When you repair as many cars with hail damage as we do at The Dent Company, you learn all the ins and outs of auto insurance. We deal with 100’s of insurance companies every month. While we specialize in auto hail repair claims, these two tips really apply to anybody with an auto insurance policy. It is great advice from years of experience and something your agent probably will not tell you…but we are going to.
Note: If you fall in one or both of these categories, don’t be alarmed, we have you covered. Keep reading!
Comprehensive Insurance Deductible
The difference in cost between a $0 comprehensive deductible and a $1000 deductible is about $100 a year. That’s it. So, for less than $10 a month (Probably less) you can say, “Goodbye” to your high deductible.
So, what is comprehensive insurance? It is one of three legs of “Full Coverage” insurance but is generally the least utilized and least understood.
Comprehensive insurance basically covers your vehicle for damage that was caused by no fault of your own and does not involve another vehicle. For example, hail storm, you hit a deer, wind damage, tree…etc. You get the idea.
Paying money for something that was out of your control and not your fault is never a good feeling. Yes, it would be one thing if you decided to run down a herd of deer or drive under a falling tree but that is not the case. (We are exaggerating…please don’t do that.) So, why does your insurance company not tell you this when you buy coverage? Simple, they save $1000 each time! Multiply that by just the 150k auto hail claims in Denver’s recent hailstorm, and they saved a considerable amount.
The difference in cost between a $0 comprehensive deductible and a $1000 deductible is about $100 a year. That’s it.
So, call your agent today and have them drop that comprehensive deductible as low as they will allow. It will pay off if you live in an area prone to hail like Denver or anywhere across the country where hail is a yearly occurrence.
Rental Car Coverage
Another insurance tip that will save you some money is rental car coverage. For pennies per month, you will have a car to drive for up to 30 days and sometimes longer in the unfortunate event you need auto repairs. Rental cars typically cost around $35/day and large repair jobs can easily run 3 weeks. It adds up quickly. Having a large deductible and being without rental coverage, you could be looking at a repair bill in the $1000’s. That is probably going to sting.
At The Dent Company, we have a deductible assistance program and loaner cars available for those of you who find themselves in either or both of these circumstances. So, if you have a vehicle with hail damage, need it repaired and have been putting it off because of your insurance, call us or fill out the Contact Form. We have appointments available and will get your car or truck looking as good as it once was.