Just feels like paying for something I might never use, you know?
Man, I get where you’re coming from. Insurance folks love to tack on all these “nice to have” extras, but half the time it’s just padding their bottom line. I’ve been driving my old ‘68 Chevelle for years, and I swear every time I renew, they try to sell me on accident forgiveness like it’s some kind of magic shield.
Honestly, if you’ve got a clean record and you’re not out there tearing up the highways, it’s probably not worth it. I mean, if you’re just commuting and not clocking a ton of miles, the odds are pretty low you’ll need it. My daily is barely out of the garage except for the grocery run or car shows. Why pay extra for something you may never cash in on?
Had a buddy who paid for accident forgiveness for years—he finally had a fender bender, and guess what? The premium still went up after his “forgiven” accident. Turns out, they forgave the first one but jacked his rate on the renewal anyway. Felt like a bit of a scam if you ask me.
That said, if you were hauling kids around or driving in heavy city traffic every day, maybe it’d be a different story. But for us low-mileage folks? I’d rather keep that money in my pocket for a new carb or some decent tires. Insurance is already expensive enough without tacking on stuff you’ll probably never use.
Anyway, just my two cents. Sometimes peace of mind is overrated when your wallet’s involved.
I’m still learning, but honestly, I keep asking myself if accident forgiveness is just a way for them to squeeze more money out of people like me. I haven’t even had my license a year yet, and my agent keeps pushing it “just in case.” But if you’re careful and not driving all over the place, is it really worth paying extra? My cousin got it, had a minor accident, and his rate still went up later. Feels like a ripoff. Maybe it’s different if you’re driving every day, but for me, I’d rather save the cash.
Honestly, I get where you’re coming from. I used to think accident forgiveness was just another way for them to nickel-and-dime us, too. But after a fender bender last winter (black ice, go figure), my rate shot up even with it. If you’re not driving much and you’re careful, it might not be worth the extra cash. For folks like me who are on the road a lot, it’s more like paying for peace of mind... but yeah, it’s not magic. They’ll still find a way to bump your rate if they can.
I keep wondering if it’s just a marketing thing, honestly. I’ve got a newer BMW, and my agent pitched accident forgiveness hard, but when I ran the numbers, the premium hike after one accident (even with forgiveness) was still pretty steep. Does it actually save anyone real money long-term, or is it just a feel-good add-on?
Does it actually save anyone real money long-term, or is it just a feel-good add-on?
Honestly, it always felt like a gimmick to me. I’ve stuck with older rides most of my life—’72 Chevelle, ’89 Bronco—so I’m used to keeping insurance as basic as possible. Had a buddy with a new Mustang who paid extra for accident forgiveness, then got rear-ended. His rates still jumped the next year. Feels like you’re just paying for peace of mind, not real savings. Maybe makes sense for folks who get into fender benders a lot, but for most people? I’d rather just drive careful and keep my premiums down the old-fashioned way.
