Originally Posted by Mr. Furley

I pay $350 just for myself on the WRX I did just get a quote from esurance for like $300 a month with my current (horrible) driving record.

Originally Posted by pozzi

my wife's aunt and cousin both worked for progressive (her aunt worked there for over 10 years) and BOTH of them REFUSED to use them for their cars.
i had them and they were the WORST when it came time to make a claim!
the owner of my body shop told me they were one of THE WORST companies to get to pay for claims.
they'll try and short your claim in every way possible.
if you have them and get in an accident, make sure you specify 100% NEW OEM parts or who knows what you'll get.

i'd NEVER go with them again.

Originally Posted by sonicsuby

My wife used to work for progressive. Some of the horror stories I heard..I would never, ever, use that company for insurance.

One thing a lot of people don't consider when insurance shopping is how you will be treated when you have a claim. The old adage "you get what you pay for" is very true with car insurance. motorpotor, if you want to save some money on insurance, look in to raising your deductibles to $1k. If you have a loan, ask your bank if you can run $1k deductibles and maybe put $500 in a savings account with them so you'll still only have to come up with $500 on the spot in the case of an accident. That's what I do, and I also have AAA.

Originally Posted by leslie

An "insider" opinion on car insurance
Hi,

For those who don't know me, I'm Shaun K's wife. I work for Farmers Insurance. I'm not an agent, just an employee, so I have no vested interest in convincing anyone to buy more insurance or to buy Farmers. In fact, I would NOT recommend Farmers to anyone in the LA area especially young single males. We are by far one of the most expensive companies.

Ok, so, that said, here is my opinion on what coverages you should carry.

Liability: 100/300/100 or more

What it means (surprising how many people don't know): $100,000 max per person for bodily injury, $300,000 per accident, $100,000 per accident for propery damage. These are the maximum amounts the insurance company will pay out if you are AT FAULT for an accident.

Why? The AVERAGE claim paid out on a car accident at Farmers with bodily injury is $100,000. Even in a claim with only property damage it is easy to top $50,000. Total an $80,000 Mercedes while carrying $50k property damage? If you are at fault that makes you personally liable for $30,000 in damage. Injure one or more people riding in that car? You're in real trouble. Just because you may not have assets to protect doesn't mean you can't be sued and find yourself owing a ****load of money you don't have. If you DO have assets such as a house, you should carry even higher coverage, I recommend 250/500 for homeowners.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury: 30/60, higher if you regularly drive with others in your vehicle who do not have health insurance or do not have it yourself

What it means: In a case where you are struck by a motorist who is either carrying very low limits or no insurance at all, this coverage kicks in for people injured in your vehicle. If, for example, your girlfriend is hospitalized after an accident, and she does not have health insurance, this coverage will kick in for either the full amount of her bill or for the amount above and beyond what the other person is carrying. For example, if someone hits you carrying only the legal limit of 15/30, and her bill at the hospital is $20,000, the other person's insurance will cover $15,000 and your coverage will take up the slack. In California it is legal to waive this coverage, in some states, such as Oregon, you must legally carry UM coverage equal to your liability limits. In CA however, you MUST sign a waiver, otherwise your insurance company can and will add this coverage to your policy in an amount equal to your liability limits (watch out for this, they might not tell you!)

Why: Medical bills can and have crippled people financially. Even a small amount of UM coverage can save you from total disaster. It's not a really expensive coverage and very worth it when you need it.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Property Damage: an amount equal to or greater than the value of your vehicle, plus $5k

What it means: As with UM bodily Injury, this coverage kicks in when someone who is uninsured or underinsured does damage to your vehicle or personal property (including inanimate objects such as your house)

Why: Some uninsured idiot hits and totals your car, you are FUBAR. Unless you have this coverage. You can sue them, but good luck. One thing to know: In the case of a hit and run accident, you WILL have to pay your deductible on a claim.

Medical payments (PIP or Personal Injury Protection in some states): Drop it or carry bare minimum

What it means: Medical payments go towards injuries for your or your passengers in an accdent.

Why: You're better off putting the money towards either better health coverage or higher UM/UIM limits. If you have these this coverage becomes moot.

Deductibles: The most that you are willing/able to pay out of pocket in the case of an accident

What it means: If you make a claim where you are at fault, this is the amount that the insurance company will deduct from the check they send you. Premiums get lower with higher deductibles, because you are less likely to make a claim on a smaller amount of damage. You are taking more of the responsibility on yourself. Your comprehensive deductible is what you pay in case of theft, vandalism, or any other claim other than collision. Collision is, of course, for a collision, whether with another vehicle or an object or animal.

Why: Carrying $1000 deductibles can make a huge difference in your premium. But, if it comes down to a claim and you can't afford that $1000, it won't do you much good. $500 deductibles are standard. Remember that comprehensive coverage is cheaper than collision, so if you are looking to save money, carrying $500 for comp and $1000 for collision is a good way to save money. Going to a $1000 comp deductible generally doesn't make much of a difference.

Other coverages you should carry:

Glass deductible buyback/waiver: Ask if your insurance company has this. This means that in the case of a glass only claim, the deductible will be waived. So, if your windshield needs to be replaced, and you carry a $500 comp deductible, you can get it covered even though it is above the deductible.

Rental car coverage: This you only need if you have only one car which you depend on to get to work and have no way to borrow another. If your car is totalled it can take a while to get a check in your hands. Unless you have the means to run out and buy another car without that money, you will need a rental.

Discounts you should ask about:

Good Student: Many insurance companies offer this if you are a full-time student and have a GPA of 3.0+
Driver Ed/Safety Program: With a driver Ed certificate or by going through a company sponsored program, you can save a lot of money (Farmers has the YES program)
Affinity/Professional Discounts: You may be eligible for a discount if you work in certain fields. Doctors, nurses, teachers, law enforcement, there are lots of possibilities. It's worth asking.

What company to choose: Bottom line: A cheap rate doesn't mean **** if the company won't pay out a claim. Make sure your company is at least A rated by the Insurance Dept of your state. For every company, there will be people who tell you it's great and others who tell you it sucks. Some people might say it's great because they have never had to file a claim. Other people hate a company because their claim was denied (for what might be legitimate reasons, even if that person can't admit it). Remember, your insurance company doesn't want to pay out when you are at fault. They don't want you to be at fault because it costs them. So if they say you are at fault, trust me, they have investigated it and they truly believe it. It is also a good idea to stick with one company unless the other company offers significant savings. Most places offer a longevity discount after 3 years of continuous coverage.

What it comes down to: The MOST important coverages are your liability coverages. This is the one place you don't want to skimp. You may never need to use it, but when you do, you will be really glad. Liability is where people get in deep trouble. I have seen $250-$500k claims paid out on injury alone. It's not pretty.

On a personal note: Shaun and I use Wawanesa. We have had a few claims with them and all has gone well. We have not had an at-fault claim however to tell you how that goes. Their rates, as long as you are accident and ticket free, are the best I have ever seen in California.

Yes, rates suck when you are a single male under 25. There's little you can do about it. You SHOULD see a drop in rates when you turn 25. If you don't it's a good idea to call your insurance agent/company and make sure they have noted your big birthday and made any necessary changes. It might not happen automatically.

On a note about motorcyles, many companies do not offer a multi-car discount on motorcycles, they are not considered eligible. This has nothing to do with age or driving experience.

Finally, for the love of all things sacred don't get any tickets while under 25. It will KILL your rates for 3 years. Suck it up and drive like a good little boy for a few years. K?

Originally Posted by sonicsuby

Yeah she's on the money for sure. I agree with her on not using Farmers too if you're a single male. They quoted me $5k/6 mo on my S14 :rotfl:

I was like "uh, no"

Originally Posted by Mad Ra88it

hmmm...someone is apparently a balla or ricer.

didnt know they allowed RHD JDM cars in the states.