Originally Posted by rjwvetttt

State Farm wasn't in the ballpark in prices. They also will not pay for agreed value.
Ripped my cousin off big when his car was totaled.

Originally Posted by C5R USA

Thanks for the info, sorry to hear of your cousin's plight....I'm guessing insurance rate premiums and how certain carriers deal with totaled vehicles is based more on the regional area of the insured vehicle. I would imagine all the insurance carriers at one point or another have lower costs than their competitors, depending on the state. It definitely pays to shop around. Geico I'm sure has great rates for some states, and then others not so much, and vice versa for everyone else. No matter who the carrier is, I'm not happy to fork it over.

Originally Posted by rjwvetttt

Yes they insure to the agreed upon value. You'll need another vehicle insured with another company.

Originally Posted by C5R USA

Another insurance thread but, I'm not complaining. If there's one common denominator we all share, it's handing over money grudgingly to your carrier. I spent years at USAA dating back to the late '80's, and hands down, no one could come close to the rates they offered. When rival companies called vying for your business and you told them you were with USAA, the conversation ended pretty quick. I left USAA a few years ago, and don't miss it a bit. They jacked up their rates to the point where it's laughable to say they are even competitive anymore. If you shook hands with a service member, you could get probably get insurance with them. As soon as they relaxed their standards and let everyone in, so went the quality of the driver's they insured. I've been with State Farm for a few years now and (knock on wood) have not gotten a shock from rate hikes, like I saw with USAA. 2 Corvettes, S10 ZR-2 , and a Nissan Maxima, and I pay less than $500 for 6 months. Of course being 50, with a lily-white driving record helps to.

USAA- is Ok, not great but, Ok....If your looking for a car loan or credit card with USAA, their rates on those are definitely good
State Farm- I find their customer service and rates to be very competitive. Probably not the best company out there but, YMMV.
Geico-They sure advertise like crazy, and honestly I can't remember any policy holder ever saying anything good/great about them. Someone must like them for something?

Just my .02

Originally Posted by grampi50

I don't know what you mean when you say that USAA now lets everyone in. As far as I know, you still have to be in the military, a vet, or a parent would have had to serve and be a USAA member in order to get insurance with them. I know because my sister recently tried to gain insurance with them as our dad served in the Navy, but they wouldn't allow it because my dad never had USAA insurance. Also, while I agree their rates have gone up, at least with me anyway, they still have the lowest rates I've been able to find...

Originally Posted by C5R USA

Yes, you do have to be Military affiliated or be related to someone that does have a policy is but, what I'm saying is they've relaxed their standards . In the old days, you had to be a commissioned officer, a spouse or dependent of one and that was it and the rates were unbeatable. They've opened the doors to enlisted, more family members, and ex-spouses. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that when you open the floodgates, the quality of the drivers is going to suffer. I got so tired of seeing my rates steadily climb year after year. I got the old USAA two-step of "more people in your state are having accidents" so the cost of the claims has to be recovered. So, because you opened the floodgates to everyone, now I have to pay for their carelessness? That's straight up FUBAR in my book. USAA in the old days, I was happy to pay the insurance premiums, because it either stayed the same or dropped a little. I never saw rate hikes like I've seen in the not so distance past. It was criminal how much it went up. Anytime I got quoted from USAA in the past for a different vehicle, I was always elated, and my standard answer was, "that's it"? Those days are long gone....

I'm happy that you like them, they served me well for 20+ years but, their rates aren't unbeatable anymore. That blissful marriage has ended. USAA used to be about customer service, now they've succumbed to corporate greed, and see only the $$$ signs.

Originally Posted by grampi50

The rate increases must depend on which state you live in because I've had USAA for at least 20 years now and my rates only increased once during that time. Also, I shop rates frequently and I still haven't found a another company that can touch USAA's rates...

Originally Posted by C5R USA

This is exactly what I was referring to in an earlier post. Again, I'm thrilled to hear that USAA comes through for you, and that the rates are substantially less. Whatever state you live in, obviously hasn't been hammered with claims like Missouri has.. That is the one facet of insurance that any of the carriers loathe having to fork over for, and if there's a lot of claims, their going to get their money back somehow, mot likely from John & Jane Q. USAA members. Insurance companies are a business, and no matter how much they claim to be geared towards diamond customer service, they are looking at the quarterly and annual margins religiously.

Best regards, Tom M.

Originally Posted by jrprich

I use AARP/The Hartford and have for many years.
2003 Corvette
Total Premium: $498.50 a year with very low deductibles

Premiums will vary by which state, years of driving without an accident or ticket.

Originally Posted by Arvalo

Originally Posted by Route99

If you are active, retired or former military you may want to check with USAA. Their rates are not always the lowest, but they are very competitive and their service is excellent. They are always rated either #1 or #2 on customer satisfaction surveys.
(I believe you are also now eligible if you were not military but have an immediate family member who is or was in the military. Might be worth checking).