Are You Trading Privacy for a Discount? - Comments Page 1

Category: Auto



All Comments on: "Are You Trading Privacy for a Discount?"

Comment Page: 1 |  2 

Posted by:

Bob
14 Jan 2016

We in Ontario just completed a program for something like 9 months with our ensurer and earned a 15% discount on our forthcoming renewal. It recorded times and distance traveled with concern for high risk times of which we had none. It also recorded hard ecceleration and braking with about 3 or 4 degrees of severity. I just wish it would have employed my rear camera to record all the horses arses following me to closely.

Posted by:

Phil
14 Jan 2016

Liberals will go for this BIG TIME. They like being monitored, and monitoring others.
Praise the Lord.

Posted by:

Len
14 Jan 2016

No thanks.

Not a very informative comment on my part but I even turn the gps off on my cell. So it takes a few more steps to get directions. Every little "no" helps.

Posted by:

IanG
14 Jan 2016

Not for me, either. Do I trust all the assurances of 'not passing on your sensitive information' - I most certainly do NOT, never have, never will. Even if they were honest (some hopes), there is no system which is cast-iron unhackable. And my 9 year-old phone is turned off 99% of the time.

Posted by:

IanG
14 Jan 2016

It seems to me that more and more companies are striving, strongly, to get people to compromise their privacy by dangling (usually uncheckable) benefits. Being very sceptical, I am not left wondering why they would want all this personal information.

Posted by:

MmeMoxie
14 Jan 2016

Boy oh Boy!!! Now, the insurance companies are after us!

Let's face the facts - Insurance companies are by no means, ready to go out of business! They are about one of the wealthiest companies in the USA. This goes for both Auto and Health insurance.

I have no problem with premium increases when you live in a high-risk area, for both accidents and stealing autos. This is done and has been done, for decades. The system has worked well.

Now, it looks personal. You live out in a rural area, very, very little traffic and you may drive over the speed limit, but, with all of these gadgets, your premium may in increase due to speeding! However, you do NOT have any tickets for speeding or otherwise - How is that fair???

I can tell you, I am NOT going to get one of those gadgets. In all honesty, the Verizon Humi sounds like a good thing. This is warning you about problems with your car, especially, if you have an older car, like I do. I have a 1998 Lincoln Towncar, in very good condition and for me, knowing when I need to take care of a mechanical issue, would be a great tool.

But - What if, that all were to change and Humi became a tool for the insurance companies??? There is NO guartantee that Verizon wouldn't sell that information to insurance companies.

Posted by:

Gary
14 Jan 2016

Insurance companies already use onstar to track your mileage. I found this out when I renewed my auto insurance. Came home and disabled onstar as I did not use it anyway.

Posted by:

Jay R
14 Jan 2016

I am coming to realize that big brother has a HUGE family! Thank you for your tireless work. I must imagine that his work is tireless; unlike roofing, dry wall installation, and digging post holes. Those things make me tired.

Posted by:

James Ford
14 Jan 2016

State Farm has a similar device and I was thinking about signing up for it but after reading this article I am going to pass.

BTW, I am more Liberal than Conservative.

Posted by:

Stephen
14 Jan 2016

My mom got the allstate device a couple of months ago and here in NY State they can't give the rewards, so she is supposedly going to get some premium discount (I'm told 10% or 15% if all goes well). I haven't checked their website to see what they think of her driving style (I use her car too, so it's a blend of 2 styles).
For now, the jury is out.

Posted by:

Nezzar
14 Jan 2016

Dear Bob,
Thanks very much for this info. Now, I know to say "NO THANKS" if I am ever offered this service.

Posted by:

Denis
15 Jan 2016

My car insurer has an app which you can put on your smartphone. This uses the phones built in g-force sensorsto monitor acceleration, braking and any other high g-force event. It also track speed via GPS and possibly location although that is not explicitly stated. The good bit about it is you only have to use it for 150Km and then it gives your driving a rating which will earn a discount. I got 20% discount then uninstalled the app. I am happy with this system, more-so than I would be with having to fit a device to the car which is then there and active all the time.

Posted by:

Maura K
15 Jan 2016

My insurer offered this a few years ago, advertising an immediate rebate or discount on premiums. In the fine print was the info that it was free for the first year....so after one year they were going to charge me for a device that only MIGHT save me money? The possibility of being tracked and the questionable security of collected data made me say no thanks.

Posted by:

David Fox
15 Jan 2016

Bob, another great article. I have learned so much since I started getting your newsletter. My opinion is that these Ins. Company's it seems will stoop to about any level, to squeeze more money out of us. The few that say they have a saving is great ! But, what about the vast majority who will have this evidence used against them, as a way to jack up their insurance rates, and get away with it. I will not let them use me in this manor. It won't be long before we have no liberties at all.

Posted by:

Marc
15 Jan 2016

I never trust others with my information especially insurance companies who are finding ways to justify charging me more in premiums or a reason to deny an insurance claim. Even if they respect your privacy now, what about in the future? A lot of companies have data that was initially collected under a different privacy policy and they decided to change their privacy policy and now share information with others that they originally didn't share with others. I'm sure like lenders, insurance companies have employees who go through Facebook and other social media sites to collect information about you that could indicate that you are a risk such as some lenders decided that if you have Facebook friends with bad credit, you too are at risk for defaulting on a loan even if your credit score is stellar and you have never defaulted on a loan. I can see insurance companies using the fact that you go camping and drive on unpaved roads as an indication that you are at increased risk of crashing because you are pulling a trailer or because more people have rollovers in the back country. They could decide that since your Facebook friends have a lot of insurance claims that you are simply an accident waiting to happen and deny a claim or raise your rates because of this. They are in the business to find reasons that you may be at greater risk of a claim and to deny claims so any information you give them could come back to haunt you in the future.

Posted by:

Mac 'n' Cheese
15 Jan 2016

I guess I'm in the minority of those who have posted responses to this article before me.

I wish I could get that kind of program from my insurance company. It's my understanding that the state I live in disallows it. My son, in an adjoining state and with the same insurer, has such a program and saves about 20% on his insurance annually.

I've been with my insurance company for about 50 years, and I have found them to be an ally rather than an enemy. Until they betray that trust, I welcome the opportunity to work with them, not against them.

Posted by:

cal67
16 Jan 2016

For now the insurance companies offer discounts or other "bribes" to sign up. I guarantee that once adoption reaches some percentage that they feel is high enough, they will then make it mandatory to get insurance, and then they will raise premiums for the "bad" drivers. Kiss that discount goodbye.

Posted by:

Walter
18 Jan 2016

I recommend unplugging the antennas or even cutting them off any such on-star devices. Screw the man.

Posted by:

Huffy
20 Jan 2016

What about the "black box" the car companies are installing unbeknownst to the buyer? So much for privacy in this "Big Brother" culture.

Posted by:

Don Hossink
15 Aug 2016

I had my car stolen from my garage while on vacation in another vehicle. In-drive told the police exactly where to find my car and when it was taken from my house! Unfortunately, they crashed the car, so....

Never did catch the buglers, because the police could not use the stops for unloading my other stuff, for just cause in the investigation.

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