Save on car insurance by raising your deductible?

[twuoo]

Hi folks...

There are quite a few collision shops around here that advertise "we pay your deductible" and even give free loaner cars.

I already have my ded at $1000, so there's no advantage for me.

But for those of you who don't, it might behoove you to look into your local collision shops to see if they pay your deductible for you as well.

If such is the case, then you should raise it to the $1000 and save on insurance costs.

Don't know that this would work for everybody, just a thought...

[Flamingo]

The problem here is that many major insurance companies send you to specific places they authorize to have your car repaired depending on your location. You just may not be able to take it to anyone and if you want to take it elsewhere, you have to provide an estimate that will beat the one from their authorized repair shop. Also, that free $1,000 is padded somewhere in what they bill the insurance company so these places are probably not high on the list of approved places for many to take their vehicles.

[yoyoma51]

Note: You have the right to have you car repaired where ever you want. Insurance co's make 'special deals' with some shops, but they cannot make you take your car there.

I've went through this several times in my life. They don't like it if you take it outside there "pre-approved" shops, but they cannot stop you and they still have to pay (at least in WI, anyway).

Although our insurance is fairly cheap here, we have $2000 deductibles on both our cars. If you are not at fault in an accident, you don't have to pay it anyway (at least in WI).

Save the dough and get as high of a deductible as your wallet will tolerate.

Just my 2 cents.

[Flamingo]

Note: You have the right to have you car repaired where ever you want. Insurance co's make 'special deals' with some shops, but they cannot make you take your car there.

I've went through this several times in my life. They don't like it if you take it outside there "pre-approved" shops, but they cannot stop you and they still have to pay (at least in WI, anyway).

Although our insurance is fairly cheap here, we have $2000 deductibles on both our cars. If you are not at fault in an accident, you don't have to pay it anyway (at least in WI).

Save the dough and get as high of a deductible as your wallet will tolerate.

Just my 2 cents.

It's not up to you or the shop you take it to it's up to the insurance adjuster who will go look at the vehicle wherever you take it unless state laws vary as to insurance practices for repairs. The insurance adjuster will come look at the vehicle and if the repairs are higher that what he/she thinks the repairs should cost, they will bring it down or have the shop use used parts. That is done to prevent fraud such as in the repair shop adding in the cost of the deductible. We went through all this when someone backed into my hubby two years ago (backed into the side of his car) and tried to blame my hubby for the accident. We had to pay our deductible in the interim to get the repairs done and were told to get some estimates and send them in. They approved the lowest estimate and sent us a check in our name and the shop's name, minus our deductible, to pay for repairs. This shop turned out to anyway to be one of the one's they utilize frequently and we had no complaints. Negotiations and a hearing with both insurance companies and the State DOI regarding the accident turned out in our favor and our $500 deductible was returned. Took a while though.

[robivi3]

I checked into it at GEICO's suggestion, they must have been joking, it was about 30.00 per six months to up my deductible from 100/100 to 500/500 on either car. Not worth the chance.

The Honda dealer here has a Gieco office and the VW was fixed at an excellent shop, I was very happy with them, they had to make one correction and it was no sweat.