Consider this: the car is parked in front of my home 6 days a week, occasionally 5 if a special errand needs to be run, so why is the new bill more than $40.00 (semi-annually) above what it was last year?
A call to the insurance office (State Farm) and a few questions garnered these results: I do not have homeowners insurance with them (I no longer own a home), I do not have multiple vehicles insured by them (there are no other vehicles, and why would I need them?), and so I am not eligible for any discounts. So, in essence I am paying more so that those discounts can be passed on to those who pay less. Makes perfect sense to me...not!
Asked why I am being hit with a higher bill, driving less than 2K miles in the past year, it is revealed that I am in the lowest mileage category offered - 7.5K miles annually. When asked how I could bring down the cost (get this) I am told to take a "defensive driving class" which would save me a whopping $35.00 per year. I argue that I have never received a ticket for a moving violation, but in so many words, am told, "it is what it is", they didn't even offer change-in-coverage options to reduce the cost, so I will begin looking for a new insurer.
I don't look forward to a search for a new insurer, but paying more than a thousand dollars a year for a car that's driven once weekly (if that) is just not fair. Although I have been a State Farm customer for over 30 years, that means nothing to them anymore. Though I've followed all the rules and done everything by the book, that means nothing anymore.
Yes, the car is a 2005 Toyota driven only 23K miles and retains value, but it is not garaged and open to the salty ocean air. All these elements must be taken into account as the shopping begins.
And so it goes.
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Welcome to the club. I also have State Farm insurance. I have a bundled policy (homeowners, and car insurance). Yet my bill also went up this year. Bill, who is 82 years old and has a 20 year old car which he drives an average of 3,000 a year pays $900 a year! His insurance recently went up. Why? Because he is in "that age group" OLD. Yes dearie, when you get old the insurance goes up. Just like bookends. When you're very young you pay a lot and when you're older you start paying more. You may shop around for new insurance but I think you'll find all the insurance is about they same price because - are you sitting down? - they price fix. Yes Virginia, businesses still compare prices and price fix regardless of how many cute commercials there are on TV (think Flo with Progressive Insurance), and we're all screwed in the end like we're screwed in every other aspect of the business world. Do I sound cynical? Oh my.
ReplyDeleteTime to check out Geico. I dropped State Farm last year after being with them 25 years.
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