Warning! Geico is NOT fulltime insurance in Texas

I just spent an hour on the phone getting a quote for fulltimer's insurance from Geico.  When the agent first answered the phone and I said I wanted fulltimer RV insurance, he said I'd come to the right place, that they specialize in fulltimer coverage.  Great!

After I gave him all my information (including my mailing and garaging addresses in Texas) and he gave me the quote, he tried to get me to sign up and pay for the policy right then, but I asked him to send me a quote instead, and specified that I wanted it broken down into the various elements instead of just a total amount.

He did so, and in examining it carefully, I noticed there wasn't a premium for fulltimer coverage, so I called back.  I said I had a question about my fulltime RV policy quote, and the agent said he could certainly help me with that because Geico specializes in fulltimer policies, and there are one of only a few companies that do.

So I asked him about the missing fulltimer liability coverage premium from my fulltimer coverage quote, and he said it wasn't available in Texas.  I said, "What?"  He said Geico doesn't offer the liability portion that I was referring to.  I said, "Then how is this a fulltimer policy?"  He said it's written for using the RV 365 days a year and covers my personal effects, so it's a fulltimer policy.

I replied that the liability portion is an integral part of fulltimer coverage, and he said Texas is the one state where Geico doesn't offer it.  So I said it's not a fulltimer policy if it doesn't provide the liability coverage that other people get via a homeowner's policy.  He repeated that it is a fulltimer policy because it provides coverage for 365 days a year and covers personal effects.

I asked if there was some other type of coverage that would substitute for the liability portion that a homeowner's policy would provide, and he put me on hold for a minute, and came back and said no, there's nothing they offer that will be the equivalent of the liability portion of a homeowner's policy.  Now would I like to pay for my premium in full or in installments?

I'm not often speechless, but that one got me. 

So...WARNING!  GEICO DOES NOT OFFER REAL FULLTIMER'S COVERAGE IN TEXAS.

And worse, they will happily let you pay for a policy without telling you that, and the ONLY way you'll know it is if you (1) get an itemization, and (2) scrutinize it enough to notice that there's not a premium listed for fulltimer's coverage and call and ask about it.

They should be ashamed of themselves.  They knew my mailing address is in Texas, and my garaging address is in Texas, and even when I told them the policy didn't include essential coverage for a fulltimer, the agent still tried to get me to pay for it.

Good on ya for understanding the nuances.
I've been saying this for years.... See a real live agent that understands what you need.
Online quoting has cute ads.. Love the  Geico Peter Pan Shtick...But when you seriously need to get down to brass tacks, find somebody who actually knows what they're talking about. Not an on-line telemarketer who is more concerned about his closing ratio than actually taking care of what you need.

  So let your fingers do the walking to Foremost.

His "365 days/year" coverage is a common one for FT - my National Interstate "fulltime" policy was the same. If you wanted non-vehicle liability coverage, you had to ask for it as an extra rider.

The real key here is that there is no broadly accepted insurance industry definition of "fulltime RV policy" like there is for "homeowners", so you have to specify what you want. Personal liability coverage is a good idea, but by no means something that every full or long term RVer has. Or "must have". Many people living in leased or rented quarters don't have personal liability coverage either.

I found out long ago that each state has its own insurance regulations and coverage you have in one state may not be available in another state even through the same insurance company. 

BinaryBob said:

I've been saying this for years.... See a real live agent that understands what you need.
Online quoting has cute ads.. Love the  Geico Peter Pan Shtick...But when you seriously need to get down to brass tacks, find somebody who actually knows what they're talking about. Not an on-line telemarketer who is more concerned about his closing ratio than actually taking care of what you need.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure what you mean by "on-line telemarketer."  I didn't use the online quote system; I called directly and spent an hour on the phone.  I can't "see" an agent because I'm a fulltimer and I'm not in my state of residence, and even if I were, I can't fathom trying to find someone I can see in person about fulltimer RV coverage, since it's such a specialized product. 

In this case, it's pretty clear the people at Geico did know what they were talking about, and were okay with being what I consider to be deceptive.  Remember, after I said the coverage they had wouldn't work for me, he asked if I wanted to pay in full or in installments.

Gary RVer Emeritus said:

His "365 days/year" coverage is a common one for FT - my National Interstate "fulltime" policy was the same. If you wanted non-vehicle liability coverage, you had to ask for it as an extra rider.

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I had National Interstate for six years, and I didn't ask for anything other than a "fulltimer" policy, and it included what they call "fulltimer's personal liability." 

Gary RVer Emeritus said:

The real key here is that there is no broadly accepted insurance industry definition of "fulltime RV policy" like there is for "homeowners", so you have to specify what you want. Personal liability coverage is a good idea, but by no means something that every full or long term RVer has. Or "must have". Many people living in leased or rented quarters don't have personal liability coverage either.

Click to expand...

Yet Geico's website says that their renter's insurance includes personal liability coverage.  And their fulltimer insurance includes personal liability coverage in every state except Texas.  So they know full well that it's important coverage, and they know full well they don't provide it in Texas.

If it's not a "must have," then why not tell people in Texas that it's not part of they policy they'll be getting, even though it's part of the policy that everybody in 49 other states will be getting?  Let the customer decide.

boatbuilder said:

I found out long ago that each state has its own insurance regulations and coverage you have in one state may not be available in another state even through the same insurance company.

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That's why I mentioned "Texas" several times.  From what I understand, Geico does provide true fulltimer coverage in the 49 other states.  Now, whether you want to do business with a company that acts the way I described is another question. 

Quote from: Gary RVer Emeritus on February 08, 2017, 09:25:28 AM

    His "365 days/year" coverage is a common one for FT - my National Interstate "fulltime" policy was the same. If you wanted non-vehicle liability coverage, you had to ask for it as an extra rider.

Click to expand...

I had National Interstate for six years, and I didn't ask for anything other than a "fulltimer" policy, and it included what they call "fulltimer's personal liability."

Click to expand...

Guess the National Interstate rep took the initiative - good for him. I just checked the box that said "fulltimer" and then learned it meant "more than 150 nights/year in the RV", for which they charged me another $65/year. No additional liability. But I already had liability coverage anyway, so didn't care.

I wasn't arguing against including personal liability in the coverage and agree they should have made it clear, since they obviously knew that Texas would have less than their usual offering.