State Farm vs AARP/Hartford Auto Ins Experience

[coolest]

I am trying to decide between staying with my current auto insurance co, State Farm, or changing to AARP/Hartford.I am interested in feedback pro or con. Thanks in advance..

[bjl584]

It really depends on a lot of factors unique to you. What is your age? What is your driving record? Where geographically do you live? What type of car are you insuring? How many cars do you own? Do you have a homeowners policy attached to the insurance? The best advice that I can give you is to spend an afternoon calling around and comparing rates.

[marvholly]

Also, with State Farm (or most of the big name companies) you have a specific agent to work with. With AARP/Hartford it is the luck of the draw on the level of training & ability of the customer service rep you get on the phone or who answers your email. Most are TOTALLY clueless.

As it happens my DD is best friends w/an adjuster supervisor so I am considering a change.

[snafu]

State Farm experience: after 20 years of paying premiums for various autos and homes, we suddenly had 2 claims and one inquiry in a five year span. An inquiry is weighed as a mini claim if you give your name and a/c number. We were summarily dropped on the renewal date, leaving us to scramble for another agent.

True you are assigned a specific agent if you have a claim but you can be unlucky and be assigned someone who has just completed their training. [guess how I know].

State Farm agents sell only their own product. Seek referral from people you know and trust for an Insurance Agent, they check a raft of companies to find the best fit for your needs, even using re-insurers whose names are unfamiliar to consumers.

State Farm, Allstate and that ilk, depend on profit from their investments. When they lose money on the stock market or other investments, they need to increase premiums even though the accident rate/disaster payouts have substantively decreased.

[PMMM]

I have heard this now from several people over the years. Long time customers and then had a couple of claims and then boom they got dropped. I'm not sure but I think it's State Farm that has heavy advertising challenging you to test their pricing against Geico. I was thinking about doing it because frankly I like to shop my car and homeowners insurance every couple of years anyway. But I think I will continue to pass on that company.

There in it to make money but to cancel someone who has paid in for years and years only to get dropped after a couple claims isn't right. You may pay more with the next insurance company just because you were dropped as an added insult.

PMMM

[snafu]

PS forgot to add, by using an insurance agent who checked many different companies, we got insurance coverage for lower annual premiums. I learned I'd been paying higher rates because State Farm was heavily impacted by claims for Katrina. We didn't realize the impact those claims had on our rates in Canada.

[curtis.lesa]

after the way they treated my mother's collision claim, I'm never ever going to go with State farm again. Try your luck with AARP.

[coolest]

Thanks for your replies guys. I will go with AARP/Hartford

[curtis.lesa]

I have home and car insurance with The Hartford through AARP so can vouch for their very good claims handling service. AARP gives good rates and I get a multi policy discount for combining home and car insurance with the same company, which is roughly another 10-15% off. I haven’t tried State Farm so I’m not in a position to comment on them.

[marvholly]

Be REAL careful w/combo policies. We had one. In the same year we had a home claim (kids set fire outside garage & it burned)and an auto claim (?). Cancelled so fast your head would swim. Will NEVER do that again. Not worth the $200 savings to us. We now have separate policies w/2 different companies.

[whitewater30]

Been with State Farm for 16 years. No Problems.