Anyone use Geico?

Someone said recently the BMV did not accept Gieco?????

Pamela

I called them a couple of years ago and they said they wanted to cover USVI but were not allowed to.
Please keep us informed.

Went to Geico web site and put 00820 zip and C'sted came up with none of the bs about not being a valid zip so tomorrow I will call them if I can stop coughing long enough......

Thanks, that's why I asked them twice. I know they weren't there 4 years ago. Guess I'll resort to the good ol' fashioned way.

insurance.freeadvice.com/reviews/state/auto/US%20Virgin%20Islands/

insurance.freeadvice.com/reviews/11/comments/GEI

As of April 2009 when I moved, Geico said they did not cover the islands. Please post if it is now true.

Recently my wife was told AARP now offers auto insurance in the USVI. She called the AARP VI number (a person in CT answers that number) and was told yes, AARP now writes insurance in the USVI through their PR office. The PR office E-mailed us some forms which needed to be filled out and sent back before we could get a quote. We faxed them and after not hearing back for a week she called PR and was told AARP does not offer coverage in the USVI.

My point is many phone reps don't really know what their company offers or if it's available down here in the VI. The only way to find out for sure is to actually place the order and see if the company's system will process it.

I, too, would like to hear if Geico does write policies here.

They have plenty of reps here. Just ask the gecko:D

But if Bureau of Motor Vehicles won't accept it....doesn't do any good for the agent to write it. I would definitely get the OK from BMV, not the insurance company. We often get the wrong info here! You can "prove" to BMV that Geico coverage is good here, but if they say no...then the answer is no!

cathy: Yea!! Can't wait to see ya! 😉 I don't think it is Motor Vehicle's fault- all insurance companies have to be vetted through the Lt. Governor's Insurance office. Don't ya know that has gotta be an eye opener for the insurance companies?! 😮 (cath, I think you are stuck with one of the "local" companies!)

P.S. The Fast Ferry is having a $100 trip to Anegada this Sunday- I know you would love that!! (tu) Breakfast on board and lunch at Cow Wreck is included!

EE, you're killin' me. I'll take out my Cow Wreck pictures while I'm packing boxes! Sushi's on me when I get there!

I'm confused, any confirmation on if Geico is now offered here in the territory? If so anyone compared the rates?

Sean

I have never heard of anyone using Geico; best to call the Office of Banking and Insurance to see if they are a licensed VI company.

A few years ago we brought a truck over from Florida. Prior to putting it on the ship we worked with State Farm who confirmed they could support a policy for our vehicle in the VI. When we went to pick up our truck in STT, the BMV as well as the people who keep your vehicle in custom's "prison" would not accept State Farm Insurance. This is even after State Farm faxed the proof on their company letterhead that they DO offer coverage in the VI to both the BMV and Custom's Prison. ........you can whine and complain and mumble 'this is crap' all you want but if your insurance company isn't on "that list", you ain't getting your car out of prison and you ain't getting your license plate/registration.

You could call & ask but I think we only have geckos not Geico.

http://www.usvibmv.org/

Thanks for the link, Trade. The website will be great when construction's over... just for fun I'm going to check back over the years to see when it's completely updated. My bid in the pool is December 12, 2012! Any takers?
Seriously, thanks everyone for your help. I will call BMV tomorrow for the final answer... will be shocked if they say they do accept it.

Please let us know.

This is serious business IMO and I wonder how an insurance company gets on "BMV's list?"

I say this is serious business because we have 3 islands filled with people who are vastly underinsured but are paying much more than they would in the states. The idea that people are driving around with $10,000/$20,000 policies is really frightening to me, if you injure me and put me out of work for a year that 10/20 policy isn't going to begin to cover my lost wages.

If we could get real competition amongst insurance companies here, which includes allowing Geico/Erie/All State etc. to offer coverage, we would be able to afford better coverage at lower prices. I pay over double here what I paid in DC for 100/300 coverage which is absurd.

Sean

becoming a VI licensed carrier is a big process and the market is small, therefore the potential profit is small. Additionally, the VI is a very plaintiff-friendly jurisdiction. Taken as a whole, there would be little incentive for a company to come here to do business. It's not an issue of the VI "letting them come", it's more that the companies say no thanks. The companies that do write in the VI, for the most part, are quite selective as to which customers they will sell high limits etc.. .they don't like claims...
I believe that one can get auto ins through the AARP PR carrier, but last I checked the liability limits were quite low.

Yeah, the limits are such a joke. I remember sitting down with my insurance agent for the first time and listening to her price quote, which was much lower than I expected. "That's it?" I asked. "Yes, but wait till you see what that covers," she said... and it was the best available.

Hah, that's nothing. I went to a few agencies and was quoted twice what I pay in the mainland for literally less than 1/10th the coverage (I have 300k limit on my basic policy and a $1M umbrella.)

After going through the ringer with BMV I realized it's not that US companies won't do business here (my carrier like State Farm also covers the U.S. territories.) It's that they could do business here without establishing a local agent presence and in so doing they would wipe out the local insurers and agencies and if the VI government is protective of anything it's jobs - even if they're jobs at the expense of the consumer.

Please let us know.

This is serious business IMO and I wonder how an insurance company gets on "BMV's list?"

I say this is serious business because we have 3 islands filled with people who are vastly underinsured but are paying much more than they would in the states. The idea that people are driving around with $10,000/$20,000 policies is really frightening to me, if you injure me and put me out of work for a year that 10/20 policy isn't going to begin to cover my lost wages.

If we could get real competition amongst insurance companies here, which includes allowing Geico/Erie/All State etc. to offer coverage, we would be able to afford better coverage at lower prices. I pay over double here what I paid in DC for 100/300 coverage which is absurd.

Sean

There are 10-15 auto accidents per day on St Croix; who would want to assume that risk?

I was told it isn't possible to buy more than 10K/20K, and that like home equity loans/lines, umbrella policies are not a product available here. I buy my car insurance through Tunick and have the standard Lloyd's of London underwriter.

I have an umbrella that covers me here but it's almost certainly because I still have a house in the mainland covered by the same company which happens by luck to cover U.S. territories.

I was told it isn't possible to buy more than 10K/20K, and that like home equity loans/lines, umbrella policies are not a product available here. I buy my car insurance through Tunick and have the standard Lloyd's of London underwriter.

We have a umbrella policy with coverage there from a stateside company. Farmers would not cover us, but our agent found someone who would.
!0 to 15 wrecks a day? That number surprises me. I don't see very many compared to here in AZ.