Progressives "Snapshop" discount

[a1bummer]

Has anybody else here tried Progressive's "Snapshot" discount? They give you a gadget that plugs into your OBD port that tracks for mileage, time of day and braking. FYI, they consider excessive braking to be a decrease in speed of 7mph/sec. or more. I decided to give it a try and I don't like it at all. I think its way to sensitive. I find myself rolling through stop signs and hitting the gas to run through a yellow light now, when I didn't before just to keep the damn thing from beeping. I've tried several times now to stop for a yellow light before it turned red, only to have it beep at me. I don't feel as though I was breaking heavily at all. If I broke any less, I would've been in the hit the red light while in the intersection.

 

I think my grandma would've set this thing off.

 

Anybody else have a similar feelings toward these things?

 

Bill

 

OK, I take that back. Progressive counts 21 hard brakes since the 5th. I was told I would hear it each time I brake to hard. I guess someone was full of crap! Way more sensitive than I thought!

Edited January 17, 2012 by a1bummer

[Venturous Randy]

How much of a discount do you have to get to let your insurance know how you drive everyday? To me, that is just too "big brother" to me.

RandyA

[FreezyRider]

Has anybody else here tried Progressive's "Snapshot" discount? They give you a gadget that plugs into your OBD port that tracks for mileage, time of day and braking. FYI, they consider excessive braking to be a decrease in speed of 7mph/sec. or more. I decided to give it a try and I don't like it at all. I think its way to sensitive. I find myself rolling through stop signs and hitting the gas to run through a yellow light now, when I didn't before just to keep the damn thing from beeping. I've tried several times now to stop for a yellow light before it turned red, only to have it beep at me. I don't feel as though I was breaking heavily at all. If I broke any less, I would've been in the hit the red light while in the intersection.

 

I think my grandma would've set this thing off.

 

Anybody else have a similar feelings toward these things?

 

Bill

 

OK, I take that back. Progressive counts 21 hard brakes since the 5th. I was told I would hear it each time I brake to hard. I guess someone was full of crap! Way more sensitive than I thought!

 

Why anyone would allow them to spy on you in order to determine how much to charge you is just beyond my ability to comprehend.

As soon as State Farm adopts a system like this and either makes it mandatory or penalizes me for not using it.....they will lose a 25 year customer.

 

Joe

[a1bummer]

It was supposed to be UP to a 30% discount. And ya it does seem to be a bit big brotherish to me. And NO I didn't HAVE to do it. They told it couldn't make my premiums go up. So I though, "What the hell". I having serious second thoughts now.

 

Bill

[KIC]

Can't turn this into a political thread..but if you give Progressive your money ...here is where it goes... They don't call it "Progressive " for nothing.....

 

http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/peterlewis.asp

[KIC]

BUMMMER.....!!!! just after posting below ( or above depending on your set up) I called USAA to get a quote for my 2 bikes...they said they don't insure motorcycles directly...., but they do it through Progressive..... That was a very short call...

[usedcyclesales]

I don't know how old you are but I have FULL coverage with Geico and it's only $99 a year

I'm 54 and have a lousy driving record. Although it might have a lot as to where you live . In Florida if you own your bike out right you ARE NOT required to have any insurance even liability

as long as you have personal insurance for hospitalization.

[RandyR]

I don't know how old you are but I have FULL coverage with Geico and it's only $99 a year

I'm 54 and have a lousy driving record. Although it might have a lot as to where you live . In Florida if you own your bike out right you ARE NOT required to have any insurance even liability

as long as you have personal insurance for hospitalization.

 

No liability is risky. if you are judged at fault in an accident with someone else, that person could sue you for damages and their medical expenses, etc.

 

Liability on 3 bikes thru Dairyland is less than $100/yr.

 

back to the origonal post about an OBD attached device. I'll bet any amount of money that in 10 years all new cars will have satellite tracking in them and the equivalent of the airplane black box.

 

oh. and read the entire article about Progressive and its ex-CEO.the rebuttal of some of the claims in the first part come later in a follow-on piece.

Edited January 17, 2012 by RandyR

[a1bummer]

Through Progressive I pay $133 for 6 months for just liability on a 2001 Monte Carlo LS. I'm 41 and have had no accidents, claims, or tickets. I've had my bike insured with them for several years now. The premiums keep going up on it as well, never has gone down. Again, no claims, tickets, or accidents. Went up 48% when WI went to mandatory insurance. Can't even put my car and bike on the same policy. Had to have a "MultiPolicy", so years of good driving on the bike isn't counted towards the car insurance. When I got the car insured, I was treated as a if I had never had insurance before. Feels like discrimination between a bike and car to me. The DMV treats both as a motor vehicle, plain and simple.

 

I also have to wonder why its "OK" for insurance companies to use profiling to set your premiums. I don't feel its fair for a person to be rewarded or stiffed simply due to the life choices they've made. I feel it should be based simply on your driving history or by the number of claims, etc..

 

Bill

[RandyR]

Through Progressive I pay $133 for 6 months for just liability on a 2001 Monte Carlo LS. I'm 41 and have had no accidents, claims, or tickets. I've had my bike insured with them for several years now. The premiums keep going up on it as well, never has gone down. Again, no claims, tickets, or accidents. Went up 48% when WI went to mandatory insurance. Can't even put my car and bike on the same policy. Had to have a "MultiPolicy", so years of good driving on the bike isn't counted towards the car insurance. When I got the car insured, I was treated as a if I had never had insurance before. Feels like discrimination between a bike and car to me. The DMV treats both as a motor vehicle, plain and simple.

 

I also have to wonder why its "OK" for insurance companies to use profiling to set your premiums. I don't feel its fair for a person to be rewarded or stiffed simply due to the life choices they've made. I feel it should be based simply on your driving history or by the number of claims, etc..

 

Bill

 

I got rid of Progressive as my rates kept going up every year.

[Yammer Dan]

You Got BRAKES???

[Flyinfool]

I'll bet any amount of money that in 10 years all new cars will have satellite tracking in them and the equivalent of the airplane black box.

 

I hate to tell, you but almost all cars have had a "black box" for more than 10 years already.

If you are ever in a serious accident where you kill someone you can bet that the contents of your computer will be used in court.

 

A friend of mine was denied warranty work on his trans. The day after he dropped it off they called and told him that his truck was not designed to be running 85 mph. How do you think they knew that? And that was on a '94.

[a1bummer]

I hate to tell, you but almost all cars have had a "black box" for more than 10 years already.

If you are ever in a serious accident where you kill someone you can bet that the contents of your computer will be used in court.

 

A friend of mine was denied warranty work on his trans. The day after he dropped it off they called and told him that his truck was not designed to be running 85 mph. How do you think they knew that? And that was on a '94.

 

I hate to agree with ya there, but your probably right. I love technology, but not when it does us more harm than good. Especially when its in "Big Brother's" hands or the like. Kind of like this "snapshot" I mentioned in the first place, I have a bad feeling that it will come back to bite me in the ass later. Now wouldn't a good "Snapshot" be looking at my driving history and not seeing any claims, accidents, or tickets of any sort? Nowadays they want to know everything that has nothing to do with driving so they can fit me into some sort of "profile". Pretty soon they will want a blood, stool, and semen sample. Or even random drug screening like they have forced employers into doing.

 

Can you tell I really don't care for insurance companies these days? lol!

 

Bill:rotf:

[Guest]

That OB port tells a scanner just about everything that vehicle did. Do you really want your insurance co to know that as well? Might as well just put a rev limiter on your engine, keep the speed below 40 and only drive on Sundays.....Clever how Regressive insurance is marketing this spyware. Hed them for several years and despite a spotless record my rates went progressively up each year. Now with Geico they have dropped every year.

[Bobby G]

Dumped Progressive when Allstate (which I've happily used for my cars and home for over 30 years now) revamped their MC coverage and rates in early 2011. Dropped my premiums by 50% from what Progressive had them up to, including collision, comprehensive and uninsured motorist coverage. I have the best agent on the planet, and their claims service has been awesome (when I've actually had to use it, mainly on my homeowners coverage).

[hig4s]

Dumped Progressive when Allstate (which I've happily used for my cars and home for over 30 years now) revamped their MC coverage and rates in early 2011. Dropped my premiums by 50% from what Progressive had them up to, including collision, comprehensive and uninsured motorist coverage. I have the best agent on the planet, and their claims service has been awesome (when I've actually had to use it, mainly on my homeowners coverage).

 

I just dropped Allstate, who I had been with for 14 years because they kept raising my rates I got Progressive for $100 a month less for our cars, and less than half the Allstate rate for my motorcycles.

 

I think insurance companies rely on the fact that most people will become complacent and don't really like change, so they all sneak the rates up.

 

 

 

OH, and think about it. Progressive is there to make money,, they offer the snapshot with the potential to get 30% off and promise not to raise no matter how it comes out. Really!!! That means there is no way they can make more money, and lots of possibilities for them to make less money. I don't think so.. They are collecting data to raise the rates later, on individual people, which they will not be allowed to do across the board without government OK..

Edited January 19, 2012 by hig4s

[GAWildKat]

When Mike and I were dating we each had State farm, his rates were alot higher than mine because he is 5 yrs younger. When we started living together we consolidated our coverage with his agent, his family had a good relationship with them and everything would be easier right? Hardly! We had trouble from the start but it got worse when we married. I would randomly be removed from the policy because someone (his mother) demanded I be removed though they had no bearing on the policy. We eventually left the agent over the inability to control the policy. Progressive offered us a better deal and we stayed with them for a while, but the rates never dropped. We tried to use Safe Auto at one point since they offered good rates, but they refused to insure me since I am disabled. When we joined the Venture site we found out that Ediddy is an insurance agent here in Georgia and we called him to get a quote. Our insurance is the lowest now it's been in 10 yrs and Eddie has been great at helping us with finding good coverage. I will never go with a company like progressive that spys on me while I drive. I slam on the brakes alot, and drive a touch faster than legal when enjoying open road on a nice day (who doesn't).

[cabreco]

For those of you OVER 50, Join AARP & check out Hartford. I have no ticket or accidents.

I carry 500K insurance on a car & truck both with full coverage with 2 drivers & we paid $750/yr. in Virginia. With Progressive I was paying $1,250

[twigg]

So the only thing clear in this thread is that no one Insurance Company fits all.

 

Personally, I have 100/300/100 Liability on the VR, with State Farm for $60 per year. Suits me.

 

Progressive wanted $150 for the same coverage. Lower actually, they wanted that for State minimum).

 

The one I would suggest you check out, if you use them, is Geico. They went through a phase of limiting motorcycling policies to 500 miles per day maximum. Funny how they have never tried that on car drivers.