $460 currently with State Farm... I decided to do some shopping around and Geico for a comparable (if not better package) is quoting $265 for me.

Anybody have experience with Geico recently and how they handle claims and everything?

Appreciate the information!


I had them and they did slightly raise the rate 6 months after getting it.

After that I thought internet quoting etc(1999) was cool on Progressive and price was better so I have since stuck with them. Call around for best rate don't just jump based on one.
 
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