Should You Lie To Your California Car Insurance Agent For a Better Rate?
Reader question:
Is it okay to lie about certain things in order to get a good auto insurance quote in California?
Mary
Thank you for your question, Mary.
Like they say, if you tell a white lie, it will turn into another white lie, and before you know it down the line, you will have an entire system of lies that you will need to control and remember. It’s never an idea to lie, especially when money is involved. While it is true that many people get away with it, many more get caught, and when you get caught out telling a lie it often ends up costing you more than you saved.
- Represent, don’t misrepresent.
Normally, car insurance companies have sixty days after they have given you your CA auto insurance quote and you have bought a policy in which they will be able to cancel your policy without any problems. This period gives them to research your insurance background, look at your CLUE report, credit history, and so on so that they can make sure that you are someone they want to insure.
However, if you misrepresent your information, then you can have your policy canceled anytime. For example, if you lie about a previous insurance cancellation, then if your car insurance company that had canceled you does not report it right away, your new car insurance company might not find out about this cancellation during the sixty days that they during which they are looking for your information. After the initial sixty days, though, car insurance companies will usually look at your information again after they have given you your six month CA auto insurance quote, so if they find it then you might not have your policy renewed because of the bad information.
At times, lying to your car insurance company can get you in even more trouble. For example, while members of your household are covered on your policy, if your teenager is driving your car regulalry and you hadn’t added him to the policy to get a higher CA auto insurance quote, then if he gets into a car accident you might have your claim denied.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
How to Get The Best Auto Insurance Rate
Maybe all that I’ve said about researching the best auto insurance online and buying it there as well hasn’t gotten through to you. Or perhaps you’re just more interested in the face to face kind of thing. If this is the case, then when you go to buy the best auto insurance, you need to keep in mind what not to forget.
- Even if you go alone without the other named people on your policy, you will still need to have their driver’s license numbers with you so that they can be added to the policy.
- You will also need to bring your vehicle registration number (VIN) for any car that you will get on your auto insurance policy. On all the cars that I’ve had have the VIN located somewhere on the door, but I’m not sure if this is universal. If you don’t know, ask.
- Gather any necessary info about available car insurance policies so that you can ensure that you purchase the best auto insurance.
- Ask about the broker’s fee. If there is no fee, don’t worry. If there is, decide it beforehand.
- Know how you will pay your premium. You might want to pay it all at once, make a large down payment and continue in installments, or simply pay in installments. Make sure your car insurance company offers these options.
- If you don’t understand something, don’t sign it. If it’s blank, don’t sign it. Know what you are signing.
- Take notes if you can’t remember, but make sure you have a record of how the policy buying goes. Also write down the name of the insurance agent you are dealing with.
- Always give correct information, and all the information required.
- Make sure you know the full name of your car insurance company.
- Always keep the documents you sign and make sure that you have a copy of everything for your records.
Once you have your policy, make sure that you read through it thoroughly. Never walk out of your insurance office if you don’t understand your policy. Most of the time your car insurance agent will help you out with this, or you can read some other blog posts on the issue.
My Auto Insurance Was Just Canceled – What to Do?
Reader question:
Is it easy to get auto insurance in California after you’ve had your policy canceled?
Margeret
Thank you for asking, Margeret.
Actually, it can be pretty hard to get California auto insurance if you have something on your record like a previous cancellation by a car insurance company. This is why it is so important to take care with all of your automobile insurance dealings because if you don’t, then you will have to pay the price. And that price can be as much as a ten percent increase, and that’s only if you can find a company for auto insurance that wants to give you coverage at all.
When you go looking for auto insurance, the company will be able to look at your CLUE report, which aside from containing your claims history, will also have your previous cancellations and nonrenewals. This may influence them to deny your request for coverage, but if they do take you on then they might make you pay your entire yearly premium up front instead of allowing you to do the month by month installment. This can be a good thing for some people, because it is actually slightly more expensive for the installment plan. However, most people don’t have that much money at once.
Another thing that having your auto insurance canceled is that it will affect your credit score. Not all auto insurance companies report to credit agencies, but it is definitely something to think about even if they say you don’t, because most wouldn’t give a straight answer on this. Credit scores are also used hen determining how much you will pay for your auto insurance in California, and if you have a bad credit score, then that price could be pretty high. Even if your driving record is otherwise stellar, it could still hit you hard.
If all else fails, you’ll have to either go to a company for auto insurance in CA that sells policies to customers who are considered high risk. If you do this, you will pay more. And if no one will accept you, then you will have to consider going with the high risk pool for auto insurance which costs even more.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama.
Why Does My Car Insurance Company Make Payment to the Lienholder Not Me?
As I’ve mentioned several times, I’ve got a 2007 PT Cruiser that I’m making payments on. It’s a six year loan (side note: never get a loan over four years), and I’ve only knocked off a couple of months so far, so I still have a few more years to go. However, if I were to wreck that car in some way, then I would have to deal with the dealership and the bank that I’m getting my car loan for when I make my Anaheim CA car insurance claim, even if the vehicle isn’t totaled.
This will throw a cork in your problems, because if you are still buying a car, then when you wreck it (when it’s your fault), the insurance company is going to mail you your claim check with both your name and that of your lienholder. You can’t cash it with just your signature, so you have two options.
- Mail it to the lienholder, or
- go to them.
Whatever you choose, it might be a little longer than you thought to get your vehicle back, which is why it’s a good idea to get rental car reimbursement coverage on your car insurance policy.
The first thing that you need to do is take your car up to the dealership. They will then have someone from the bank inspect your vehicle. Occasionally they will come straight to where you have your car, but this is rare and unlikely. After that, you will have to send the bank a statement from the repair shop with the bill, as will as photographs of your fixed vehicle and the insurance claim check. They sign the check, and send it back.
So your car might be all fixed and ready in a day, but until that check is signed by the lienholder, you’ll be without.
Do You Need More Affordable California Commercial Auto Insurance?
Usually, when you drive a company vehicle, you will automatically be covered by their California commercial insurance policy. However, that is not the only type of business driving that is done, and there are several situations that one might have questions about. For example, many companies do not provide you with a company car, and they require that you use your own vehicle for business matters. So is your personal vehicle covered by their California commercial insurance policy when you’re using it on business? And what about when you have your own business, and you then use your person vehicle for both? Is a regular auto insurance policy fine, or should you buy California commercial insurance?
It’s distressing. But I’m here to help.
Normally if you work for a big company, then you will be insured by their California commercial insurance policy if you are using your own car while on business. However, if you get into an accident while on business, in some cases your own personal auto insurance policy will cover before their California commercial insurance does. To be sure how it will work, ask your company and ask your own insurance provider.
If you’re doing business when the collision happens, the best idea is to call your company’s California commercial insurance provider first. Then, you call your own. Even if you call your own, you need to tell them that you were using your car for business, but they can’t deny your claim for that, so don’t worry. What they might do, though, is pay your claim now and then try to get the money from your company’s California commercial insurance company after that is done with.
If you do a lot of driving on business with your vehicle, then at the very least you should get more than the minimum coverage. For example, if you have to drive and visit customers all day, then you should up your liability. When it comes to actually carrying customers around and being paid for this, such as when you own a taxi, then it is necessary to get full coverage, but you also might need to buy California commercial insurance. If you don’t tell your California car insurance company, then your company can deny your claim if they find out about it.
If you have a car that is for both personal and business use, but more than half of the time you use it for business, like if you’re a professional painter, then it also might be a good idea to get California commercial insurance. To confirm this, you should call your car insurance company and get your agent’s opinion on the matter, because it is different for everybody.
Cheap California Auto Insurance Rate?
When I bought my new car a few months ago, I had to bring my California auto insurance card, so that the dealership could make a copy and have proof that my vehicle will be insured. From the time that I buy my car, I have thirty days to get a new California auto insurance rate on my car and add it to my policy. I’m given this amount of time because that is the amount of time for which my car insurance policy will cover my new car without my having added to the policy.
However, if you do not have auto insurance, then you often have to go through a lot of hassle to get car insurance from the dealership, and after you’ve already been there for several hours, looking at cars, and filling out paperwork, you will then have to spend more hours on the phone. When my mother bought a car recently, she spent three hours just trying to get insurance, since she had let her insurance on her old car lapse.
In our lovely state, though, there is a new program in many parts of the state that will allow us to get a California auto insurance rate quickly and straight from the car dealership. Called Turbo Coverage, the insurance company from San Jose has created an online program for car dealerships, allowing their customers to become instantly insured at the lot. Fifteen percent of all car buyers will have to buy car insurance from the lot.
Before this came along, the car insurance salesperson had to phone up the car insurance company and deal personally with the auto insurance salesperson to get the California auto insurance rate. This would take a long time. However, now there are kiosks in thousands of car dealerships across California that will allow you to get your California auto insurance rate and policy instantly.
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