Big daddy State Farm is watching

[Koolau]

+1

I'm already leaving a financial spending trail using credit cards for everything, but I'm hooked on the convenience and cashback rewards.

Plus, I wander around all day with a cellphone connected to cell towers and satellites, so if someone wanted to track me bad enough, they already have the technology. Plus, I use Waze for driving directions, so that always knows exactly where I am. And a have a transponder for turnpike tolls.

I take solace that I'm just a little guppy in a big sea. Just not an interesting target.

I think everything is in your last sentence. "guppies" are okay and "uninteresting people" are okay. No one cares about them. What if some day you're a bigger fish or become interesting? What if you run for city council or school board or dog catcher or state senator? All that data still follows you. Nothing digital ever goes away. Just wondering so YMMV.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

Fascinating, for a few bucks folks invite others to monitor their whereabouts and how they get around.

1. It's an opt-in program and guided by the contract. It's not just "others" and limited in scope by the contract. This is not overreach.

2. I'm tracked by my phone anyway. Intel services and law enforcement frequently subpoena cellular data to identify the location of the phone in pretty startling detail. In addition, contracts/TOS disclosures I have with Google, Apple, etc allows them to track this info so others are always capable of watching me.
3. Assume you don't have a phone, many modern cars are connected and tracking you anyway and it's part of the contract/TOS/disclosures.
4. Cameras are ubiquitous as is plate reading technology so even if you're driving a non-connected car and have no cell phone, you are still trackable at some level of granularity by people with access and interest. Even if you have no plate on your car cause you want to avoid tracking, facial recognition software can still find you in those feeds...and that software keeps getting better at defeating masks and disguises.



Bottom line, for me, it's not that I don't care but I am also pragmatic and know I'm already being tracked. A few bucks for me is 30% of $1,800/yr, that's real money to me. I am happy to share proof of my good driving habits to my insurer in order to get pricing based off the better risk assessment. Any potential risk that someone at USAA wants to stalk me and their internal controls are defeatable is insignificant to the people that can choose to stalk me without me opting in.



If you don't want to, don't. At some point, those that don't want their driving tracked may self-select themselves into a risk pool of bad drivers that do have something to hide as less paranoid good drivers opt in. Eventually, insurers may require tracking... gov't may too and may even provide that info to the insurers at some point (as a condition of using public roads same as registering vehicles) as gas tax revenues decline and usage fees take over to fund our automotive infrastructures.


If I want to worry, I face far bigger threats than my auto insurer "spying" on me with my explicit approval.

 

[Music Lover]

If you don't want to, don't. At some point, those that don't want their driving tracked may self-select themselves into a risk pool of bad drivers that do have something to hide as less paranoid good drivers opt in. Eventually, insurers may require tracking... gov't may too and may even provide that info to the insurers at some point (as a condition of using public roads same as registering vehicles) as gas tax revenues decline and usage fees take over to fund our automotive infrastructures.

So, those who don't want to be tracked will be forced to be tracked when enough gullible people opt in because "they're doing nothing wrong".

The problem is eventually all of these ideas go too far. I could provide very recent examples of privacy overreach and unwanted tracking but that would probably shut this topic down.

 

[Chuckanut]

There are lessons to be learned today from other countries.

China is building a massive surveillance state for better or worse.

Europe is working on various right to privacy laws.

 

[bmcgonig]

I left State Farm auto insurance last week. I had been with them for almost 20 years. The last rate increase was the final straw, on top of a terrible claims experience last year, and a clerical error with them reporting my no-fault accident to the Driver Vehicle Services dept as an At-fault.



So now I am fighting to fix that.

Interesting. How did you discover that they found you at fault?

 

[kgtest]

Interesting. How did you discover that they found you at fault?

I started shopping around for quotes after my SF agent called to pre-emptively warm me rates were going to go up quite a bit this year for our auto's.

I figured it was a good time to look. In the process I was talking with Farmer's agent and as I was informing her of my no-fault accident last summer she mentioned to me that my MVR (Motor Vehicle Record) was showing it as an At-fault. SO I called my SF agent, and he confirmed with claims department that it was indeed a NO-FAULT claim, and I asked them to send me over a "Letter of Explanation" which is basically a letter in-writing that documents that the claim was NOT an AT-FAULT.

So somehow, and maybe it wasn't SF fault, but I have no way to know, it was processed with my Minnesota MVR as an at-fault. Sooo...I am awaiting my copies of my MVR and Driving History records from the state, to either confirm or deny that it in fact is coming back as an at-fault on their systems.

My guess is it is, and then I will need to send the state agencies that letter of explanation just as I did to the new agents quoting new insurance, to get it fixed.

Because IF I don't, the next time any auto insurance company re-runs my DMV report, it will continually pop up as at-fault, and I will get a premium hike...and then will need to go back to that letter of explanation to bring my premium back down to no-fault levels.

Just a massive PITA.

The thing that really irked me about SF is that the claims process sucked. I told them I was getting multiple quotes to fix my vehicle, but as soon as the fist company sent in my paperwork to SF they immidiately cut me a check for the total that the first shop quoted. I then got a second quote, and that shop was able to get the work done a LOT sooner so I decided to choose them, but since that check had been cut and was sent out it just slowed the entire process up. A lot of back and forth between two auto body shops, me and the claims department.

Then we get to the part of the work being performed and they apparently denied the quote to actually replace the fender that was damaged, and only would cover body work (bondo and paint etc) which I wasn't pleased about. They also wouldn't cover a NEW headlight and demanded the body shop source a used one...so that delayed the vehicle getting fixed. I wasn't happy. The panel between my door and my front fender don't totally line up...maybe just I would notice but if you look at the other side of the truck its noticeable that the gap is way too big. And that was a result of the body shop having to repair vs replace. I spoke to the body shop, they recommended I fight the repair vs replace situation, but at this point...I had had enough.

Insurance...one of the world's biggest scams, just below taxes IMHO. Health Insurance is equally as messy. It seems every single medical claim I file, and bill I receive has some sort of "coding" issue or some other bs charge I was never informed about or uncovered expense etc etc. It's like, hey what am I paying for? A rant for another day I suppose.

 

[Winemaker]

I left State Farm in July 1979. Another State Farm insured driver hit me Head on and drove me into the car behind me. I was sitting still at a red light watching a girl wearing hot pants and a halter top; when I turned my head back; I noticed the other driver was looking at her, too. I laid on the horn but it was too late. They totaled my '71 Chevelle, and gave me $300. I paid $1200 for the car, and $700/year insurance. I am lucky I walked away from it.

 

[JoeWras]

I left State Farm in July 1979. Another State Farm insured driver hit me Head on and drove me into the car behind me. I was sitting still at a red light watching a girl wearing hot pants and a halter top; when I turned my head back; I noticed the other driver was looking at her, too. I laid on the horn but it was too late. They totaled my '71 Chevelle, and gave me $300. I paid $1200 for the car, and $700/year insurance. I am lucky I walked away from it.

My good friend got into an accident while looking at the girl in the car next to him too. He was coming to a stop and was distracted and rear ended the car in front which slowed faster as he was gawking.

They talk about texting, and DUI, and speed, and all that, but I wonder if "checking people out" is ever an official cause.

 

[Music Lover]

They talk about texting, and DUI, and speed, and all that, but I wonder if "checking people out" is ever an official cause.

It falls into the category of "distracted driving".

I was once rear ended by someone checking out an attractive lady. I was in a 1969 Pontiac Parisienne and had no damage. Unfortunately, he was in a fiberglass Corvette and suffered extensive damage.

 

[JoeWras]

It falls into the category of "distracted driving".

I was once rear ended by someone checking out an attractive lady. I was in a 1969 Pontiac Parisienne and had no damage. Unfortunately, he was in a fiberglass Corvette and suffered extensive damage.

Yeah, general distraction.

The new vehicles of today have mostly solved this this one aspect of distraction. High side panels, thick pillars, e-glass and so on. One cannot "check out" people as easily as the good old days.

Instead we get the phones, which are worse.

 

[Walt34]

I think that it's very clear from this sequence of posts that there should be a law requiring all pretty girls to wear potato sacks so they won't be distracting drivers.

 

[ncbill]

Be sure to up your UM/UIM coverage...one lawyer I read online recommends $1 million.

Recently here a truck driver for the local city rear-ended a stopped vehicle at highway speed.

It's absolutely the truck driver's fault but the injured can't sue the city because of sovereign immunity, & IIRC at least one person in the vehicle hit will require significant rehab.

 

[bmcgonig]

I started shopping around for quotes after my SF agent called to pre-emptively warm me rates were going to go up quite a bit this year for our auto's.



I figured it was a good time to look. In the process I was talking with Farmer's agent and as I was informing her of my no-fault accident last summer she mentioned to me that my MVR (Motor Vehicle Record) was showing it as an At-fault. SO I called my SF agent, and he confirmed with claims department that it was indeed a NO-FAULT claim, and I asked them to send me over a "Letter of Explanation" which is basically a letter in-writing that documents that the claim was NOT an AT-FAULT.



So somehow, and maybe it wasn't SF fault, but I have no way to know, it was processed with my Minnesota MVR as an at-fault. Sooo...I am awaiting my copies of my MVR and Driving History records from the state, to either confirm or deny that it in fact is coming back as an at-fault on their systems.



My guess is it is, and then I will need to send the state agencies that letter of explanation just as I did to the new agents quoting new insurance, to get it fixed.



Because IF I don't, the next time any auto insurance company re-runs my DMV report, it will continually pop up as at-fault, and I will get a premium hike...and then will need to go back to that letter of explanation to bring my premium back down to no-fault levels.



Just a massive PITA.



The thing that really irked me about SF is that the claims process sucked. I told them I was getting multiple quotes to fix my vehicle, but as soon as the fist company sent in my paperwork to SF they immidiately cut me a check for the total that the first shop quoted. I then got a second quote, and that shop was able to get the work done a LOT sooner so I decided to choose them, but since that check had been cut and was sent out it just slowed the entire process up. A lot of back and forth between two auto body shops, me and the claims department.



Then we get to the part of the work being performed and they apparently denied the quote to actually replace the fender that was damaged, and only would cover body work (bondo and paint etc) which I wasn't pleased about. They also wouldn't cover a NEW headlight and demanded the body shop source a used one...so that delayed the vehicle getting fixed. I wasn't happy. The panel between my door and my front fender don't totally line up...maybe just I would notice but if you look at the other side of the truck its noticeable that the gap is way too big. And that was a result of the body shop having to repair vs replace. I spoke to the body shop, they recommended I fight the repair vs replace situation, but at this point...I had had enough.



Insurance...one of the world's biggest scams, just below taxes IMHO. Health Insurance is equally as messy. It seems every single medical claim I file, and bill I receive has some sort of "coding" issue or some other bs charge I was never informed about or uncovered expense etc etc. It's like, hey what am I paying for? A rant for another day I suppose.

Interesting. Thanks.

I’ve been lucky I guess. Had an accident last year where someone ran into me. Highway patrol determined they were at fault. Since I was heading out of town soon, I really didn’t want to deal with it so I called SF and asked them to do it. They suggested a bunch of auto shops.I picked one close to the car rental place and that was it, the car was fixed and they paid for it. They charged me my deductible and told me that when they get that deductible from the other insurance company, they would send me a check and they did.

It’s not always easy to just switch as has been thrown about here. First my house is also with them. Changing companies isn’t easy in CA now due to the fires. Also, this is the first issue I’ve had in 30 years. I also have a get out of jail free card with them where if I have an accident and it my fault they won’t raise rates.

 

[Texas Proud]

Fascinating, for a few bucks folks invite others to monitor their whereabouts and how they get around.

I guess it makes a difference in what you consider a few bucks...


My savings was over $500 every 6 months just on my last vehicle.... still saving on the other two when they were connected... BTW, no longer connected..

 

[Koolau]

So, those who don't want to be tracked will be forced to be tracked when enough gullible people opt in because "they're doing nothing wrong".

The problem is eventually all of these ideas go too far. I could provide very recent examples of privacy overreach and unwanted tracking but that would probably shut this topic down.

I think it's interesting when people say that they have nothing to hide because they don't do anything wrong. My BIL was a LEO. I asked him once about how he dealt with "suspicious" drivers. (All LEOs seem to have a 6th sense about these things.) He said that he could follow any driver for 6 blocks and the driver or the car would give him an excuse to pull them over. Imagine when your car constantly tracks you (and your speed.) Imagine when you are always on camera. As always, YMMV.

 

[aaronc879]

I think it's interesting when people say that they have nothing to hide because they don't do anything wrong. My BIL was a LEO. I asked him once about how he dealt with "suspicious" drivers. (All LEOs seem to have a 6th sense about these things.) He said that he could follow any driver for 6 blocks and the driver or the car would give him an excuse to pull them over. Imagine when your car constantly tracks you (and your speed.) Imagine when you are always on camera. As always, YMMV.

Always being on camera and/or monitored promotes good behavior. If people would drive appropriately and not commit crimes without those things then we wouldn't need them but they do so we do need them.

 

[firemediceric]

I had a rude awakening when I received my auto insurance renewal from Farmer's. I called my agent to have her look into why my rate had gone up so much and to shop for something more affordable.


She told me they're showing 8 traffic violations within the last 5 years. I retorted I have not had a single violation since 2003. I asked why, if these 8 violations were over the last 5 years, did she not mention them last year? Silence.


I had to pull my own record from Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to show that I had no violations in 20 years. That got me a better rate, but not by much. My bigger concern is wondering where this false information came from and how it is being disseminated and used against me. The insurance agent had no answers for any of my questions in this regard.

 

[audreyh1]

Wow, that’s pretty shocking!

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I think it's interesting when people say that they have nothing to hide because they don't do anything wrong. My BIL was a LEO. I asked him once about how he dealt with "suspicious" drivers. (All LEOs seem to have a 6th sense about these things.) He said that he could follow any driver for 6 blocks and the driver or the car would give him an excuse to pull them over. Imagine when your car constantly tracks you (and your speed.) Imagine when you are always on camera. As always, YMMV.

A little off point, but...

I used to work "second shift" -- that is, until 11 p.m. or midnight. In the hard-drinking state that is Wisconsin, you know that the highway patrol was on the lookout for drunk drivers. I got stopped pretty regularly on the way home from work.

That said, I got tired of police pulling me over for bogus reasons to check me out, telling me I was speeding when I definitely wasn't. If they wanted to follow me until I did some minor infraction, fine. But don't lie to me if you want me to respect you.

 

[Texas Proud]

I had a rude awakening when I received my auto insurance renewal from Farmer's. I called my agent to have her look into why my rate had gone up so much and to shop for something more affordable.


She told me they're showing 8 traffic violations within the last 5 years. I retorted I have not had a single violation since 2003. I asked why, if these 8 violations were over the last 5 years, did she not mention them last year? Silence.


I had to pull my own record from Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to show that I had no violations in 20 years. That got me a better rate, but not by much. My bigger concern is wondering where this false information came from and how it is being disseminated and used against me. The insurance agent had no answers for any of my questions in this regard.

Time to shop for a new insurance agent...

 

[Music Lover]

Always being on camera and/or monitored promotes good behavior. If people would drive appropriately and not commit crimes without those things then we wouldn't need them but they do so we do need them.

That only works when the law is being applied fairly. Once again, I could provide several concrete examples but the thread would be shut down or I'd be banned.

You may be doing no wrong but as koolau said:

I think it's interesting when people say that they have nothing to hide because they don't do anything wrong. My BIL was a LEO. I asked him once about how he dealt with "suspicious" drivers. (All LEOs seem to have a 6th sense about these things.) He said that he could follow any driver for 6 blocks and the driver or the car would give him an excuse to pull them over. Imagine when your car constantly tracks you (and your speed.) Imagine when you are always on camera. As always, YMMV.

 

[Sunset]

Fascinating, for a few bucks folks invite others to monitor their whereabouts and how they get around.

When I was a teenager, my Mom used to do it for free .....

 

[ls99]

When I was a teenager, my Mom used to do it for free .....

Be glad for it,

 

[Qs Laptop]

I think it's interesting when people say that they have nothing to hide because they don't do anything wrong.

Whenever I hear the argument that if you're not doing anything wrong you should have nothing to hide I remind them there is a reason that toilets are not installed in front of the windows in the living room.

 

[Texas Proud]

Whenever I hear the argument that if you're not doing anything wrong you should have nothing to hide I remind them there is a reason that toilets are not installed in front of the windows in the living room.

you might be surprised that there are houses with full length windows in the front of a house in a bathroom for full view from the street... no many, but who would do it for ANY house