[solitary]

I was wondering if anyone else is affected like this.
I got my renewal/policy reminder what ever papers yesterday for my motorcycle insurance.
It went from $75 per motorcycle to $93 per motorcycle including the "safe driver" accident free and multi-vehicle multi-policy discounts.
What gives.
While it's only a $3 per month increase, it's still a 24% increase per year. (93/75=1.24*100=124%) This can't be right.
I should note, contrary to oif2vet's beliefs, I haven't been cited in many, many years. My only accident was in 2002.
I guess it's possible they found out about the pending suspension thanks to the Columbia District Injustice?
I did not call my insurance company when my kid wrecked my car, because the damage is less than my deductible so that can't be it. I don't know how they would have found out about it since he's not on my policy.

I'll be looking for alternate insurance before my policy expires.

But I was wondering if any one else got nailed with a ridiculous unwarranted premium increase?

"You pay, pay, pay, and you never get anything back." - Al Bundy

This post has been edited by solitary: 06 May 2009 - 02:07 PM

[LicenseForMayhem]

Did they include a statement about using your credit report as part of their rate-setting process this time? PA requires insurers to tell you they did this if they are unable to give you the best rate.

There was a statement like this in our last policy renewal, even though our rate had dropped dramatically and I knew our credit was very good. When I called, the rep explained that they had used our credit info to set our rate. It bumped us to level 2 of 18 rate tiers, but they were unable to give us level 1 due to all the claims filed in PA last year. Even though review of our credit helped us get a better rate, PA requires companies to tell you they looked at your credit if they are unable to give you the very best rate.

This post has been edited by LicenseForMayhem: 06 May 2009 - 02:15 PM

[solitary]

I sure hope my credit didn't affect it this way. Nothing has changed in probably five years, same cards, similar balances, same loans, lower balances.
I'll call and ask. I don't recall seeing anything that my credit affected my ins. rate. But I'm aware of the practice. I've never heard it being used to help a customer, only to screw them out of more.

Has anyone heard that the 31-35 crowd is now the worst drivers? Cause I got nailed with that twice. When I first started driving, it was the 16-24 year old group. When I turned 24, then it became 24-29, IIRC. The numbers may be slightly different, perhaps 16-20 and then when I turned 21 it was 21-24 year olds? Still, 15 years of driving one accident. Well over $13,000 paid in, $700 paid out, raise my rates. Bastards.

One more thing. I can't see this having such a profound effect, yet nothing surprises me when it comes to insurance.
This is the same policy since 2007. I think longer, but that's what the paperwork said. It's been $75/year or so for a while, before that it was $78. In January, I added the second bike, which was quoted at $75/year so $25 for the remaining time. Well, I got busy with stuff and forgot to send them a check for $25.
So when I remembered, they charged me an installment fee of $5. I didn't complain, I screwed up by a week, so I sent them a check for $30 and forgot about it.
Do you think a one week screw up justifies a 24% increase?

This post has been edited by solitary: 06 May 2009 - 02:39 PM

[dee]

Solitary, any speeding tickets in the past year? That will sure do it.

[solitary]

Solitary, any speeding tickets in the past year? That will sure do it.

Nope. I was this far [.........................] from getting arrested for failure to pay a $6 fee from 2003, but no speeding tickets. No red light tickets, no parking tickets, no Phillies tickets (I live in Oriole country), no Springsteen tickets, no dry cleaning tickets. I'm not sure when the last time I had hockey tickets though, that may have been in the last year, but I'm pretty sure it was October the year before that.

This post has been edited by solitary: 06 May 2009 - 02:51 PM

[LancNewbie]

Could also be the no helmet law in PA? Statistics have shown that its causing more serious injuries, costing the insurance companies more money. They have to make it up somehow.

You want to ride around without your helmet, your going to pay. If other people in the state wanted the law repealed, and you still ride with a helmet, your still going to pay for the others stupidity. If i can be fined and/or not covered under insurance for not wearing a seatbelt and some idiot in a motorcycle can ride without a helmet, crash and still get insurance theres a problem.

[solitary]

Could also be the no helmet law in PA? Statistics have shown that its causing more serious injuries, costing the insurance companies more money. They have to make it up somehow.

You want to ride around without your helmet, your going to pay. If other people in the state wanted the law repealed, and you still ride with a helmet, your still going to pay for the others stupidity. If i can be fined and/or not covered under insurance for not wearing a seatbelt and some idiot in a motorcycle can ride without a helmet, crash and still get insurance theres a problem.

Ok, but that was repealed in 2003. I think they're a little slow on the draw if that's the case. BTW, I always wear a helmet, on/off road, screwing around in the backyard, but I oppose legislation to protect oneself from oneself. There isn't enough paper to make laws to keep stupid people from hurting themselves, so we shouldn't start.

Typically, most riders who wear helmets accept the fact that riding without a helmet, an accident is likely to result in death. The unhelmeted assume the same, but also figure they're not going to be in an accident in the first place.
The accident I was involved in, I've retold the story before, but it was on my bike - I was legally at fault, I blame the Tavist-D, but I'd have paid the $700 if I had known it was going to be that little an amount. I honestly expected about $3,000. That was 2002, so it should be a long distant memory for my ins. co.

This post has been edited by solitary: 06 May 2009 - 02:59 PM

[LancNewbie]

Ok, but that was repealed in 2003. I think they're a little slow on the draw if that's the case. BTW, I always wear a helmet, on/off road, screwing around in the backyard, but I oppose legislation to protect oneself from oneself. There isn't enough paper to make laws to keep stupid people from hurting themselves, so we shouldn't start.

Well they had to wait a few years to collect the data on how much it actually increased injuries? They couldn't just do it right off the bat. Thats not really protecting onself from oneself though. Thats protecting head from pavement, or head from windshield. I understand what your getting at, but i guess what gets my goat is how motorcycle riders can "get away" with it, where car drivers can be denied coverage or charged for not using safety devices.

[solitary]

Well they had to wait a few years to collect the data on how much it actually increased injuries? They couldn't just do it right off the bat. Thats not really protecting onself from oneself though. Thats protecting head from pavement, or head from windshield. I understand what your getting at, but i guess what gets my goat is how motorcycle riders can "get away" with it, where car drivers can be denied coverage or charged for not using safety devices.

Well, first off, never tell your insurance company anything. Ever! Let the SOBs find it on their own. Make them work for your money.
But aside from that, one can make the argument that a motorcycle upon impact with any object becomes a mindless projectile, where as a car retains some control as long as the driver remains behind the seat and shiny side up.

I'm sure they have plenty of data from surrounding states. DE hasn't had a helmet law in decades, if ever. I think NY tossed theirs in the 90s as well.
Not saying you're wrong, I just really, really doubt it.

While I'm at it, details:
Bike #1 street bike, 28 years old.
Bike #2 dual sport (street and dirt, mostly dirt) 27 years old.
Had my M stamp since 99 or 2000, MSF course "graduate"

Actually, I think I may have stumbled upon something and I may just have to smile and bend over.

The largest group of automobile fatalities is from 25-54, each decade represents nearly 20% of fatalities. This means I'm not going to be in a "safer" group of drivers until I can join the AARP. (they still send me invitations none the less.)
IIRC, the median age of motorcycle fatalies of late is around 35. The primary reason behind this is, man gets motorcycle. Man gets married, kids, sells motorcycle. Kids are now older, job is better, man buys way too powerful motorcycle, which he can not handle and has a gap of 10 years in riding and kills self. I am approaching that age.
I'm sure my insurance company bean counters are happy to ignore the fact that I've had no gaps in seat time and am on the same machine since I learned how to ride a motorcycle. It's more profitable that way.

[twinmom]

If I may ask, what insurance co. do you have? I don't think ours has gone up since the bike got replaced, but we don't get the bill until July. I'll have to see if it's the same as last year.

[solitary]

If I may ask, what insurance co. do you have? I don't think ours has gone up since the bike got replaced, but we don't get the bill until July. I'll have to see if it's the same as last year.

Progressive. Mine's up in June, so you may be next. Or I may be unlucky. Or maybe I deserve it. Perhaps I went on a wild week long meth fueled bender destroying property left and right which progressive had to pay to have fixed in a rented car and that's why I don't remember any of it. But I'm pretty sure I didn't.

[LicenseForMayhem]

Solitary, we have Progressive, too. The thing about their using our credit report to figure rates was more or less buried in all the renewal paperwork they send you. The guy I talked to on the phone was helpful and nice--maybe they could help you figure out what happened to your rate if you called them.

[dee]

Progressive. Mine's up in June, so you may be next. Or I may be unlucky. Or maybe I deserve it. Perhaps I went on a wild week long meth fueled bender destroying property left and right which progressive had to pay to have fixed in a rented car and that's why I don't remember any of it. But I'm pretty sure I didn't.

You make me laugh every time, guaranteed. By the way, I told my father portions of your gas can between the legs/falling off even with strap while on motorcycle story and he loved it. I knew he would, TOTALLY sounded like something he would do, and has.

[Jake-9]

I'm not sure if this is applicable since you're talking about motorcycle insurance. But a few years ago my insurance went up because the insurance company (State Farm) decided that my vehicle (a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant) was a higher risk than it was the year before. I called and complained and according to the person I talked to every year they redetermine the risk to every vehicle based on previous years accident data. Some go up, some go down. The following year my car was re-adjusted again to an amount lower than it was before it went up...I will never understand the way an insurance company works! Funny thing is my car has had over $15k of no-fault work done to it (I was hit by someone w/ no insurance, and someone ran a red light and reniged on their story) and I still received the accident free / safe driving discount! Go Figure!

[solitary]

You make me laugh every time, guaranteed. By the way, I told my father portions of your gas can between the legs/falling off even with strap while on motorcycle story and he loved it. I knew he would, TOTALLY sounded like something he would do, and has.

I still don't get what was up with that strap, it just didn't want to stay on. The odd part, it started falling off after I checked and retightened it after the first six miles (part pavement, part dirt road).

I'm not sure if this is applicable since you're talking about motorcycle insurance. But a few years ago my insurance went up because the insurance company (State Farm) decided that my vehicle (a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant) was a higher risk than it was the year before. I called and complained and according to the person I talked to every year they redetermine the risk to every vehicle based on previous years accident data. Some go up, some go down. The following year my car was re-adjusted again to an amount lower than it was before it went up...I will never understand the way an insurance company works! Funny thing is my car has had over $15k of no-fault work done to it (I was hit by someone w/ no insurance, and someone ran a red light and reniged on their story) and I still received the accident free / safe driving discount! Go Figure!

I think the uninsured driver part of your policy keeps you from suffering the policy increase penalties from someone else's stupidity. I can't be sure, my policy legaleze is so long, I don't have the patience/attention span to find out what they do and do not cover. I hope to never need it and only have it because I'm required by law.

The reevaluating per vehicle risk makes sense, but we're talking about machines that are nearly three decades old. I don't have comprehensive or collision on them, the deductible is more than the bikes are worth. They're not worth stealing, but if you did, it wouldn't be a big enough loss for me to worry about. (note: don't steal my stuff, even if it's only worth a quarter, I may kill you. I have a bad temper when it comes to people stealing my stuff.) I find it really unlikely that there's been enough accidents involving either of my bikes to get data and make a decision on risk. I've only seen one other of each of my bikes in person in the time I've owned them.

I can only hope that it would go down next year, but I'm going to call which ever company my gf has, she is paying $75 a year for not one, but TWO bikes and one of them has full coverage. I was amazed but unamused when she told me she added the second bike and it didn't cost her anything.


I'd also like to admit that I was wrong in one statement from an earlier post. While I was sure I've had no tickets in the last year or more, I do remember I got some and it wasn't long ago. I should have remembered getting three tickets in the same day. We were going to see "Mall Cop" on the weekend it opened, well, so was everybody else. Because it was so crowded, the gf decided we'd wait for another show and we got not two, but three tickets to any show any time in the next six months. How Progressive found out about it is beyond me.