I get what you're saying, but honestly, from my experience, it's always better to double-check and do your own homework when it comes to insurance. I've had a few agents over the years who were great at selling policies but kinda fuzzy on the specifics when I pressed them for details. I don't think it's intentional—it's just that their main job is sales, not claims or policy details.
What worked for me was asking for the actual policy wording upfront (yeah, boring, I know) and then taking an hour or so to skim through it myself. You'd be surprised how much clearer things become when you read the fine print yourself rather than relying solely on the agent's explanation. Plus, if you're budget-conscious like me, knowing exactly what's covered can help you avoid paying extra for stuff you don't need.
So yeah, ideally they should know enough basics to help us avoid nasty surprises later...but realistically, being proactive yourself is the safest bet.
"their main job is sales, not claims or policy details."
I get where you're coming from, but honestly, that's not always the case. Sure, some agents might be fuzzy on specifics, but plenty of us actually do spend a good chunk of time dealing with claims and policy details. It's not just about selling policies—it's also about making sure clients understand what they're buying and how it works when things go sideways.
That said, I totally agree that reading the fine print yourself is smart. Policies can be confusing, and even the most knowledgeable agent can't cover every single scenario off the top of their head. But if your agent consistently struggles to answer basic questions clearly, maybe it's time to shop around a bit more? A good agent should at least be able to break down the essentials without too much trouble. Just my two cents...
"Policies can be confusing, and even the most knowledgeable agent can't cover every single scenario off the top of their head."
Yeah, totally agree with this. I remember when I first got my policy, my agent explained PIP coverage pretty well, but when I asked about some weird hypothetical scenario involving a skateboarder hitting my parked car... he just laughed and said he'd have to look it up. Makes me wonder—has anyone actually had to use their PIP for something really unusual like that?
I had something similar happen—not a skateboarder, but a cyclist clipped my side mirror while I was parked outside a coffee shop. At first, I assumed PIP would cover it since it involved someone else's injury, but turns out that's more for your own medical expenses (or passengers in your car). My agent walked me through it step-by-step: file a police report, document everything, and then check if the cyclist's insurance or my collision coverage applied. Definitely learned something new that day...
Had a similar misunderstanding myself—thought PIP would cover damage from a parking lot fender-bender, but nope, just medical. Ended up paying out-of-pocket since collision deductible was too high... lesson learned the hard (and expensive) way. Glad yours worked out better!
