I hear you on the fine print—learned that lesson the hard way myself. Last winter, slid right into my neighbor's mailbox (RIP mailbox). Thought accident forgiveness had me covered, but turns out it only kicks in after you've been with them a certain amount of time...which I hadn't. Classic rookie mistake. Definitely worth double-checking those sneaky clauses before signing up.
Accident forgiveness can be a bit tricky, honestly. I've seen plenty of cases where folks assumed they were covered right away, only to find out about those waiting periods or hidden clauses after the fact. Your mailbox story made me chuckle (sorry about the mailbox though!), but it's actually pretty common. Insurance companies often have these little details tucked away in the fine print, and most people don't realize it until they're filing a claim.
One thing I've always wondered is whether accident forgiveness is really worth the extra premium in the long run, especially here in Ohio. If you're generally a careful driver, paying extra every month might not make sense financially. But then again, Ohio winters can be brutal, and even the best drivers can slide into trouble (or mailboxes...). I guess it comes down to personal comfort level—do you prefer paying a bit more upfront for peace of mind, or taking your chances and potentially facing higher rates after an accident? Tough call either way.
"Ohio winters can be brutal, and even the best drivers can slide into trouble (or mailboxes...)."
Haha, can confirm—my '68 Mustang and icy Ohio roads are NOT friends. Honestly, accident forgiveness sounds great until you realize you're paying extra every month for something you might never use. But then again, one slip-up on black ice and suddenly you're wishing you'd sprung for it. Personally, I just stash a little extra cash aside for "oops" moments...and mailbox replacements.
I hear you on the mailbox thing...my old Jeep Cherokee took out a neighbor's fence one winter. Not my proudest moment, lol. Accident forgiveness always felt kinda gimmicky to me—I mean, insurance companies aren't exactly charities, right? I'd rather keep premiums low and just have a rainy-day fund ready. But yeah, the first time you slide sideways down an icy hill, you definitely second-guess that choice...
Yeah, sliding down an icy hill is definitely one of those "rethink your life choices" moments, haha. But I'm curious—has anyone actually crunched the numbers on accident forgiveness? Like, how much extra are we paying each year versus the average premium hike after a minor accident? I tried looking into it once but got lost in insurance jargon...would be interesting to see if it's truly worth it or just peace-of-mind marketing.
