Hey Guys, quick question about insurance.

I have $250 deducatble for comprehensive insurance. I notice my passenger door has a scratch from another car door hitting it, probably at the dealer, but I can't proove it. If I use insurance to pay for it, does this effect my insurance premium? Or is it ok to use my comprehensive to get this fixed right at a paint shop. Please PM me if you know the answer to this.

 

1st, fixing it will most likely be under the deductible. 2nd, yes, any claim will reflect against your loss history and could make your comp more expensive in the future.

 

But first get at least 2 estimates for the damage. If it's something that you think you can afford to pay out-of-pocket, then I recommend doing so. This way, you won't have to file a claim and risk the chance of higher insurance rates in the future.

 

OK, I thought insurance companies had a grace of 1 claim first. But I guess not. I don't think it will cost my deductable to fix.

 

You should be able to call up and ask them about these things without having to disclose your identity ("hypothetical"). I have asked before and I believe they said that it wouldn't affect your base premiums, since those are based on your driving record. But if you have "too many" comprehensive claims, they can refuse to insure you or increase your comprehensive deductible.

Of course, this may vary by specific insurance company, so you need to ask.

 

Generally speaking, one claim -- especially if its not an "at fault" accident -- will not be a problem. But of course, once you make that claim, it's made. If you get stuck with a $3000 problem next month -- one that you can't easily handle yourself -- then you're kind of screwed.

My belief has always been that you do better by taking a higher deductible and dealing with the minor stuff yourself. Last I checked, the cost of going from a $1000 deductible to $500 would have cost me close to $200 a year! Which is a nice way of saying that I'd spend more than the deductible different in under three years of use. Didn't seem worth it to me.