I decided to try Root car insurance because my car insurance premium payments were too dang high. I’ve had had Allstate my whole life and have been loyal to them. I’ve obviously known other auto insurance companies existed, but I was afraid to take the plunge because I worried that any other company wouldn’t provide the same level of service. After all, the last thing anyone wants is to be stuck with a non-responsive insurance company when you really need them. At the end of the day, though, I’m not sure Allstate is as loyal to me as I am to them, and when I learned I might be able to cut my car insurance bill in half, I had to give it a shot and see. I downloaded the app and decided to take it for a trial run. My StatsMe: 36-year-old divorced woman Location: Somewhere in the Phoenix metro area Record: My only accident was nearly two decades ago and I have no tickets Vehicle: 2006 Chevy Uplander (Current KBB value under $2,000) Premium: My Monthly Allstate Bill is $164.23 I Don't Want to Leave AllstateEven when I was a teenager, I was on my mom’s Allstate plan. When I moved out on my own, I kept the same agent. We were on a first-name basis and I always found the office to be personable, friendly, and down-to-earth. They helped me cope with my first, and only (knock on wood), car accident. When I got married, I moved onto my husband’s insurance policy. His family had the same agent for more than 20 years and the office was only a couple blocks away from my old agent. There’s a lot of history there. I know and trust my agents to do right by me. My agent was also the first person I called during my divorce and I had to start creating all my own independent accounts. To this day, I remember crying intermittently through the call and the compassion my agent showed me. I sincerely hold Allstate in high regard. Allstate Could Have Done Better By Me As much as I love Allstate and as loyal to the brand as I am, not everything has been sunshine and roses. It didn’t occur to me to try Root car insurance or any other options until I saw an ad recently, and then I seriously started wondering if I was with the right company for me. Allstate Wasn’t There When I Needed Them A few years ago I was locked out of my car. I had just dropped my son off at daycare, got in my van to leave, and started the engine, then I realized the sliding back door wasn’t closed all the way. I hopped out of the driver’s seat and walked around the van, closed the door, and heard the click of the auto-lock. Yup, I was locked out and the engine was running. Not to worry, or so I thought, I had roadside assistance. Only, roadside assistance couldn’t find my account. They said it had been cancelled. So, I had to pay someone to come out and pick the locks, at over $100. When I got home and got access to my documents again and verified I had and was still paying for roadside assistance, I called again. Only, the second rep found my account right away and confirmed I should have been covered. My only recourse was to submit my bill to Allstate and wait for repayment, but, of course, Allstate’s allowable fee was significantly less than I had paid, so I not only had to wait for payment, but had to eat some of the cost as well. This was a genuine hardship because my husband had moved out just a few weeks prior and I was still scrambling to keep the kids fed. Allstate Won't Help Me Reduce My BillDespite having what I would call a good relationship with my agent, I still don’t feel like they have my best interests at heart. Cost is a recurring theme here. I first attempted to get my bill reduced a little over a year ago when I learned that Allstate had a program that would offer a discount if you let them monitor your driving with a device that hooked up to your car. I called my agent and asked for the device but was told I couldn’t install it until my policy renewed. Well, my policy auto-renews, so I never found the sweet spot to go in and have it done, thus effectively preventing me from ever seeing that discount. Despite my contact with them, they never suggested any alternatives to help lower my bill. A couple months ago I had a major unexpected repair bill for my van and I had trouble paying several bills that month and the month after. My Allstate plan was one that fell behind. Mind you, I’ve never had a payment problem in the 20 years I’ve been with them, but this time, I did receive a notice that my policy might be cancelled if I didn’t pay up soon. The email came in outside normal business hours, so I fired off an email to my agent, who was actually kind enough to reply that night and tell me not to worry- that I had some time and they’d call me the next day. They did, and I explained my situation. They reassured me I still had something like two weeks before I was in trouble, then tried to get me to bundle other policies to save money. I wasn’t in a position to bundle for reasons I won’t get into here, so that was a no-go. What my Allstate agent failed to mention was that the mishap would cost me my “good payer discount,” which increased my monthly bill by about $15. What my Allstate agent also failed to mention was that they have a new program called Drivewise, which might also help me lower my bill. I only just now discovered the program exists because I went online to grab a copy of my policy for this blog. It’s Now a Battle: Allstate Drivewise vs. Root Auto Insurance I’m only on the first day of blogging and have already changed course. I’m not only going to try out Root auto insurance to see if it can save me money, I’m going to compare it to Allstate’s similar Drivewise program. Follow Me as I Try Root Car Insurance As I write this, I’ve technically had the Root car insurance app for three days, and have just now realized it would make an epic blog to share my story with others who are considering taking the plunge. I’m going to be documenting my experiences in real time, as I try Root car insurance and compare it to Allstate Drivewise. My results may not be your results- this is my personal journey and experience. However, I also welcome Root and Allstate Drivewise reviews from readers, and I’ll be uploading ones that appear legit, readable, and relevant as I go too. Please check back for updates and use the link in the main menu to share your personal experience too!
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