Insurance question

Turtle · Mar 15, 2013

zorry said:
Turtle seems to have a working knowledge of gentleman's clubs.

That comment was really more for Shelly's benefit.

But no, not really. Casinos, gentleman's clubs - I don't do either, for the same reasons. Both promise big things, as long as you as you keep throwing money at them. They might even let you get a little lucky once in a while, just to keep you coming back in the hopes that you'll finally score big. But you never do.

Insurance companies aren't all that different. They promise lots of things, security and peace of mind being the biggest. They're here to help. That's what they do. They're your friend. They want to project security, reassurance, responsibility, for your trust and confidence.

You're in good hands with All State.
Nationwide is on your side.
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

But the second you stop stuffing dollars into their g-strings and ask for something in return, they cancel your policy and kick you out, or they raise their rates so that you'll go away and quit bothering them for stuff.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 15, 2013

What?...We give you low prices and you want customer service too?.....LOL

Turtle · Mar 15, 2013

OntarioVanMan said:
comparing what I paid just to put my taxi on the road in 1990 to what it costs to put a CV on the road in a business.....seems the rate were either too high then OR too low now...
to think you can run a $100,000 business on todays highways for such a measly amount is just silly IMO

A taxi brings with it a very different risk than an expedited cargo van. Not only is transporting people a higher risk, but the nature of the travel in city traffic with a taxi is very different than primarily highway miles in expediting. There are simply more opportunities in situations where accidents are more likely occur in a taxi, and accidents do, in fact, occur more frequently with a taxi.

OntarioVanMan · Mar 15, 2013

Turtle said:
A taxi brings with it a very different risk than an expedited cargo van. Not only is transporting people a higher risk, but the nature of the travel in city traffic with a taxi is very different than primarily highway miles in expediting. There are simply more opportunities in situations where accidents are more likely occur in a taxi, and accidents do, in fact, occur more frequently with a taxi.

And my CV in Canada we were at 5K a year in 2000 and that is without leaving Canada, the rate almost doubled

Turtle · Mar 15, 2013

I wonder what they rates are for a taxi in NYC. It's got to be ridiculous.

usafk9 · Mar 15, 2013

Turtle said:
Insurance companies know exactly what the risk is. Risk is a quantifiable thing based on accidents and claims, and an individual driver's history (moving violations, accidents, etc.). It's also quantified by the cost of those big buildings they occupy, the salaries of the people within them, and the millions of dollars it costs to do effective lobbying on Capitol Hill.

The premiums are priced accordingly.

You forgot to add their super-secret, proprietary credit scoring model. That's not nearly accurate as a risk-indicator as they believe it is, but they use it. Heck, if the tote-the-note car guys can do it, why can't insurance companies claim a chunk of the subprime action?

Oh, and the fierce lobbying takes place in the state capitals, too.