Yep... It's that time of year again! Time to renew my Auto policy... What I am about to tell you is somewhat shocking, but none the less TRUE.
I called the following companies,
AllState - AAA - Farm Berau - Esurance - LA Auto insurance - State Farm and a few other smaller companies. It would appear that ALL of these companies are in bed as every single one gave me the SAME rate within a few dollars! To make things even worse these Auto Insurance companies all seem to share the same records and were aware of other prices that I was given! Every single one of them said "I doubt you will find a better rate anywhere else" which I feel amount to PRICE FIXING!
What REALLY pissed me off was my $60 a month premiums were now almost $120! FOR NO FAULT INSURANCE! Mind you I have not had any tickets, or claims in 8 years! No DUI's, No Speeding tickets, NOTHING! It's important to realize what "Michigan" no-fault insurance is... What it means is if your car is smashed you get NOTHING for your car, and pretty much your deductibles are super high and you're really only covered up to certian amounts. The insurance companies claimed that it was because of Michigans "Unlimited medical" requirement that requires insurance companies to pay for ALL your hospital and heath care as it pertains to the accident.. I told the representative to wake up! That's why they call it "INSURANCE"! To that he replied that "Many insurance companies are leaving Michigan". But the worse part is that even when you are injured in a car crash the insurance companies will spend TWICE the amount on their attornies than they will your care! I know for a fact it's true because I had a friend who was in a bad auto accident! He got fucked and the insurance company tried to fight paying for his medical! What kind of $hit is that?
To make things even WORSE all of the representatives claimed that the state charged certian fee's on every single car. It amounted to a little under $100 per vehicle in state fee's that the insurance company is more than happy to pass on to the customer. It's almost like they were hiding behind the state at every turn. But WTF!? If the state is going to charge money then what the hell do we need the insurance company for? Are we getting multiple insurance policies? To that I would have to say "Yes" we are, only the fee's we are paying to the state go to pay for other people that dont have insurance. So it's totally screwed up here in Michigan as it pertains to Auto insurance.
Here is the kicker! Every one of the insurance reps that I spoke with gave me a rate TWICE as high as I was paying and when I told them it was highway robbery they ALL said the exact same thing "Insurance is manditory in Michigan, so take it or leave it".
I think this speaks VOLUMES about how fucked up Obama-Care is going to be. The same exact thing will happen,
(1) You will be forced to buy some worthless minimum coverage that wont be worth a damn in small or large claims
(2) Anyone who sells you insurance will have your PRIVATE information (ALL OF IT) right in front of their eyes! That pretty much means anyone who can type on a computer can and WILL know everything about you.
It's just what we Americans can expect, getting less for more! Something HAS to be done about this! People have no clue what is in store for them! All I can say is that a MANDATE to buy ANYTHING will result in all of us getting poor service, and increased cost PERIOD! It's flat out price fixing and it will end up costing you more while offering less!
So now it ends up being less expensive to turn my vehicle into a company car, which is what I am going to do. But it just goes to PROVE that when anything is mandated it's the consumer who will pay and lose!
I am starting to think I will be paying for the cars damaged in SuperStorm Sandy all by myself! It only appears to be Auto insurance right now, but the idea that insurance companies are pulling out of Michigan because they are required by law to actually PAY for unlimited medical coverage is an eye opener! It goes to show that the insurance companies are crooks too!
So in terms of "Business" it's quite clear that any kind of insurance that requires unlimited medical (Which to me is the very definition of Insurance) will be met with VERY HIGH RATES. The only way to fix this problem is to put insurance companies out of business, and I know PowerStroker is going to fall off his chair when he reads this, but I feel EVERYONE should have insurance, and not just some BS crap like we are getting. There are MANY ways to pool the entire nation together to ensure money is there to pay claims.
For ONCE I feel that a non-private Government entity should take control of this very serious issue! When it comes to heath care and insurance people should not be taken advantage of, but that's just what is happening and it's soon to spread to health care! The only problem is that corruption is not just limited to private companies, it's also rampid in Government as well. Corruption often times starts from the top and trickles down, so we have Government to thank for this mess in some ways, along with corruption and greed which exist in both private business as well as Government.
So who gets screwed? YOU AND I! It's time to make a big deal out of this before we are all paying for what amounts to useless insurance! People like YOU PowerStroker who think your big unions and large company insurance pools will save you will soon find out that insurance companies will be pulling out, and most companies will just pass the fee's on to you. But that's just on the health insurance front, your union wont be able to save you from the many other forms of insurance (life, auto, homeowners).
What do you think PowerStroker? Since Gerry seems to be MIA since Nov. 6th!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
It does sound like price fixing. I'd write my member of congress about it.
And that's exactly what it boils down to now PowerStroker! Not to long ago their was competition, now days with computers and internet the option to change to a another company is pointless. They all know what the other is selling and for how much, so of course they will band together and fix prices! Hell they all have access to your insurance records and with a mandate, along with burrocratic fee's that get passed on to the customer it's what you call a legalized Monopoly of take it or leave it.
Of course you can write a member of congress, but don't hold your breath. That's more or less a stonewall that will in no way quickly resolve any problems. Spending two whole days pricing insurance only to be told the exact same thing by several different companes is not my idea of a good time! And worse yet I am getting absolutly gouged for what amounts to crap ass coverage! It's a scam and it's almost like Michigan is in on it. Just like every other government run legal monopoly! Im going to have to find out if there is an insurance commission, because I feel like bitching. But of course, as with every other commission they will always rule in favor of the regulated Monopoly, after all they would not have jobs if it werent for such legal evils.
Pretty damn bad when a nearly 40 year old driver with no tickets, accedents or claims is expected to pay $120 a month for no-fault insurance on a 25+ year old vehicle!
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What is to give light must endure burning -- Viktor Frankl
There's lots of pro's & cons with insurance, & yeah, they all suck ! Always quick to take your money, & very slow to honor a claim...Don't forget though, ( for me anyway ), their real purpose is to be your legal representatives in civil court. The bonus that you might actually get some compensation is really only part of the deal, & what they try to sell themselves over.
SELLC, with the money you're now saving, would it be possible to get "full-comprehensive-insurance" for a few dollars more ? These types of policies do give you a better over-all deal, & sometimes the rates actually go down the longer you stay with one company as the years go by, & if you say pool everything ( house & contents etc ) with the one company.
Your new rates are pretty impressive, believe me ! I'm paying about $60:00 per month for full-coverage, but admittedly that's for 2 x cars, & 2 x motorcycles, But they're all in the fast & dangerous categories...And that's also with 1 car & 1 bike being covered as " off-road, un-registered, & being restored".
Cheers,
Rastus
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"Only an alert & knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial & military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods & goals, so that security & liberty may prosper together". Dwight D.Eisenhower.
