I’ve been down that road myself—my agent pitched accident forgiveness as a “peace of mind” thing after I had a minor mishap last winter. I ran the numbers and, like you, just couldn’t justify the extra monthly charge. Even with forgiveness, my premium crept up the next year anyway. It almost feels like you’re just paying for a label. I’d rather keep a rainy day fund for those “just in case” moments... at least then I know where my money’s going.
Yeah, “peace of mind” sounds nice until you realize you’re just paying for a fancy sticker on your policy. I see people get accident forgiveness, then still get rate hikes for other stuff—like comprehensive claims or even non-accident factors. Honestly, unless you’re a magnet for fender benders, stashing the cash in your own rainy day fund makes more sense. Insurance companies never forget, but your savings account definitely won’t judge you.
I’ve wondered the same thing, honestly. The last time I shopped around for car insurance, the agent kept pushing accident forgiveness like it was some magic bullet. I asked her point blank—if I get rear-ended or make a dumb mistake, does this actually keep my rates flat? She kind of danced around it. Turns out, it only covers your first at-fault accident, and even then, it doesn’t stop them from raising your rates for other stuff. Like, if you get a cracked windshield or a deer jumps out in front of you, that’s not “forgiven.”
Here’s my thing: I’ve been driving in Ohio for over twenty years, and I’ve had one fender bender (knock on wood). That one time, my rates went up anyway, even though I had “accident forgiveness” on my policy. The company said it was because of “market factors” and a couple of minor claims for hail damage. What’s the point, then?
I get that it might help if you’re prone to accidents or have a teenager on your policy, but for most people, I’m not convinced it’s worth the extra money. Wouldn’t it make more sense to just keep a little extra stashed away? Or am I missing something here? Feels like one of those things that sounds nice but doesn’t really save you in the long run. Maybe I’m just too skeptical, but I’d rather trust my own rainy day fund than bank on the insurance company’s “forgiveness.” Anyone else feel like these add-ons are just ways to squeeze a few more bucks out of us?
Honestly, I don’t get the hype either. If they can still raise your rates for “market factors,” what’s the point of paying extra? Has anyone actually had accident forgiveness save them real money, or is it just a sales pitch?
I’ve always wondered about this too. My cousin swears it saved him a ton after he rear-ended someone, but I’m kinda skeptical. Like, sure, they “forgive” the accident, but then your premium creeps up anyway for some mysterious reason. Anyone ever try to actually switch companies after using accident forgiveness? I wonder if it follows you or if you start fresh...