From: savoia@sw.stratus.com (Rick Savoia)
Newsgroups: alt.privacy,ca.driving,misc.consumers,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Am I being sleazed by this insurance company?
Date: 28 Jan 1993 14:22:58 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: watts.sqa.stratus.com

In article <1993Jan28.034819.21021@spdcc.com>, rdonahue@spdcc.com (Bob Donahue) writes:
> savoia@sw.stratus.com (Rick Savoia) writes:
> >coleman@rocky.cs.ucla.edu (Mike Coleman) writes:
> >>Is the insurance company's behavior improper?  Illegal?  Would all companies
> >>ask for this, or did I just find a dud?
> 
> 
> 	[Listing roommates on insurance]
> 
> >Nope.  It's not a dud. Here in MA, if you are living with
> >someone who is not  a family member, you have to list 
> >them on your insurance if they are going to be driving your
> >car.  
> 
> 
> 	Incorrect.
> 
> 	That depends on the individual insurance company.
> Travelers wanted me to list everyone in the household,
> including my 17 year old brother on my policy.  My dad was
> a truck driver for UPS, I have a manual xmission car and
> my brother couldn't drive it.  they insisted.  I left.

	Incorrect.  
	I had Travelers for a while as well.
	They didn't make me put my family members on. 
	I could if I wanted to but I wasn't forced to.
	I left Travelers anyway because of the agent 
	I was dealing with.  I kept wondering why my
	bill was so high for a 10 year old rabbit and
	my agent kept telling me that rates are fixed
	in MA.  What he didn't tell me was that 
	Travelers was attaching $200-300 extra per year
	because of the agent.

> 
> 	My partner and I are not on each other's policies.
> 
> 	The general rule is - if the other person is more of a liability,
> you're better of putting them on the policy.  For most companies,
> the insurance rate is set to the most liable person.  IF your roommates
> *are* going to be using the car in any regular fashion, you're
> better off putting htem on and divvying up the bill accordingly.
> Some companies will try to levy an additional surcharge on you,
> in that case you might as well find another agent [*].
> 

	My brothers used to get ticketed on a regular basis
	when we were all living at home.  I remember once
	that they tried to surcharge me because one of them 
	had gotten ticketed.  When I asked why, their 
	reasoning was that since we all lived in the same 
	house, that he might use my car and therefore was
	a greater risk.  That stopped real quick.  My 
	whole family threatened to pull out of Travelers
	for everything!  



> 	My roommate isn't on my policy but he's in a lower-risk group
> than I am.  If I want to add him, I can, but it won't cost me any
> more (I checked on this).

	I just called on this. My roomate and I are currently in the
	same risk group.  By having him on my insurance my rates don't
	go up at all.  If he was in the highest risk group, my rates
	would stay the same.  His rating does not affect my rates or
	risk-rating AT ALL since he has his own insurance.  All
	surcharges and higher rates would be on his insurance and
	not mine.  It costs me nothing to have him listed.  Therefore,
	the earlier suggestion of divvying up the bill between 
	roomates would be unfair.  Everyone would be paying for
	something they weren't responsible for.
> 
> BBC
> 
> [*] At this point someone is probably going to bring up that all
> MA rates are fixed.  Yes, they are fixed for specific items.
> How those items are clumped and sold is left up to the insurance
> companies.  Therefore you ***can*** shop and find better rates,
> even in MA.  I went from $1,200/year down to $850/year doing just this.

	Very true.  I looked around and lowered my insurance
	by $300.  I'm happy with my policy now.  For the most
	part!  At least until Congress gives in again and gives
	the insurance companies their requested hike.  Which 
	they always do!
-- 
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Rick Savoia                     | "I'm just very selective
savoia@watts.sqa.stratus.com    | about the reality 
Rick_Savoia@vos.stratus.com     | I accept" - Calvin
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