Insurance recommendations please

Hi everyone,

I was hoping someone can recommend an insurance company for my new Diamond
Star. I am based in New Jersey. This would be a joint policy with my
instructor (I don't have my ticket yet). I have heard that Avemco is
overpriced, and I already submitted a quote request to Falcon. Any others?

Thanks in advance

-- City Dweller

BTW I realize that aviation insurance is usually acquired through a broker,
so if anyone can recommend a good broker in Northeast, I'd appreciate it
also.

-- C.Dweller


"City Dweller" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone,

I was hoping someone can recommend an insurance company for my new Diamond
Star. I am based in New Jersey. This would be a joint policy with my
instructor (I don't have my ticket yet). I have heard that Avemco is
overpriced, and I already submitted a quote request to Falcon. Any others?

Thanks in advance

-- City Dweller

I'm not sure location of the broker is important. I live in NorCal and
SouthWest Aviation is in Phoenix. I've never seen my broker face to
face.

I've enjoyed SouthWest aviation. They are a broker and will shop
several insurance companies. They've been real good for me and they
really helped my friend when he totalled his 201.
http://www.southwestaviation.com/


-Robert

AOPA brokers insurance. Some people think they are expensive, but I'd
guess it depends on a lot of things. I've used them for several years.

Try Travers also - don't have a web address but a search should locate
them.

Give AVEMCO a call and get a quote. Insurance quotes are all over the
place, pricewise. But AVEMCO sometimes provides good prices, sometimes
not. All depends on what their rates have been set lately. Only way to
find is to call. AVEMCO does not have brokers, so it doesn't matter if
you have called other agents to get quotes. They only sell direct.

The companies that use brokers put a LOCK on your quoting so you can
only get one quote at a time. I think it is wierd. You call one agent,
ask for a quote. He HAS to have your N-number. He calls the company and
that N-number is locked for some period of time. This is so we
consumers can't go around getting quotes from a bunch of agents. It
apparently is legal cause they all do it. (Not AVEMCO, they don't use
this system. Getting a quote from them won't lock you).

Yes, I've heard about this weird practive. I will definitely try Avemco,
thanks for the tip. It looks like Falcon also accepts direct quote requests,
you don't have to use a broker. Know anything about them?

Thanks again.
cd

"Doug" wrote in message
oups.com...
Give AVEMCO a call and get a quote. Insurance quotes are all over the
place, pricewise. But AVEMCO sometimes provides good prices, sometimes
not. All depends on what their rates have been set lately. Only way to
find is to call. AVEMCO does not have brokers, so it doesn't matter if
you have called other agents to get quotes. They only sell direct.

The companies that use brokers put a LOCK on your quoting so you can
only get one quote at a time. I think it is wierd. You call one agent,
ask for a quote. He HAS to have your N-number. He calls the company and
that N-number is locked for some period of time. This is so we
consumers can't go around getting quotes from a bunch of agents. It
apparently is legal cause they all do it. (Not AVEMCO, they don't use
this system. Getting a quote from them won't lock you).

Falcon IS a broker. They do the same as all brokers. I guess they are
as good as any. I think you should get two quotes, one from a company
like Falcon (which isn't an underwriter), and one from a AVEMCO.

With the exception of AVEMCO, ALL of them are brokers. If they broker
for many underwriters (there are not that many underwriters, only about
6 or 7), then they can shop around among their underwriters for the
best insurance. This is fine. What will happen is they will want an
N-number (wont quote without one), and NO other underwriters will quote
on that N-number for some period of time (I don't know how long). That
is what is a problem. The insurance companies claim they need this. I
don' t know how to get around it. You could make up an N-number, or use
some other plane's N-number, but that's a little unethical and you
wouldn't get a binding quote with a bogus N number. See if you can find
out how long the lock will exist before it expires. Ask Falcon.They
will probably tell you they don't know, but be insistent. Ask them who
would know.

What I would do is ask around your local airport and find out the names
of brokers your fellow pilots are using. Also, brokers are sometimes
limited to what states they can work in, not always.

The underwritiers are USAIG, AIG, companies like that. AOPA is a
broker. Falcon is a broker. But to access the underwriters like USAIG,
you need a broker. That is the way it works.

Doug wrote:

What will happen is they will want an
N-number (wont quote without one), and NO other underwriters will quote
on that N-number for some period of time (I don't know how long). That
is what is a problem. The insurance companies claim they need this.

The reason is very simple. They don't want to waste their time providing
multiple quotes on the same plane. It costs them money. So, when the second
broker calls asking for a price, the underwriter won't give it to him.

George Patterson
Why do men's hearts beat faster, knees get weak, throats become dry,
and they think irrationally when a woman wears leather clothing?
Because she smells like a new truck.

On Sat, 11 Jun 2005 02:42:31 GMT, George Patterson
wrote:

Doug wrote:

What will happen is they will want an
N-number (wont quote without one), and NO other underwriters will quote
on that N-number for some period of time (I don't know how long). That
is what is a problem. The insurance companies claim they need this.

The reason is very simple. They don't want to waste their time providing
multiple quotes on the same plane. It costs them money. So, when the second
broker calls asking for a price, the underwriter won't give it to him.

Horse****!

Its just a way of protecting the brokers who bring them business. If
there wasn't a lock, you could call five different brokers and shop
around to get the best price. Since the Insurance company charges
pretty much the same -- the best price is the broker who marks it up
the least.

I've seen it in other industries. It used to be the gold standard
20-30 years ago in cars. You NEVER found out what the dealer's
invoice price was -- you bought it sticker or didn't buy. And in the
back office, the salesman was collecting a $3,000 - $6,000 commission.
But not anymore. Today you can find the invoice price on the net.

LIfe insurance also used to be that way. I know, I did it for a while
(very SHORT while). Mark up was incredible. And the 'broker' didn't
always shop around for the best price for the customer -- a lesser
price meant a smaller precentage commission.

The only way to stop this "system" the insurance companies use is to
start fighting it. If a lot of fellow owners start refusing to give a
N# when they call for a quote and simply hangup when they insist they
need it -- they'll start getting the idea. It will be a pain for us
all and will mean multiple phone calls with arguments on each call.

But I don't think the car sales industry changed overnight and without
a fight...



Chuck