Insurance Woes, uh Rates

country companies - person who started the company came from State Farm. Cheap, I pay with homeowners, 2008 4Runner, an 06 VFR, and an 08 Can-Am. Can-Am is more than the VFR. VFR is like ~300/yr for full coverage. Good driving record, and location where it is parked every night makes big difference.

 

Having been in the insurance business for 20+ years, and the current owner of a company, I hopefully have a little knowledge.

These comments are not directed towards anyone in particular, but why do people choose to forgo an insurance agent or broker, and get the coverage themselves? It doesn't cost you a dime to talk to an agent. And of course their job is to sell/offer you the best policy/terms? You always have the option of saying "no", but isn't it better to have a comparison of not only coverage, but what you price is? Isn't just about anything we buy based on what most appropriately fits our needs/wants? Do you really understand you policy? Have you read through it? Have you ever considered how your policy would respond if something "really bad" happened. Sure it sucks when we wreck our bikes, and we could be out thousands. But what IF you happened to somehow injure another person, leaving them paralyzed? Are you covered? For how much? Are your defense costs included within your limit? Is there a separate deductible for defense costs?

The net is a great place to find cheap and easy coverage. But if you have any assets that you're looking to protect, unless you are highly confident in your insurance knowledge, I'd suggest you get an agent. And I'll repeat - it doesn't cost you anything.

(FWIW - I do all commercial insurance, nothing with personal lines. Even though I own part of my company, I still use an agent for my bike, motorcycle, boat, cars, home, etc.).

 

I have an interesting story that goes with the above post. My wife was the last car in a multiple car accident caused by a blue-hair that was oblivious to what they had caused and drove off. Anyway, there was a lady in the car my wife hit that, a few months later, suddenly had back and neck problems- allegedly from the accident.Now we have full coverage from all our vehicles, but at the time we were still on the policy we had when we were first married- 6 years prior. Since that policy started we had bought a house, and actually had some savings and other assets. For whatever reason the agent- who I had never met, only talked to on the phone, had never called to discuss changing my coverage to help protect the assets we now had. Anyway, we get a subpoena saying we were being sued by the lady for her "injuries" because the cost of her medical bills far exceeded our coverage. So we went through this terrifying process that eventually ended with the insurance company paying them the maximum even though they didn't really buy that the injuries came from the accident- if they had they were worth far more monetarily than our policy was worth and they could have com after us for the difference. So I called the agent and asked what it would cost to up our coverages to levels that should another accident occur we likely would never hear from anyone involved because the policy would cover it- the answer? $22 more a month!

My point being- go to an agent. Talk with them anytime you have a major change in your life (like you get married, have a child, buy a house) and at a minimum talk with them once a year to make sure you have the coverage that makes sense for your life- I hope we never have to go through the feelings we did with a lawsuit on us and having to trust an insurance company, companies that routinely like to pay as little as possible and leave the insured holding the bag if they can get away with it, to do right by us and take care of it.

Also, for me- Progressive is far and away the least expensive option for my '07 VFR, though my home/auto/life is with AAA because they were a much better price

 

Also, on a related note, the reason I even have a VFR is because it was way cheaper for me to insure than a Yamaha FZ6 would have been. Basically even at the age of 35, any 600cc sport bike (they apparently think the FZ6 is a sport bike) is 50% more expensive to insure than my VFR which has a bigger engine and just as much power. Thanks so much squids making your first bike a 600 so you can ride wheelies and pile them up and push the rates skyward for the rest of us.

 

I have consistantly found that progressive and geico are the most expensive. I get great rates from state farm, been with them for years, but I still shop around. as for all the hoopla about insurance agents selling insurance...wtf are they supposed to do? most people can't even determine what motor oil to use and now you're expecting them to determine their own coverage??? :biggrin:

 

It's a good thing she didn't try with a you on the other end of that sales pitch. You'd think with as good a customer as you are she'd forget about that one ticket you have. Or are there more?

 

There are tons of factors that go into computing insurance rates. Even then it's amazing to me how much rates vary from one company to another for the same vehicle and coverage. Cyborg's already doing this, but for the less experienced folks around here you should know it pays to shop around.

BTW, I'm with Progressive Direct, full coverage, $174/year.

 

So, if you can beat State Farm at some time in future, will you be changing insurers or is shopping for insurance more fun than we know about? Cute agents with big tits and stuff like that?

I really don't expect "most people" to do anything more than they have to. On your oil problem, you can download the service manual or just call your local dealer for advice.

What we were discussing was not selling specifically but upselling and fringing on another technique called cross selling. An example of upselling, is and watch this one repeat itself with regularity, the next time you go to a McDonalds and order a burger, they will try to upsell you with fries. I mean WTF are they supposed to do after all?

I can also offer you today and today only the same deal on protective seat spray and undercoating for your bike. Bring Crusty with you so I can meet my quota. TIA.

 

I am not so sure.......

Crusty, Not sure how the camera work on your city but in my city they send you the photo of your face and your car in the center of intersection with the light red...............If you still have doubl they invite you to watch a video:crazy: If you claim the camera take the picture early then the light should be yellow on the picture they send home
In San Diego the camera ticket will not effect your driving record due to the citation is not issue by a peace officer.

 

I hope the rejoinder is not going to try to convince anyone that the California Vehicle Code is different in Ventura. Then again, maybe somebody moved Ventura three miles South of San Diego. If a bike cop stops you and he talks funny and is riding a HD Knucklehead, I say blame Arnie.

 

BB you are about the trollingest person around... I never got the ticket..All I posted was what I was told.....

I have recieved a photo ticket in the mail before.. I was speeding 15 over I payed the ticket.

SCUBA I didn't know that they aren't any points on your record...

 

ouch!!

Move to Calgary 308.00 full coverage.

 

So the message then is:

A: Believe everything you hear and post it for the world to see as fact, with no verification.

B:Somehow think the because you get a citation you are guilty as charged.

C: Think that any insurance company is not going to know about traffic citations as long as five years back in some states and use that data to raise rates.

D: Toss out strings of figures that don't even add up and not expect some flack.

E. Yep, guess your're right.

 

Badbilly you have forgotten the first rule of VFRW

Any topic of true importance or involving money on VFRW inevitably turns into a shitstorm.

This is because the demographic for this website is mainly 30 to 50 yr old caucasian males that ride motorcycles.

And I looked that demographic statistic up so dont be giving me any shit about it, just accept the fact that I know what I'm talking about since I fit this demographic and move on.

 

A: Believe what you like, all I did was post my problem, which also now includes thread highjackers. This thread is about an (IMO unfair) insurance rate jump due to a ticket and what to do about it, not the ticket itself or any of the ways and reasons to get one.

B: While there are BS tickets written (cops are human and some do abuse the badge), I was guilty of my ticket and paid and paid the $164. My problem is paying a 90% jump for insurance costing an additional $1500+ until it drops out my report in 2011, with no promise my rates will drop back as quickly, incrementally or at all.

C: I told Geico about the ticket 9 months before the 08 renewal and was told no problem because it was on my car, not the bike (got both with Geico).

D: I tossed only what I'd been given.

E: Yep, I am.

 

My VFR in the UK costs me £350 ($550 ish) fully comprehensive.

I was talking to an Israeli the other day who is in his late 50s and rides a 250 scooter.

He pays $750 for third party and personal injury - NO BIKE cover



Now thats expensive

 

Tried to turn you on to Ball Insurance in Texas. They even advertise in some of the bike mags. Not those one or two agents with the fake tats and headrags usually plopped on a chopper. I guess since it was a solution I am guilty of hijacking. BTW, the response was to Krusty if you will read the whole thing again.

If you want to do guilt trips. Go for it. Do you think now it just might have been in your own interests to go to court on this alleged infraction? Costing you a bundle aint it?

I do so hope by deflection you are not trying to establish that a citation for a moving violation is viewed by the legal system or your insurer as somehow different because the vehicle is different. Come on dude, save that for the mullets. Also it sounds like if your agent told you that story, and you went for it, some of this hijacking might be useful after you pay that 1k tab to ride your bike.

Bottom line is ya still got the problem.

 

Esurance Auto Insurance – Online Auto Insurance Quotes, Comparisons, & Car Insurance Resources

 

I guess I need to see the rules all except rule #1. Thanks..

Those demographics are almost a dead match for Harley buyers except of course for maybe Harleydudes in places like Tokyo and East LA.

I am considering moving to Bend, OR. Got any hot tips for me about it other than how many white guys live there? Got that one already..

 

There's lots of talk here about tickets or driving records affecting rates. There are others, to name a few:

Age
Where/How the bike is garaged (i.e city or burbs, indoor or out, alarm, locks, etc.)
Multi vehicle discount
As well as your limit.

I'm curious to know what people mean by when they say I have full coverage? OK, so your bike is insured for $5K, $10K whatever if you wrack it up (please don't)! But what is your liability limit? Uninsured Motorist? Underinsured Motorist? Do you have PIP coverage? Verbal Tort threshold? If you own a home, and have a personal umbrella, do you have sufficient limits on your bike that your umbrella will cover you?

Ala Jeff Foxworthy: "If you don't know this stuff, you might wanna get an agent".