Learning to drive

[GeorgeB]

Insuranace companies act like you're their best friend as long as you're snding money to them every month, that is until you actually need them to pay for something, then they'll find every excuse they can to shift the blame somewhere else and not pay a penny.

First part not so true, and second part is dead on.

About a year ago, we were in a head on collision, thanks to a woman not paying attention to her driving, and deciding to text instead.

We both had the General. Took us damn near 6 months to get all the money that was due to us.

Then, 2 months later, we got in another accident. This time, we were sitting at a red light, bumper to bumper traffic. The people in the left turn lane beeped their horn, so this guy in a work truck behind us, hit the gas, and ran right into the back of us.

Now he was cool...he told the state trooper that it was his fault, and we both had the same story as to what had happened. We still had the General, and he and his company had GEICO. We got a check in 3 days!. Once I got the check, later that day, I switched to GEICO. I rather pay more and get good service, then pay less, and think you are, and you really dont.

 

[foo2thabar]

I use State Farm. They're awesome. When I was hit on the --- end a few months ago by some 16 year old in mommy's car, they cut me a check almost immediately (adjuster came out to see the car after 2 days, then the check came out after a week). They gave me $200 over the estimate for repair, too.

 

[Decker]

Not surprisingly it seems harder to get a settlement if both parties are with the same insurer.

Only ever accident I've ever had (several close ones I managed to avoid) was when I got broadsided by a newly qualified driver, he was good checking I was okay before bothering about damage, he admitted fault (couldn't not really as his car was embedded in the drivers side of mine) and we were both with the same insurer.

4 months later still no resolution, my car in the repairers untouched, till one morning I phoned the repairers to check if they'd heard anything and was told my car had been collected to be taken away to be scrapped...

I'd told the insurers I wanted it repaired and they basically stole the car!

Took only 3 days after that (and one very angry phone call) to get a cheque out of them for £500 above the book value of the car.

Why is car insurance so costly - cause they had to pay for 4 months car hire for me and then pay out £500 more than they would have had to to replace it - they have their thumbs up somewhere trying to work out how to stiff you instead of realising that quick and clean keeps them customers year after year.

Needless to say I changed insurers the same day the cheque arrived.

 

[foo2thabar]

Not surprisingly it seems harder to get a settlement if both parties are with the same insurer.

Only ever accident I've ever had (several close ones I managed to avoid) was when I got broadsided by a newly qualified driver, he was good checking I was okay before bothering about damage, he admitted fault (couldn't not really as his car was embedded in the drivers side of mine) and we were both with the same insurer.

4 months later still no resolution, my car in the repairers untouched, till one morning I phoned the repairers to check if they'd heard anything and was told my car had been collected to be taken away to be scrapped...

I'd told the insurers I wanted it repaired and they basically stole the car!

Took only 3 days after that (and one very angry phone call) to get a cheque out of them for £500 above the book value of the car.

Why is car insurance so costly - cause they had to pay for 4 months car hire for me and then pay out £500 more than they would have had to to replace it - they have their thumbs up somewhere trying to work out how to stiff you instead of realising that quick and clean keeps them customers year after year.

Needless to say I changed insurers the same day the cheque arrived.

That's absurd, dude. The kid that hit me was covered under his parents insurance, which was the same as mine. My agent phoned his and had everything done quickly and fairly painlessly (one hangup, but it was the kid -- he said him and his parents wanted to settle outside of a claim to keep it off the record and to call them. 3 voicemails and two weeks later, nothing heard from them. That's when I actually filed the claim and the inspector came out after two days, etc).

But then - how is car insurance handled there? Here, State Farm (my co) has mostly-independent franchises that operate under the SF banner. You get the corporate financial backing but your agents actually get to know you (if you try) and tend to help you instead of shoving you behind red tape, like with The General Insurance like someone said earlier.

 

[perry789]

I don't think many uk drivers pass first time, maybe it's just yet another way that the government can take your money repeatedly. Also pretty sure the examiners have a quota basically they cannot pass too many people in x amount of time, which is ridiculous and very very unfair!