That “full coverage” label gets thrown around way too casually. I remember when we bought our minivan, the agent rattled off a bunch of terms and I thought we were covered for everything—turns out, not even close. Found out later that rental reimbursement wasn’t included, and neither was roadside assistance. Had to learn the hard way after a dead battery stranded us at my kid’s soccer game.
I’m with you on the checklist thing—it shouldn’t be necessary, but it really is. What gets me is how inconsistent everything is from company to company. You’d think there would be some kind of standard definition for “full,” but nope. Even within the same company, different agents seem to interpret things their own way.
Out of curiosity, has anyone actually managed to find a policy that spells out in plain English what’s included and what isn’t? Or is it always just a maze of fine print and add-ons? I’ve considered switching insurers just for better transparency, but honestly, it feels like they all play the same game.
Also, does anyone bother with comprehensive coverage in areas where hail or flooding are common? I feel like that’s one of those things people skip until something goes wrong, then regret it later. We’re in a pretty mild climate here, so I never thought much about hail damage before reading that story from Kansas… makes you wonder if it’s worth paying extra just in case.
You’d think there would be some kind of standard definition for “full,” but nope. Even within the same company, different agents seem to interpret things their own way.
That’s been my experience too, and it’s super frustrating. I’ve had tickets and a couple fender benders, so I’m always double-checking what’s actually covered. “Full coverage” is basically just liability plus collision and comprehensive, but even then, stuff like rental or roadside is extra. I’ve never seen a policy that’s truly plain English, but some companies at least do those coverage summary pages—still gotta read the fine print though.
As for comprehensive, I wouldn’t skip it even in a mild climate. Hail, theft, random tree branches... weird stuff happens. It’s one of those things you don’t think about until you really wish you had it.
Yeah, “full coverage” is one of those phrases that sounds way more reassuring than it actually is. I used to think it meant you were covered for pretty much anything short of a meteor strike, but nope—turns out it’s more like “you’re covered for the stuff we specifically list, and everything else is your problem.” I learned that the hard way when my old car got broken into and my policy didn’t include glass coverage. That was a fun surprise.
I totally agree about comprehensive. Even if you live somewhere with mild weather, there’s always some random thing waiting to happen. My neighbor’s car got hit by a runaway shopping cart during a windstorm—like, what are the odds? But yeah, reading those summary pages helps, but the fine print is where they hide all the weird exceptions. I wish insurance companies would just use normal language... or at least give us a decoder ring or something.
Yeah, “full coverage” is such a misleading term. I used to think it meant everything too, until I found out my policy didn’t cover rental cars after an accident. It’s wild how much you have to dig through the details just to know what’s actually included. Insurance language really needs a major overhaul... half the time I’m not even sure what I’m reading.
Yeah, the term “full coverage” really trips people up. I remember when I bought my first car, I thought I was set because the dealer said I had full coverage. Turns out, that just meant liability plus collision and comprehensive, but even then, there were all these little gaps. Like, glass wasn’t covered unless I added a separate rider, and roadside assistance was extra too.
Here’s what I do now: every year before renewal, I actually sit down with my policy and a notepad. Step one, I list out what’s important to me—rental car, hail damage (I’m in the Midwest, so that’s a must), uninsured motorist, etc. Step two, I go through each section of my policy and check if it’s included or not. If something’s missing or unclear, I call my agent and ask for plain English explanations. It’s a pain, but it beats finding out the hard way after an accident.
Honestly, insurance companies could make this so much easier if they just used normal language... but until then, it’s on us to double-check everything.
