just saw a story about a guy in Kansas whose car got totaled by hail, and turns out his insurance didn't cover it.

Hail damage is usually under comprehensive, but I’ve seen policies with weird exclusions or high deductibles.

Yeah, I learned that the hard way. Got nailed by a hailstorm last year - my car looked like a golf ball after. Thought I was good with “full coverage,” but turns out my deductible was almost as much as the repairs. Didn’t help that I’d added aftermarket rims and a spoiler, which weren’t covered at all. Definitely read the details, or you might be in for a nasty surprise.

That’s rough. I had a similar wake-up call a couple years back. Parked outside during a freak hailstorm, and my “full coverage” didn’t do much for me either. Like you said,

my deductible was almost as much as the repairs

Full Coverage Isn’t Always What It Sounds Like

Honestly, I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve always thought “full coverage” is kind of a marketing term more than anything. It’s not really “full” unless you read every line and add every option, which gets expensive fast. I had a buddy who thought his stereo upgrades were covered, but nope - only the factory stuff. Same with aftermarket wheels.

I guess the deductible thing is what really gets me. If you’re paying a high premium and still have to cough up a big chunk for repairs, what’s the point? Sometimes I wonder if it’s better to just keep a rainy day fund for stuff like hail or minor accidents, especially if your car isn’t brand new. Insurance feels more like a safety net for the big disasters, not the little stuff.

But yeah, “full” definitely doesn’t mean what most people think it does...

Insurance feels more like a safety net for the big disasters, not the little stuff.

That’s actually spot on - most people don’t realize “full coverage” is just a combo of comprehensive and collision, and even then, it’s got limits. Like, hail damage is only covered if you have comprehensive, but aftermarket parts usually need to be listed separately. I get the frustration with deductibles too, but they’re kind of the trade-off for lower premiums. Did your buddy ever look into adding custom parts coverage, or was it just not worth the extra cost?

Did your buddy ever look into adding custom parts coverage, or was it just not worth the extra cost?

I’ve actually wondered about that myself. I looked into custom parts coverage after I swapped out my rims, but the price hike was wild. Do they even pay out what you put in, or is it just another way for them to nickel-and-dime you? I feel like unless you’re running a show car, it’s hard to justify.