Bucking the System!

'Cuz if you don't buck the system, baby, it's gonna bite you!  -July 2010

Yeah, the system bites. So I'm bucking back! My auto insurance renewal papers arrived, with a monthly bill that is 17 dollars higher per month. Last year, on receiving the renewal papers, it had gone up 12 dollars per month. I considered switching to another insurer, but thought I might call them first.

The lady was quite congenial and heard my concerns. She said there were two reasons for the raise in my rates. The first reason is what floored me.

"Based on recent credit rating information, your 'financial responsibility' has had a recent change." I know the meaning of those words, but asked her for more explanation.

"It could be that you have a credit card close to the limit, or some other thing that is showing on your credit report. The company we deal with is ______________, I could give you their number." She appealed kindly.

"No thanks. I really don't see what my financial responsibility might have to do with auto insurance. My driving record has remained clean for the past five years."

"Oh yes," she confirmed, "you are getting the good driver discount." I did not indulge any information about my credit card balance or that I bought a house with my mother in 2007. They got the address change, and anything else was none of their business. All that is their business, is my driving record. I do also seem to recall the monthly rate going up a little when I moved to this side of town, but many people I discussed this with also had similar situations, because maybe there is a higher rate of accidents on this side of town....never mind that I am now in a house where my car can reside safely in a garage....Hellooooo!!!! Yeah, I had let that one go.

So, that's it. The only way I can legally buck the system here, is to call another insurance company. This I did, resulting in changing over to another insurer, for 27dollars less a month. "Financial responsibility..." , this is none of their flippin' business....how dare they discriminate? I'm done...the new insurance takes effect in two days and I called gleefully to cancel the other. The agent at the new insurance company also guffawed at that "financial responsibility" reason; maybe that was his salemanship, but at least for the moment I wasn't feeling all alone in this and I had a way to fight back.

You can't let a business fleece you like that, buck back or they will shuck you like an ear of corn! Not to mention, when I let this teenager of mine learn how to drive, oh, just imagine what the insurance requirements will do to the monthly bill!