Car insurance question (Charlotte: DMV, pricing, law)

[sbbi98]

Hi,

I got a red light voliation ticket (1 point) early this year in NJ. This is the only ticket I got since I started driving 10 years ago. My insurance company Geico told me that they would not increase my premium for that. Then I moved to Charlotte a few months ago, and today I received the new policy and found my premium increased for $100 for 6 month. Geico explained that NC Insurance Dept imposed some law so that 1 point on my driving record cannot be ignored. They recommended me to call NC Insurance Commisoner James Long to see if my point can be removed. My questions:

1. Did anyone try this before? Does it work? I have not changed my driver license yet. will this cause any trouble?

2. Is there any other way to deal with this situation? Does Geico's explaination make sense? A minor voilation will force me to pay over $600 in 3 years!

3. What other car insurance companies could you please recommend to us?

4. If I changed my driver license sooner, would Geico not detect this voilation on my record, or it will follow me anyway even I changed the license before the voliation was reported to the system?

Any inputs will be appreciated. Thank you!

[trckn4life]

I just moved here and I don't know that I can answer your questions but I think this would apply to any insurance company you use in NC.

Here is the info on driving points:
NCDOT Division of Motor Vehicles: Driver Handbook: Chapter 3

All kinds of Insurance/Driver Points info: (they are 2 different systems here)
Trafficpoints

I hope that helps.

[flyingscotsman]

Originally Posted by sbbi98

Hi,

I got a red light voliation ticket (1 point) early this year in NJ. This is the only ticket I got since I started driving 10 years ago. My insurance company Geico told me that they would not increase my premium for that. Then I moved to Charlotte a few months ago, and today I received the new policy and found my premium increased for $100 for 6 month. Geico explained that NC Insurance Dept imposed some law so that 1 point on my driving record cannot be ignored. They recommended me to call NC Insurance Commisoner James Long to see if my point can be removed. My questions:

1. Did anyone try this before? Does it work? I have not changed my driver license yet. will this cause any trouble?

2. Is there any other way to deal with this situation? Does Geico's explaination make sense? A minor voilation will force me to pay over $600 in 3 years!

3. What other car insurance companies could you please recommend to us?

4. If I changed my driver license sooner, would Geico not detect this voilation on my record, or it will follow me anyway even I changed the license before the voliation was reported to the system?

Any inputs will be appreciated. Thank you!

You are going to have to pay the point, having said that I would get some more quotes for insurance.

[swingaway]

GEICO is correct - the 1 point is chargeable. Don't waste your time going to the insurance commissioner - the surcharge is part of the North Carolina SDIP program and is mandatory. It is not a new law or recently revised - it has been in place for years (evidently, it is different from the NJ law). Any insurance company that does not charge it is in violation of the insurance law.

Every company will charge the point - your only option now is to obtain other quotes to compare pricing with GEICO.

In some situations, 1 point speeding violations can be waived based on past driving performance but red light violations cannot be waived.

[sbbi98]

Thanks for all the info.

Can anyone pls recommend a decent car insurance company? I heard a lot of bait-and-switch stories..

I heard of
AIG
Amica
National (?)
Farm Bureau
Progressive
State Farm
Allstate
....

Also in what cases would I need an insurance agent/broker?

Thanks!

[trckn4life]

I know of GMAC also, but at least for me in pricing around before Geico was cheaper. I always hear good stuff about state farm. oh and Nationwide.

[MommyV]

Try Farm Bureau. You have to pay a memebership fee, but the rates are much better than any others I've seen.

[sbbi98]

Originally Posted by MommyV

Try Farm Bureau. You have to pay a memebership fee, but the rates are much better than any others I've seen.

you mean onetime membership fee? or annual fee? so the total out of pocket cost will still be lower?
How are their services? are they reliable?

thanks.

[I love the Bears]

try emc - they are pretty good in NC
But honestly - $100 for 6 months is not that big of a deal!

[MommyV]

Originally Posted by sbbi98

you mean onetime membership fee? or annual fee? so the total out of pocket cost will still be lower?
How are their services? are they reliable?

thanks.

The fee plus the rate is lower than the quotes I got from Geico which was much lower than Nationwide. I can PM you the agent's name, but I haven't had the need to file a claim yet (Thank God), but my friend has used them for years and she swears by them.