Date: Sunday, 22 January 1989 20:08:56 EST
From: Mary.Shaw@sei.cmu.edu
To: Bovik@cs.cmu.edu
Subject: Car insurance
Message-Id: <1989.1.23.1.6.41.Mary.Shaw@sei.cmu.edu>

Harry,

Someone at the SEI recently collected fresh information on the
ever-fascinating topic of automobile insurance.  Here are the
results.

Mary

16-Jan-89 16:51    Sandra Bond@sei cmu edu      Results of Car Insurance Post
Several people were kind enough to respond to my request for information on
car insurance.  Thanks, all.

I thought some of the rest of you might be interested in this information as
well.  Here 'tis.

Sandra

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I've been happy for years with Tom Donohoe of State Farm.  351-3305.

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Try Erie.  My agent's name and #:

	David Tyson
	241-8420

Reasonable and reliable.  Paid my claim in less than one week when my car
was totaled in May.

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I have car insurance through Home Insurance Co.  From spot surveys of a few
companies, Home Ins. Co. appears to be the least expensive (and most
responsive) for me.

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It's been a while, but I once did a comparative shopping thing for car
insurance.  Well, I found this outfit in NYC which does business a lot like
TIAA/CREF.  No local reps.  Everything by mail and phone.  But reputable.
You'd have to call NYC info for their number.  The name (now it's been a
while) was something like Executives, Educators, and Investors.  I may have
the order of that mixed up.  But essentially that's right; I'm certain.  Try
it and see if they're still around and what their rates are like.

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Are you a AAA member (West Penn Motor Club)?  I used to pay horrendus
rates for insurance, but shopped around a lot and now have Kemper in-
surance through AAA. I hear that Allstate has good rates, also.  

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It's funny you should ask that question because tomorrow we are switching
our car insurance from Allstate to Erie Insurance at a savings of about
$300/year.  There was just an article in the Press a while back that
compared rates - Erie was one of the lowest.

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Have you tried AMICA? They don't advertise, so thir rates are 
lower than most. We have car and apartment insurance from them and
have received very good rates. Their local number is 343-5200, and
toll free 800-242-6422.

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My agent is Pat Casper, Erie Insurance Group (office over by Kmart on Rt.8).
We've have pretty good luck with him and his rates were lower than some of the
other companies we've tried.  He quoted us a rate that was half the amount
other agents gave us for motorcycle insurance.

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I have been very satisfied with my agent: Dorothy Zikos, Zikos Agency,
391-3464.

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Bill McSteen had compiled the following information at an earlier date.

****

My agent is

        Steve Heller
        State Farm
        21 Yost Blvd, Suit 303
        Pittsburgh, PA 15221
        412 824-4803

I've never been to his office -- he's willing to do business via mail, and
he's even driven out to my apartment when he needed my signature.  Well,
maybe his office isn't that nice; who knows?  I've found that he's friendly
and helpful (I have both car & apt ins with State Farm).  He's called me to
remind me to renew my policy; he's sent Xmas cards.

**** 

Try Pine & Madden at 341-1176. They gave me a good rate, even with some
accidents on my record. I haven't had to settle any claims through them,
yet, though, so I can't say how well they will do on that count.  The rate
they gave me was roughly half of what my old State Farm agent quoted for me.

****

We've been very happy with the service, prices and good counsel we've
received from our local Erie Insurance representative.  My person wouldn't
be any good for your friend, since they're located in Irwin...when we made
the switch to Erie, we had two sons in college, both under 21, and the Erie
people were the most willing to help us to get good rates and good coverage.
They've been very helpful, claims are no problem; they're very prompt and
give you a lot of help with the claim.

****

I'm insured through Peter J. Zikos, an Aetna agent located downtown.  Their
rates are good; I know because I spent a week calling about every insurance
agent in the book.  Check 'em out.

****

I've been quite happy with State Farm Insurance.  My agent is Steve Heller.
He's located in Forest Hills but will travel.  His number is 824-4800.  I
found State Farm to have quite competitive rates and the service has been
fast and cooperative.


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