Ok, I had a feeling this thread might spiral out of control a bit. First off, the first post in this thread is not a customer of mine He is with American Modern through a relationship he has with USAA. As an American Modern agent we can speak to the fact that they have increased rate in most states, however, they have not made a rate change since 2010/2011. How many insurance policies do any of us have that do not increase year over year or every 6 months? I can tell you based on my knowledge of the industry many of our competitors are doing the same thing. As consumers ourselves we fully understand the need to shop insurance every so often. So many times when these threads start everyone starts comparing what they are paying, what carrier they are with, etc. However, rarely can you compare apples to apples to what others are saying. For my current customers if you see something on your policy at renewal you can always email or call me with questions. We will respond the best that we can to satisfy your concerns.
In reference to our online rater, it is not a full issuance rater. It is provided by our insurance carrier to give customers an idea on the rate. It is also not a restrictive rater, so for the most part the underwriting logic is not in place, and if you select the wrong rate tier to use you can get a grossly inaccurate rate. However, for most customers that have vehicles that are 15 years or older, the rate is pretty much dead on. Vehicles that are newer can go into 2 different categories, etc.
In reference to how we settle claims, we DO NOT utilize ACTUAL CASH VALUE (ACV), rather we use Agreed Value (with an inflation guard built in) and we can utilize Stated Value for cars that are under restoration or for vehicles that are rapidly depreciating. All the policies we have written for our GT customers are on an Agreed Value basis If you want a quote, feel free to contact me as noted below.
I know we have a faction of members on the Forum that my not fit the guidelines and usage of a collector policy and for those they typically end up insuring with a standard auto carrier. We do utilize mileage plans; 1000, 3000, or 6000 miles, but I can tell you the majority of people that have contacted me since we started supporting the forum have not had an issue with how the policy is designed, nor have any clients had any issue in the claims process.
DBK is correct, talk with Rich and Dennis and any other owner that has tried to work a claim with their standard auto carrier, not always an easy task. American Modern has a top notch claims training center, physical damage adjusters are usually collector car enthusiasts, and every field adjuster has to go through a rigorous training process. it is also always shop of your choice to have the vehicle repaired.