Jump to content

Progressive Snapshot program - No bueno.


PNWguy
 Share

Recommended Posts

Recently changed to Progressive Insurance as they beat Geico by $75 a month.

They asked me if I wanted to sign up for the Snapshot program in which they send you a device to plug into your OBDII port which monitors vehicle speed, braking and acceleration, etc.

I said sure, confident in my driving habits.

I went online today to see what factors might affect the results and realized that I had made a horrible decision.  Research I did shows that I am a prime candidate for increased rates based on absolutely idiotic parameters that Progressive built into the device.

The first is that they penalize you for WHEN you drive.  Now, I live in the middle of nowhere and work 6pm to 6am.  I leave for work at 5:20pm for a 15-mile commute through a rural area.  I leave work around 6:10am and get home twenty minutes later.  I take lunch around 10pm and go to the gym around 1:30am.

Progressive has designated any driving after 10:00 pm as high risk.  As well as early morning driving.  No idea why driving during rush hour is less risk than me going 1/2-mile to the gym at 1:30 in the morning.  Either way, there is very little traffic on my commute no matter the time.

The second factor that I found offensive was the issue of wheelspin.  Progressive penalizes you heavily for rapid acceleration or deceleration.  Makes sense.  Racing away from the light or jamming on the brakes at every intersection can be viewed as risky behavior.

But people have discovered that the device does not take into account surface conditions and those who live in icy or snowy climates get penalized every time the drive wheels spin on ice or snow.  Also, when I'm driving home in possibly black ice conditions, I will hit the brakes on a flat and straight section of road to test if it's slick out.  It's a practice my dad taught me when I was a kid and has saved my bacon a few times when it was slicker than it looked.  Progressive would penalize me for that.

So, I just sent them a polite email telling them I am opting out of their program for the above reasons and will be sending the device back without ever having installed it.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My wife made the mistake if signing us up for this stupid thing. I frickin' hate it for the exact same reasons that you spell out. The worst part is that you can go on line and see exactly how bad they view your driving. Which makes you drive even worse. Around here you have to drive offensively and defensively in order to deal with the jackwagon drivers that are afraid to do one MPH over the posted limit for fear of being deported or having their uninsured hooptey impounded. Big brother is watching.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, KWalrad said:

My wife made the mistake if signing us up for this stupid thing. I frickin' hate it for the exact same reasons that you spell out. The worst part is that you can go on line and see exactly how bad they view your driving. Which makes you drive even worse. Around here you have to drive offensively and defensively in order to deal with the jackwagon drivers that are afraid to do one MPH over the posted limit for fear of being deported or having their uninsured hooptey impounded. Big brother is watching.

Can't you just unplug it and tell them you don't want to play?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, gwalchmai said:

Can't you just unplug it and tell them you don't want to play?

That makes too much sense.

The wife fails to see the logic in that solution.

"But, but, but... 5% discount...."

Edited by KWalrad
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, UnifiedFieldTheory said:

I would never, ever put one of those in my car.  Slow, careful, and timid are not terms I would use to describe the way I drive.

Ah, I guess I owe you gratitude for helping me to pay off my house and cars and securing for me a comfortable retirement.  Thank you.

 

I wouldn’t have one of those devices simply because they are tied to statistics.  Statistics are like a bikini.  What they reveal is interesting, but what they hide is vital.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd never agree to putting one of those devices in my car. Not only do I look at this as an invasion of privacy but also a giant loophole that the insurance company might use to get out of paying a claim. (Our data indicates that you were driving recklessly. This is a violation of our terms and conditions and you are not covered.) F... that. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This type of blatant 1984 Big Brother liberalism has no place in this man’s America, if you ask me. Liberals want nothing more than complete control over your life, and this is just one more turn of the stove knob that’s heating up the frog in the pot. ?

 

Implanted microchips are next... 

Edited by Rizzo
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

41 minutes ago, UHLAWPUP said:

Ah, I guess I owe you gratitude for helping me to pay off my house and cars and securing for me a comfortable retirement.  Thank you.

 

I wouldn’t have one of those devices simply because they are tied to statistics.  Statistics are like a bikini.  What they reveal is interesting, but what they hide is vital.

Haven't gotten a ticket - speeding or otherwise - since I was 17, so there's that... ;) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, gwalchmai said:

I expect these will be required by every insurance company in the country within 5 years. And of course the government will also get the data. And by then they'll be connected to the internet.

I do see this coming down the road. Hopefully more than five years from now. I can see the day when speeding tickets are generated this way. Go on a road trip and get going a little too fast and BAM. Speeding ticket in the mail. I'd probably get several in one day. LOL...

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did that snapshot thing about 4 years ago. That was before the thing used GPS. Back then it went against you if you were braking hard, drove over 20 miles a day and drove between the hours of midnight and 5am. They had me put it in my truck for 3 months and send it back to them. I did it in the middle of winter because I don't drive as much as I do in the summer. The most you could save was 30%. I received the 30% discount and am still getting the discount.

Be careful and read the fine print. In some states they can use the information to raise your rates. Back then Minnesota wasn't one of them. It worked for me but it's not for everyone.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, RenoF250 said:

I believe OBDII can read the VIN, I am sure they want one in every car you insure.

I'm sure they do.

But, like anything, they can be hacked.  Although, it will cost more for the equipment to hack it than pay the extra $30/month.  ?  Of course, that may be considered insurance fraud, so only criminals would do that. :whistling:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, PNWguy said:

Recently changed to Progressive Insurance as they beat Geico by $75 a month.

They asked me if I wanted to sign up for the Snapshot program in which they send you a device to plug into your OBDII port which monitors vehicle speed, braking and acceleration, etc.

I said sure, confident in my driving habits.

I went online today to see what factors might affect the results and realized that I had made a horrible decision.  Research I did shows that I am a prime candidate for increased rates based on absolutely idiotic parameters that Progressive built into the device.

The first is that they penalize you for WHEN you drive.  Now, I live in the middle of nowhere and work 6pm to 6am.  I leave for work at 5:20pm for a 15-mile commute through a rural area.  I leave work around 6:10am and get home twenty minutes later.  I take lunch around 10pm and go to the gym around 1:30am.

Progressive has designated any driving after 10:00 pm as high risk.  As well as early morning driving.  No idea why driving during rush hour is less risk than me going 1/2-mile to the gym at 1:30 in the morning.  Either way, there is very little traffic on my commute no matter the time.

The second factor that I found offensive was the issue of wheelspin.  Progressive penalizes you heavily for rapid acceleration or deceleration.  Makes sense.  Racing away from the light or jamming on the brakes at every intersection can be viewed as risky behavior.

But people have discovered that the device does not take into account surface conditions and those who live in icy or snowy climates get penalized every time the drive wheels spin on ice or snow.  Also, when I'm driving home in possibly black ice conditions, I will hit the brakes on a flat and straight section of road to test if it's slick out.  It's a practice my dad taught me when I was a kid and has saved my bacon a few times when it was slicker than it looked.  Progressive would penalize me for that.

So, I just sent them a polite email telling them I am opting out of their program for the above reasons and will be sending the device back without ever having installed it.

 

Proof positive that Progressive is owned and operated by Liberal Progressives. If Liberals had their way we'd all have to have implants that monitored our thoughts as well as our behavior.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Please Donate To TBS

    Please donate to TBS.
    Your support is needed and it is greatly appreciated.
×
×
  • Create New...