Auto Insurance in Mass (Boston, Northampton: college, excise tax, price)

[christoforest]

I have moved from Seattle to Northampton and need to find a new Auto Insurance company because Geico doesn't work in Mass for some reason. Does anyone have a good auto insurance company in Mass to reccomend?

thanks

Chris

[ChunkyMonkey]

Try commerce insurance, they are one of the largest here. If you do it through AAA you can get a discount.

[Parsec]

The base price will be the same no matter which insurance company writes your policy. The only difference will be the discounts you get w/each one. In particular, if you are a homeowner, you will get a home/auto insurance discount if you use the same company for both. You can also get a college affiliation and/or employer discount through your workplace. Metlife and Liberty Mutual are 2 of the larger ones you can try calling for a quote. i.e. Liberty Mutual gave me a 8% discount for being a Georgia Tech grad when I first moved here (but then we got an even bigger one through my wife's employer later on).

[OREGONRAIN]

There are very few insurance companies that operate in Mass, I use to work for Geico, they will not write a policy in Mass, none of the big name ones will. You will find Commerce and Arbella as the ones that come up the most. Insurance is heavily regulated in Mass, that is why companies will not operate there. I can tell you it is a serious problem there, no competition for one thing, and cause extremely high premiums which are written by the year in Mass not 6 month policies. When I left Mass in 2005 my premium for that year was $1486 with Commerce which I had for a number of years thru AAA. My policy in Oregon for 2006 is $329 every 6 months so $658 for the year with State Farm and for more coverage here than I had in Mass. My rates in Mass were for the 2003 chevy truck I still have and were for a town 30 miles outside of Mass on the RI border. I do not envy anyone that has to register and insure a vehicle in Massachusetts, plus the yearly excise tax bill on the vehicle also.

[OREGONRAIN]

I meant 30 miles outside of Boston

[christoforest]

thanks, doesnt sound good!