A Well Deserved Hat Tip To My Son

 Last year, when I told my son, Brendan, what I pay for auto insurance. He told me that the amount was crazy and I needed to find another insurer. I have Liberty Mutual (LM) and have had them for over 25 years. They have been more or less okay on rates until I moved to TX and then moved again to AR. The rates were much higher down south than they were when living just outside of NY City. That seemed crazy and when I contacted LM about that, 6 years or so ago, I was told those are the rates, take em or leave em. As for their handling of claims and customer service, they were usually excellent but sometimes, a few, customer service was very lacking.

 

Well, I forgot all about it last year right after my son told me to get another company. He reminded me this year and said I was nuts if I did not get a better rate. I was paying just over $2,400 per year for auto insurance on a 2016 Toyota Corolla, with no chargeable accidents and no tickets at all. Today, I called LM and was told, by their customer service representative (and yep this is one of those instances in which I think that their customer service sucked) that there was no way my rates could be lowered because of an accident I had in 2024 and because my car was vandalized in 2025. When asked how I could possibly be held accountable for an accident, for which I was found NOT AT FAULT, she said: "Let me tell you how insurance works" in a voice that sounded like mommy or teacher talking to a second grader at best.  She said that twice, once about the accident and once about the vandalism. I hung up shortly after that because my blood pressure was about to go through the roof.

 

I called  LM back a short time later and asked to speak to a supervisor. I already knew the reply I would get as they will not put you through to one but instead put me through to a retention specialist. Well, that lady reduced my annual rate by $993.00 bringing it down to $1418.00 a year but there was a catch. Because they were rewriting my policy, it is going to go to a 6 month one instead of an annual one at $709.00 per half year. She explained that is the way they are doing it now - 6 month policies. I told the lady I needed time to think about that. I checked on Consumer Reports (CR), and CR confirmed that many auto insurers are going to 6 month policies; oh well. 

 

A little bit after checking with CR, I called LM again. Another lady did a review of my coverage and she affirmed the $709.00 price. I had her drop medical coverage as I have Medicare & Blue Cross/Blue Shield. In the past, I would never have taken medical coverage if I had realized it covered only me and not others who may have been in my car; silly me. Then I asked how much the policy would be if they added Better Car Replacement. As I understand it, if my car is totaled, they pay for the next year's model, so I would be reimbursed for a 2017 model instead of my actual 2016 model. With the elimination of the medical coverage and the addition of the Better Car replacement coverage, my new rate if $712.00 per half year and I have high coverage and low deductibles.

 

I must say, when my rates go up more than just a little bit, in the future, I am going to have another review done by a retention specialist. I also must say, my son will be rewarded, with a nice dinner or maybe some ammo, for his pushing me to get a better rate. Thank you Brendan.

 

All the best,

Glenn B