[ducatiti]

Has anyone filed this kind of claim and confirm that your premium didn’t go up?

I called Progressive and informed them that recently had a road trip which resulted in hood and windshield damage. I was advised by two different representatives that I won’t know if it would affect my premium till the next renewal and review date.

So how did you approach this kind of claim and the end result? I just don’t want to proceed and end up getting another increase in my monthly payment. Only minor rock chips on hood and windshield, my guesstimate would be $1200-$1500 here in Cali.

Thank you in advance.

[apexit4]

I havent personally filed a claim like that despite having two windshields crack because of rock chips. Every time I've inquired with them about whether my premium would increase, they gave me the same answer as yours.

I dont trust insurance companies and decided not file the claims. Paying out of pocket now would most likely be less than the premium increase for next 2-3 years (the average amount of time claims stay on your record, at least in my state). Considering that industry tests have shown loyal customers pay more for their premiums over customers who cross shop at their renewal period, I feel justified in my decision.

On a separate note, here's a PSA: Don't call your insurance company and inform them of any damage if you weren't at fault. Some carriers (in my case Geico), will automatically open a claim on your record despite not having or getting all the information from you. Get a police report instead and try to settle everything with the offending parties insurance first. Geico did tell me that they wouldnt raise my rate's since I wasnt at fault and they didnt pay anything out, but they couldnt assure me that the claim wouldnt affect my rates if I decided to change companies. Which is logical, but they shouldnt have ever opened the claim in the first place.

tl;dr never trust insurance companies, they're a joke in this country and will take advantage of you when they can

[nsjames]

Originally Posted by apexit4

tl;dr never trust insurance companies, they're a joke in this country and will take advantage of you when they can

you mean making sure that you always have captive customers by making insurance mandatory leads to shit service and ever increasing rates?


OP.
Last year I had state farm put a window in my e91. For free, because free glass replacement is the only thing that's ever paid off for me.
This year they put a $1500 bumper cover on my wife's XC70.

our premiums haven't gone up, but we've also been with the same agent for 20 years, and that was our first collision claim ever.
YMMV.

[dauble2k5]

I also have State Farm; I had my windscreen replaced a few years ago. My rates did not go up.

[ducatiti]

Originally Posted by nsjames

you mean making sure that you always have captive customers by making insurance mandatory leads to shit service and ever increasing rates?


OP.
Last year I had state farm put a window in my e91. For free, because free glass replacement is the only thing that's ever paid off for me.
This year they put a $1500 bumper cover on my wife's XC70.

our premiums haven't gone up, but we've also been with the same agent for 20 years, and that was our first collision claim ever.
YMMV.

With progressive, my premium went up around "progressively" $40 per month in four years, without any accidents at fault or tickets. Whenever I call them, they always say that the "California" rates increased.

Is this the case for other Californians out there?

[apexit4]

Originally Posted by ducatiti

With progressive, my premium went up around "progressively" $40 per month in four years, without any accidents at fault or tickets. Whenever I call them, they always say that the "California" rates increased.

Is this the case for other Californians out there?

I'm not in California but the same thing happened to me in MD (twice actually, the second time after I switched back to them after a year or so with another insurer).

The issue with them is that they'll never divulge exactly why rates change. I understand some of it may be trade secret and such, but at the end of the day it screws the customer. Some people will get away with filing claims (as some have commented above) and others will see a premium increase. It's a crapshoot

[nsjames]

Originally Posted by apexit4

I'm not in California but the same thing happened to me in MD (twice actually, the second time after I switched back to them after a year or so with another insurer).

The issue with them is that they'll never divulge exactly why rates change. I understand some of it may be trade secret and such, but at the end of the day it screws the customer. Some people will get away with filing claims (as some have commented above) and others will see a premium increase. It's a crapshoot

it greatly depends on your state, and the surrounding areas.

if I lived somewhere that wasn't rural and with an incredibly low accident/theft/vandalism rate, I'm sure my premiums would be higher.

what are you gonna do about it? Government says you have to have it, so we're all at their mercy.
reason #eleventybillion that I cringe whenever I hear someone say "There ought to be a law...."

[Efthreeoh]

You could read the terms and conditions of your policy. Generally, cracked windshield glass that will not pass a safety inspection can be replaced under the comprehensive coverage of the policy, which in most states does not raise the insurance premium.

Paint chips on the hood, assuming you want the hood repainted, would not be covered under comprehensive.

Chips on paint and glass due to driving the car is considered normal wear and tear.

[Efthreeoh]

Originally Posted by nsjames

it greatly depends on your state, and the surrounding areas.

if I lived somewhere that wasn't rural and with an incredibly low accident/theft/vandalism rate, I'm sure my premiums would be higher.

what are you gonna do about it? Government says you have to have it, so we're all at their mercy.
reason #eleventybillion that I cringe whenever I hear someone say "There ought to be a law...."

Really, you'd drive around without liability coverage?

[Bimmer_Engineer]

Originally Posted by ducatiti

Has anyone filed this kind of claim and confirm that your premium didn’t go up?

I called Progressive and informed them that recently had a road trip which resulted in hood and windshield damage. I was advised by two different representatives that I won’t know if it would affect my premium till the next renewal and review date.

So how did you approach this kind of claim and the end result? I just don’t want to proceed and end up getting another increase in my monthly payment. Only minor rock chips on hood and windshield, my guesstimate would be $1200-$1500 here in Cali.

Thank you in advance.

Have you shopped your insurance lately? Maybe this would be a good time to check other companies out. In the past I’ve filed claims when need be and switched when the premiums are affected too much. I used to have liberty mutual and we’d been with them for over 5 years with no claims. My wife got in a small fender bender with less than $800 paid out and they doubled our rates on renewal so I went to geico. That’s the advantage of being with an a la carte insurer in my mind. It’s not like you’ve got jake at State Farm and he’s covering your home, your cars, your boat, and your fine art collection...

[apexit4]

Originally Posted by nsjames

it greatly depends on your state, and the surrounding areas.

if I lived somewhere that wasn't rural and with an incredibly low accident/theft/vandalism rate, I'm sure my premiums would be higher.

what are you gonna do about it? Government says you have to have it, so we're all at their mercy.
reason #eleventybillion that I cringe whenever I hear someone say "There ought to be a law...."

Yeah, I'm fully aware that where you live determines your premium (as well as a few other factors). I was just trying to make the point that there isn't enough transparency between insurance companies and customers to assure that customers aren't being taken advantage of.

[nsjames]

Originally Posted by Efthreeoh

Really, you'd drive around without liability coverage?

I currently carry full coverage on a 2008 BMW station wagon, so no.
but that still doesn't change the fact that the government forces a complete monopoly on auto insurance, and it affects the business model.

look at how jacked MI rates are because of regulation.
and then look at how much money the insurance industry donates to politics.

What I would like is the ability to actually shop for insurance, not simply choose from the state mandated providers. There's no reason for them to compete, because they have captive consumers.

[John 070]

I had the lizard co. and no my insurance did not go up. But I wanted OE Saint Gobain Sekurit BMW glass and they told me they don't do that, how about a repair instead? I aruged for about 40 min. I didn't think it would happen but the girl on the phone finally caved in. I keep forgetting why, but our cars are 1998, 2006, 2007, 2011. All cars have full coverage except for the 1998 which has no collision. If I were a bit smarter, none of our cars would have collision, and maybe the 2011 and 2006 would keep comp, and the 335i and Maxima would have only liability.

[ducatiti]

Originally Posted by John 070

I had the lizard co. and no my insurance did not go up. But I wanted OE Saint Gobain Sekurit BMW glass and they told me they don't do that, how about a repair instead? I aruged for about 40 min. I didn't think it would happen but the girl on the phone finally caved in. I keep forgetting why, but our cars are 1998, 2006, 2007, 2011. All cars have full coverage except for the 1998 which has no collision. If I were a bit smarter, none of our cars would have collision, and maybe the 2011 and 2006 would keep comp, and the 335i and Maxima would have only liability.

Thanks for sharing but that's only for the glass right? I'm trying to have my hood repaired as well. So what's your rule of thumb for having full coverage or liability only and Why?

[robthewrench]

I think the question will be whether it is damage that significantly devalues your asset, or just normal wear and tear.

If the windshield is cracked, it will eventually fail and not being able to see through a cracked windshield is un-safe. So insurance companies will always will willing to cover this as comprehensive damage. It will not affect your premium.

Rock chips in your hood are not un-safe. You'd have to make the case it is not wear and tear. If you do get it covered, I don't know if they would cover in under comprehensive or collision. If covered under collision, your rates could go up.

A similar experience: 20 years ago both my cars got dented to hell in a hail storm in Atlanta. Insurance covered fixing both at a cost of ~$5000 per car as comprehensive. My rates did not go up. The damage was severe enough to devalue the asset.

And one other note: your insurance rates can often go up based on your credit rating. Your insurance company may run your credit as part of calculating your policy renewal and if your credit got worse your rate goes up. Several years ago I locked my credit due to an IRS identity scam using my wifes SS. That year Liberty Mutual substantially increased my rate even though I had no accidents. I ended up shopping around and found another company that promised not to do this and switched to them. My credit is still locked, my rates have stayed flat.