I see your point, especially with an Audi—repairs on those things aren't cheap. But honestly, I've always skipped accident forgiveness myself. I'm careful (knock on wood...) and drive a pretty modest sedan, so the math just never worked out for me. I'd rather stash that extra cash aside for emergencies or repairs down the line. Totally get the peace-of-mind angle though; guess it comes down to your personal comfort level and what you're driving.
I'm kinda torn on this myself. Just bought my first insurance policy a few months ago, and the agent really pushed accident forgiveness. At first, I was like "nah, sounds like a gimmick," but then my buddy rear-ended someone last winter (icy roads, not even his fault really...) and his rates jumped quite a bit. Now I'm second-guessing skipping it. Still, feels like paying extra for something that might never happen—especially since I'm driving an older Civic that's cheap to fix anyway. Guess I'll just keep crossing my fingers for now.
Accident forgiveness can be a mixed bag, honestly. A few points to consider:
- It's definitely not a scam, but it's not always essential either. Depends heavily on your driving habits and comfort level.
- If you're generally cautious and haven't had accidents in years, it might feel like throwing money away. But one slip-up (even minor) can spike your premiums in Ohio for several years.
- Your buddy's situation sounds familiar—Ohio winters can be brutal. Even careful drivers get caught off guard sometimes, and insurers don't always care about fault when adjusting rates.
- Older Civics are cheap to fix mechanically, sure, but liability costs (like rear-ending someone else's newer car) could still sting.
Honestly, I'm skeptical about paying extra myself—but I've also seen clients saved from big rate hikes because they had accident forgiveness. Maybe the real question is: how much peace of mind is worth the extra premium to you personally?
As someone new to insurance myself, I debated this recently. Decided to skip it for now—seemed pricey given my clean record. But your point about Ohio winters does make me reconsider a bit... might revisit next renewal.
I was in your shoes last year—clean record, thought accident forgiveness was just another upsell. Then, boom, slid into a curb during one of those sneaky Ohio ice storms. Nothing major, but enough to ding my record and bump up my premium. Kinda wish I'd had it then... but hindsight's 20/20, right? If your budget allows, might be worth the peace of mind, especially with our unpredictable winters. Just my two cents from someone who's been there.
