At the end of the day, I’d rather deal with some faceless rep who gets things moving than a “friendly” agent who can’t actually speed anything up.
I get where you’re coming from. I tried a local agent once because my neighbor swore by them, but when my windshield got smashed, it took forever to get a response. With the bigger companies, at least there’s an app and you can track stuff. The personal touch is nice, but when you’re stressed out after an accident, you just want answers, not small talk.
Honestly, I get why the big companies seem smoother, but has anyone ever had a rare car claim with them? I’ve heard horror stories about adjusters not understanding classic value or proper repairs. Would a local agent maybe fight harder for you if things got weird?
Would a local agent maybe fight harder for you if things got weird?
Here’s how I’d break it down, just based on what I’ve seen with my own (admittedly boring) sedan and my dad’s old Mustang. Step one: with the big companies, you’re usually dealing with a call center or an app, not someone who knows your car or even your zip code. That can get dicey if you’re trying to explain why your ‘72 Chevelle isn’t just “an old Malibu.” Step two: local agents do seem to care more, but they’re still tied to whatever the parent company allows. My neighbor had a local agent go to bat for him when his classic truck got rear-ended—she actually showed up at the body shop. Didn’t magically get him a bigger check, but at least she made sure the adjuster didn’t lowball him on parts.
If you’re worried about rare car value, I’d look into agreed value policies. Not every company offers them, but it’s way less stressful than arguing with someone in another state about what your ride is worth. Just my two cents...
You nailed it with the agreed value policies—those are a lifesaver if you’ve got something special in the garage. I’ve had both big-name and local agents, and honestly, the local folks do seem to care more, even if their hands are tied sometimes. At least you get a real person who’ll actually listen when things get messy. It’s not perfect, but it beats arguing with a chatbot about why your car’s worth more than scrap.
Couldn’t agree more about the chatbot thing—nothing worse than trying to explain your car’s value to an algorithm that just spits out blue book numbers. I’ve had local agents go to bat for me when corporate was dragging their feet, and that made all the difference. Sure, they can’t always work miracles, but at least you’re not just another number in the system. If you care about your ride, it’s worth dealing with a real person who gets it, even if it means a little more hassle up front.
