Chicago Auto Insurance

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   Who is a good auto insurance broker in Chicago?
   I want to get the contact information of a good auto (and perhaps renter's) insurance broker. I want somebody that is independent and shows all the companies at once for me. They have to be authorized to sell in IL.

   • ANSWER:
     Find one through this website: www.iiaa.org

2. QUESTION:
   Where is the good insurance in chicago that covers auto rims , sounds , and tv's ? ?
   Is there anyGOOD auto insurance that will cover around 3,000 dollars worth of extra non factory items in my car? I have a 02' mercades benz and I need to change my insrance any ideas? or suggestions?

   • ANSWER:
     There is no one "best" or "cheapest" carrier. You'll have to call around, give your social security number to have a credit check, give them the vehicle information, and get a bunch of quotes to figure out which carrier is cheapest FOR YOU

     -----------------------------------------
     http://www.loansandinsurances.com/auto-insurance.html

3. QUESTION:
   Looking for auto insurance good rates im 21 in Chicago any suggestion?
   Hi I live in Chicago and was trying to find a better auto insurance one who could handle claims quickly has anyone ever had auto insurance with Lincoln Auto Insurance I was wondering how they handle claims.

   • ANSWER:
     CHECK WITH THE BOARD OF INSURANCE WHICH IS ON LINE AND THIS WAY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE FIRST HAND ALL INSURANCE COMPANIES INCLUDING THEIR RATINGS AS WELL AS HOW THEY PAY AND TREAT CONSUMERS AND MAYBE BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU.

4. QUESTION:
   Any good sites about Chicago auto insurance aside from http://www.chicagoautoinsurance.net ? Thanks?

   • ANSWER:
     Yes, there is another blog recently and it also discusses about auto insurance based in the U.S., http://www.autoinsurancelosangeles.net/

5. QUESTION:
   Any best choice for auto insurance in chicago?
   Good package for reasonable price

   • ANSWER:
     Insurance is dependant on many individual factors such as your age, driving history, location and type of car that you drive. because of this, a cheap company for me may be expensive for yourself.

     The best way to find the cheapest prices in chicago is to get an online insurance quote at http://www.auto-insurance-knowledge.com/24-hour-insurance-quote-auto.html This will compare all insurance companies in Chicago and find you which companies offer you the lowest prices.

     Hope that helps

6. QUESTION:
   Auto Insurance in Chicago IL. HELP?
   Hey, I called that place " Asia Insurance " and they quoted me 460 for 6 months.
   I'm 18 years old almost 19 in April.
   I had a speeding ticket almsot a year ago and 2 and a half years ago I got stopped for no insurance and no license.
   I asked the lady if that would affect my rates and she said a little, is that true ?
   I've had other companies make my insurance sky rocket because of it and the lady kept saying it wouldn't affect it that much.
   Any ideas ?
   Is she lying

   • ANSWER:
     There are all sorts of insurers charging all different prices out there and the only way around it is to search around till you find what fits you best.
     Here's a good bunch of tips to avoid getting scammed when insurance buying over the net: http://123automotive-insurance.solutionsarticles.com/cover-yourself-purchasing-an-insurance-policy-on-the-world-wide-web?id=ap3

7. QUESTION:
   What is the best auto insurance company?
   i live in Chicago, Il and want 2 know the best auto insurance company.

   • ANSWER:
     idk, but if i had to choose it would be giecko cause i like the little gecko that represents them
     but if u really want to know just compare there rates instead of posting the question here and asking other people to do it for you

8. QUESTION:
   what is the best auto insurance company?
   i live in Chicago, Il and whant 2 know the best auto insurance company.

   • ANSWER:
     I have state farm insurance, which was the cheapest for me. I only had to file a claim once when i hit a deer. everything went smoothly and I am very happy with them...

     I have also had to deal with geico and progressive. both are good, but out of the two i'd have to say progressive is better. the insurance adjuster was great with me and they insure all of their repairs.

9. QUESTION:
   Who do you go to for auto insurance when your record isn't so spotless? (Chicago driver)?
   Long story short, I currently drive one of my mom’s cars part-time, and am covered under her auto insurance (Allstate). In the last 2 years I have had 3 minor accidents (damages 0 or less), 2 of which were my fault. My mother recently tried to obtain auto ins. through another provider and was denied due to MY 3 accident history. Because my mother is now unable to obtain auto insurance w/ a new provider to possibly receive a more competitive rate, I am considering having her drop me, sell me her second car and I then attempt to get auto ins. on my own. My question: Will any auto insurance company insure someone with my history? And if so who? I understand my rates will be thru the roof if anyone will take me on… Secondary question regarding this continued...
   OKLATOM:

   All mom has to do is list you as a restricted
   driver on her policy and her rates will be fine again.
   What exactly does this mean? I do still need to drive the car.

   As to where you would go, same place you would if you had spotless records, to an independent agent that can find you coverage.

   If the new agent who my mother went to would not cover us, then how would I possibly be covered on my own with just any Indy agent? Aren't there specific insurance providers who insure "high-risk" drivers?
   When my mom & I recently tried to obtain auto ins. through another provider & was denied due to MY recent 3 accident history, the potential new agent told my mom that I should have never filed the claims- whether it was my fault or not. This confuses me, an agent saying not to file a claim after an accident? I prefer not to be sued for future damages when an accident IS my fault, isn't this part of why we pay for ins? At the time of my last accident, various ins. people here at Y.A. told me NOT to handle anything out of pocket esp where I was at fault. My questions are:1.Should someone ever handle car damages out of pocket if at fault? Why would this agent say this? 2.If an accident is NOT my fault should I try to handle this out of pocket as to avoid filing a claim? What if the other party skips out of paying, then I have no record and or repercussions for obtaining my losses other than suing? 3.Where do you go for coverage should you be dropped & no other major carrier will cover you

   • ANSWER:
     All mom has to do is list you are a restricted driver on her policy and her rates will be fine again As to where you would go, same place you would if you had spotless records, to an independent agent that can find you coverage.

10. QUESTION:
    Can anyone show me a list of insurance companies with a home office in downtown Chicago?
    I'm looking for the major insurance companies in downtown Chicago (not branch offices either, their home office, and not in a suburb, it has to be downtown). They can do any type of insurance too: auto, health, life, disability, etc.

    • ANSWER:
      I don't know of ANY that have a "HOME" office in Chicago. Sorry, you'll have to get your yellow pages out, look up the companies, and go to each website to verify where their HOME office is.

      Many of them will be out of the US.

11. QUESTION:
    Can you recommend a really inexpensive but still decent car insurance company?
    I'm a student on a budget in difficult economic times. I'm Looking for affordable auto insurance in Chicago.

    • ANSWER:
      the general. it is sooo cheap dude. i have a pretty bad driving record but i still dont pay that much

12. QUESTION:
    Who is your Auto Insurance Provider?
    Do you like it?

    I work for First Acceptance (chicago)
    Insurance Plus and Yale Insurance [ great company]!!

    • ANSWER:
      State Farm, thanks for asking!

13. QUESTION:
    what is a good site for FREE auto insurance?
    ok so im tired of sites making me give away all my personal information just so i can see what owning a type of car would be a year. the 2 cars i am looking to insure are either a newer lotus elise or a 79-81 Pontiac trans am. im 22 male in Chicago with now accidents or bad credit. i need an estimate or a site, thank you!

    • ANSWER:
      On www.allstate.com you don't even have to give you name to get a "ballpark quote". And if you choose them, it'd be hard to find a better company to work with.

14. QUESTION:
    Looking for auto insurance good rates im 21. any suggestion?
    Hi I live in Chicago and was trying to find a better auto insurance one who could handle claims quickly

    • ANSWER:
      I recommend you this site where you can compare quotes so you can find the best option for you

      http://www.usinsurancequote.org

15. QUESTION:
    What is the average limits that you have on you auto full-coverage insurance?
    I live in Chicago Illinois. The lowest limits are 20/40/15.

    • ANSWER:
      Limits of liability is something that only YOU and your local independent insurance agent can determine.....after all, how long should a piece of rope be? It should be long enough to get the job done.

      You do NOT want to have an accident and have an insurance company send you a "reservation of rights letter" stating something like "we are going to represent you up to the full limits of your policy - but, due to your recent accident being SO SEVERE....we recommend that you seek your own legal counsel." So, in other words, they are going to bail out on you and leave you sitting on the court house steps.

      You need to determine your assets and be sure that you insure yourself accordingly. It is better to HAVE it and not NEED it than it is to NEED it and not HAVE it!

      Good luck and I hope this helps!

16. QUESTION:
    I am 15 almost 16 years old and looking at places for auto insurance.?
    What company should I go with for auto insurance? I do not have my drivers liscence yet so I can't get a quote because for most sites you need to give them you drivers liscense number. My mom said I have to buy my own insurance (lol) so I want to know what the best choice would be. I do not want the state minimum but I also don't want to be using all of my money for insurance. I live in chicago, Illinois, am a male, and am under 25, so I got all the things you could ever want (yeah right!!) I know this sucks really bad. What is my best bet with auto insurance?

    • ANSWER:
      You are one of the riskiest drivers to an insurance company. Once you get licensed your mom will have to add you to her policy or sign a document stating you will not be allowed to drive her vehicles under any conditions. Most parents will put their kids on their policy if they are living at home. You should try to do this first. You can still pay for your insurance this way as well. All you have to do is pay the difference in premiums of the policy. So if your mom pays 0 a month now and adds you on to her policy and it goes up to 0 a month, then you pay the 0 difference. You should be able to get quotes or an estimate's online without a license. I know that https://www.hometownquotes.com/index.cfm?action=auto&affid=467&camp=45 doesn't require a license or social security number. However, quotes can't be 100% accurate until an insurance company knows your credit history, driving record and other required information. This can be a good place to get an idea on cost though.

17. QUESTION:
    Just opened my own insurance agency in Chicago....?
    How can I get more business? I specialize in auto insurance. I have a very tight buget as I am only 18. So far, I have printed 30,000 brochures, put some newspaper ads, put some small signs and posters at stores and so on....
    What else can I do?
    I have a website also. The agency's phone number is 24/7, the calls forward to my cell phone.

    • ANSWER:
      I've been in the insurance business for over 29 years now. Good luck to you. It's not easy.
      If you're sitting around waiting for the phones to ring quit now. The best thing you can do is put in some "sweat equity". Get on the phone and call, call, call. Telemarketing has a bad reputation now but it works better then anything else. Don't be afraid to put in some long hours.
      Go to your local library and pull up a copy of the commercial record and find out who's moved into your area and call them.
      Finally, get a copy of the book "Power Position Your Agency" by Troy Korsgaden. It's well worth reading

18. QUESTION:
    Auto insurance cost?
    About how much would auto insurance be for 2 23 year old females in Chicago? No major accidents ever. No minor accidents since high school. Both have been through college. It's a 2007 chevy cobalt. We live right downtown, area code 60611.

    • ANSWER:
      Do a safety course that is reconized by most insurance companies.

      Buy a 4 door or family car. Buy a car with passive restraints.

      Try to find off street parking or garage location. Not easy I knmow..,

19. QUESTION:
    What does AAA Auto Insurance really cover when it comes to driving other people's cars in another state?
    My friend & I are planning on going to Chicago, Illinois tomorrow night. However, he doesn't have any auto insurance, & doesn't wants to risk getting a huge ticket & having his car taken away in the state of Illinois. I, however, do have auto insurance, which is AAA. If I were driving his car, & God forbid, get pulled over at some point or get into an accident, will AAA be able to cover it? I should also mention that we are both from the state of Wisconsin, & our town is in Racine. Here's a link to the state of Wisconsin's auto insurance requirements:

    http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/vehicles/ins-req.htm

    Also, here's a link to the state of Illinois's auto insurance requirements:

    http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/vehicles/mandatory_insurance.html

    We really don't want to take the train to Chicago, & then wind up getting a taxi to where we want to go & back, because that just s eats up too much time! We really want to drive down there, & really enjoy the road trip experience! Whoever can answer this question, will not only have my eternal gratitude, but will be the greatest car nut of all time!

    • ANSWER:
      Take the train. Your friends vehicle is uninsured regardless who is driving. Your policy covers your vehicle and others who you allow to drive it. It does not cover your friends vehicle. If you drove your friends vehicle and were stopped, You would receive a citation for driving a non insured vehicle and your friend's car would be towed. r

20. QUESTION:
    is there any good deal for full coverage for auto insurance?
    in chicago

    • ANSWER:
      Progressive is hassle free, I'm not in the windy city, but my full coverage is @ 100 a month. I also add the towing and car rental. I use Progressive, because the website is easy to navigate and can change my policy online without ever being on hold.

      I needed a tow and the company Progressive used was being beyond rude to me. I called Progressive and let them know what I was experiencing, they called this company and fixed it before the car was even on the flatbed, the towing company actually apoligized to me.

      Expect to pay between 800-1200 per year depending on the options you choose.

21. QUESTION:
    Estimate Numbers of businesses in Chicago?
    I need to find the numbers of these particular businesses in Chicago only.

    ? New Car Dealerships with Used car departments
    ? Used car dealers
    ? RV/Boat/Motorcycle Dealers
    ? Vehicle Rental/Leasing Companies
    ? Bus/Truck Fleets
    ? Car Fleets (Govt. Agencies, School Dists., etc.)
    ? Auto Insurance Companies
    ? Full Service Car Washes
    ? Quick Lubes
    ? Large Retailers: Malls, WalMarts, etc.

    Or a site I can find these exact numbers?

    • ANSWER:
      a really big number for all of em,

22. QUESTION:
    I need to change an auto insurance company. What do you think about Farmers Insurance (I'm sick of Allstate)?
    I have an Allstate Insurance now and they raised a price so much that I cannot afford it. They do it actually every time when I renew my coverage. I do not think it is fair and I do not understand that. I made my research and I found out that Farmers is three times cheaper. I just so not know how they are with the accidents and actually standing by the client. Allstate dissapointed my when I had an accident (even if there was a police repport stating that it was not my fault, allstate was telling me I may be at fault). Please advice about the policies that you know of. I live in Chicago (if this matters).

    • ANSWER:
      I recommend an online insurance quote. It's free and quick to do. http://www.goodinternetdeals.com/Auto-Insurance.html

      Hope it works out

23. QUESTION:
    Progressive auto insurance problem !?
    I need an opinion on what should i do in this case.

    3 weeks ago , as I was driving home , on the freeway , from the truck in front of me fell big peace of ice and hit my car from underneath. Less than 1 minute later i noticed blue smoke behind , luckily there was and exit with gas station right there. By the time i pulled up to the gas station car was barely moving. After staying parked for 20 min , it leaked oil and tranny fluid . I called towing , had them pick the car up , called progressive made the claim.

    All of that happened in WI near Milwaukee , before i used to leave in Chicago , so I never dealt with progressive from WI.

    After couple days adjuster came out and gave shop 1100$ to start the repairs , shop diagnosed everything and came to a conclusion that its the transmission leaking because of the damage inside.
    Adjuster was extremely slow to give shop any kind of approvals to do anything , So after 3 weeks they finally allowed them to take transmission apart , another adjuster came out took pictures , then shop owner want around , called me and said that he will call me next day. Next day shop owner calls me asking if I heard anything from progressive ? I call that guy back , but he went on vacation. Call my first adjuster , she says that the guy who went on vacation concluded that it wasn't related to impact , so they wont pay for anything and I owe 500 for taking down transmission.

    I called shop owner right away asking if its possible , not being related to impact , he says of course not , otherwise your car wouldn't break after impact. He also said some technical explanation what caused it to break , i just don't know what. he also said that no one ever called him and asked him what was the cause if that.

    I dealt with progressive in Chicago twice , when i lived there , and i had greatest experience ever , but it seems that in Milwaukee , they are playing games , making me pay , and not taking responsibilities.

    I figured somebody might know what should I do in this case , I just want them to do what they should do , especially when Im paying 200$ a month.

    • ANSWER:
      If the only thing damaged is the transmission - it's unlikely hitting a block of ice caused it.

      The block could have caused damage to the front bumper, the air dam and even the oil pan. There are a whole lot of components between the front of the car (where the ice came from) and the transmission. http://www.familycar.com/transmission.htm

      If the transmission is the only thing damaged - odds are, it was not because of a block of ice.

      Additionally, transmissions have teeth. It's pretty easy to see if a collision damaged it or not. If the teeth are broken - odds are a collision or impact caused that. If the teeth are worn down - not collision damage.

      What is the year, make, model of your car?
      How many miles are no it?

      Additionally, if the transmission was damaged by your continuing to drive after hitting the ice then they may not cover that. As the damage to the transmission is not a direct consequence of your hitting the ice but rather by your continuing to drive after hitting the ice.

      In the end, no one here has near enough information to give an opinion on this. We can't see the transmission. If you want to fight it - call an engineer and have them come out and inspect the torn down transmission and give you a written opinion. In my area, an engineer is going to cost about 5 per hour and you get billed for the time they inspect the transmission and the time to do the report.

      But your shops position that "you're car wouldn't break after impact" is not proof that the transmission was damaged as a direct result of the collision with the ice.

24. QUESTION:
    Have anyone heard of the shop in chicago? "2 Stars Auto Rebuilders"?
    My Insurance company is taking my car there for repair. I just want to know about any work they have done and their reputation.

    • ANSWER:
      Look the car over extremely well before you accept it or sign off on it.
      Have a copy of the repair bill in your hand when you do.
      If its front end damage, open and close the hood, side damage, make sure all doors work right and windows operate properly.
      Rear damage, make sure trunk opens and closes nicely and doors still function correctly.
      I say all this as I have been rebuilding cars for 30 years. My wife hit a deer in Indiana and my shop is in illinois. So state farm had the car taken to one of "their" shops in Indiana. 4000 thousand in damage. The place didnt pull the unibody at all and routed all the holes in the fenders and shimmed the hell out of the car. I drove down to pick the car up and refused to sign for it. The adjuster came and said he would have the shop redo it, I stated they didnt do it right the first time so I will not let them touch it again. They then gave me a list of their preferred shops in illinois, I took it there. they charged statefarm another 0.00 to repair the mess the last place screwed up. Then I goto pick it up and the brand new hood had a huge dent in it.. Open the hood and the dent would disappear. that was their excuse for missing it. So I made them put it back on the frame machine and pull the cowl panel like it should be with me standing there. Then they realigned everything and it was fine then.
      State Farm lost a month in car rental and 00.00 total for having their prferred shops doing the car. I am now their preferred shop in my area.
      So inspect that car when you pick it up. I would even go as far as take it to another shop and have them check that all repairs were made accordingly to the estimate.

25. QUESTION:
    have you ever heard of county insurance /financial?
    I am looking for a life insurance and educational,home auto etc insurance.someone told me about county financial. Have you ever heard of this company? I am living in chicago.Please I need help.

    • ANSWER:

26. QUESTION:
    I am looking for a cheap auto body shop in Chicago area ......?
    i was rear ended by a car a little while ago and my back bumper is messed up now . i was not fault but the car behind me ended up one of my best friend and he did not have a license or insurance so i didn't want to file a report against him i dont kno what whould have happend but i would have ended up my insurance pay for it and raised my insurance . i didnt ask him for money but at the time he was drunk and said he will pay me back but its been like a year so i gave up and decided forget about it and just pay for my own damage ....... so i am looking for a cheap but good auto body shop .....

    • ANSWER:
      You will get what you pay for, just FYI!

27. QUESTION:
    Why are the police not allowed to pull over illegal aliens ?
    Illegal aliens are not required to have auto insurance or a drivers license and the police are required to let them go. I have to have an insurance card and license and auto tags. But illegal aliens where I live say the police cannot ask them for anything.That illegal alien in Chicago is poof that illegal aliens are not required are asked to obey the laws of the country.

    • ANSWER:
      Good question. They are changing the laws here in NC to make it possible for the state and local police to finally be able to act accordingly with criminal trespassers. I am so happy about it. Maybe they can get rid of at least some of them.

28. QUESTION:
    How can a 42 year old female with a Degree in Business earn more than ,000 annual.?
    I live in chicago. I am just getting my life back in order after years of a few bad circumstances. I have a Bachelors degree in Business Management but I make only ,000 annual. How can I find a career/job making over ,000 so that I can live like a real adult my age should? I have 10 years experience in the auto insurance industry working in a underwriting support department and two years experience as a claim adjuster trainee.

    • ANSWER:
      My question is how can a 42 year old with a business degree be working and only making K? I am significantly younger than you and earn multiple times that with bachelor's in business.
      Get your resume together, start making contacts, reply to job postings, meet some headhunters, and get to work...

29. QUESTION:
    How much should rental insurance cost? (for an apartment)?
    The apartment is in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Brand new building, ,100/mo. My parents would add it to their auto/home policy.

    • ANSWER:
      The cheapest one should be in the - 120 range - just shop around. Search Google or Yahoo for "Renter's Insurance" and fill out a few on-line form. Then a crowd of agents will call you offering quotes.

      If the reason for getting the policy is your landlord requirement (you are not looking for actual coverage) then ask to be quoted with no more than K property coverage and 0K liability - that is the cheapest design.

      Another good advise - ask your property manager for a referral - the person might be of a real help.

30. QUESTION:
    Can someone tell me stats about living in Chicago, IL?
    I would like to know the following:
    Cost of (per month)
    -Food
    -Gas/fuel
    -Electricity
    -Telephone
    -Water
    -Clothing
    -Personal care (including haircut, toiletries etc.)
    INSURANCE
    -life
    -health
    -dental
    -auto

    I would really appreiciate it!
    Thanks in advance.

    • ANSWER:
      It varies by area for a lot of those things.

      Food is expensive at most chain places (Jewel, Dominick's) usually. Places like Aldi or local grocery stores are cheaper.

      So is shopping for clothes. If you want to shop by brand that's a little more expensive but places like Filene's basement and TJ Maxx have decent stuff if you're willing to look.

      Toiletries and what not are pretty much the same anywhere. There's a lot of Walgreens and CVS stores in most places.

      Gas and water are usually included if you're living in an apartment. I don't know how much they are if you're buying a house.

      I don't know how insurance is compared to other cities.

      Hope some of this helps

31. QUESTION:
    Getting out of an Auto Loan Contract?
    I purchased a used car from Value Auto Mart in Chicago, IL. I would like to return the car and forfeit all responsibility since my financial situation is going down the drain. The car isn't working as well either. I read a portion of the contract and would like someone to help me understand what I think it states. Thank you!

    The undersigned Customer (or customers if more than one) has asked Value Auto Mart, Inc. ("Value") to sell the above described motor vehicle to Customer for the cash price shown above and to finance the requested purchase on terms mutually agreeable to Value and customer. this purchase order is not a binding contract of the sale ans is subject to Value's approval of Customer's credit and the execution by Value, and Customer of a Retail Installment Contract setting forth the credit terms to be agreed upon by Value and Customer.

    SUBJECT TO THE TERMS HEREOF, Customer acknowledges receipt of the Vehicle in good physical and mechanical condition. Customer will return the Vehicle to Value within ______ days. Customer represents that he has physical damage insurance and bodily injury liability insurance in force, and shall be responsible for all losses and damages to the Vehicle which are not covered by that insurance.
    In the event Customer's credit is not approved by Value or Customer rejects Value's offered credit terms for the purchase of this Vehicle, this purchase order shall be canceled, the Vehicle returned to Value in the same condition as when received by Customer and Customer's ebtire deposit and any trade-in shall be returned to Customer in which event Customer will have no further obligation to Value.

    THE UNDERSIGNED ACKNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTAND THIS ORDER SOEA NOT CONSTITUTE A BINDING CONTRACT OF SALE AND THAT OWNERSHIP OF AND TITLE TO THE VEHICLE HEREIN REMAINS WITH VALUE AUTO MART, INC. CUSTOMER FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF A SIGNED COPY OF THIS PURCHASE ORDER WHICH WAS COMPLETELY FILLED OUT PRIOR TO SIGNING.

    ***and I signed below. I noticed that there's no number on "within ____ days" and I saw that "In the event" states no specific timeline. I also hope this helps me...

    ...In the event Customer's credit is not approved by Value "OR" Customer rejects Value's offered credit terms for the purchase of this Vehicle, this purchase order shall be canceled...

    I would like to know if anyone can help me! Thanks

    • ANSWER:

32. QUESTION:
    Do insurance approved repair shops use OEM products?
    I was in an accident which was not my fault a couple of months ago. I have Farmers insurance and due the accident being at an intersection it was disputed by State Farm, etc. Farmers told me I was not at fault and decided to go through them rather than wait.

    Moreover, Farmers suggest Cars Auto Body shop here in Chicago which is their main authorized shop in the area. After inspecting my car at VW recently they told me that both fenders and hood were not original VW parts and hence asked me if I was in an accident. I was shocked and noticed this too. The bumper also does not 100% fit properly and it seems due to the non-OEM fenders.

    Shouldn't the parts be original VW? The car is 2009 and of course I would desire original parts. Should I call Farmers?
    How can made in China be the same as completely imported VW Passat parts?

    I told them I have clear side markers that are genuine European VW (they are clear with amber inside instead of completely amber). They replaced both of them and even went through the company I told them.

    Can I at least complain with the fitment? This is more than ridiculous on a new German car. They charged 5,400 something both State Farm and Farmers estimated...

    The damage was not that extensive (no engine or frame damage) since it was cosmetic.

    So in the end Farmers get's ripped off and I get screwed over.

    • ANSWER:
      No.

      Your auto policy give Farmers the write to use LKQ and used parts. Not just OEM.

      If you want original parts, then you would pay the difference in price. As long as the LKQ are CAPA there should not be a problem.

      If you want to know what was put on your car, look at the repair estimate used to fix the car.

      If there is a problem with the fit of the parts, take the car back to the repair facility and discuss it with the body shop manager.

33. QUESTION:
    Some individuals claim the economy is doing well under Bush?
    I got into an argument with a Bush supporter who claimed the economy is doing fine. 'A funny story for those who say the same.

    Yesterday, while driving to visit my family I got pulled over for speeding. I didn't have auto insurance, and the penalty in Chicago is a 0 fine, suspension of license, and vehicle impoundment. I explained to the officer that I was struggling with money, and couldn't yet afford 0 per month insurance, and he let me off the hook.

    He told me he understood how hard it can be, given the state of the economy. He went on to say that the police department had cut all overtime for patrol officers due to economic hardships. My jaw dropped.

    This weekend alone in Chicago, there were 32 different shootings, with 19 of them happening in 1 day alone. Just a weeks ago, 2 people were shot 1 mile away from where he pulled me over. Most victims were kids.

    http://www.nbc5.com/news/15931631/detail.html?dl=mainclick

    (**And were talking about flag pins?**)
    Can we afford to elect another president who admittingly know little about complex economics and the trickle-down effect on middle class america?
    fangtaiyang - now have insurance, but it is clear that you missed the point of the story. It's not about auto insurance. We can afford to squander our economy on a "war on terror", but cannot afford to fight terror in our own backyards.
    theantilib- you're a smart one aren't you? claiming that the national economy has no effect on the economy of a state. You're also missing the root problem: if people cannot afford insurance they cannot buy it- if they cannot buy it the price cannot go down- and if my "nice policeman" had fined me, I wouldn't have been able to afford to buy it. So, what good would that have done?

    ...genius.
    theantilib- are you seriously claiming the the economy within the state of IL has nothing to do with the national economy? because I'm literally laughing at the idea. Do you not understand how industrial of a state IL is?
    Bmovies60- I think you're missing the fact that state run law enforcement services are actually federally funded

    • ANSWER:
      The economy is doing fantastic. So well in fact, the government is handing out surplus money. I'll be getting a free check soon for 0 dollars because the Bush economy is doing so well.

      I havn''t decided how to spend it yet. I have a choice between paying the rent, buying groceries, paying court fines or auto insurance payments. One thing is certain though. I won't be spending any of it at Wal Mart on cheap Chinese goods.

34. QUESTION:
    I got in an auto accident, need advise.?
    OK, on late september of 08 i got in an auto accident. I was getting off work it was late already and i was almost home. Im going on a 45 MPH road and i have a green light. As im crossing the intersection some guy did not stop on his red light and hits me going easily 45 MPH on my right side of my car. The car is totaled and if I would have had a passenger that person would have been severely injured or mabie dead just so you can have an idea how hard this guy hit me. Police came and evrything the guy recieved a ticket for not stopping and i did not recieve a ticket at all. I eaven had a witness on the police report. Now my dad told me to still go to the hospital just incase. so the hospital bill came up to like 700 total. My dad said the guys insurance has to take care of the bill. So I haved talked to the guys insurance and its like it seems like they dont want to pay its hard to get a hold of them. Im not the type of persons who likes to sue but its getting annoying getting bills from the hospital and telling me i will go to collections if i dont pay. The guys insurance say they will pay and that they will send me a check that they do not pay the hspital directly. Im just really annoyed by all this its been almost 4 months and im tired of wasting my time being on hold for 30 minutes each time i call them just so it leads me to their voice mail only. I dont want no money back I dont need them to give me money, I just want them to pay the bill thats it im not asking for more. Why shouold I pay a bill when I was not at fault? Im thinking of getting a lawyer is this a good idea what should I do? I have never been in this situation so any advise will be very helpful thank you.

    This guys insurance is called American Access Casualty Company located in Chicago. From reviews I have seen online they are not the best on handling situations like this.

    • ANSWER:

35. QUESTION:
    I was in an accident 2yrs ago. Not the owner, no insurance...can the owner sue me? Details inside..?
    So in March 07 I was in an accident around Chicago, IL. I hit a guard rail on the expressway (294). I was charged with no insurance and an accident ticket. Both tickets were thrown out.

    I was not the owner of the vehicle. The owner paid 10k to get the car fixed because he had no insurance on it at the time. It was a stupid move because the car was only worth about 9k.

    Anyways now almost two years later (not quite...Statue of Limitations is usually 2 years with auto accidents so this is why I am worried) and he wants to try and sue me for the 10k he paid to fix the car.

    I was talking to someone about this and they said since he was the owner and had no insurance he is liable. Is this true? Can he sue me?
    He bought the car for his grandson who had had his licensed revoked at the time. So he was under the impression his grandson had insurance on it.

    His grandson is the one who let me drive it. I don't know if any of this matters to the court.

    • ANSWER:
      Yes he can sue. Yes he can win. The owner was not driving the car, you were.

36. QUESTION:
    Driving records - Is this normal?
    I had an accident on icy road conditions in Chicago winters. Three vehicles were already piled after an accident; I was driving at 15mph, but still couldn't stop (due to icy road), and joined the gang, hitting two of the stalled vehicles. No one was injured, but most vehicles got multiple dents and scratches. The police officer did not give any one a ticket, and ruled that it was a weather related accident.

    Since then, I have been paying much higher insurance premiums (0 higher than what I would expect). I tried multiple providers, but that all of them seem to penalize me for the above accident. Finally, I realized that they were pulling my driving record from some third party agency. And I got the following information from Esurance quote.... A consumer information provider (Choice point Services) reports a claim of ,500 on my records. It goes on to state the following - "All accidents displayed above are accidents in which the driver has been determined to be substantially at-fault"

    I think this is unethical. The accident was weather related and not my fault. The police report states the same. The two other drivers (whose car I hit) may have claimed liability from my insurance provider, but that doesn't necessarily mean I was at fault. What do folks think? Is this legal and/or normal reporting practice? Can I demand the information to be corrected, so that I don't have to keep paying hefty premiums on my auto insurance?

    Thanks!
    David and David L - What you are saying may be right, but I don't understand why I'm considered to be legally at fault. The police officer did not consider me (or anyone else) at fault, and did not give me a ticket. The police report should reflect the same. Then, how does the insurance company have the authority to override a legal decision, and report me as legally at fault? Btw, I noticed 2 other accidents on that road (within a mile stretch) that night. That road was literally an ice ground; so why shouldn't the accident be considered weather related?

    • ANSWER:

37. QUESTION:
    Help me budget personal expense?
    Take home about ,500 after tax

    ,000.00Rent
    0.00Heat, electricity
    0.00Phone, Internet
    0.00Student loan
    0.00Auto payment
    0.00Auto insurance
    0.00Gas
    0.00Food
    0.00Haircut, clothes, hygiene, etc..
    ,400.00Total Monthly expense

    Is there something wrong with my expense? I'm barely making it month by month

    Make ,000 per year and still broke.
    FYI: living in Chicago
    Need glasses, Need Oil change, Need TV, (still have 13" Tube TV). I eat out once a month ( max), Need PC(4 yr old 512 mg), Shop at Target for apparel, No DVD player( I know hard to believe), No Movie outing., tuition cost(will be taking courses to be CPA), etc....I think I'm live thriftily but still struggling.

    • ANSWER:
      well i say keep everyting the same and when you get our next raise but it is savings -- looks like you have cut it as much as you can!!!

38. QUESTION:
    Should the US government take our tax $ to give one company owned by foreigners, unfair advantage over another?
    The US government is giving Chrysler money to buy old cars for 00 towards the sale of a new Chrysler. Chrysler already took many billions of $$, foreign interests have pretty much been given a huge chunk of the company and certain politicians supporters more of it.

    This will hurt Ford's business, a company who stayed afloat taking None of our money at a time when things have been very hard for them.

    Isn't this extremely twisted and wrong? Not to mention taking our money to just give away to individuals who got part of the company for nothing, but being political ally's, and others for supporting one business over another because of cheaper prices paid for by US to support favoritism for one company over another.

    How would you like it if you worked for Ford and your job was put in jeopardy over this? Or if Obama just decided he liked a competing company better than the one you work for and decided to give them a competitive advantage?

    It's not like this isn't already going on. The tarp money is being used to support friends of the administration and hard foes. To bail out banks Senators have interest in that don't qualify. To help some banks steal other banks assets and leave their stock holders with nothing.

    WHAT CAN COME OF ALL THIS?

    I'm telling you, if this doesn't stop we will all be working for the government. Directly or by large corporations owned or otherwise controlled by the government. Like everyone in the health care industry. Insurance industry, Auto industry, energy industry, Banking industry, home industry, farming industry, media, State and Local governments are being given money and controlled by the feds as well. If these people are not pushed back, the government will control your medical, your job, make it impossible for you to start or own a small business or any way of making a living not controlled by the federal government. They will control your thermostat, where your children go to school because they will ally with teachers unions to crush private and home schooling, and they have made it evident that the alliance with the Union is more important than children's education when they scrapped a hugely money saving (saved 45% off the cost of public education) voucher program that got kids in DC out of horrible dangerous schools with terrible results in education and helped them into private schools with excellent results and a nice environment for the children in stead of dangerous, but the alliance with the teachers Union was more important than the children's safety, the quality of the education, and the huge money they were saving on the program. That has to tell you something.

    The Obama's have also profited richly when Michelle Obama devised a program to shove the poor out to crappy clinics so the rich could have better access to the nice facilities in a University Hospital in Chicago. There is a congressional investigation underway started by democrats and involving the extremely leftist democrat Bobby Rush.

    This is not about what's good for you. The Obama administration is not about what is good for the poor, but they are elitists who align with the rich and lie to and use the poor for political support to help their big support in the circles of the world's elite billionaires. Yes, the world's billionaires, people like George from Belgium who hates the position of the US in the world and seeks to bring down our standard of living, while he and his billionaire friends, the ruling class and the Oligarchy they create are of course above all those rules and restrictions they place on the little people.

    Take a really good look at what you are getting here. You may also want to take a good look at how the people have ever fared in a popular uprising involving taking from one group to supposedly give to the masses. The poor screwed the producers in the country, got a little to start and keep them going, and it ended up with the extremely rich and the governing class getting it all, those with enough money getting out, and the poor stuck in much worse conditions than they started with. Russia, Cuba, Burma, Germany (under the National Socialist Nazi Party) Iran, and so many other examples around the world.

    When the government takes control and there is no one to stop them, they will never look out for the little guy, ever. They take it all for themselves and their friends. That is where we are headed people.
    George = George Soros, didn't get that last name in.
    Will, You are Wrong, or Dishonest. The Federal Government is not giving the incentive to Ford. Why is it democrats without an argument invariably turn to lies? And invariably don't really have a good argument? This is not a partisan thing.

    • ANSWER:
      It is absolutely unconstitutional. The duties of the Federal government are laid out and they are not to push outside of those limits. Obama is an enemy to the constitution, but it's not just democrats. There is a conspiracy to set up an Oligarchy by and for a cabal of Ivy League graduates and many of the extremely rich in the world, like George Soros, you need to really check his record. Convicted in Europe for currency manipulations and booted out of more than one country. He is the tip of the ice burg from Europe, and there are middle eastern interest, Oriental interests and billionaires from all over the world who are beyond laws and borders you will NEVER hear about.

      This is an attempted culmination of a plan to pluck the US and put it under the domination of a world wide Oligarchy. To them we are live stock and they don't think we deserve such a quality of life as we have here in the US. The live stock can get by and survive to fill their purpose on much less, and be much less trouble that way.

39. QUESTION:
    Lost Drivers License in Another State?
    I lost my CA state issued DL in Chicago. I have no other forms of picture ID, no birth certificate, just credit cards, auto registration, and a health insurance card... I am on a road trip, heading to Wisconsin, and it appears that I won't be able to get a state issued ID without being a resident... Help!
    thanks in advance

    • ANSWER:
      Better contact the California DMV website ASAP and find out how to get a duplicate issued. In most states it's illegal to drive without having your driver's license on your person.

40. QUESTION:
    Do you think it is a best price for a new 2009 Civic?
    Hi.
    I got a quote from several dealers(Chicago), but I'm not sure it's the best price.
    What do you think?

    2009 Civic LX Sedan
    Auto
    with Popular package
    Including tax, dealer fee, etc. except Insurance
    ,100

    • ANSWER:
      Being on an Internet Team, not on salary, this is a excellent price.

      I would be able to do the price but not including taxes and fees. I'm not sure what the Popular Package is.

41. QUESTION:
    Read this below and what is your fully reaction?
    Title: Obama vows swift action to revive US economy

    By MIRA OBERMAN

    CHICAGO (AFP) — President-elect Barack Obama vowed swift action to revive the stricken US economy through aggressive government intervention Monday as he named some of "the best minds in America’’ to his economic team.

    Recovery will not come overnight but there is not a "minute to waste,’’ Obama said as he lost little time in unveiling a heavyweight team of economic lieutenants headed by Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary and including ex-Treasury boss Larry Summers as a top adviser.

    At his second news conference since his election triumph on Nov. 4, Obama said the US economy was trapped in a "vicious cycle’’ but touted a plan to create 2.5 million jobs through a spending spree on national infrastructure.

    Obama nominated Geithner to take charge of the Treasury and its $ 700-billion bailout for troubled financial institutions as the US administration announced its latest rescue deal, this time for Citigroup.

    Vowing to uphold President George W. Bush’s farreaching market commitments, Obama said: ‘’We’ll need to bring together the best minds in America to guide us and that is what I’ve sought to do in assembling my economic team.’’

    The President-elect, who takes office on Jan. 20, said his team offered ‘’a depth of experience and a wealth of bold new ideas,’’ with the understanding ‘’that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.’’

    Obama reaffirmed that he would not allow the embattled US auto industry ‘’simply to vanish,’’ but vowed no ‘’blank check’’ for a government bailout without long-term changes from the Detroit manufacturers.

    Geithner, 47, brings upclose experience of the financial crisis, having executed the US central bank’s burst of market activity from his perch atop the New York Fed.

    The former Treasury official ‘’will start his first day on the job with a unique insight into the failures of today’s markets -- and a clear vision of the steps we must take to revive them,’’ Obama said.

    Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson lauded his designated successor for having been ‘’critical’’ to the administration’s attempts to shore up a battered Wall Street, including in the bailouts of Bear Stearns and insurance giant AIG.

    Geithner also received fulsome praise from the White House after taking part in talks to craft a $ 20billion rescue deal for Citigroup announced earlier by the Bush administration.

    ‘’He’s obviously exceptionally talented and very smart and ably led the New York Fed these past number of years,’’ White House spokesman Tony Fratto said.

    Obama meanwhile touted Summers, 53, as ‘’one of the great economic minds of our time’’ as he named Bill Clinton’s blunt-talking final Treasury secretary as director of the powerful National Economic Council.

    Obama scheduled another press conference for Tuesday, where further economic appointments were expected along with more details of a planned stimulus package that some reports said could top $ 700 billion.

    The appointments could include his pick for commerce secretary with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson reportedly in line for the job of promoting domestic industry.

    The stimulus package should be ‘’enacted right away’’ by the new Congress in January, Obama said.

    He declined to reveal the cost but said: ‘’It is going to be of a size and scope that is necessary to get this economy back on track.’’

    Despite the risk of stunningly high budget deficits, Obama vowed to keep his campaign promise to cut taxes for 95 percent of working Americans by raising taxes on the richest, but stopped short of elaborating a timeline.

    Democratic House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: ‘’Congress stands ready to work with the new President on his bold plan to restore confidence to our economy.’’

    House Republican leader John Boehner said that while he looked forward to working with Obama’s economic team, the US public did ‘’not believe increasing government spending is the best way to put our economy back on track.’’

    With the main economic players in place, Obama is expected soon to fill out his national security posts and select a secretary of state -- with former Democratic rival Hillary Clinton hotly tipped to serve as diplomat-in-chief.

    Susan Rice, an Obama campaign advisor and a former assistant secretary of state for African affairs, has emerged as the leading candidate to be nominated for the US ambassador to the United Nations, ABC News reported.

    • ANSWER:
      Government involvement in most areas has had dismal results. When we ignore realities and attempt to create artificial conditions that ignore the laws of economics we dig ourselves in to deeper problems than we would have if we would just let things correct themselves. Supply and demand is a natural cure for most economic problems. I doubt that the intent of Congress is driven by something that is good for all of us. Greed and corruption is a threat until we adopt term limits for all Congressmen and
      Congresswomen and Senators. Open Government should be our goal, also.

42. QUESTION:
    Free Legal Advice for Students?
    I'm a full time college student and cannot afford an attorney. I'm so frustrated because my "friend" took my car to the auto body shop to get my bumper fixed. A few months ago he accidentally ran into my car so I had him take it to get fixed. The car supposedly got stolen from the shop.

    My "friend" called me stating my car was stolen and faxed me the police report he filled out. I've been trying to get a hold of him for more information but he has been totally unresponsive. He never returns my calls or text messages. My insurance company needs me to get a hold of him for more details on the incident and for his license.

    Is there any where I can get free legal advice in the Chicago area?

    • ANSWER:
      Try Legal Aid.

      And additional information you need:
      1) What shop did he take the car to?
      2) What paperwork does your "friend" have, showing that the vehicle was at the shop?;
      3) What paperwork does this shop have that they had your car at the time it was stolen?;
      4) Get a copy of the police report that this auto shop had done when they reported the crime to the police;
      5) You need to file your own police report with the information above.
      6) Get all originals. Go to the police station and get the actual report that was completed;
      7) Get the auto body shop's insurance information (they should have business insurance).

      This whole scenario sounds suspicious. Why would your "friend" fax you the police report and not give you the actual copy with the report number.

43. QUESTION:
    Do I have the wrong picture of the US of A and its recent history?
    Bush Jr--- whose grandfather was a Nazi financier started 2 wars based on 9/11 which later we were told had nothing to do with 9/11 --- but one of which had everything to do with weapons of mass destruction -- which weren't found and so Iraq became about liberating Iraqis from Saddam Hussein

    Osama Bin Laden --- was going to be hunted -- until Bush said he wasn't a priority anymore because he lived in a cave so who cares

    The cave dwelling general issues tapes at will --- world wide -- apparently commands a global army of religious nutters and has a 50 million dollar price tag on his head (dead or alive )

    Rumors that he is dead and has been for a while continue to circulate -- However CIA keeps confirming the Osama tapes as genuine -- which leads to a lot of questions in itself

    In the recent past of the last 8 years or so we have been constantly warned of Islamofacist terror and occasionally warned of nuclear weapons being smuggled in which justifies the security we see

    ------ Erick Prince of Blackwater -- Now XE -- has been charged with war crimes and allowing his employees to use child prostitutes --

    He is also quoted as saying he was a Christian supremacist and his goal was to convert the "rag heads" of Iraq to Christianity --- while encouraging and rewarding mass murder of civilians Which begs the question --- Is Blackwater and its billion dollar army of mercenaries everything they keep accusing the Muslims of ?

    The above mentioned trial is more or less completely absent from the media --- which is odd because full press coverage was given to the President a police Sgt and a professor who got into a spat

    Bush gave 700 and then another 800 billion to the housing industry to save the insurance companies of the US from bankruptcy

    Paul Craig Roberts and a simple search of the internet reveals that a startling number of Americans are living in tents --- homeless The auto sector has been gutted Unemployment is a growing problem

    Obama -- continues to use the services of XE or Erik Princes outfit of crusaders ---

    Obama also not to be outdone by Bush announced a trillion dollar running deficit of out of pocket expenditure and another 2.27 in guaranteed loans

    In that past year alone --- Bush spent billions per week on the war in Iraq --- gave bail out packages of 1,500 billion and Obama guaranteed in total 2.27 trillion --- plus 1 trillion in out of pocket spending

    California is bankrupt -- there is talk of Texas leaving the Union -- New Orleans has not been rebuilt and has not recovered from Katrina Detroit is in shambles and Chicago is still the capitol of mobs gangs and other undesirables Kansas is having severe budget problems and Florida is close to collapse

    Troops are going to stay in Iraq

    Troops are going to go from Iraq to Afghanistan

    War with Iran is still possible -- and the Russians are angrier than ever with nuclear subs off the coast and weapon programs in space being launched

    ---------------------------

    Is that about right --- ?

    Really ?

    If so how much longer can the US survive as a nation ?

    • ANSWER:
      That's about right.

      Pretty gullible lot, we are, aren't we?
      Our public education has made us dumb as doorknobs, and we are blissfully unaware of it.
      That "we" bought into the "big lies" doesn't say anything good about us.
      "Those who can convince you to believe an absurdity can convince you to commit an atrocity" ~Voltare

      Even if one buys into the "official" version of 9/11, (which I am NOT one) what is right about bombing innocent civilians with prohibited weapons as a response? Especially since we now have drones that can target the right person which would cut way down on the civilian casualties, why not use them and take out the cave dwellers only?

      Funny that we are picky about which terrorists we are against, and which we turn a blind eye to. Warnings came out that Ron Paul supporters, veterans, and other "groups" were a threat to America, but we are supporting truly evil things like Blackwater, who as you have pointed out, have become what we are supposedly concerned about in the mid-east, religious fanatics, with all the power in the world to do whatever they chose. So many pretend that Xe is a wonderful thing, I find their very existence terrifying. They no longer need our military to march for them, they now have Xe - who have NO loyalty to anyone or thing except their masters. An army of creatures with NO conscience what so ever, operating with no rules or regulations, immune from prosecution; (power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely) everyone thinks that they are not a problem to Americans, however, since the TRUE story of grandpa Bush has been hidden, few here know that he and his comrades tried to get OUR military to literally march down Pennsylvania Ave. and take over the White House to turn us into a Nazi nation, but they were stopped by an unknown to most, true patriot, Smedley Darlington Butler, a marine who eventually wrote a book on the truth about war, few even realize how close we came then to reliving Nazi Germany, they don't put together what has taken place since to bring us to where we are now.

      We have been systematically dismantled - regulations discarded, our Constitution dismantled, our Civil Liberties demolished, we have been brought to the brink, using "cognitive dissonance" liberally, we have BECOME what we allegedly fear the most, and most can't even see it.
      We are a bankrupt nation, financially and MORALLY, we have no clue as to who are our enemies, we are rotting from within, we have stopped (a long time ago) holding our "leaders" accountable, and THAT has trickled down to a certain level, however, the poorest of us are filling prisons to bursting, now that they have been privatized, with "victimless criminals" - their greatest crime is being poor.

      Obama - the great "hope" is just another tool in the arsenal of the elites, and he will continue to dismantle our once great country.

      How much longer can we survive? Good question, my guess, not long at all. All of the necessary things are in place for our final destruction, and all of the fools out there can't even see it. They are partially right when they say Obama is destroying our country, they just fail to see Bush was too, as were many, many others. They don't care about us, we mean nothing to them, never did. We are only the fools they tax to death to finance their evil plans. Their debt slaves. Kind of ingenious in an evil sort of way, if they actually held us as slaves, they would have to provide food, water, shelter and clothing. As they have it set up now, we work to barely acquire those things for ourselves AFTER we pay them their "dues". The delusion that we are "free" persists in spite of everything to the contrary.

      Sad, I knew nothing of the tent cities until I read your question. I'm not surprised. Our media is beyond worthless unless you are among the elite that want our media to be their tool, then it's been the greatest help in the world.

      I do with I could offer some reason why this is happening right under our noses without most noticing, but I just can't - I'm totally bewildered myself. You can't even get protesters out unless they are corporate sponsored. How sad is that? Everyone is in their own little world, I guess, in denial. I know I don't WANT to be where we are, I just don't know what I can do to stop this march to destruction.

      We are dying of apathy.