stuck between Geico and Progressive in NY, thoughts?

Stuck Between Geico And Progressive In NY, Thoughts?

I’m right there with you on the policy docs—had to Google half the terms and still felt like I was deciphering ancient runes. I’m actually in the middle of picking between Geico and Progressive myself, and it’s wild how different the quotes are for basically the same coverage.

Funny thing, when I called Geico to ask about glass coverage, the rep started rattling off exclusions so fast I had to ask her to slow down. Made me wonder if I was missing something obvious. Progressive’s site was a little clearer, but then their “Snapshot” thing made me nervous—like, do I really want my driving tracked?

I barely drive too, so paying extra for OEM glass feels like buying a fancy gym membership I’ll never use. But then again, what if I actually need it? Ugh. Insurance is one of those things where you don’t know if you picked right until something goes wrong...

Insurance is one of those things where you don’t know if you picked right until something goes wrong...

That’s the kicker, isn’t it? I always tell people, “You only find out how good your insurance is when you actually need to use it.” About the glass coverage—did either company mention if they use aftermarket parts by default, or do you have to specifically ask for OEM? Sometimes that’s buried in the fine print. And yeah, the Snapshot thing… I’ve seen folks get discounts, but also a few who got dinged for hard braking. Makes you wonder if it’s worth the stress.

You only find out how good your insurance is when you actually need to use it.

That’s been my experience, too. I used to think all the little differences in coverage were just marketing, but after a minor fender bender last year, I realized how much the details matter. With Geico, I had to push a bit to get OEM parts for my bumper—turns out their default was aftermarket unless you specifically request otherwise. The rep didn’t mention it up front; I only caught it because I read through the repair estimate line by line. Not sure if Progressive is any better about that, but it’s definitely something to ask about before signing up.

About the glass coverage, I remember Geico offering a separate “full glass” option in NY, but again, the fine print was tricky. They covered replacement without deductible, but only if you went through their preferred vendors. If you wanted your own shop or insisted on OEM glass, there were extra hoops (and sometimes extra costs). I haven’t dealt with Progressive for glass claims personally—has anyone here had luck with them on that front?

The Snapshot thing is a bit of a double-edged sword. I tried it for a few months and got so paranoid about every stoplight and sudden slowdown that it started affecting how I drove (not always in a good way). Got a small discount, but honestly, the stress wasn’t worth it for me. Plus, living in NY traffic means hard braking is sometimes unavoidable unless you want to rear-end someone.

I guess what bugs me most is how much of this stuff isn’t obvious until you’re knee-deep in a claim or repair process. The ads make it sound simple, but there’s always some catch buried in the policy docs. If you’re detail-oriented (like me), it pays to dig into those specifics before picking one over the other—even if it means spending an afternoon reading fine print and making some awkward phone calls.

Honestly, I don’t bother sweating the OEM vs aftermarket parts thing anymore—at least not in NY. After my third accident (none my fault, but try convincing insurance of that), both Geico and Progressive gave me the runaround. In the end, I just wanted my car back on the road. OEM? Aftermarket? I couldn’t tell a difference, and it’s not like anyone’s paying top dollar for a used Camry with a “genuine” bumper anyway.

On glass coverage, I’ve had both companies. Progressive let me pick my own shop, but they still lowballed the payout. Geico tried to steer me to their list, but honestly, every company’s got some hoops if you want anything outside their network. It’s all about minimizing their cost.

Snapshot and those tracking things are a joke if you drive in NYC or anywhere busy. Tried it for three months—my rates actually went up because of “hard braking.” Newsflash: everyone slams on the brakes around here unless you want to get sideswiped by an Uber. Unless you only drive at 2am on empty roads, those programs are basically traps.

I get digging into policy details is smart, but sometimes it feels like no matter how much research you do, they’ll find something to trip you up when you file a claim. At this point, I just go for whoever gives me the lowest price upfront and brace for hassle if I ever need to use it... which, with my luck, is more often than I’d like to admit.

Honestly, I get where you’re coming from, but I wouldn’t write off OEM parts so fast. Had an aftermarket fender once that didn’t line up right—looked off and rattled at highway speeds. On a Camry, maybe it’s not a big deal, but if you ever plan to keep a car long-term, sometimes OEM’s worth the hassle.

About the tracking programs, though, totally agree.

“my rates actually went up because of ‘hard braking.’ Newsflash: everyone slams on the brakes around here unless you want to get sideswiped by an Uber.”