Using a throwaway because I know these are dumb questions… please go easy on me.
So I have three cars listed on my insurance. Only one of them is actually mine and I still drive it, so that’s fine.
Car #2 was leased, but I turned it back in to the dealership about a month ago. They mentioned something I needed to do before I could remove it from my insurance, but I completely forgot what that was. Now I’m nervous to call the insurance company because I feel like they’ll just treat me like I don’t know what I’m doing… which, to be fair, maybe I don’t.
Car #3 was my old car, but I donated it to Vehicles for Veterans a few months ago. They sent me an email with the VIN and donation date, but my insurance said that wasn’t good enough proof that I no longer own the car.
Am I going to be stuck paying for Car #3’s insurance forever? If anyone has advice, it’d be a big help. And for Car #2, does anyone know what step the dealership meant before removing it? I’m in Massachusetts if that makes a difference.
Edit: I have GEICO but no personal agent to call, so that’s not an option.
I’m not in Massachusetts, but I’m in Washington and have had lots of cars over the years. When I sell or trade a car, I just call my insurance, tell them I don’t have that car anymore, give the sale date, and tell them any new details if I’m replacing it. No proof needed. I use Progressive.
I’m confused too. I can just go on the website and remove any car from my policy myself. Why is your insurance still charging you if you told them you no longer own it?
Ash said:
I’m confused too. I can just go on the website and remove any car from my policy myself. Why is your insurance still charging you if you told them you no longer own it?
Exactly, I don’t get why they’re making it hard. I wouldn’t pay for cars I don’t own.
In Massachusetts, you’ll need to cancel the plates with the RMV before you can remove the car from your insurance. Once you do that, GEICO should cancel the vehicle coverage for you as of the plate cancellation date.
Did you already cancel the registration on both cars? That’s usually required before taking them off insurance. You’ll need to submit a written cancellation request, including:
For Car #3, GEICO should take it off if you just ask. They don’t really need to know what you did with it after. Maybe call the dealership to check about Car #2.
For car #3, the donation receipt should be enough for GEICO. For car #2, when I returned a leased car, I got an odometer statement from the dealership and sent it to the insurance company. It worked for Progressive in Texas.
Did you notify the RMV? That’s probably what they’re talking about. As long as you turned in the plates, GEICO shouldn’t need more proof. They’re just trying to make sure you don’t get fines from the MA RMV. I used to work at GEICO, and there’s really no requirement for proof. You could even use the app or website to remove the cars yourself.
One heads-up: without multiple cars on your policy, your rate might go up because you’d lose the multi-car discount.
Are you in New York? In some states like NY, the insurance company does need proof you turned in the plates. But in most states, you can just cancel it online or call.
Seriously, just call GEICO and have them take off Car #2 and Car #3. You don’t own them anymore, and you don’t want to be responsible if anything happens with them. No need for them to make this complicated.
Try going to a local GEICO office with whatever paperwork you have and tell them you need to take the car off your policy. I just did this with Direct Auto after giving a car to my son. They didn’t ask for proof; I just told them it was no longer mine.
Massachusetts does require you to cancel the plates or registration first, and they can’t cancel your policy without that. You can call GEICO’s main number and ask if they can look up your registration status and help with removing the cars. Most people don’t know this, but you’re ahead of the game now.