CA auto insurance rates? WTH!!!

[Vipergrün]

Holy schite, left CA 3 years ago and moved to Colorado and actually paid more for auto insurance there. Makes sense, snow, ice, rain, real weather, etc...

Rates went from 1200/year to 1600/year.

Wellllll, was I shocked to get a quote from the same insurance company, same cars, same coverages as all along. Rates are have more than doubled in the past 3 years. Just got a quote for 2900.00 for a year!!! What the he11 is going on?

The insurance sales lady highly suggested I get the un-insured motorist insurance due to the high number of un-insured drivers in the area (read illegal immigrants).

Friggen out of control.

[Danny_Ocean]

I tried to "go back" to my previous company (Geico) after having AllState for a few years and they (Geico) were MORE than Allstate...? They had been significantly lower when I switched.

Being a "previous insured" may have something to do with it...not sure why, but seems that way. Don't be afraid to shop around.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

CA is ridiculous. The entire system is insane and doesn't make a lick of sense.

Pricing is completely random - kind of like airline ticket prices. They don't make any sense at all. The claims process is similarly bizarre - there's typically a lot of confusion over who you ought to be telling what, who has legal responsibility to whom, what specific recourses the various parties have, etc.

In all the places I've lived I have to say I feel the least protected by CA insurance - and it costs far and away much more than anywhere else. Can't even begin to understand why. Fraud? Bureaucracy? Dunno.

Just one more reason I hope to get out of this state someday soon.

[john70t]

Don't forget they set rates based upon your zip code(cough po) and credit score.

It would be nice for the industry to reveal what factors are used, so that any misinformation in your file can be corrected, or the consumer can choose not to go with a company based upon __.
Auto insurance is state mandated, so the cunsumer has every right to that information.

[VINMAN]

Dont feel bad. New Jersey insurers now rates and charges you based on your job and level of education.

[Tobra]

A great deal of it has to do with the very high number of illegal aliens driving sans license and insurance.

Medical malpractice is cheaper due to tort reform here, so that is something.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Well, another thing I've found particularly confusing is the fact that law enforcement is virtually absent from the entire incident/claims process. In any other state I've ever lived in, the police always respond to accidents and document the situation. Those police reports are pivotal/instrumental in any/all dealings between the parties' insurance companies. In CA the cops don't bother. I've been told point-blank, "unless someone is injured or dying, don't bother calling us because we won't come". The only reason PD showed up when my 951 caught on fire was to DIRECT TRAFFIC. The cops didn't even talk to me (other than sort of basic chit-chat). The fire chief asked a few questions but that was it. Neither insurance company ever interviewed them, I wasn't given any report or statement by them or anything. The entire process hinges on what the parties tell the insurance company I guess, which opens up the door for a lot of fraud (I suppose this is why the rates might be so high?)

I'm sure the illegals don't help either. The "uninsured motorist" rates here are very high, almost as high as full comprehensive.