Been there, done that... learned the hard way too. Had a flat tire near Dover last summer and figured roadside assistance had me covered. Turns out my policy only covered changing the tire, not replacing it—who knew? Ended up shelling out extra cash for a new tire at some random shop. Honestly, I think insurance companies count on us not reading that fine print. Now I skim through policies a bit more carefully, but let's be real, still probably missing something important.
Haha, totally feel you on the fine print struggle. Last winter, I slid into a curb near Wilmington—nothing major, just enough to mess up my alignment. Thought my coverage would handle it, but nope... apparently "curb collisions" are a separate thing? Who even thinks to check for that? Now I joke that insurance policies are like Netflix terms of service: we all click accept, but nobody actually reads them. Guess we're all just hoping for the best and prepping for the worst.
I had a similar experience a few years back with my '68 Mustang. Was heading home from a car show near Dover, and out of nowhere, a deer jumped onto the road. Managed to avoid hitting it directly, but ended up clipping a guardrail instead. Thankfully, damage wasn't too severe—mostly cosmetic—but when I called my insurance, I learned the hard way about "comprehensive" vs. "collision" coverage. Turns out, avoiding wildlife and hitting something else counts as collision, not comprehensive. Who knew?
Since then, I've made it a habit to sit down once a year and actually read through my policy documents. It's tedious, sure, but I've caught some interesting details that saved me headaches later on. For instance, some classic car policies have mileage restrictions or specific storage requirements that can void your coverage if you're not careful. I found out mine required the car to be garaged overnight—no exceptions. Glad I caught that before taking it on an overnight road trip.
One thing I've learned is that specialty insurers for classic or collector cars often offer more tailored coverage options than standard providers. They understand the unique needs of older vehicles and usually have clearer terms regarding what's covered and what's not. Might be worth looking into if you're driving something older or customized.
Insurance fine print is definitely like Netflix terms—everyone skips it until something goes wrong... then we all become experts overnight.
I've had my fair share of "insurance surprises" too—nothing like clipping a guardrail, thankfully, but discovered my policy didn't cover roadside assistance unless explicitly added. Now I double-check everything annually... tedious, yes, but cheaper than learning lessons the hard way.
Been there myself—thought I was fully covered until a deer jumped out last fall. Turns out my deductible was way higher than I remembered, and rental coverage wasn't included either. Now I keep a quick checklist:
- Confirm deductible amounts (collision AND comprehensive)
- Double-check rental and roadside assistance
- Ask about accident forgiveness options
Feels tedious, but after that deer incident, I'd rather spend 15 minutes reviewing than get blindsided again...
