Car Insurance: What are your experiences?

Quick question about my tax credit: does that EV incentive expire if I don't use it right away?
So, I sold my old car about four years ago, and honestly, I just haven't gotten around to picking up a new one yet...
Is there any chance I’ll be stuck starting from scratch with the whole bonus process when I finally decide to pull the trigger on a new ride?

Once those three years pass, your bonus just vanishes, and then your insurance provider starts absolutely skinning you alive.

Nicole Long28 said:Once those three years pass, your bonus just vanishes, and then your insurance provider starts absolutely skinning you alive.

😢
Thanks.

Tyler Price7 said:Yeah, it's a straight drop of 3 levels, which sucks. But hey, I guess the good news is that the malus expires after 3 years. So if you pick up a new car after 3 years, you start back at 100% instead of being stuck at 150%.

In my case, it had been barely a year since my accident and about six months since my policy expired, so I went ahead and started over at the standard 100% rate with a different insurance company. The surcharge was still technically there at 150%, but I guess they didn't catch it because I didn't mention my old policy number or my previous license plate.
Maybe just play dumb and tell them you don't have any of your old info anymore if you want to start from scratch.

Ryan Carter52 said:In my case, it had been barely a year since my accident and about six months since my policy expired, so I went ahead and started over at the standard 100% rate with a different insurance company. The surcharge was still technically there at 150%, but I guess they didn't catch it because I didn't mention my old policy number or my previous license plate.
Maybe just play dumb and tell them you don't have any of your old info anymore if you want to start from scratch.

Well, sure, you can try playing dumb, but when things get audited, every single underwriter is going to check the math. If they find out, you're stuck paying the difference.
Even if they don't catch it via the standard tables, they'll track it down through the VIN in the DMV database, much like how Hanes would flag an error in their records.

I was involved in an accident back in 2011, and when I renewed my policy in 2012, I was hit with a 15% surcharge. Am I correct in assuming that this penalty will carry over to my next renewal as well?🙂

Jesse Watson40 said:I was involved in an accident back in 2011, and when I renewed my policy in 2012, I was hit with a 15% surcharge. Am I correct in assuming that this penalty will carry over to my next renewal as well?🙂

Not really. The deficit is actually shrinking.

Kuzerica As specified by mellowgull80:
Not quite. The deficit is actually shrinking.

To be more precise, the deficit only shrinks if there is actual damage to the property. 😁

redcrane22 said:Well, sure, you can try playing dumb, but when things get audited, every single underwriter is going to check the math. If they find out, you're stuck paying the difference.
Even if they don't catch it via the standard tables, they'll track it down through the VIN in the DMV database, much like how Hanes would flag an error in their records.

I guess I'm not entirely sure, since I was driving a different car because my old one was totaled, so maybe the chassis could play a part in things.
But during the inspection, they kept asking for my old policy number or at least the old license plate, and since I didn't give them any info, they couldn't find any kind of no-claims discount or bonus.

That happened back in the US, whereas at Triglav they didn't really ask or check anything at all; they just set up a new policy without any discounts and called it a day.
And now, looking at that policy online ten months later, it shows I get a 10% discount for renewing, while with the US provider, it seems like it just goes up by 5% every year over a nine-year period.

Ryan Carter52 said:I guess I'm not entirely sure, since I was driving a different car because my old one was totaled, so maybe the chassis could play a part in things.
But during the inspection, they kept asking for my old policy number or at least the old license plate, and since I didn't give them any info, they couldn't find any kind of no-claims discount or bonus.

That happened back in the US, whereas at Triglav they didn't really ask or check anything at all; they just set up a new policy without any discounts and called it a day.
And now, looking at that policy online ten months later, it shows I get a 10% discount for renewing, while with the US provider, it seems like it just goes up by 5% every year over a nine-year period.

If everything you said is true, I’d treat your situation as an outlier rather than the standard rule.

The VIN isn't even the main thing; they can track you down via your Social Security number, and every insurer is required to verify your claims history. You could maybe wiggle through the cracks a few years ago, but nowadays, they’re pretty strict about it.

And now, ten months after getting it online, that policy shows I have a 10% renewal discount, while with Progressive, it says the discount climbs by 5% every year over a nine-year period.

That’s actually pretty weird because everyone follows the same math for bonuses. Year one is zero, year two is 10%, and then it bumps up by 5% every year after that.

There are a lot of strange details in your story, 😁Henry Edwards33.

I honestly don't know, everything feels a bit weird about it all to me.
This is actually my first year on this specific policy where I'm paying the full amount, and then when it comes time for the first renewal next year, it shows a 10% discount, which I guess lines up pretty well with what you were saying.
The thing is, I used to have a completely different policy for my other car over at GEICO, and it showed a 50% no-claims bonus, which was super easy to verify on the GEICO website just by plugging in the old policy number and the VIN from that first car.
But anyway, when I went to set up a brand new policy for my new car through GEICO, they couldn't find anything under my name at all, which is just really strange considering it had been about 18 months since the accident with the first vehicle.

Can my insurance company force me to settle for a repair, or am I entitled to a full part replacement?
http://upload.slike.com/?v=4qD2x.jpg
I wasn't at fault—the other driver admitted they messed up. We handled all the paperwork without needing the cops, and the insurance company agreed to cover the damage, but they're pushing for a REPAIR instead of just replacing the damaged part.
If the mods think this belongs in a different subforum, feel free to move it, just give me a second to breathe... I figured some folks here might have dealt with this kind of thing before.
Hopefully the photo makes sense...

It’s probably pretty unlikely they’ll agree to just swap out the whole panel; that’s just how the job goes. They’ll likely pull it out, slap on some body filler, sand it down, spray it, and call it a day.

I mean, I know it’s never quite perfect. Getting that seamless look—you know, where the body lines flow perfectly and the area around the fuel tank looks factory—is basically impossible once you start cutting. But I guess that’s just the risk we all take, whether we like it or not. Personally, I wouldn't be thrilled with a patch job either, but it follows that logic... if you don't want it done their way, I suppose you can pay extra to have it done exactly how you want. Sadly, that's usually how it works.

Insurance companies can't just force you into anything. They make an offer, then you negotiate—if you aren't happy with the terms, you take them to court and let a judge decide. In court, you actually have to prove why a repair isn't a sufficient fix; otherwise, you're stuck. Just saying "I want a new part" doesn't hold any weight. Aesthetics usually don't count as a valid argument either—unless the damage seriously ruins the car's look, which doesn't seem to be your case. I guess if you were driving a show car meant for competitions, you might have a leg to stand on, but that's a different story. So, as you can see, there's no simple yes or no answer here.
Since you're likely just driving a standard daily driver and the damage isn't massive, I'd bet they'd rule that a repair is a perfectly fine solution—though, obviously, that would be up to a professional adjuster or expert, not me.

That BMW 3 Series is over 10 years old... I honestly think you'll struggle to find a replacement, especially since parts aren't really available anymore.🤷

Look, the insurance company is just offering what’s acceptable for both sides. Do you realize that if they actually replaced the panel—meaning they'd have to rip the entire rear end apart and pull the old sheet metal out through the floor just to weld a new one onto yours—it would be a nightmare? First off, it’s expensive, it’s overkill, and frankly, it’ll kill your resale value later...

The body shop just straightens the metal, applies some filler, and calls it a day. A buddy of mine bought a brand-new Chevy Malibu just six months ago and had a similar hit; the dealership handled it the exact same way—just dent repair and filler. What a joke.

George Johnson24 said:Can my insurance company force me to settle for a repair, or am I entitled to a full part replacement?
http://upload.slike.com/?v=4qD2x.jpg
I wasn't at fault—the other driver admitted they messed up. We handled all the paperwork without needing the cops, and the insurance company agreed to cover the damage, but they're pushing for a REPAIR instead of just replacing the damaged part.
If the mods think this belongs in a different subforum, feel free to move it, just give me a second to breathe... I figured some folks here might have dealt with this kind of thing before.
Hopefully the photo makes sense...

Are you crazy? You’re really going to let someone strip the entire side of your car just because of some minor nonsense? Do you even know anyone in the US who can actually do that job RIGHT? Once you get your car back after that "surgery" and it's leaking, pulling to one side, rusting, or twisting like dough—then maybe I'll ask how smart your decision was.

Just straighten out that fender and call it a day.

Hey, I noticed this thread hasn't been active for about two months, but I figured I'd ask here anyway. I'm planning on picking up my first car soon, maybe something around $2.75 including registration—thinking along the lines of an old Ford Escort or maybe a Chevy Cavalier, nothing fancy or expensive. Since this would be my very first car, I was wondering how much I should expect to pay for mandatory insurance as a new driver? I guess it's hard to say, but any help is appreciated! Also, if anyone has recommendations for a good insurance company, please let me know. Thanks!

Is it actually cheaper to grab insurance online instead of heading down to a local agent? I’ve been playing around with the Microsoft liability calculator, and when I plug in my exact current coverage details, the quote comes back lower—like, almost 3.5% less than what I'm paying right now.

Where does that 3.5% difference come from? I guess maybe that guy at the local agency added some sort of commission that just isn't there if I buy it through the website? 🤷

So we're in the USA now and car insurance prices haven't budged an inch...

Under these new rules, the government isn't going to dictate mandatory liability rates based on risk zones or engine size anymore. Instead, insurance companies get to submit their own pricing to the FBI based on their own risk assessments and whatever they feel like.

I bet the insurance giants already sent their price lists over to the FBI......

What's the hold-up?