Submit a car insurance claim or not

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drr1099
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Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by drr1099 »

Hi. My wife's car computer went haywire yesterday at work and she had to tow it to the dealer who found that she had rodent damage. It cost 1100 to replace the wire harness, etc. I thought it was BS because we don't have any rodents, but she said that it was parked near a dumpster and she did see a rat nearby. Anyway, she wants to make an insurance claim which will save us 600 after deductible. However, I've heard horror stories where people called their car/home insurance company with just a hypothetical questions (not a claim) and the company raised their rate because the conversation alone implied that these people could be higher risk. For instance, they could say: "Sure these people think the rodents were at work, but what if they have the problem at home. Let's raise their premiums just in case because it may happen again" I have both car and home insurance with the same company so they may say: "Let's raise their home insurance too while we are at it because who knows what kind of damage those rats can do to the house as well". I don't have any kind of rodents, I swear, but I don't think they give a rat's a... :) Please share your thoughts
runner3081
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by runner3081 »

I would not personally file a claim for $600
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quantAndHold
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by quantAndHold »

If you wouldn’t file a claim for $600, then you should discuss whether or not you should raise the deductible on your policy.

And no, just having a conversation with your agent will not raise your rates. It doesn’t work like that.
teniralc
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by teniralc »

I probably would not file a claim. But it might be a good opportunity to review your levels of insurance, including your deductibles. Every time I talk with my insurance agent, I learn something and it is always a good refresher about why I actually have insurance. For me, it is not for things that cost $1000, rather it is for the big things like getting sued and having them back me up in a suit.
Boatguy
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by Boatguy »

Since this would be a Comprehensive coverage claim, it’s likely that the claim will not impact your rate. Most insurers will not increase your rate as a result of a single Comp claim.
260chrisb
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by 260chrisb »

Boatguy wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:07 pm Since this would be a Comprehensive coverage claim, it’s likely that the claim will not impact your rate. Most insurers will not increase your rate as a result of a single Comp claim.
Likely similar to a deer strike. Clarify this with your agent before you decide to make a claim.
student
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by student »

teniralc wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 8:06 pm I probably would not file a claim. But it might be a good opportunity to review your levels of insurance, including your deductibles. Every time I talk with my insurance agent, I learn something and it is always a good refresher about why I actually have insurance. For me, it is not for things that cost $1000, rather it is for the big things like getting sued and having them back me up in a suit.
+1.
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samsoes
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by samsoes »

drr1099 wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 6:37 pm ...However, I've heard horror stories ...
Where, from some guy on the internet? Or, a credible source, such as an insurance underwriter?
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miamivice
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by miamivice »

Happy wife, happy life.
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F150HD
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by F150HD »

drr1099 wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 6:37 pm Hi. My wife's car computer went haywire yesterday at work and she had to tow it to the dealer who found that she had rodent damage. It cost 1100 to replace the wire harness, etc. I thought it was BS because we don't have any rodents, but she said that it was parked near a dumpster and she did see a rat nearby.
Soy coated wiring. if they replaced w/ the same harness, issue may occur again. what make/model/year vehicle?

https://nhoilundercoating.com/soy-based ... -mice-out/

https://www.thedrive.com/news/20878/rod ... insulation

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/class-acti ... sue-again/
runner3081
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by runner3081 »

quantAndHold wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 7:53 pm If you wouldn’t file a claim for $600, then you should discuss whether or not you should raise the deductible on your policy.
Agree. What is why we have high deductibles. Also, we don't have comprehensive, so if this happened to us, we wouldn't even have anything to file :)
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grabiner
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by grabiner »

Check your policy; there will likely be a section "Rating information" which indicates what type of claims will increase your rates.

When I lived in NJ, the best rating category required no comprehensive claims and no not-at-fault accidents; in MD, neither of those figures into my rate, only at-fault accidents causing at least $1000 in damage (or injuries).
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RickBoglehead
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by RickBoglehead »

So many are fearful of using a benefit (insurance) for which they pay money. Boggles the mind.

Had some stuff happen, we would lose our loss free discount for 3 years, i.e. ~$150 total. We would get close to $2,000. No brainer.

Broke tablet. Then broke phone 2 years later. Claimed both, $600 payout.

Water pipe broke at cottage. Tens of thousands for claim.

Costs zero until they pay out.
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Jack FFR1846
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

Mice are everywhere and can easily enter any car in any garage.

In my state, if you ask, the mechanic has to save and give you any parts replaced. If you asked to see the harness, I'm sure you'd see the damage. Those stupid plastic covers all over engines sometimes have fiber under them. This is a really attractive place for mice. The cover for my Jeep is safely stored in my garage attic. Even if there's no fiber, mice like hiding and the covers provide plenty of cover.
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riverant
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by riverant »

quantAndHold wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 7:53 pm If you wouldn’t file a claim for $600, then you should discuss whether or not you should raise the deductible on your policy.

And no, just having a conversation with your agent will not raise your rates. It doesn’t work like that.

There are companies that surcharge you based on the number of service calls you make. I imagine these would be the direct carriers only though.
Katietsu
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by Katietsu »

RickBoglehead wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 6:43 pm So many are fearful of using a benefit (insurance) for which they pay money. Boggles the mind.

Had some stuff happen, we would lose our loss free discount for 3 years, i.e. ~$150 total. We would get close to $2,000. No brainer.

Broke tablet. Then broke phone 2 years later. Claimed both, $600 payout.

Water pipe broke at cottage. Tens of thousands for claim.

Costs zero until they pay out.
Your math works for you. Not the same for everyone. Insurance is so dependent on location and demographics.

Example: I damaged my car on a tow hitch in a parking lot. My cost over the deductible was $600. I chose to pay it even though I had 1 “free” accident available. Two months later, the vehicle was involved in an accident with $6000 worth of damage. That was a good use of the free accident. Had we made both claims, the extra premium would have been $2400.

I hate having to figure out when to make a small pay out insurance claim. It reminds me of being in a casino and putting chips down on the roulette table.
HENRYGRUGER
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by HENRYGRUGER »

drr1099 wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 6:37 pm Hi. My wife's car computer went haywire yesterday at work and she had to tow it to the dealer who found that she had rodent damage. It cost 1100 to replace the wire harness, etc. I thought it was BS because we don't have any rodents, but she said that it was parked near a dumpster and she did see a rat nearby. Anyway, she wants to make an insurance claim which will save us 600 after deductible. However, I've heard horror stories where people called their car/home insurance company with just a hypothetical questions (not a claim) and the company raised their rate because the conversation alone implied that these people could be higher risk. For instance, they could say: "Sure these people think the rodents were at work, but what if they have the problem at home. Let's raise their premiums just in case because it may happen again" I have both car and home insurance with the same company so they may say: "Let's raise their home insurance too while we are at it because who knows what kind of damage those rats can do to the house as well". I don't have any kind of rodents, I swear, but I don't think they give a rat's a... :) Please share your thoughts
Folks...I was a Nationwide Insurance Agency Owner in the 1990's and early 2000's, so my comments are NOT opinion, or "Anti-Insurance Company Hate Messages."

1. If you file a claim, it will be recorded on an Industry Standard Reporting Source called CLUE.
2. When your policy comes up for renewal, your CLUE Report will be ONE of the tools used to evaluate your renewal premium.
3. Your claim will be used in premium calculations for up to 3 years.

What will not happen, if you file a claim, is your policy be cancelled, nor will the claim be denied. Neither will it result in your carrier looking for ways to raise other policy premiums.

You need to decide if the amount you will receive from your insurance carrier will be worth the rate increases you are likely to endure for the next 3 years.

NOW...IF this is your FIRST claim, AND IF your carrier has claim forgiveness, your claim will have no negative effects on your premium.

Good Luck!
miket29
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Re: Submit a car insurance claim or not

Post by miket29 »

quantAndHold wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 7:53 pm If you wouldn’t file a claim for $600, then you should discuss whether or not you should raise the deductible on your policy.

And no, just having a conversation with your agent will not raise your rates. It doesn’t work like that.
But there's this...
Every claim you make—and even if you ask an insurance agent about making a claim—gets entered into a database that your current and future insurance carriers can access. If you have had any recent accidents or traffic violations, you may be more expensive to insure than someone with a clean driving record. If you’ve made any recent claims, your insurance premiums will likely go up. And if you shop around for a new company, they’ll have access to your records and will take your driving record into consideration.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/11-th ... 2019-10-29
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