I switched to Allstate about 4 years ago to insure my 2007 car (which I had purchased that year) because they had the lowest rates for that make and model. That was their bait: low rates at the beginning to reel you in and drain your bank account later.
Over the past 4 years my insurance has gone up as my car has depreciated. I called my agent several times to find out the unexplainable reason for the price hike (I am single, 31, female, in a safe neighborhood, with no tickets or accidents on record, driving a small 4-door sedan, and a multi-policy holder). My agent blatantly lied to me and told me that I was getting the maximum of discounts available to me, and that my car insurance was so high ($143 a month) solely because of the make and model of my car. I told him I was tired of being charged so much for no apparent reason and asked him how much my rates would be if I traded in the car for an older model sedan. He quoted me:
"I was just looking at a 2002 Dodge Intrepid for you. It would be $94.85 per month and $89.43 per month if we dropped the 'gold package'. So it does look like older models are probably a little cheaper."
"You know another thing you could do is lower your liability limits if you wanted to try and save some moola. You have really good limits right now but we have 2 more 'tiers' we could go down to."
So now he was saying that not only would I lose the $400 'gold package' status to be able to get a lower rate (having been accident free over the course of 4 years), but that I would continue having my bank account drained (at a slightly lower rate). Or I could lower my coverage (like that is all I need).
I called up my old agent (State Farm) because they had always been honest with me no matter what the price (I left them initially because their price was higher than Allstate's). I told my ex-agent the situation and gave him my current information and policy info so he could do a price quote.
For my 2007 Subaru Impreza:
Allstate: $143 a month
State Farm: $62 a month
I did other price quotes from other companies (ranging from $50 to $89). I ultimately went with State Farm because of the way this particular branch has treated me over a long period of years. They are responsive and honest, and they treat me like they care about me as an individual, instead of just another bank account to drain.
On a side note, I was the one who did not research Allstate before buying into their bait and switch tactics and dishonest company. Ultimately I can only blame myself, but my hope is that others will begin reading reviews like this one before making a decision that could cost them thousands, and eventually help to put companies like Allstate Insurance out of business, or at least hold them to a higher standard.
0 comments