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So you have full coverage. I'd shop around & consider a higher collision deductible if you can afford it but a low comp deductible as comp covers deer, windshields, etc. We've hit many deer without an increase. I hit 3 in one week. Good luck 😁
 
Buy an old historic or classic vehicle licensed as such and drive less. Insurance is cheap. Use an electric bike for short trips and public transportation if available.
 
I hate shopping for insurance; it is one of my least favorite chores in the world. But since the options vary so much from one state and vehicle to another, I don't see any way to avoid shopping. (Just be prepared to ignore phone calls and emails from vendors once you've decided you don't want to use that company! there doesn't seem to be any way to get a quote without giving your contact info.:mad:Eventually the ones you don't want to hear from will give up...)
Advice like Bullfrog and Sky King gave -- anything you can do yourself to bring your rates down! -- can be super helpful though.
Good luck.
 
I was surprised to discover that "not at fault" events, like when someone backs into you in a parking lot, also adversely impacted my rate. I have Progressive. So I guess when they say "accident forgiveness", they also include "not at fault" forgiveness. I wonder whether hitting a deer counts more like "at fault" or "not at fault"? The claims manager will have to interview the poor deer, if alive. I wonder if it hired Morgan and Morgan?
 
My wife hit a deer but gets mad if you say that & says the deer hit her.
Years back she wanted a P T Cruiser. I told her I hoped she didn't hit a groundhog. Wasn't a week later she swerved to miss one & flipped it & landed upside down in a black muck field & had to crawl quite a long ways thru the muck to find a spot to get up to the road. We bought the car back from the ins co for $450,had a young man fix it and paint flames on it till she wanted something else.
 
a)
I just got off the telephone with an adjuster for my Farmer's Insurance.
.
Two days ago, a scam crew of ILLxGxLS attempted to car-jack me.
.
Walking into GroceryOutlet, I saw the female diversion pretending to chat on a telephone while strolling the parking-lot, looking for their next victim.
.
After shopping as I got in the old Dodge 4x4, she attempted to engage me while the two fellows attempted to box me in.
My standard response:
* "I am married"
...as I walk or drive away.
.
In this case, I followed the orders of LawEnforcementOfficials and AARP... I simply drove away and immediately forgot about it.
.
Apparently, through the license plate, the scam crew discovered my insurance information, and filed a claim for:
* "PTSD"
* "anxiety"
* "too afraid to drive"
... and probably a host of other disabling maladies to be added upon consultation with their bi-lingual attorney.
.
A few moments ago during the telephone interview, the adjuster just about could not keep a straight face.
Those scam crews and ILLxGxLS all use the same script.
We saw that one coming a mile away.
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b)
Repeat after me:
* "I am married"...
... while watching her/his hands.
And have an insurance adjuster with a decent sense of humor.
.
ILLxGxLS getting PTSD after a three-word rejection by their intended car-jack victim.
This's a tough life; quit whining and grow up.
.
.
An aside:
None of that crew of ILLxGxLS stood taller than 5'4"/160cm.
Standing in my hikers, I am close to 6'5" and stop mischievous goats by lifting them by their horns.
But, geez, who needs the paperwork.
 
I have Geico, have had it forever but have been looking to switch. I had a price hike when I got a new car that was $125 (per month) over their quote.

They said once they get the VIN that's when they really know which didn't make much sense as it's a stock car. I feel duped. Bait and switch.

So, I'll keep the thread updated as I call around. I'm paying $200 for full coverage with uninsured motorist protection. I've been hit by two uninsured drivers so it made sense to me. I also have roadside from them. I travel a good bit and don't want to get stuck in no man's land.
 
We pay $40/month for basic with comp & no collision but we have a $1 million umbrella thru State Farm. We never had any increase for hitting deer or anything not our fault.
 
I don't work for an insurance company but deal in the industry for 28 years now.
The total cost of repair is out of control and the company has to raise rates longer accordingly, sad fact of doing business, if you want to stay in business.
Claims have risen because of many factors like ADAS, pre/ post scans & calibration, parts cost, labor increases, materials like paint,parts delays causing longer rental times, etc...
Break ins, vehicle damage, stolen vehicles all contribute to the costs.

Shop around but be aware of the fine print and terms. It seems like you get what you pay for in most cases.
Look at deductibles, rental coverage, claim amount limits, and part type usage for newer vehicles.
 
Costs have gone up especially for parts and tools. Lower cost substandard parts are plentiful but even those are expensive. It is expensive for the majority of people to even maintain an older vehicle even doing their own labor. Monopolies have empowered the large corporate interests to corrupt and control our government but the markets as well. All cheap forms of transportation have pretty much gone away especially when it comes to larger vehicles we need to be fulltime nomads in my opinion. Cheaper, lighter economic vehicles need to be developed to transport and house many of the people in this country as there is less and less of a middle class. Insurance should be universal and federal not state regulated along with licensing in my opinion.
 
Move to a place where there’s no deer 🦌………?
Hawaii, or one of the Caribbean Islands maybe? Australia and Africa might be deerless, but they have worse things to run into... and Antarctica has all those damn penguins...

800px-Deer_range.png
 
Hawaii, or one of the Caribbean Islands maybe?
Some Caribbean islands you have to look out for horses.
And/or cows.
I guess you have to look out for cows in a lot of places.
 
Buy a vehicle with cash, then all you need is liability.

I've had several deer strikes. I got out the duct tape and baling wire and kept driving.
Ive hit 7 deer……..
The worst damage was replacing a radiator which i had to do in near zero degree weather. The cold was the worst part of the repair. Work for 15-20 minutes; go indoors and warm the fingers; repeat most of the day till job was done.

The other 6?
4 with my 91 F-150 and 2 with my 97 Burb. Damages? The 150 i had to re align the front bumper a lil and the Burb had to replace a front blinker light assembly.

Never made any insurance claim as the deductible & rate increase was way more.

jonny
 
...Never made any insurance claim...
.
a)
These topics are popular on the forum for straights -- 'IRV2'.
[example -- www.irv2.com/forums/f278/insurance-shock-665116.html[/URL] ]
You might remember me mentioning them... they pay cash for a new factory RecreateVehicle each season, then trade it in after the ashtray is full.
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In similar threads to ours, those people say they have uncountable numbers of claims, some individuals reporting as many as a dozen pay-outs from insurance!
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They say it as though they are bragging, 'pulling a fast one' on the system.
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January 2025, our annual for our ExpeditionVehicle -- us$1,200.
February 2025, our 1996 Dodge 4x4 Cummins for six months -- us$400.
If we had to purchase grub for the next couple months -- without our farming workkamp gig -- we would be looking at pet food and beans.
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b)
Over a half-century with zero claims.
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[edited to add]
Disclaimer:
2003, we engineered our ExpeditionVehicle with the focus on 'primitive' and resilient.
During our escapades, everything else might show the shock of our passage, but the rig keeps rolling.
.
.
Our introduction with plenty of portraits, plus our reasons for our decisions:
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/expeditionvehicle-build.44908/#post-576110
 
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