A good deal–with a dash of caution - GEICO Direct
26 July 2008Re: Read with some caution - eHealthInsurance.com To the dude/dudette who wrote the review "read negative reviews with some caution": You haven't used the s...
I got my payment within in a week - GEICO Direct I do not have GEICO insurance, I use USAA. However, about 3 years ago I was waiting at a red light in my Jeep Che...
I’m one of those “reformed” bad drivers. All through college I danced on the edge of losing my license. In my youth, they got me for racing, reckless driving, speeding, going the wrong way on a one-way street, and probably a lot more. I wasn’t as insane a driver as that sounds. I was just young and careless. Back then, I was paying over $300 a month for minimum coverage, and could barely afford to pay my bills. Geico wouldn’t even talk to me because of my driving record. Remember, they’re the “good driver” insurance.
Before I talk about them, here are a couple of quick things to know about Geico:
1. when they ask you if you use a radar detector, “no” is the correct answer. If you say “yes”, they’ll log it in their system, tell you they can’t handle your policy, and you’ll have to wait until you’re purged from their system before they’ll talk to you again. It was about 6 months for me. Just a little note.
2. They don’t insure “high performance” vehicles. Examples would be a Camaro Z-28 or a Kawasaki ZX-11 sportbike motorcycle. I have the base-model 6 cylinder convertible Camaro, and they have no problem with that.
I’ve had Progressive, State Farm, and several no-name companies before I came to Geico. I should say, before they’d accept me, actually. I’m 31 and have had Geico for about 7 years now, and they’re great. They’re a bit selective, but otherwise very good. Just last week I locked myself out of my car. They had a guy there within 30 minutes that unlocked my car for me. It’s an extra charge, but a very small one. I think it’s about $25 over the course of a year. That one time I needed it probably paid for a couple years worth of it.
I had an accident about 5 years ago after having them only two years. The first accident doesn’t count against you, they said. My premium still went up a little, and customer service had trouble explaining why. That’s the only problem I’ve ever had with them.
Another reviewer wasn’t sure if they were as inexpensive as they claim. Trust me. They are. I’ve had everyone, including high risk insurance companies like Progressive, and Geico has yet to be beaten.
I just added my girlfriend so that we can get a multi-car discount, and my monthly bill dropped about $10. She was paying a high-risk premium, and hers dropped from $142 a month to $75. She was overjoyed. If she has an accident, they said it won’t raise my policy. That’s a first, but I believe them because they’ve always been professional. Next month, I get my 5 years good driver’s discount.
Another reviewer also complained that they have “extremely unrealistic payment expectations”. I disagree completely. She explained that she received the bill only 4 days before her payment is due. I believe that’s basically how it works. If it’s a day late, she explains, then she gets a pink envelope saying her policy will be cancelled. This is true, and I was also concerned about it, so I called Geico and talked to them about it. They say they’re required to give policy-holders 30 notice before a policy is cancelled. That’s why she gets a pink notice a few days after the bill is due. She still has 30 days before her policy is cancelled. Even if it is cancelled, they will reinstate your policy if you pay immediately after the cancellation. They’re really not hard to work with. If you get a pink slip, then you didn’t pay your bill on time. I know it’s tough sometimes, but that’s how it goes with most bills.
You can pay in various ways. You can pay over the Internet, do automatic payments from your bank account or credit card, or just send a check. You can break up the payments into monthly payments (like I do), as well as several other, very flexible, payments methods.
In short, be careful with answers to all questions. Don’t say you use a radar detector or don’t wear your seat beats. There are rumors that Geico cancels a lot of policies, but even with one accident and one speeding ticket on my license, they have not cancelled me yet. I believe that they want “good drivers”, but I don’t think they’re fanatical about it. Everyone deserves a screw-up or two, and I think they know it. High performance cars won’t be accepted, but don’t rule yours out just because it’s sporty–I think they go by pure engine power more than anything else. Keep the tickets to a minimum–remember you can attend driver’s school instead of having a ticket placed on your record. Driver’s school can be taken every two years (at least here in Kentucky), so take advantage of it when you can. I’ve been 5 times. 
Thanks, and I hope this helps.
Brian
*** 2-21-2003 UPDATE ***
This weekend after a major ice storm, my car slid off the driveway into the yard. I tried to about 45 minutes to dig/push/drive my way out of the mud and ice, but the vehicle wouldn’t budge. When I called Geico to take advantage of my roadside assistance free towing, the support person quizzed me with questions like, “How many feet are you from the driveway?” and “How many feet are you from the road?” After answering all his questions, he stated that since I drove into the yard, they would not provide tow service. When I told him I didn’t drive into the yard, but actually slid off my driveway, he said that wasn’t what I originally said. After some arguing, I asked that our recorded conversation be played back, but he said he didn’t have access to it. I asked to speak to his supervisor, and after 5 minutes (I’m sure he was giving his sie of the conversation) “April” came on and iterated what he said. When April made the mistake of saying my girlfriend was the driver, I corrected her. I figured that’s just another mistake to note, and maybe if she makes one, she’d realize she could have made another just as easily. It didn’t matter, because when push came to shove, she said since I wasn’t on a state highway (my yard is 6 feet from the road!) I wasn’t covered anyway!
So I asked who I can file a complaint with, and she says, “Me.” Wonderful. So I did, but didn’t hear back this week, like she said I would.
So I paid $50 for my own tow, and called Geico back Monday to follow up on my complaint.
This person said, “I don’t know what she was thinking when she said we couldn’t tow you, but we tow people who are 20 miles from a state highway.” She gave me the address to send my receipt to. Unfortunately, I didn’t get one, and now the tow company doesn’t remember towing me (they probably towed 100 cars that day, thanks to the ice storm).
I’m pretty disappointed in Geico this week, and have knocked my rating down a star to reflect this. Thank God it wasn’t a claim I was filing.
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