Honestly, I get where you’re coming from about the “depends on underwriting” thing, but I don’t totally buy that it’s just a cop-out every time. I mean, yeah, it’s vague and kind of annoying, but underwriting really is a black box sometimes. There are so many little factors that can tip the scale—stuff you’d never even think about, like how many miles you drive or if your car’s parked on the street versus a garage.
I actually tried going straight to underwriting once after a fender bender. Didn’t get much further than my agent, to be honest. They were polite but basically just repeated the same lines about “reviewing all risk factors.” Maybe some companies are more transparent, but mine definitely wasn’t.
One thing I will say is that sometimes agents genuinely don’t know until the system spits out a number. It’s not always them holding back info—they’re just as in the dark as we are until underwriting does its thing. Not defending the process, just saying it’s not always intentional stonewalling.
And yeah, Rhode Island rates are wild. My buddy in Warwick pays way less than me in Cranston for almost the same coverage... go figure.
Yeah, I hear you on the “black box” thing. I’ve been through it myself—had a ‘73 Mustang that basically lived in my garage, barely saw daylight, and yet my premium was sky-high compared to my neighbor’s daily driver. The agent just shrugged and blamed underwriting. I get that there are algorithms and risk factors, but sometimes it feels like they’re just rolling dice. And Rhode Island rates? Total mystery. You’d think parking in a garage would count for more, but apparently not around here...
You’d think parking in a garage would count for more, but apparently not around here...
That’s the part that always gets me. You do everything “right”—keep the car garaged, barely drive it, and still get dinged like you’re out drag racing every weekend. I had a similar thing with my old Civic. It was basically my backup ride, but the premium barely budged even after I updated the mileage with my agent. They just said “it’s the zip code.”
Here’s what worked for me (sort of): I called around to a couple of smaller local agencies instead of the big names, and one actually took into account that my car was stored most of the year. Not a huge discount, but enough to notice. Have you tried shopping around with any local outfits, or is everyone in RI just using the same mysterious formula?
Yeah, the zip code thing drives me nuts too. I’m still on my parents’ policy (student driver life), and even though my car barely leaves the garage except for school runs, the rate is wild. We tried updating mileage and everything, but nope—still high because “Providence area.” Haven’t tried local agencies yet, but honestly, it feels like they all just shrug and blame the state. Makes you wonder if any of it actually matters or if we’re just stuck paying for everyone else’s bad driving...
Yeah, it’s wild how much your zip code can jack up the price, even if you barely drive. I get the whole “risk pool” thing, but it still feels unfair. Like, if I’m not out there racking up tickets or accidents, why should my rate be tied to what everyone else is doing? Has anyone actually seen their rate drop after moving, or is that just insurance myth?
