Geico v. Liberty Mutual car insurance

After being with LM for about 4 years I recently switched from LM to Geico.  Saved a lot of money, my LM premiums went up about 11% every year.  When I would call about it, they would always say 'the rates went up in your area' like that means anything. 

Call and add the kid to the policy. Remember, when  the chips are down, insurance companies will go the extra mile to find ways to deny your claim. Don't give them an excuse.

I don't even know how this is possible, but I called Liberty Mutual and was told that for our son to be eligible to drive both of our cars (with only a very small differential if we limited him only to the older car), our total annual premium would come in at just a hair under $5000, and when I called GEICO, they gave me an apples-to-apples quote including our son that came in at $1939 annually. Yet another game you have to keep playing to win.

Anyone try this: https://www.defensivedriving.com/new-jersey/home/ I have one bogus ticket that I'd like to try to offset with a discount by taking this course. Does it take a long time? Is it worth it?

I had NJM for years and switched to Geico to save money when my daughter began driving.  Horrible experience, and after 2 claims processes I wish I had never done it.   Check your policies carefully and compare APPLES to APPLES.   Most of the time the coverage you are getting with Geico is less than what you thought.  (I.e. rental reimbursement, no threshold etc)

I took the course online to lower my premium, although I had no tickets.  I save about 20 bucks a year for three years, the course cost over 40 bucks, and took a few hours because you can't skip ahead online, it forces you to go slow.  Not worth it for me.

Thanks, boomie. I just looked at the policy, and all the "values" appear to be the same as they were on the old one. What happened to me last time was that after switching to GEICO from another insurer, the initial wow-what-a-difference rate slowly crept up, causing me to switch to Liberty Mutual, which then slowly crept up. That's why I say you have to keep playing the game.

As for how they handle claims, I can't recall if we had a claim against our original GEICO policy, so it's hard to say. We'll see how it goes and hope for the best.

FilmCarp said:

I took the course online to lower my premium, although I had no tickets.  I save about 20 bucks a year for three years, the course cost over 40 bucks, and took a few hours because you can't skip ahead online, it forces you to go slow.  Not worth it for me.

Thanks, Film, that's what I fear. I have little patience for that kind of baloney.

I just switched back to Liberty Mutual for the car insurance. My Geico premiums were going up pretty consistently so with homeowner and auto through LM I get a $500 discount. Worth it to go back for now. I'm sure in a couple years I'll switch again.

That seems to be the MO of these companies. Lure people in with artificially low rates, then keep on bumping up the premiums until they leave, then lure them back when they get sick of the other outfit. The whole thing is a sham.

jasper said:

That seems to be the MO of these companies. Lure people in with artificially low rates, then keep on bumping up the premiums until they leave, then lure them back when they get sick of the other outfit. The whole thing is a sham.

We have NJM which was a really good deal for MANY years until we added our teen drivers to the mix.  On and off in the last few years (with four cars and four drivers - two under age 25), I have gotten quotes from other companies that were significantly lower, but have been hesitant to change for this reason.  I'll be interested to see where we land in a couple more years when we get back to only (fully) adult drivers on the policy.

I left NJM because of the bump up when I added my daughter but now I will go back because it is worth it.  They are diamond level service.  When you have a claim is exactly the time you need that service, and it is not the time you want to find out about the cuts that Geico imposes.    Talk to Auto Body shops about Geico, they will tell you they are the WORST with claims, and often make you use old, damaged parts for your repairs.

boomie said:

I left NJM because of the bump up when I added my daughter but now I will go back because it is worth it.  They are diamond level service.  When you have a claim is exactly the time you need that service, and it is not the time you want to find out about the cuts that Geico imposes.    Talk to Auto Body shops about Geico, they will tell you they are the WORST with claims, and often make you use old, damaged parts for your repairs.

Can you get back in if you leave and no longer work for a qualifying employer?  That's my situation, so I never left.  

I still have homeowners insurance with them.  

boomie said:

I still have homeowners insurance with them.  

Ah ... you're good then.

I have kept my HO with Chubb.