I called Geico to separate my vehicle and my wife's vehicles into separate accounts. The Customer Service Rep asked me if this it was a divorce. I replied, "it's heading in that direction". The rep then informed me that because I was in the doghouse, they were changing my status to "estranged" and the rates would go up by $50 a month for my vehicle, $100 a month for hers.
I felt like the rep tricked me into giving them an excuse to raise my rates. I didn't even see this coming. I thought they were just making small talk, like when they ask you how the weather is, next thing you know my rates go back up to being more than a car payment. I called back and talked to someone who didn't speak English as their first language. I have no idea if they were in the United States or not. I didn't get anywhere with explaining this to the second "customer service" rep.
Four months later, and I'm still technically married to her. What business is it of Geico's whether I'm getting along with my wife or not? Supposing I stay married for 5 years, and supposing I was to stay a Geico customer for 5 years, would I have to continue paying high rates for 5 years, just because in 2008 I casually told their "customer service" that I was in the doghouse? How do you objectively define "estranged" as if it is an absolute fact? How is this even legal to base insurance rates on something which is subjective? How can their "Customer Service" arbitrarily raise your rates like this after tricking you into giving out subjective information about your marriage?
I switched to another company, and was honest about everything. Their agent was a helpful American in my local community who gladly put me down as married and gave me a rate that was lower than what I was paying before Geico raised my rates.
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