Geico just cancelled my insurance- very puzzling
01-23-2009, 09:48 AM
#24
maybe it's time to change your screen name Joe?
That is really messed up, but there are definitely options. I use Farmers for home, cars, and sportbikes for past half decade. Always easy to deal with, always cheap.
I keep getting calls from Geico telling me they can do it cheaper, and now I'm glad I never moved over to them. Even if it's less, my local farmer's rep is great, and that's worth something. They also put up with me adding/dropping my toys (miata and bikes) at my whimsy, which has been about every 3 months.
That is really messed up, but there are definitely options. I use Farmers for home, cars, and sportbikes for past half decade. Always easy to deal with, always cheap.
I keep getting calls from Geico telling me they can do it cheaper, and now I'm glad I never moved over to them. Even if it's less, my local farmer's rep is great, and that's worth something. They also put up with me adding/dropping my toys (miata and bikes) at my whimsy, which has been about every 3 months.
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01-23-2009, 10:58 AM
#25
Boost Pope
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Things are starting to make more sense now.
When I called them to enquire, the woman who I spoke to rattled off a short list of mods (turbocharger, Bilstein suspension) and said that in their judgement, these were "racing modifications."
And now I remember why they know this.
A few months back, after a big thread about stated value insurance, I did some checking around and requested a bunch of quotes on what I felt were fair value for my car. When I submitted the request to Geico, I must have been logged in under my account. I never heard back from them, and frankly forgot about the whole thing. So it's my fault.
I told the woman that my car was most assuredly a daily driver, and that all of the "racing modifications" she named were in fact available as OEM equipment on later-model Miatas; Bilsteins became available as a factory option in '94, and turbochargers in 2004. I didn't specifically say that I'd retrofitted those specific OEM parts onto the car, but I think she interpreted it as such. She then went off and conferred with someone and said that even so, these raised the replacement cost of the car above market value. Well Duh- that's what stated value coverage is for.
I will interject here that the insurance laws in Florida are a bit odd. We're a "no-fault" state, meaning that even if someone hits my car while it's parked and I'm not in it, and the incident is witnessed personally by the Sheriff, two Judges, and a Nun, my own insurance carrier is technically on the hook.
Oh well.
The rate I'd been paying was in fact pretty decent- $364 / 6mo for the coverage detailed above, and less than that when I was in CA. That's lower than I'd gotten from Allstate, State Farm, and a couple of others. Progressive is quoting me $329 for the same, or $391 with a stated-value of $8,000 and a $1k deductible on comprehensive / collision.
What to do...
When I called them to enquire, the woman who I spoke to rattled off a short list of mods (turbocharger, Bilstein suspension) and said that in their judgement, these were "racing modifications."
And now I remember why they know this.
A few months back, after a big thread about stated value insurance, I did some checking around and requested a bunch of quotes on what I felt were fair value for my car. When I submitted the request to Geico, I must have been logged in under my account. I never heard back from them, and frankly forgot about the whole thing. So it's my fault.
I told the woman that my car was most assuredly a daily driver, and that all of the "racing modifications" she named were in fact available as OEM equipment on later-model Miatas; Bilsteins became available as a factory option in '94, and turbochargers in 2004. I didn't specifically say that I'd retrofitted those specific OEM parts onto the car, but I think she interpreted it as such. She then went off and conferred with someone and said that even so, these raised the replacement cost of the car above market value. Well Duh- that's what stated value coverage is for.
I will interject here that the insurance laws in Florida are a bit odd. We're a "no-fault" state, meaning that even if someone hits my car while it's parked and I'm not in it, and the incident is witnessed personally by the Sheriff, two Judges, and a Nun, my own insurance carrier is technically on the hook.
Oh well.
The rate I'd been paying was in fact pretty decent- $364 / 6mo for the coverage detailed above, and less than that when I was in CA. That's lower than I'd gotten from Allstate, State Farm, and a couple of others. Progressive is quoting me $329 for the same, or $391 with a stated-value of $8,000 and a $1k deductible on comprehensive / collision.
What to do...
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01-23-2009, 11:37 AM
#26
That sucks Joe, at least now you know how and why it happened.
I use Progressive and I have been happy with them for the past 7 years. I was actually reading about the aftermarket comp on their site last week. I was only able to get $5k in aftermarket parts (I think) and it raised my premium only by a little bit. When this 6 months coverage runs out on May 1st I plan on re-doing the whole thing, seeing as I will be turning 25 on the 4th. Hopefully I can get a deal.
Vash-
I use Progressive and I have been happy with them for the past 7 years. I was actually reading about the aftermarket comp on their site last week. I was only able to get $5k in aftermarket parts (I think) and it raised my premium only by a little bit. When this 6 months coverage runs out on May 1st I plan on re-doing the whole thing, seeing as I will be turning 25 on the 4th. Hopefully I can get a deal.
Vash-
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01-23-2009, 12:57 PM
#30
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: San Antonio, TX
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Give Travlers Insurance a call. Depending on what level of insurance you want, including a value you give them, you may not have to pay a premium for mods. Pictures and dollars spent help document the value without having to have a formal appraisal.
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01-23-2009, 01:14 PM
#31
mkturbo.com
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USAA FTW!!!
A little but more expensive, but everytime I have needed them they have been there for me. Even after an accident that I was in that was my fault my rates did not go up.
A little but more expensive, but everytime I have needed them they have been there for me. Even after an accident that I was in that was my fault my rates did not go up.
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01-24-2009, 09:47 AM
#40
Boost Pope
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,017
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What does a person have to do to become a USAA member? I can't seem to penetrate their exclusive club. I'm not military, nor was any living member of my family. (You'd have to go back to WWII to establish that relationship.)
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