I can't confirm or deny the validity of this alleged incident. I have signed up for the SCCA Susquehanna Region Yahoo! Message Board but I await moderator approval. I really didn't need another reason to stay away from GEICO but stories like this ensure I will never consider doing business with them. Consider this fair warning. No matter which insurance carrier you have, your insurance company may consider you an undesirable risk and make a unilateral decision to terminate your policy simply because you autocross. This applies even if you are participating in a car that is not insured by the particular insurance company who has decided to cancel your policy.scca-susq@yahoogroups.com wrote:PLEASE READ: WARNING TO AUTOCROSSERS
Hey guys and girls thought I would share with you what happened to
me yesterday.
I returned an urgent call to my insurance company (Geico) and they
informed me that as of the end of the month my insurance policy is
being cancelled. Why? I haven't had an accident. No moving
violations in several years.
The answer:
"We have found out that you have participated in time trial events."
I tried to reason with the lady, and explain to her that I haven't
even autocrossed with my Subaru (the car I have insured with them)
and that the SCCA has their own liability insurance for their
events. She told me it didn't matter there was nothing she could do
and that it was final as of 12:01 AM Jan. 28 2008 I would no longer
be covered.
I guess they searched results on the internet and found my name. I
have heard of this being a problem with warranties in the past but
after 4 years of autocrossing with my other company (Liberty Mutual)
I had never had a problem.
So I am writing here to warn all of you that if you have Geico,
cancel your policy now. They do not respect us for what we do, and
therefore I believe do not deserve a single dime from anyone.
I can see why they might hesitate with this issue as some people
can't leave it on the track, but the vast majority of autocrossers
are responsible enough to not do this. If anything we are lowering
the accident rate through improving our driving skills.
Read the terms & conditions of your particular insurance policy very carefully. I've heard of manufacturers canceling warranty coverage for those people who auto-x (which is also absurd and short-sighted) but this is the first I've ever heard of anyone's insurance policy being canceled. If this story is true I recommend that others follow suit and vote with your checkbook by boycotting GEICO and selecting a more friendly insurance carrier. Auto-x is VERY safe. It is safer than driving on the street (no traffic and lower speeds) and it improves your driver skill which can help make you a safer driver.
CDC values our members' privacy and we take safeguards to ensure it doesn't end up in the wrong hands. If you have privacy concerns you may select an alias during the registration process. This alias will be used for reporting results. You may also wish to cover your license plate with blue painter's tape or a vanity plate to further protect your identity. Just remember not to drive on public roads with your license plates obscured from view or you might get in trouble.
