TheSamba.com :: View topic

Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:54 am

Sheesh, just got off the phone with the Hagerty rep...who was only able to tell me on the phone what the application form should have yesterday - that not keeping the vehicle in an enclosed garage pretty much disqualifies you from coverage (they said they sometimes make exceptions, but she wasn't able to say when those cases are, or why in my case she wasn't making an exception). This is all REALLY annoying because I spent a good amount of time submitting the application yesterday, having to snap and upload photos of the vehicle from various angles, submitting a significant amount of personal information and even pre-paying for coverage (so they now have my credit card info - hope they can handle that better than Target and I seriously doubt that).

Plus, the application form should have prevented me from moving forward when I indicated the intended use for the vehicle...so not using it as a trailer queen or trophy show car also disqualifies me.

Thanks for nothing, Hagerty. Please just GFY. I should send you a bill for the time I wasted at my consultant billing rate. :evil:

SO, post-rant, what companies do people use to insure their classic vehicles? I currently have coverage with Geico, but I'm looking for a policy that covers the value of the vehicle AND still allows me to drive it, and doesn't disqualify me for not having a garage at my home. I'll do a forum search, but thought these Hagerty conditions for disqualification might be of interest to you all.

- Doug

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:15 am

Why is it Hagerty's fault that you didn't read about their coverage before you applied? Their terms are very clear on the website. The vehicle must be kept in an enclosed, locked garage. The application is very easy and you only need to submit one photo of the car (unless insuring for more than $30K) so let's not act like you have months of your life wrapped up in an insurance application. I've been with Hagerty for years and have never had an issue with them. The people that do have issues with them are the ones who don't or can't conform to the terms of their policies. Most, if not all classic insurance companies have the same or similar terms. You can't insure a daily driver with a classic insurance company.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:20 am

Ask Geico

https://www.geico.com/getaquote/collector/

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:21 am

I have been working with my local State Farm agent to get agreed-value ($10,000 or $20,000) coverage for my bus/pickups that does not have the classic car constraints. He swore that this would work, and we get some papers written up, but under usage, it said "antique/classic car". I have asked specifically what that means, as these vehicles will be in regular use, and will not be garaged, though they will also be fairly low mileage (under 2500 mi/yr I think was the limit).

I have yet to hear, but he still insists that what I am looking for is possible. I'll keep trying. I have tried all the insurance companies -- Hagerty, Grundy, USAA, Geico, etc. etc. No one so far has been able to provide.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:24 am

Off the top of my head, the garage exception is probably the people who have a warehouse or other large storage.

For example, there are a few people on this site that have an airplane hanger where they store their car(s).

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:30 am

Insurance, what a big rip off and joke it is. Before the mandatory laws came about, insurance was purchased through a real insurance company that actually has enough money to pay for it's clients claims. Not any more, insurance companies now are mostly brokers that buy cheap insurance in fleet lots from real insurance companies and then sell them as individual policies to average folks that want to pay the least amount possible to stay legal. There are truly only a few insurance companies in this country, the rest are just brokers selling you policies off a fleet priced policy they purchased. And if you have a policy through one of these companies, they are not the underwriters, if you make a claim you will see who they bought that fleet insurance from that you are covered under.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:32 am

I had good luck with Grundy, but Im also able to garage my westy

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:33 am

So first, their website sucks...I design websites for a living and their user flows through the application process are awful.

Second, it's a major UX no-no to rely on people reading significant information on your site, and if it was a hard-and-fast constraint as you say, VDubTech, then why wouldn't their application form enforce the restriction? Most of what I saw on their site was marketing fluff anyway, with few actual details. Perhaps you can point me to the page you're referencing where this point is super-clear?

I spent an honest hour completing the form, which required me to obtain information from my wife as well as find the time to take and upload the picture(s). The site still has my email address hitched to an application I submitted 8 years ago (which the site wont let me delete or start over), so there was that hassle, too.

Like most companies that don't do tech for a living Hagerty jumped into the eCommerce game before it got it straight. Had I gone to their website, tried to fill out the form and been told quickly that I didn't qualify I might not be so annoyed. But these guys need to put their big pants on if they're going to do business online.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:33 am

Good luck- not having a garage may pose an issue

When I first had the bug I kept it in a building built as a parking garage (see avatar) and my office was upstairs; could not find a collector car insurance co that would accept storage that was not at my home address. I insured it as a daily driver.

Fast forward 20 odd years and now with a locked barn, first thing I did was get signed up with Hagerty's. One of the things I liked was send some photos and they insure your spare parts too.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:36 am

Yes, their policy features must be great for those who qualify. Until I was turned down I was pretty excited about the coverage, especially the tools coverage. Why would I need all of that, though, as well as pay that premium if I was only driving the thing, say, 500 miles a year? My tools don't need coverage if they're sitting in my garage (you know, the hypothetical one I don't have :D ).

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:47 am

I went through this the other week. It seemed very clear to me from their website that the vehicle needed to be garaged. But you may try Rally insurance. I think there are some who have them and don't need to garage it. As to a daily driver... I don't think you'll find a "collectors" insurance that will cover a daily. If you drive it daily, get normal everyday insurance. That's what I did with my 63 bug ... Erie insurance... And they had no problem agreeing to $15k value. And when it was hit I had no problems with having it repaired.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:47 am

Our bus is insured for agreed value with State Farm, but it is required that it be garaged, and that we provide an appraisal once per year. Sorry this doesn't help you any.

Keith

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:51 am

Well that took two seconds.
Storage

Collector vehicles generally must be stored in a private, enclosed, secure structure when not in use. Appropriate storage examples include:

private residential garages
private pole building or barns
rental storage units

I've had no issues navigating their website, applying for coverage or receiving it. I've had as many as 5 cars on my policy at once though I currently only have my Beetle insured with them because I camp with my Bus and they really hate that. Like I said, the only people with an issue with them are the ones who don't meet their plainly obvious requirements to be insured through their company. You said it yourself.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:54 am

If you really want to get worked up about insurance, consider those with multiple cars, each car insured, when you can only drive one car at a time....at one point we had 6 cars insured, three drivers.

I think the company that offered a policy that covered what you are driving at the time with basic storage coverage on the stuff parked at home could clean up.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 9:59 am

Although, to me, the word 'generally' in the stipulations does not equal a requirement. I would word it more like it "must be stored in a private, enclosed, secure storage" etc etc, with a caveat to cover the 'generally' in the original source wording.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:37 am

Agreed...the person on the phone made it sound like they aren't hard and fast rules, and that there are exceptions. So, you know, that's super explicit. :? Also, it would be nice if their website didn't cause Firefox (a very common browser) to freeze up and throw unresponsive script errors for every page that contains a video player.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:58 am

I use Firefox and again, no issues on their website at all.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:01 am

Sounds like your signature is pretty accurate.

Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:20 am

...and you're on a Mac running the latest version of OSX?

Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:24 am

ANYWAY, I wasn't trying to pick a fight with everyone out there who's already with Hagerty...YMMV is pretty much the rule in classic vehicle forums, and that's cool. Just venting my frustration (sorta like you did when you had the issues with the brake line kits, VDubTech, and once again that was very understandable).

My main question was about who people like for insurance, because there seemed to be only one or two mentions in this or the Type 3 forums. Perhaps it's time to contact my existing insurance rep to see what they can concoct in their system, if anything.