I had accident forgiveness on my policy for years and honestly, I was skeptical about whether it’d actually do anything. Last year, someone rear-ended me at a stoplight—minor damage, but enough to file a claim since my car’s a 2021 BMW and repairs aren’t cheap. My agent swore up and down that my rates wouldn’t budge because of the forgiveness. Next renewal? No increase at all. I double-checked with two other companies just out of curiosity, and both said that without forgiveness, I’d have seen a hike, even though it wasn’t my fault.
I get why people think it’s just another upsell, but for higher-end cars or if you’re picky about keeping your record clean, it can be worth it. Ohio’s insurance market is weirdly unpredictable—my neighbor had a similar accident with an older car and his rate still jumped. Sometimes it feels like a lottery. For me, the peace of mind is worth the extra cash, but I can see how it might not be for everyone.
I hear you on the unpredictability—Ohio rates are all over the place. I’ve got a minivan and three kids, so I’m always weighing the “what ifs.” Accident forgiveness seemed like overkill at first, but after my cousin’s fender bender last year (not her fault either), her premium shot up. Makes me wonder if it’s just luck of the draw or if certain companies are stricter. Has anyone actually had forgiveness kick in for a not-at-fault accident? Or is it usually just for when you’re the one who messed up?
Accident forgiveness is one of those things that sounds great on paper, but the details can get murky. I totally get where you’re coming from—
From what I’ve seen (and I’ve had my share of close calls in a not-so-cheap sedan), most companies only apply accident forgiveness if you’re at fault. If someone else hits you, it’s supposed to go on their insurance, but sometimes your own rates still creep up. Super frustrating.“her premium shot up. Makes me wonder if it’s just luck of the draw or if certain companies are stricter.”
I actually had a minor scrape in a parking lot—my fault, no denying it. My insurer’s forgiveness kicked in, and my rate didn’t budge. But when my neighbor got rear-ended (not her fault), her premium still went up a bit. Seems like some companies just use any excuse to raise rates, forgiveness or not.
If you’re driving around with kids and a minivan, I’d say peace of mind is worth something. But yeah, it’s not a magic shield for every scenario. Just gotta read the fine print and maybe shop around every couple years... Ohio insurers really do play by their own rules sometimes.
Honestly, I’ve always wondered if accident forgiveness is just a clever marketing trick. I mean, I’ve been commuting through Ohio winters for years and knock on wood, haven’t needed it yet. But I’ve seen friends get dinged for stuff that wasn’t even their fault—like a deer out of nowhere or someone backing into them at Kroger. The “forgiveness” part only seems to work if you’re lucky enough to have the right kind of accident. Feels like you’re paying extra for a maybe. Still, I guess if you’ve got kids in the car, it’s hard to put a price on peace of mind...
Yeah, I get what you mean. It does kinda feel like you’re just paying for a “get out of jail free” card you might never use. I’ve had accident forgiveness on my policy for years and honestly, I’m not even sure if it would help with the random stuff—like that time a turkey flew into my windshield outside Dayton. Insurance still counted it as a comprehensive claim, not an at-fault accident. I guess if you’ve got teen drivers or a history of fender benders, maybe it’s worth it? Otherwise, feels like another way for them to squeeze a few extra bucks out of us...
