I broke up with State Farm today

[damac2004]

I have been with geico for years and never bothered with shopping around until a couple months ago. aaa and some others started sending me vouchers for free gifts if i got a quote and that they would beat my current prices.

online they were able to pull my car selection and am wondering how they can do that and can they see what you are actually paying as well?

nobody was willing to match let alone beat our geico premiums.

[sunsprit]

[quote=sspistol;38511931]

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

Apparently, there's major difference in "insurance price" from agent to agent. quote]

This is completely false. Insurance premiums are submitted to every state's insurance board by any company selling insurance. If you and I requested a quote from Joe Smith of State Farm to insure a 2015 Chevy Corvette S model to be driven as a primary work vehicle, we would receive the exact same quote if we lived in the same county, were the same age and had the same driving record. We would get the exact same quote from State Farm agent Mike Brown. The agents do not set the premiums. There could be discounts for multi-car, good driver, multi-product lines but they are the same across the board for all the state farm agents. They don't have the ability to say, oh let's add 100 bucks on because Bob is a jerk. Period. End of discussion.

correct that the agents don't set the premiums, but too bad that you're not correct in the states where I purchase automotive insurance as required by law and prudent to have in appropriate coverage amounts.

each policy is quoted by the underwriters in accordance with their company rate sheets on the basis of the information as submitted by the respective agents, and how the agents write up the application can vary in significant ways to rate the risk. IMO, the agents learn through the course of getting quotes which answers for an applicant can generate higher or lower quotes. With the agents paid on new sales commissions (and residuals), many have a vested interest in getting the higher quotes that are consistent with them getting the quotas filled that they need to achieve for each month's sales.

The process is simply not as "cut and dried" as you would describe it.

I've had significantly different quotes for the same coverages on my fleet of vehicles from agents in different offices/agencies selling policies for the same insurance company. If the auto insurance industry sales commission structure is anywhere close to the sales commissions I receive in several other industries as a rep ... the agents are allowed to write "average", "low", or "high" margin quotes and sales each month as long as the net sales figures and margins meet the company guidelines. Hence when a customer of some years who has been seeing steady price increases decides to compare quotes and declines to renew with a company over price for comparable coverage, they get "please stay with us, we'll review your quote and do what is needed to keep from losing your business" messages from their agent who is about to lose his residuals on your account. You're about to take money out of his earnings each month and the agent doesn't want that to happen, so if he can keep you as a customer, he's still got an income even if it's less than what he was making before.

[Stripes17]

We left Allstate after 35+ years. Went with an independent agent using The Kemper and did just fine, but apparently the agent broke his relationship with Kemper and we had to shop around again. We went with The Hartford and used the AARP discount (discounts are the only good thing about AARP!). That lasted a year or two until they tried to get me to sign a consent form allowing them to jack my homeowners rates higher than what the state allows. Since I refused, they refused to renew my policy.

Now we are with Erie insurance, again through a local indepedent agent. Couldn't be happier and still saving boatloads of money compared to our Allstate policies. BTW, we both have clean driver licenses and no claims on auto or homeowners.

[MJ7]

Originally Posted by xsthomas

I have always felt insurance is a racket. I think you pay your premiums, and dont get in any accidents, or file any claims. You should get your money back, or at least a portion of it.

In some states if you have money up front and own your vehicle (fully paid) then you can self insure, basically paying out of pocket for any of your repairs. Insurance can go either way, but if you tend to be a car person, know repairs and have some cash on hand for unforeseen repairs it could save you buckets of money, only downside is if you are at fault, then it could cost you a bit.