Bah Humbug Xmas and Car Insurance.

[RichL]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but car insurance isnt actually a legal requirement in the US is it?

It is unfortunately mandatory over here, which more or less gives the insurance companies a licence to extort money from the motorist. Even the government have got in on the act with an insurance premium tax

Of course, I get this twice, plus two lots of road tax and two lots of MOT certificates. Somehow I've got two tax and one insurance all coming up for renewal in the same month.

But the green hornet is worth it

[The PIT]

I like the cons with Car insurance.

1) Does the insurance go down if it's parked in a garage overnight? Nope.

2) Does the insurance go down with an approved alarm. Nope. I've checked this with online quotes and the premuin didn't alter at all.

3) Premium goes up if you change jobs. So by changing jobs you can be clobbered.

4) The insurance doesn't seem to depend on how much the parts cost. It's cheaper to insure a BMW than a Renualt Clio. Bmw same value bigger engine and parts cost a load.

[Gurm]

Well in the US, it's up to the individual state. In MOST states, it IS mandatory.

Now, here's the kicker.

You know what has a HUGE influence on your insurance rates?

YOUR CREDIT SCORE.

Yep, that's right. Apparently their statistical data shows that people with bad credit file more claims. Therefore, they grade you on a curve, and NAIL you if you're below a certain point.

- Gurm

[Dogbert]

And I drive a beaten Peugeot 205 1100cc (1995).

[Novdid]

Originally posted by Gurm
2. The BMW is considered a "Sports Car".

What beats me is how they can grade a BMW 325 a sportscar.

[The PIT]

Well it can't be credit ratings with me otherwise my insurance would be well down.
Most insurance companies don't know a hatchback from a tank. I can remember having a modified car rally cam etc and so on and the only time the company twitched was when I changed the carberator. They asked for an engineers report then left the charge the same.

[Gurm]

Err... 'cuz it's a coupe with a spoiler? Honestly, I just don't know... but that's what they told me.

- Gurm

[ZokesPro]

I was told that a Ford Tempo (cheapest car in the world) was the lowest on insurance but if you got the 2dr model than your insurance would go up, but why? Cause as soon as it's 2dr they classify it as a sports car.

[The PIT]

Originally posted by ZokesPro
I was told that a Ford Tempo (cheapest car in the world) was the lowest on insurance but if you got the 2dr model than your insurance would go up, but why? Cause as soon as it's 2dr they classify it as a sports car.

Like I said clueless.
I was quite surprised that didn't raise the charge for my for modified car. I took the engine power from 86bhp to 106bhp and it could give Peugot 205 and Golf Gtis a good run for the money and the suspension meant it cornered like it was on rails.
Before I did the engine I upgraded the brakes and Suspension much to the embarrasment of a road raged 2 litre injection seirra driver who found that on corners he just couldn't keep up at all. Pity about the striaghts.