[JeepDriver]

I was just trying to get a renters policy from Geico. I asked about having my guns covered seperately. They began to sak some questions like total number of weapons, if they were locked up, reason for weapons, is the ammo stored seperately, then they asked if there were any "Assault Weapons". I asked her to define an assault weapon, she couldn't. Then she informend me because I lived in Maryland that Geico (and Traveler's) needed to be "very careful" issuing policys to gun owners. ***? I explained that some of the weapons I own are classifed as "assault weapon" in Maryland but and not classified as such in other states. She said that they could not offer me coverage because I owned "Assault Weapons"

Is there a gun friendly company? What's the best way to deal with this?

[XLMiguel]

GEICO sucks, but you shot yourself in the foot by providing them too much information. Ignorance is bliss, and they're a happy bunch, if you don't tell them. They really don't need to know anyting beyond type of gun (e.g. rifle, shotgun, handgun) and make & model. The proper definiton of "assault rife" means first & foremost (cosmetics aside), selective fire capability, i.e. single shot vs. full auto. Unless your stuff is capable of full auto, it isn't an "assault rifle". Besides, assault is a behavior, not a deveice, dammit.

Back to GEICO sucks. Several years ago, GEICO sent out surveys to their customers in MD asking if they owned a radar detector (which are legal in MD). If you relied in the affirmative, they cancelled your policy. They also had theri employees writing as 'private citizens', to get the legislature to ban radar detectors. Took action from Anapolis to get tehm to back off. Nice, ethical, freeedom loving company, eh? Why you wanna do bidness with dweebs like that?:barf: :barf: :barf:

[Mike Irwin]

Jeep,

ERIE INSURANCE

I'll say that again.


ERIE INSURANCE


Here's my agent.

Jim Woods, 202-966-0566

I've had Erie since 1989, and Jim Woods since 1990.

[Parker Dean]

Just their little tactic of supplying radar units to PD's to increase the PD's ability to write speeding tickets (which would then result in GEICO increasing your rate) told me I never wanted to send them any of my money. This just gives me another reason.

[Mike Irwin]

"Just their little tactic of supplying radar units to PD's to increase the PD's ability to write speeding tickets (which would then result in GEICO increasing your rate) told me I never wanted to send them any of my money. This just gives me another reason."

Conversely, it allows them to keep rates for non speeders down...

Moral of the story, if you don't want to get caught speeding, keep your foot off the gas... :D


I've always wondered though...

Planning to commit a misdemeanor (certain speeds over the limit are middemeanors) is normally a felony...

If you get into your car knowing your going to speed, have you committed a felony?


Some friends and I had a great drunken debate about that one evening...

[cobb]

If you are an NRA member you can get additional insurance above the $1000 that you get when you are a member. I believe it is called their "ArmsCare" insurance plan and is available for up to $100,000.

Call 1-800-544-9820 and check it out.

[VictorLouis]

Some friends and I had a great drunken debate about that one evening... Hope nobody drove home.....:o

[Don Galt]

Every time GEICO comes up in this forum , these same statements are made about them.

I've been unable to confirm any of them.... so, does anyone have a pointer to a writup of what GEICO has actually done?

I am starting to suspect these might be internet rumors.

[Mike Irwin]

"unable to confirm any of them..."

Well, JeepDriver's the one who called for insurance.

Get the number from him, call about Renter's Insurance, and ask for a rider on your gun collection for Maryland, and see what they say.

I've no reason to doubt him.

Everyone I know who has had Geico and has had a claim usually ends up switching insurance companies because they're so pissed with them.

[geekWithA.45]

DENY OWNERSHIP OF FIREARMS TO ANY BUSYBODY THIRD PARTY NOT LEGALLY ENTITLED TO THAT INFORMATION.

(and there aren't many that are legally entitled)

For insurance of said firearms, approach known gunfriendly companies, like those the NRA works with.

[XLMiguel]

It was in the mid-70's, I was among those cancelled.:eek:

Based on friends' more recent experiences, I have no reason to believe that their business practices have improved.

FWIW, a 1994 Fed Highway Admin. study found that 85% of public roads were 'under posted', that is the speed limit was artificially low vs what was actually a safe operating speed for the road. It didn't speculate as to why, but it doesn't take a great leap in logic to recognize a 'revenue enhancement opportunity' for local government . . . esp. locally, if you live in Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, or Herndon :D

[CommonSense]

But, but.. They have cute commercials!

[JeepDriver]

Every time GEICO comes up in this forum , these same statements are made about them.

I've been unable to confirm any of them.... so, does anyone have a pointer to a writup of what GEICO has actually done?

I am starting to suspect these might be internet rumors


No rumor, it's fact. Call them 1-800-841-2964 . Tell them you live in Maryland, and you have a gun collection. They'll ask you how many guns you own, why you own gun, what is the highest single valued fire arm you own, and then they'll ask if any of the guns you own are "Assault Weapons". If you respond "Yes" to that they will inform you that they are not able to offer you coverage. I spoke to a lady named Lynn who kept thenking my for my Auto Policy (which will be dumped ASAP)

[jimpeel]

Insure your chattel through anyone you want. Insure your firearms separately through NRA insurance.

Shut up about the firearms. Don't even say "Yes I have firearms but they are insured separately from this insurance." It's the liability they fear, not the firearms.

[greyhound]

I have my homeowner's and car insurance through AAA via Peninsula Insurance and they actually have a statement in the homeowner's that they insure up to $2,000 in firearms (OK for me, but not some members here:D ).

And, that makes them a MD company (based in Salisbury, MD) thats not knee-jerk anti.

Not sure about renter's insurance, but if their HO coverage allows it I can't see why renter's wouldn't.

[Standing Wolf]

American Family Insurance wouldn't provide extra insurance for my firearms without makes, models, and serial numbers. It didn't get my dollars.

[rayra]

I distinctly recall GEICO Insurance corporate officers making anti-gun statements and contributions to anti-gun orgs in the early 90s. I dropped my own automotive coverage with them then, because of it.

Looking now, via Google and NRA-ILA, there seems to have been an effort by GEICO to retrieve or 'correct' their image - all found links to GEICO being anti-gun appear to have been removed or retracted and GEICO's Communications Director appears to have led this effort in 2000.

GEICO's own webpage mentions provding coverage for firearms, but by JeepDriver's own telling certainly doesn't appear to be reasonable. Then again, actuarial tables are more 'art' than 'science' and are subject to the bias of the calculator and the perceived risk. No suspect their additional rates are of the 'more likely to be killed by a gun in the home' variety.

As stated - to hell with the busybodies like general insurers, and medical personnel that ask such privacy0invading questions. Get your firearm coverage through something like the NRA who has a reasonable appreciation of the issue.

[Carlos]

American Family Insurance wouldn't provide extra insurance for my firearms without makes, models, and serial numbers. It didn't get my dollars.

I was never asked any of that. Hmmm.

Think I'm going to let the sleeping dog lie for the time being.

[tyme]

Mike Irwin,
Planning to commit a misdemeanor (certain speeds over the limit are middemeanors) is normally a felony...
That doesn't make any sense at all. It goes against several principles of jurisprudence, and I'd be shocked if you could cite such a law.
§ 18.2-22. Conspiracy to commit felony.
...
(b) However, in no event shall the punishment for a conspiracy to commit an offense exceed the maximum punishment for the commission of the offense itself.

§ 18.2-27. Attempts to commit misdemeanors; how punished.

Every person who attempts to commit an offense which is a misdemeanor shall be punishable by the same punishment prescribed for the offense the commission of which was the object of the attempt.

§ 18.2-28. Maximum punishment for attempts.

Any provision in this article notwithstanding, in no event shall the punishment for an attempt to commit an offense exceed the maximum punishment had the offense been committed.
Conspiracy requires more than one person. "Attempt" (I assume) means that the crime would have been committed but for some quantum of chance outside the control of the perpetrator. Criminal offenses require mens rea and an action (or inaction in some circumstances). Mens rea alone doesn't have any criminal consequences. This is the fundamental legal concept preventing various utopias... Minority Report, 1984, etc.

It seems well-established by the three statutes cited above that nobody gets punished more severely for an inchoate offense than for the offense itself. TX has similar provisions, but for felonies the punishment for conspiracy is always a grade below the plotted crime.

[Harry Tuttle]

Geico's homeowners insurance is written by Travelers

[Dashunde]

DENY OWNERSHIP OF FIREARMS TO ANY BUSYBODY THIRD PARTY NOT LEGALLY ENTITLED TO THAT INFORMATION.

As I understand it, (Wife works for State Farm) if they want to ask about smoking, firearms or other "personal" types of things they are free to do so... and deny coverage for any reason they want. In the end, the policy holders are bound to the truth should a claim be made. By this, I mean that they are free ask those types of questions, then not pay-up if lied to.

However, I don't really see how they could be liable for anything related to simply insuring an "assault weapon".
Maybe it could be perceived as simple endorsment of ownership? If so, it's a pretty weak position.

[Bill Hook]

http://screwedbyinsurance.com/

http://www.smartmoney.com/insurance/auto/index.cfm?story=answer




I haven't found if the GEICO providing radar guns is true, but it is sure a pervasive rumor.


http://clerkdoc.sannet.gov/legtrain/Minutes/1991/min19911104


It's true.

[hutch24]

I have my renters insurance through State Farm and the only thing they asked about firearms was if I needed more than $5000 worth of coverage. They never asked how many or what kinds or anything. :D

[Mike Irwin]

"locally, if you live in Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, or Herndon"

Jesus, Herndon!

I think I was perhaps one of maybe 2 or 3 people in my office in Herndon when I worked for NRA that had not been nailed by the Herndon police.

They WOULD write you for 1 mph over the limit. I saw the citations from several coworkers to prove it.

[Mike Irwin]

Hey Tyme,

As I said, we were drunk...

[only1asterisk]

For those of you that are eligble, USAA is decent insurance. Not the great company that they once were, but I haven't found better. They are gun neutral.


David

[Orthonym]

I hear they're a REAL mutual company, the way State Farm used to be before they got all huge and corporate.

[Sergeant Bob]

Anybody know anything about Amica?
Can't tell you how they are about guns, but I do have my two cars insured with them. I've had two comprehensive claims with them and they were great. One a deer strike, $690. They said go wherever you want, get an estimate...BOOM, check in my hand.
Same with a big rock strike on my wife's windshield. Called them, they said pick whoever I want to repair, or they could. They did, fixed in the driveway next day.
They were cheaper than anyone else we could find, and we get about a $250 rebate check at the end of the year if we have no chargeable accidents! Although our homeowners was cheaper elswhere. Car insurance might be different elswhere cause we have No-Fault (My Fault) in Mi.
Might be worth checking them out for gun insurance.

[Double Naught Spy]

of a thread to make a personal and political statement.

Geico may not have insured you, and guns were no doubt in the decision of that problem, but they did not insure you because you had guns. The didn't insure you because you had a collection of guns, were located in Maryland, and could not or would not answer the question on whether or not you had any assault weapons. You red flagged yourself when you did that. No doubt their flawed reasoning is that somebody with a "collection" will know if they have assault weapons or not. So, your answer looks to be hiding something. They don't wish to insure you without proper disclosure.

[MBG]

What is the relationship between GEICO and Travelers? (And AAA for that matter?)

The question occurs to me because JeepDriver mentioned the link in his first post, and I've heard it a few times recently in conversations with friends.

I got my home / auto insurance throught AAA, and it all comes through Travelers. The policy even has $5k coverage for firearms, in the boilerplate. (I did not ask for it, or mention firearms to the agent.)

I understand policies and coverage differ from region to region, but I would be surprised if AAA varies their policies so greatly across the DC metro region.

Marty

[mtnbkr]

Mike beat me to it, Erie is a great company. The rep didn't blink an eye when I asked about my firearms and insurance. Cool company and great rates. I've been with them for 6 years now.

Chris

[Silver Bullet]

ERIE INSURANCE

I'll say that again.


ERIE INSURANCE
What was that ? Erie ? How do you spell that ?

:)