I added a vehicle to our insurance in May that went up over 40 percent when I received the renewal notice four months later in September.
A couple years ago we were rear-ended at a stop light by a kid in a $500 Honda. The first words out of his mouth were “I don’t have any insurance.” My uninsured motorist coverage paid for damage to our vehicle and my wife went to a chiropractor for six months. When the kid did not answer the insurance company’s calls, I got to pay the deductible also. He didn’t even get a driving uninsured ticket.
Now I find out that some Washington insurance companies can use that accident caused by an uninsured driver to penalize us with higher rates for up to six years, even though it’s against the law in Washington to drive uninsured.
We’ve been advised as you age to eliminate debt and not have any installment payments by retirement. Now we are being punished by the new insurance rates for having excellent credit. Would it be cheaper to not insure our vehicles and let responsible people pay higher rates and pay for uninsured motorist coverage, and not answer the phone if there is a claim?
