TCB insurance recommendations??

[bigDstars]

I need to shop for insurance. I had a no pay claim about 3 years ago that ended up on my driving record and it falls off within the next several days, or at least my record will be spotless for the last 3 years. Anyone have any recommendations on where to look or who to call? Thanks in advance. That stupid no pay claim cost me a lot on insurance over the last 3 years....

[Titus]

I need to shop for insurance. I had a no pay claim about 3 years ago that ended up on my driving record and it falls off within the next several days, or at least my record will be spotless for the last 3 years. Anyone have any recommendations on where to look or who to call? Thanks in advance. That stupid no pay claim cost me a lot on insurance over the last 3 years....

When I moved to Texas last year, I had to switch to Texas insurance. I had been with Statefarm for 10 years, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to get a couple other quotes. I talked to Jimmy Black at Home Team Insurance in Addison. He writes for several different companies and found that the best rate was on a policy covered by Travelers Insurance. The 6 month premium on 2 cars (92 Miata, '00 MPV) was $650. This was $300 less then State Farm wanted to give a customer who paid $20k in premiums over the last 10 years with no accidents and less then $1500 in claims (windsheilds, 2 car stereos). Goodbye Statefarm.

Jimmy Black
Home Team Insurance
972-980-9484

[srivendel]

I've gotten some good quote from Travellers, too.

We currently use Amica. While they're not exactly TCB, they're outstanding when it comes to claim service and customer care. They're also a cooperative, which means their profits get distributed to their insureds at the end of every year (except in Texas; something to do with state law).

They have some unique practices. For instance, they total your car out at 65% of its book value, rather than the 80% other companies use.

I like that. If my car is worth $10,000, and has suffered $7,500 in damage, I don't want them to fix it. They have other pro-consumer policies, as well.

My wife totalled her Corolla last year (cheap car, not a bad wreck but not worth repairing). When we got our renewal this month, our rates had actually gone down. In other words, we've been loyal customers for a long time. Even though we were totally at fault in this accident, they didn't drop us or raise our rates because it's the only claim we've ever had. Good people.

S.

[Treibenschnell]

This Amica company of yours sounds interesting!! I'm gonna have to look into this...

[sammm]

This Amica company of yours sounds interesting!! I'm gonna have to look into this...

Aren't they the ones that were recently rated as having the best customer service and least problems with claims?

[Treibenschnell]

Aren't they the ones that were recently rated as having the best customer service and least problems with claims?

According to their own website, sure!! :grin:

They've got great info so far though....

[sammm]

According to their own website, sure!!

I think I saw the write-up about them (and other insurance companies) in Consumer Reports.

[POS Racing]

Aren't they the ones that were recently rated as having the best customer service and least problems with claims?

Strange there was a comercial on WB33 last night about Amica!

[Treibenschnell]

Strange there was a comercial on WB33 last night about Amica!

Now what makes you think I'm watching my own commercials?

[POS Racing]

Now what makes you think I'm watching my own commercials?

Well seeing how it was WB33 that would mean only my wife and I saw that commercial!

It could be a sign from above!

[Treibenschnell]

Well seeing how it was WB33 that would mean only my wife and I saw that commercial!

It could be a sign from above!

Are you sure you guys were alone... we had several more viewers last night! Maybe onething was hiding behind your couch. :alien:


This Amica sounds like a good deal... and they give several discounts for home, auto, good driver, and fleet!!

[Mathews2004]

State Farm has distributed rebates or profit checks in the past also.

[Treibenschnell]

I can tell you that Prudential has done no such thing... at least in the last ~10 years that we've been with them.

[Titus]

State Farm has distributed rebates or profit checks in the past also.

Yep... I have gotten some from them, but somehow paying $600 more a year to get $100 back each year didn't make sense. The customer service didn't do much for me either.

[onething]

Are you sure you guys were alone... we had several more viewers last night! Maybe onething was hiding behind your couch. :alien:

What time did the commercial air? I cannot/ will not verify anything until I have an exact time and consult my calendar.

Thread drift OFF

[ccage]

One thing to think about when selecting insurance is what's gonna happen when you file a claim... It's tempting to think of insurance as a commodity -- like milk or something, you know... milk is milk regarless of whose name is on it or how much you pay for it -- but it's really a pretty complicated service product.

Ok, I'll admit it. The reason I say this is that people have a predilection for hitting my '97 Jeep GC. It's been in the shop 8 times (only one of them my fault). My '93 Miata got backed into by a guy without a driver's license or insurance as well. (Just cosmetic damage to the front, BTW.)

Anyway, in the process of dealing with all that, I learned that you really find out how an insurance company works when you file a claim. Some of them run you through the wringer, make you jump through hoops, and play all kinds of games with you. With some of them you just drop your car off and pick it up.

I'd recommend checking the coverage carefully as well. That uninsured motorist coverage can really kick ass. It's saved my butt twice: once when the guy backed into the '93 ($250 for a new nose/hood/good paint) and again when a guy backed into the JGC in a parking lot then gave bogus insurance and tried to blame it on my girlfriend. (FWIW, he thought that by saying "it's not my car, I'm broke, and I don't have insurance" he'd be good to go. Not so. State Farm tracked him down, culled his BS, and set him up on a payment plan 'lest he lose his license. I even got my $250 deductible back later that year.)

I also recently rethought my limits on liability. I used to carry $50k property (+$250k med/$50k per occupant). Then after I got caught in stop-n-go behind an orange (chrome?) Murcielago on the Parkway (you've seen this car, right Bean?) -- right after I saw that Rides episode where they showed the build and claimed that the bumper's worth $17k -- I thought maybe $250k property would be a much better idea. You could probably fit all 4 of my cars in $50k, but I'm also probably the only guy in my development without a $50k car. It's more fun to have a bunch of Miatas. :)

Anyway, just some stuff to think about. Another thing to be careful about with State Farm is their discounts. They have tons of them, but you have to ask. I get a pretty hefty discount for the flashy-light-security-thingie on the JGC dash. They do multi-car, though sometimes the "competitor's quotes" don't reflect that.

In the end, too, you kinda have to ask how much difference $100 over 6 months will really make to you. We're talkin' about the price of lunch out once a month here. But just be sure and balance it with the quality/service of what you're buying and you're good to go either way.

Chuck

[Treibenschnell]

I also recently rethought my limits on liability. I used to carry $50k property (+$250k med/$50k per occupant). Then after I got caught in stop-n-go behind an orange (chrome?) Murcielago on the Parkway (you've seen this car, right Bean?) -- right after I saw that Rides episode where they showed the build and claimed that the bumper's worth $17k -- I thought maybe $250k property would be a much better idea.

Call it coincidence, but my wife and I had this same conversation after seeing that same damned car (or whatever other blaze orange Lambo lives up here)...

Strange...

[bigDstars]

Thanks for the numbers and good advice. I do value good service...

I had a problem with my treatment from State Farm, but I won't go into that. I was a 20 year customer, but won't consider them anymore, at least not my past agent.

[Majik]

I have farmers. It is ok, the claim service has been good. And the rates, considering my age, car, and record arent too bad either.

[altiain]

I have farmers. It is ok, the claim service has been good. And the rates, considering my age, car, and record arent too bad either.

I'd rather drive around with no insurance than have Farmer's. I've dealt with them on two claims - once as a policyholder who who was hit by another policyholder, and once when I was with another company and was hit by a Farmer's policyholder. Both experiences were - without a doubt - the most miserable, painful, and arduous experiences I've ever had with auto insurance claims (and I've unfortunately had more experience than most with auto insurance claims over the last sixteen years). I won't bore you with the details, except to say that I once threatened the Vice President of North Texas Operations at Farmer's that if he couldn't cut my &$@#%() claim check, I'd come down there and keep yelling at people until he found someone who could.

State Farm is expensive, but from my experience with making claims with most of the majors (State Farm, Farmer's, Allstate, Geico, Progressive), State Farm has usually been the easiest and most hassle-free to deal with. They also have the best response time.

That said, we're currently with GMAC, because it saves us over $500 a year (~$800/6 months for the fleet - '99 Miata, '00 Accord, '05 CR-V) compared to State Farm. I haven't had to file a claim in the two years we've been with them, so I don't know what they're service is like. Hopefully better than their cars.