Insurance. I called GMAC yesterday.

[lapeer20m]

no fault insurance has some wierd rules....I work in EMS and billing for ambulance calls after an accident works like this


if a passenger is in my vehicle and gets in an accident...the passenger is covered under their own auto insurance. IF the passenger doesn't have insurance, or they are a minor, their parents/guardian's insurance covers them. If their parent/guardian doesn't have auto insurance, then it goes to any other drivers in the household......i'm not sure where it goes from there. When calling the parents of a high school kid who was a passenger in a friends car, they always claim "you don't need MY auto insurance info, they weren't riding in MY car!"

The good news is that if someone falls inside my bus and breaks their leg, the bill doesn't get paid by my insurance company, but buy theirs.

how's that for wacked out?

[phillbus914]

I just did some checking online...

In an accident, under no fault laws, your auto insurance company will pay for your damages (up to your policy limits), regardless of who was at fault for the accident. Any other drivers involved will be covered by their auto insurance policies.

http://www.autoinsuranceindepth.com/no- ... rance.html

So PLPD in a no fault state, is basically a complete scam? Who came up with this? This seems like a complete scam designed for insurance companies to rip us off.

[trentet]

Trentet,

Here's another way to look at it: Uninsured people who wreck go to the hospital like everybody else, and get treatment like everybody else. Then they don't pay. Meaning not only do the insured people pay for insurance, they also pay for uninsured peoples treatments in the form of high medical bills. Basically, uninsured people are a burden on the rest of society. Best to require them buy insurance, otherwise they'll spend it on lotto tickets and malt liquor. Very Happy

So here's the my beef with that argument, The insurance company says we got this thing you want to buy, but because every one else doesn't buy it, it costs you more to buy. So we need to force every one else to buy this stuff cause they're costing you money. Never mind the fact that you are the one who wanted to buy the stuff in the first place, because you could get it cheaper if I bought it too, now it's your right to force me to buy it? By that argument, you all should be forced to buy mountain bikes, because I like mountain bikes and they are expensive because the rest of you don't buy them. So there should be a law forcing the rest of you to buy mountain bikes. I mean, I'm losing real money here!!!

As to the privilege not a right argument, I bought the car, paid the taxes, paid the registration, my taxes pay for the roads and infrastructure. I took the tests and passed them and paid the licensing fees to my elected government. Now I am forced to pay some private for profit company for something I don't want and have no control over the pricing of. I believe every thing right up to that last thing met the requirements of the privilege of driving, past that they're just bending you over. [/quote]

[crazycal]

I guess we can agree that we can't agree. So have a cold one on me. Cheers.

[the_experience03]

I'm not sure if this falls in with the no-fault stuff, but here it goes. In Minnesota it is your insurance that pays for the medical bills no matter who is at fault for an accident. Rather than mess around with figuring out who should be liable for the bills, you just pay your own way thus streamlining the healthcare. The insurance companies can then duke it our themselves. Basically, aside from perhaps a written statement, you are taken out of the court process.

Personally, I have on problem with states requiring liability insurance. In fact, I would like to see it nationwide. Even the very best drivers can have an accident. I paid for my car, my taxes, my registration, etc just like anyone else. While it might infringe on my personal freedoms by being required to carry insurance, it would infringe on someone else's rights a whole lot more if I were able to destroy the vehicle they paid for in an accident. Sure, you can sue after an accident, but you can't squeeze blood from a turnip. A relatively inexpensive vehicle can do a lot of damage to a relatively expensive vehicle.

[oldog12]

. I've run into a small insurance problem myself... I've decided to buy another bus, but it is out of state, and my current insurance provider will not cover my bus "because it is a commercial vehicle"... I was just too irritated to argue the point with him if it is or if it ain't a commercial vehicle... I think I'll try State Farm since I was a policy holder once before... I just want some insurance for the ride back home, and then turn it off.... Should I be up front with the guy about the "turning it off" clause ?

[the_experience03]

As long as they have money, they have no problem suspending insurance in my experience. That's suspend, not cancel. I just call at any ol' time of the day and leave a message for my State Farm agent at her office. She will suspend the insurance the next business day and if I were to get into an accident, I am covered from the second I call as there is a record, assuming I don't owe her money.

Oh yeah...those buses have school bus plates on them still with 2007 stickers which expire in February of that year. I think that means they need new plates. I'm not sure how big of a deal that is. If you get it re-plated with the private bus Y-plates it shouldn't be commercial. Afterall, 1 ton pickups have Y-plates in this state and there are far fewer in commercial use than private use.

[oldog12]

... Well... I called GMAC and wanted a quote to cover me on moving a bus, (unconverted skoolie), to my location for purposes of conversion... Not only did they say NO... Well you know the rest....

HOWEVER..... STATE FARM is going to cover me, for liability only, (which is what I was looking for anyway), for $274.00/6 mos.... Good enough, I think, AND I'll be able to turn the policy off when I get it here to start working on it...
:P :P :P :P

[GoneCamping]

I did that with State Farm also, I think the total charge was for one month of coverage and cost me around $34 or so... After reading all of this, I think I'm just going to stick with State Farm...I've been using them for the last 15 years for car and home owners and they have been pretty good to me!

[asnowsquall]

I had insurance with State Farm, sold the bus and stopped insurance. Looking at another bus recently and contacted State Farm, agent said underwritter notified them that if I had other vehcles insured with them then they would do the bus, but not by itself. Called Allstate and they said no problem, $129 a year for liability!

[Elliot Naess]

I believe my State Farm car policy covers liability for any new vehicle I buy
for... I think it's two weeks so I can get the thing home.
They wrote liability on my "Wanderlodge" quite reasonably.
Age and driving record definitely play in.

[the_experience03]

x2, Elliot. State Farm covers me for a short period for getting new vehicles home as well.

[Elliot Naess]

I thought about that, and I'm pretty sure I asked (it was a while ago), and was told
that I was covered so long as the vehicle was intended for my personal private
use. But yes, one should absolutely get a fresh opinion. Maybe ask the agent
to show you the relevant section in the policy.

[hainesmatt]

Hi... I just joined the group and want to thank all of you for the helpful posts regarding places to find insurance. I purchased a Blue Bird GSA bus in Texas that I will be driving out to California soon. I wanted to make sure I had liability inusrance to avoid any problems with the law and if something even worse should happen... I contacted GMAC and explained to them that the bus was in the "process" of being converted and that the seats had been removed and I would be the only occupant. They agreed that they could issue Liability only but no comprehensive or collision (since it was not fully converted and it would be hard to place a value). So, I have $100K/$300K Liability and it cost $222/ 6 months. GMAC was very friendly and took about 10 minutes over the phone...paid by Visa and had Proof of Insurance cards in my E:Mail 30 minutes later.... It was easy! (Progressive denied me and so did several other big named companies because it was not a true RV or motorhome).

[Coma]

My home and cars are through Allstate. I could not add the bus to my regular auto policy, but have a seperate one, liability only, for $125/6 months. It is registered as a Bus still because I haven't had the time to arrange an inspection to have it reclassified by DMV as an RV, but my Allstate policy is as a RV/Motorhome. It was a painless 10 minute call with my agent. I guess I'm in "Good Hands" with Allstate.

[Elliot Naess]

.
Glad to hear it.

After stumbling around on this Earth for 55 years (so far ), I have found a couple
of things that are true.

One is that my track record as a good citizen, dependable worker and decent human
being matters a lot. That's the "We know him; he's all right" factor.

An other is that how I present myself and my case to a stranger, often matters more
than the dry technicalities of the case. That's the old "first impression" factor.

Many of us enjoy living the life of a rugged individualist, and some of us favor black
leather jackets for reasons of our own. All good and well. But I try to keep the
big picture in mind.

I don't really have time for the Lions Club. But I make time for it, a couple of days worth
each month, because it seems like a "right thing to do". And guess what... my Lions Club is
chock full of insurance agents and city planning commissioners. Who now know me.

Class dismissed.

[the_experience03]

Seems high, but who knows. Try calling again (different agent on the line) or try State Farm. What is your current permanent address? My coverage in Minnesota is CHEAP through State Farm.

[wdbowers]

Liberty Mutual turned me down flat when I asked them to cover my conversion bus to motorhome even though I titled it as a motorhome! Progressive was called next and they hemed and hawed, then hiccupped but finally wrote me a liability policy. But somehow they had to do it as a comercial policy. I did not care as long as it did not cost any more than $250.00. I think a lot of it is in who you talk to. Some of the agents on the phone freak out when you start talking conversions. Progressive will get r done

[BassnTruck]

Local state farm agent just quoted me $56 for a year of basic on my bus. I do have 2 cars a home owners a motorcycle and life insurance with him tho. Maybe that matters.

[phillbus914]

$56 a year? Mind if I give them a call??