[MikeMidd]

I'm shopping for new car insurance right now, since the rates GEICO (my current company) have offered for the 335i that will arrive in a month are outrageous ($1,100/6mos) for someone with a spotless driving record.

One of the things I remember about State Farm was that they got called out in a couple big lawsuits for using non-OEM parts and basically forcing non-OEM parts onto customers, which of course can be of lower quality and diminish the value of the car if they are a poorer product.

As I'm researching this, I'm of course getting some shifty answers from some of the customer service folks. So I'm wondering if anyone has experience with some of the biggies on being forced into non-OEM or having to pay the difference for OEM parts. It is a black mark against State Farm if they still do this, and I've read that some of the others (Progressive, Amica?) may push it as well.

I'm looking at all the major insurance companies (State Farm, Progressive, Amica, Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Nationwide, Farmers, Travelers, MetLife, AAA, AIG, etc.). Ultimately, this is a good way to keep myself busy while I wait (and wait and wait) for the car to get here!

[ksfrogman]

Wow, $1100 for 6 months? You must be young and single. That's crazy. Might as well get a Corvette.

I've been very happy with State Farm. They have always met or exceeded my expectations. I recently cracked windshield that was beyond repair, so they replaced it with a non-OEM windshield that is just as good as the OEM one. The only difference is the tiny logo that says mine is made in South America. They would have offered OEM had I insisted, but it didn't matter much to me. I have had other accidents, thefts, etc., and State Farm always came through for me.

[40yroldawakening]

State Farm is NOT alloying its collision centers to use A/M body parts, now they will use LKQ which is used and they will use a nonoem Rad. or Cond.

Nationwide is the worse for using A/M parts, they don't care as long as it fits, the others are kinda hit and miss,some will use a/m bumpers but no sheet medal, others are opposite.

State Auto is also really good.

There is not a lot of a/m parts out there for our cars, I check a few weeks ago, not a lot of stuff being made.

[MikeMidd]

Originally Posted by ksfrogman

Wow, $1100 for 6 months? You must be young and single. That's crazy. Might as well get a Corvette.

I've been very happy with State Farm. They have always met or exceeded my expectations. I recently cracked windshield that was beyond repair, so they replaced it with a non-OEM windshield that is just as good as the OEM one. The only difference is the tiny logo that says mine is made in South America. They would have offered OEM had I insisted, but it didn't matter much to me. I have had other accidents, thefts, etc., and State Farm always came through for me.

I'm a single male, renter, who turns 29 in 3 weeks. No accidents, no claims, nothin'. There is no excuse for me to have outrageous insurance.

GEICO's rates - for me, for my address in DC, for some reason - are ridiculous. Here's an example. I recently moved from Arlington, VA to Washington, DC, where I live on a major street but have an off-street parking space. I'd say I now live in a more heavily-trafficked, but nicer neighborhood.

On the 2004 Mazda 6s I just sold, my rates in DC would have effectively doubled, with no coverage changes. I am getting non-owners liability insurance for the month that I don't have a car, so there is no lapse in my coverage, and the GEICO quote went from $191/6mos for the VA address to $311/6mos for the DC address. This is liability only! Am I really 50% more likely to get into an accident here, than I was in essentially the same neighborhood across the river? I mean, I live near a Zoo so there are a lot of idiot tourists... but c'mon.

I have friends who have very good rates who live a couple blocks away. It's a shame, I've been very happy with GEICO, but they've lost me as a customer.

For what it's worth, Liberty Mutual's quote was about $2000 a year. Allstate was around $1700, Amica at $1375, Travelers at $1300, State Farm at $1350.

It's also interesting, there are some companies that won't even insure in DC, I think.

[LOW2000]

All insurance companies will attempt to use A/M or LKQ parts instead of OEM.

If you want a guarantee, go to a Farmers Agent and ask for the Mid Century Policy with the OEM endorsement. That couple dollars a month extra for the endorsement guarantees that if you're in a loss, they will use only OE parts.

[chrisE92]

when I got into an accident back in January, state farm refused to come to a negotiation with my body shop's estimate, which was BMW certified (Spectrum Collision in Irvine, CA). Luckily, the other guy admitted fault and his insurance company (AAA) had no problem going with the estimate prepared by my body shop.

[Driver72]

Geico is horrible.
They are one of the worst offenders of using cheap aftermarket parts instead of OEM parts.
also, according to very reputable shop I've used in the past, Geico also almost always refuses to total a car they often say should EASILY be totalled.

I believe as an insurance customer you have the RIGHT to demand OEM parts as a replacement.
You have the right to have your car RETURNED to it's original condition and specs following ANY accident.
Using non OEM parts not only does NOT return your car to it's original condition, it lowers it's resale value.

Just demand the use of OEM parts when filing a claim, or be sure you ask an insurance company if they use OEM parts when fixing a car, and don't sign anything that says you waive your right to OEM parts and are OK with cheaper knock off parts.

Progressive has been fantastic for me.
I've been hit 3 times in the past 5 years (2 from illegal Mexicans) with prior cars and my wife had a little fender bender with her car last year.
Progressive used OEM parts from the dealers each time, was VERY timely in getting it paid and fixed, and even sent me a check for a bit over $300 for my "time" when the actual repairs were around $300 less than the estimate (the rep. just changed the estimate a bit and then sent me the difference).

I pay around $1,200 a YEAR for full coverage (100/300 coverage).

[MikeMidd]

Driver72: Thanks, I'd been a little skeptical of Progressive, but good to hear you've had a solid experience with them. They are definitely in the running, their price quote was pretty solid.