A Progressive customer said a single phone call cut their six-month auto insurance bill from $1,627 to $560 — and alerted Redditors to check to see whether they were overpaying.
Here's what to know
In r/Insurance, the customer explained that they had carried Progressive since 2017 and already had several discounts, including paying in full, bundling home insurance, and qualifying for five years with no accidents and three years of good driving.
After seeing their partner's similarly covered policy before their Nov. 1 renewal, they realized "something didn't feel right."
They requested a requote and ended up saving more than $1,000 on their six-month plan. According to the poster, the agent said the difference was the "biggest she had ever seen."
The poster concluded, "Take my experience and make sure you are getting quotes periodically." They estimated they had been overpaying for around three years.
More background
Some weren't convinced the insurer had overcharged the poster for such a lengthy amount of time. One commenter wrote: "They did a review and found you now qualify for a better rating tier. That doesn't mean you've always been paying 3x what you should have."
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"Credit score may be one factor OP didn't consider. I wonder if their credit score increased significantly over that time?" another asked.
Others pointed to the driver's earlier record as a reason the policy may have started out expensive. According to the poster, that history included a parking-lot accident in 2015, a totaled car in 2017, and two speeding tickets that put four points on their license.
What can be done?
Even though Reddit users were skeptical that the higher rate was initially unfair, they agreed that shopping for insurance is a smart move to keep costs down. For drivers who think their premium may no longer reflect their situation, it can be worth asking for a rewrite or requote rather than just allowing a policy to renew as-is.
"Get quotes from 3-5 carriers plus one independent agent who can run a bunch of smaller regional carriers you won't find on your own. Compare apples to apples," one advised.
Where can I learn more?
For more on why insurance quotes can vary so much, these stories offer helpful background. They cover rising auto premiums, climate-driven losses, insurer rate requests, and broader insurance cost pressures.
• Across the U.S., climate impacts are pushing car insurance rates higher for many drivers.
• In California, State Farm faced serious questions from state officials over a 22% hike.
• Insurance companies are absorbing skyrocketing costs from climate losses that can filter down to customers.
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