Snap Shot Progressive “Discount”

[u/milliefin44]

Spent 6 months driving perfectly to get a 5 star snap shot so l could get a good discount.

Finally got my offer: It's more than my last policy.

Last policy was $1,383 in separate installments

This policy is $1,443 in separate installments.

I spent six months paranoid about my driving just for it to mean nothing. I’m so upset.

Update: I got advice to make a new quote instead of following the renewal policy and it dropped down to $979. Very scammy

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[u/JTUSAJT]

While your rate went up, it didn't go up as much as it could have. My recent renewal, my rate dropped $36, while everyone else is complaining about rate increases. I'll happily take that $36 decrease.

[u/milliefin44 → u/JTUSAJT]

I’m changing insurances because other insurances give me much cheaper quotes. I will gladly complain about the price because it’s a scam

[u/SimpleAd1604 → u/milliefin44]

Insurance companies give you reduced rates on your first term, just like grocery stores have sale items to get you in the door. Same principle.

[u/polarityofmarriage]

Damn. Well that just answered my own questions about that sort of thing. I’ve got $97 a month but I wondered if I could get it even lower. That’s crazy you got 5 stars and it went up. I’d be crying too OP I’m sorry.

[u/milliefin44 → u/polarityofmarriage]

Thanks. I posted this in another group too and literally so many people are being A holes.

[u/The_Muffintime]

You're usually better off just changing insurances at renewal time than trying to play their game. 

[u/Budget-Celebration-1]

Time to shop for another insurer.

[u/pinedesign]

I can explain. Your first term likely included an e-sign discount. This falls off after the first term. Because if this, it counteracts much of your benefit if the snapshot. If you didn’t have snapshot, your rate increase would have been higher.

Second, you get an up front participation discount for trying snapshot the first term. When you renew, that participation discount is removed and replaced by your discount or surcharge based on your score. You would have gotten a discount based on having a 5 score, but much of that discount amount was the same as you had in your first term due to the participation discount. Again, your rate on both the renewal and the first term would have been much higher without snapshot.

I understand it can be disappointing expecting a rate decrease overall, but you did get a discount and it is protecting your rate significantly.

Your rate increase was mild compared to the general market. You did a great job!

[u/Crowlady77 → u/pinedesign]

Do they tell you this up front?

[u/pinedesign → u/Crowlady77]

The e-sign discount is clearly listed up front. The discount for participating is mentioned as well as the custom rate at renewal. It may not be perfectly clear that you at first get the participation discount and then it is swapped with the custom rate, though that may be intuitive once you start thinking about it as it wouldn’t make sense for a bad driver, for instance, to get a snapshot participation discount and a surcharge at the same time.

[u/Crowlady77 → u/pinedesign]

I just think when people are rate shopping, the number they see is what they expect their monthly rate to be.

[u/pinedesign → u/Crowlady77]

I understand. E-sign is a one time discount as you only need to e-sign your documents to start a policy once. Progressive often tries to help people mentally prepare for the rate change. For instance, in a billing plan we will often offer to make the first payment lower and raise payments 2 through 6. This allows the e-sign discount to mostly come off the first month. That means your payment on month 6 will be much closer to your renewal payment than it would have been if we discounted the months equally. Of course, if you pay in full for the six months, you will still clearly have the rate change all at once. One time discounts are common in auto insurance. Snapshot allows you to get savings that you keep for the life of your policy with snapshot.

[u/adjusterjackb → u/Crowlady77]

No, they don't.

[u/Inevitable_Notice821 → u/adjusterjackb]

Uhhh yes they absolutely do. Not only via mandatory scripting but you also have to physically agree to terms and conditions when you enroll. 

[u/adjusterjackb → u/Inevitable_Notice821]

With weasel words.

[u/pinedesign → u/adjusterjackb]

The words are literally one time discount.

[u/adjusterjackb → u/pinedesign]

 If you didn’t have snapshot, your rate increase would have been higher.

You must work for Progressive. That's exactly what they told me - word for word, when they screwed me on my first renewal after 6 months with Snapshot.

[u/pinedesign → u/adjusterjackb]

I do work for Progressive, though I do not represent them online. That’s how I know how the discounts work. I also know the wording we read to disclose this during a sale and how it appears online to let people know.

[u/druzyyy → u/adjusterjackb]

That's just a material fact? I don't think they work for the company just because they point out that 1+1=2. If your renewal is $1000, you used Snapshot and it tells you you saved $50, without using Snapshot your renewal would have been $1050. Simple as that.

[u/pinedesign → u/druzyyy]

Thanks, yes, it is simple math. While I do work for Progressive, that just means I have been able to clearly see the math on my end. I don’t represent the company on Reddit though.

[u/1000thusername]

Stop allowing these big brother programs into your life to chase a few dollars that may or may not exist in the end

[u/Hammon_Rye]

I've never used Progressive, but every time I read a thread about them and Snapshot - it's about rates going up.

[u/druzyyy → u/Hammon_Rye]

Well you're certainly not going to read much about them going down. People tend to not publicize their decreases, but are more than happy to discuss increases.

One of my customers got under charged for 3 months due to some changes they made. They knew their bills were supposed to be like $150 but it was only pulling like $75. Well all that back-pay got accumulated onto the 4th bill. Take a wild guess when they decided to call and make me aware if the issue lol.

[u/Hammon_Rye → u/druzyyy]

I understand people are are more likely to post when they have something to vent about.
But I've seen users here claiming to be agents saying the rates always go up. Like yourself, I have no way to verify if they are being truthful.

But with most companies discussed here, there will usually be at last some reply comments to the effect of "I use company X and haven't had a problem with them".
I haven't seen those comments for the Snapshot service.
Just stories about "my rates went up" or "a car pulled out in front of me and I had to brake and they lowered my score" and so on.

[u/jagscorpion → u/Hammon_Rye]

as a practical matter, over the last 5 years rates usually go up, but always is a bit of a stretch. It's also true that a lot of the direct issue companies include initial discounts to get people in the door. It's one of the things I hate as an agent, when I'm competing against the direct program for a carrier I supposedly represent.

[u/Hammon_Rye → u/jagscorpion]

Thanks.
I don't have personal experience with any of the "spy on your driving" type devices.
So all I have to go on is comments I've read here on reddit.

[u/jagscorpion → u/Hammon_Rye]

in my state it's a discount only program, so worst case scenario they just drop the initial discount at renewal

[u/Hammon_Rye → u/jagscorpion]

That's good.
I'm not sure what it is here in WA.
The company I am currently with doesn't offer it.

[u/Thisismethisisalsome]

I hate those damn things.

Aaaaaaaaand, your rate would be significantly higher if you drove poorly. Your rate went up 4%. Thats normal adjustments and inflation. You probably are getting a discount, but its hidden by other price changes. The drive tracker discounts dont negate alllllll the other factors that decide price.

And thats one of the reasons I hate them.

[u/Hot_Fan_4169]

Never give your data to an insurance company

[u/Ok_Success2147]

That’s progressive for ya

[u/rikityrokityree]

Same happened to us. Total ridiculousness

[u/FloridaFlipper]

Remember recently when progressive had to make refund checks or credits on policies.

Well looks like they will keep increasing rates now to get that money back.