topic Car Insurance question in General Credit Topics

Car Insurance question

llecs — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:32:30 GMT

DW and the kids were just involved in a car accident. Everyone is unhurt and OK, but DW had rear-ended the person in front of her. Our driving records are clean and we haven't had an insurance-related claim since 2003. For those with unfortunate, similar experiences, did you see your rates go up? If so by how much?

I'm curious how this might play out. DW said that her brakes didn't work right (I'll take a look at the car in a sec) and we just had the brakes replaced yesterday. I'm thinking there could be some sort of defect. When I get ahold of it, I'll try to recreate what happened.

BTW, the other lady said she would call our insurance company. She had back bumper damage. DW had front bumper damage, I assume.

Re: Car Insurance question

haulingthescoreup — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:09:40 GMT

DD#2 rear-ended a car in slow heavy traffic a year ago, and our premiums never increased. The insurance company (Safeco at the time) paid for their repairs and ours.

It probably helped that she didn't get a ticket. Someone ahead had made an illegal turn, and everyone just sort of pancaked.

I'd definitely get those brakes checked at a different shop!

Re: Car Insurance question

Anonymous — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:40:01 GMT

my tire broke last month and i let Safeco pay it for me and they did it right,..,

Message Edited by llecs on 05-29-2009 01:40 PM

Re: Car Insurance question

llecs — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:34:08 GMT

haulingthescoreup wrote:
DD#2 rear-ended a car in slow heavy traffic a year ago, and our premiums never increased. The insurance company (Safeco at the time) paid for their repairs and ours.

It probably helped that she didn't get a ticket. Someone ahead had made an illegal turn, and everyone just sort of pancaked.

I'd definitely get those brakes checked at a different shop!

Good to know. We've had Esurance for 6 yrs with no claims or tickets. And no ticket for DW this time, but certainly could have been. She took pictures of the other lady's car. The paint on our license plate number rubbed of on her back bumper. And it looked as if someone used sandpaper against her car. But damage is cosmetic only, thankfully.

I'll certainly get those brakes inspected by another mechanic.

Re: Car Insurance question

llecs — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:35:27 GMT

nkkiegem123 wrote:
my tire broke last month and i let Safeco pay it for me and they did it right...

How do you like Safeco? I have heard good things about them. I take it they work on mechanical issues too?

Re: Car Insurance question

haulingthescoreup — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:41:58 GMT

llecs wrote:
nkkiegem123 wrote:
my tire broke last month and i let Safeco pay it for me and they did it right...
How do you like Safeco? I have heard good things about them. I take it they work on mechanical issues too?

They were bought out several months ago by another company --Travelers, maybe? (not sure) Our insurance agent recommended against the new guys, and so we switched to USAA, which we'd been talking about doing anyway.

We had only submitted one other claim during all our time with them, when our son attacked someone else's car up at college and totaled it. Everything else we just wrote a check for.

Believe me, when you have three teenaged/ young adult drivers and a total of 6 vehicles, you don't submit claims if you can help it.

So anyway, hard to say about Safeco: they used to be good, but an insider (our agent) didn't like the new buyer at all.

eta: whoops, clicked on the wrong post to reply to, but I'll let you untangle it.

Message Edited by haulingthescoreup on 05-20-2009 05:41 PM

Re: Car Insurance question

llecs — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:45:07 GMT

Thanks Hauling. I had Safeco in my dumb credit days and made some mistakes (plus the premium was over $250/mo).

Re: Car Insurance question

203bravo — Thu, 21 May 2009 01:21:20 GMT

Liberty Mutual aquired Safeco.. I've known ppl that have issue with other products from Liberty Mutual, so would assume customer service wouldn't be much better for auto products.

PS IMO - Traveler's isn't bad.. i've been happy with them for years.