I was originally insured with State Farm since 1965 when I was 14. Last year I switched to an independent insurance broker for a third of what I was paying State Farm. State Farm called begging and crying but said they couldn’t touch the price I was getting from the independent.
Now, get this. My daughter and her husband switched TO State Farm from Geico and got practically the same rate I got from the independent.
State Farm was willing to give a good rate to a new customer but wasn’t willing to cut the rate for a customer of 46 years.
I am a current State Farm customer, and I plan to shop my auto and rental policies when my current policies are up. The initial rate I got was good, but they have jacked up my insurance rates every time I renew.
I did that, too, when looking at all of my insurance. Home and car were $2,400 with State Farm... been there for 20+ years.
Went to an independent... got policies underwritten by Metropolitan Life... same coverages/deductibles... $1,050... total.
It pays to shop your insurance around occasionally.
I used State Farm from when I first started driving at 15 in 1984. I used them all the way until I was in my early 30s. My folks used them since they were married (in the mid-60s). I dropped State Farm after two consecutive rate hikes that had nothing to do with my driving record. The first hike was because the national level of theft rate of my type of auto had gone up (Honda Civic). I asked what the theft rate was at the local level. They said they couldn't use that.
Then the second rate hike was because the local uninsured driver accident rate went up. So, I asked them what the national rate was. They wouldn't use that. I then asked them why they seemed to pick and choose on the gouging, charging me for something at the national level which was actually very low at the local level, and vice-versa for the other issue. They wouldn't answer. That's when I went to Progressive, then to Geico, then to AAA. Possibly now headed for USAA.