Every once in a while, a situation comes along that makes you step outside your comfort zone. For me, that moment happened recently when I was trying to help my daughter’s roommate, a full-time student juggling rent, utilities, a car payment, and a job, get set up with her first-ever auto insurance policy. She’s on her own now and needed something affordable. Of course, I wanted to help.
Naturally, I started by quoting all of our carriers with the best possible coverage. One was competitive, not bad at all, especially given the rates for young drivers. But you know how it is: when it’s not your money, you want to give a kiddo every fighting chance to save a few bucks and survive another month.
So I did something I haven’t done in 25 years. (and not just because the internet didn’t exist)
I went online.
And I requested quotes from the big direct writers.
All your favorites.
(I’ll be kind and keep the names to myself.)
Instant Regret.
First came the spam calls.
Then the texts.
Then the emails.
Then…the chaos.
I expected some of that. It’s the internet, after all.
What I didn’t expect was this:
Even after entering every detail —VIN, liability limits, PIP limits, comp/collision deductibles (trust me, I know what it takes to generate an auto quote) —not a single company actually used the information I provided. Every conversation started with basic questions I had already answered.
Fine. Moving on.
A Promising Lead… Until It Wasn’t.
One direct writer texted me, and it seemed like it might actually be a real human. He asked if he could call. I explained that I was collecting rates first, and once I narrowed things down, a call would absolutely be needed.
He replied with:
“$168.66 a month with the coverages you mentioned.”
…that was it.
No details.
No explanation.
No confirmation of what those coverages even were.
Still, the rate looked decent, even lower than what I had quoted, so I dug in.
“What are the liability limits?”
“Does that include unlimited PIP?”
“Can you email me a copy of the quote?”
He sent back the comp/collision deductibles (collision at $1000 when I requested $500) and roadside assistance, but didn’t answer the actual questions. So, I asked again.
That’s when he informed me the PIP (personal injury protection a.k.a medical coverage) was $250,000, not unlimited, and that Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist was only 100/300, not matching the Bodily Injury limits I requested. I asked him to adjust to the limits we needed.
Soon after, an email arrived with a simple statement, “This has unlimited pip” with a quote attached. I opened the quote and was faced with a bold, shiny premium of $181.83/month.
Still okay.
But then I looked closely.
The Fine Print… AKA The “Preferences” I Never Actually Preferred
Under “Discounts/Preferences,” I found:
-
Accident free
-
Auto/renters
-
Autopay
-
Early shopper
-
Good payer
-
Paperless
-
Signal (their safe driver app)
All great if true, but no one asked me if any of those applied.
So I asked him to re-run everything with and without certain discounts, and with the option of adding renters insurance (because that’s how a multi-policy discount actually works). We also discussed the “Signal” app and how the renewal premium could go up on renewal if the driving data changed, which is very typical for a safe driver’s app. What I didn’t think was typical was the response:
“When the policy renews, she can decide if she likes the rate and get insurance somewhere else if she doesn’t.”
Yikes.
I can promise you our team would never treat a client’s renewal that way.
Still, after all the adjustments, he came back with $205/month with a renters policy included. That was at least close to what we had quoted at Harbor Brenn, so I asked:
“Is this the finalized rate? All reports run? No surprises?”
He replied:
“Well, not yet. I wanted to make sure she was serious first, but I don’t expect anything to change.”
Then:
“I’m going to push the button now.”
…pause…
“Oh, wait, I need the VIN.”
The VIN I had already provided. Twice.
So I gave it again.
And the rate instantly changed from $205 to $443 per month.
$443.
For the exact same driver.
With no tickets.
No accidents.
Nothing changed except that the actual VIN finally got used.
His response?
“I’m not sure what happened. I’ll look into it and call you back.”
(I’m still waiting on that call.)
The Moral of the Story?
It pays to know who you’re talking to.
It pays to work with someone who knows the coverages, knows the laws, knows the pitfalls, and cares about getting it right, for you, the customer, not just making a sale.
And after all that noise, all those texts, all those emails, and all that back-and-forth?
The best rate and the best coverage still came from Harbor Brenn Insurance and our partner carrier.
Funny how that works.
Because when you choose an independent agent, especially one at Harbor Brenn, you’re choosing people who care more about your protection than your purchase.
And in a world full of algorithms, call centers, and “push the button” surprises…
Sometimes it’s nice knowing your insurance was built by a human who actually read your VIN the first time.
No direct writers were harmed during this little adventure, but my patience and inbox sure took a hit.
