# Calif Uber drivers, do you carry rideshare insurance from your regular insurer (Geico, Allstate or etc.)?



## Hornplayer (Jan 17, 2019)

Yes, I know Uber insures you during your rideshare driving (if it's an Uber passenger). But some regular companies offer a "rideshare addendum" or a separate rideshare policy.

Do any of you Calif folks carry your regular company's rideshare insurance, in addition to what Uber insures you for?

How much more does it cost than your old personal (non-rideshare) policy?

A lawyer I know, suggested I'd be more secure with a rideshare policy from an insurance company that *I* picked and paid, rather than with Uber's rideshare insurance. His reasoning was, that if difficulties developed after a wreck, the Uber insurer might not try very hard to help me, but would just want to ease out of the mess without too much $$ expended. While a company that I picked and paid (Allstate, Geico etc.) would work harder for me.

Anyway, how much more does your rideshare addendum from your own company, cost?

Thanx all!


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## KD_LA (Aug 16, 2017)

I'm with Allstate, and I do have what they call the "ride for hire endorsement" on my policy. I just pulled out my policy papers to get you an answer, and interestingly enough the documents have no indication whatsoever as to what the extra cost is. From what I recall when I first signed up, it wasn't much extra.

But--- the more important thing is to make sure you get this option. If you don't, and you're in an accident, and your insurance company finds out, they will drop you like a ton of bricks and you'll be left out in the cold. Plus you may have issues trying to get another insurance company to pick you up. The other reason, of course, is that if you are in an accident, you're not covered. According to recent rumors, Uber's policy may not even cover you if they find out you don't have the option.

I'm considering switching to Esurance, from all indications they're cheaper. And they have more representatives available to speak to after-hours than Allstate does (I just called to ask my cost, and they could not tell me because the appropriate department is closed). Give Esurance a call to get an accurate quote, I've heard good things about them.

EDIT: I've had bad experiences with Geico's representatives. Everytime I've called for a quote, it's been almost 2x more than all other quotes, plus the very last time I called the rep was one pushy SOB who would not stop trying to shove a commercial policy down my throat.


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## MiamiKid (May 24, 2016)

KD_LA said:


> I'm with Allstate, and I do have what they call the "ride for hire endorsement" on my policy. I just pulled out my policy papers to get you an answer, and interestingly enough the documents have no indication whatsoever as to what the extra cost is. From what I recall when I first signed up, it wasn't much extra.
> 
> But--- the more important thing is to make sure you get this option. If you don't, and you're in an accident, and your insurance company finds out, they will drop you like a ton of bricks and you'll be left out in the cold. Plus you may have issues trying to get another insurance company to pick you up. The other reason, of course, is that if you are in an accident, you're not covered. According to recent rumors, Uber's policy may not even cover you if they find out you don't have the option.
> 
> ...


Farmers has a good, affordable rideshare endorsement that I carry. $35/mo


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

I also have Allstate. When I signed up I had her compare with and without the ride share endorsement. It was about $10 per car.


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## Pax Collector (Feb 18, 2018)

Hornplayer said:


> Do any of you Calif folks carry your regular company's rideshare insurance, in addition to what Uber insures you for?
> 
> How much more does it cost than your old personal (non-rideshare) policy?


Yes, I carry Geoco's commercial/Rideshare/hybrid policy. It's around $30/mo more than my personal policy.


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## PioneerXi (Apr 20, 2018)

I have Allstate, switching over from Geico who, like previous commentator, tried to shove a commercial insurance policy down my throat. I believe mine was about $10/month extra.


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## wuber88 (Dec 6, 2018)

I just added the rideshare endorsement for $8/mo (I’m with Mercury Ins in Calif), after reading about some posts here when someone totaled his car and asking for advise. 
Note that the “endorsement” covers phase 1 of the rideshare, ie between the time you turn on the app to the time you get a ping. 
However I received a notice just a few days ago that Uber has amended its insurance policy that they cover the phase 1 now, so this additional coverage become redundant, from what I understand about this change. Anybody wants to chip in whether this is the case?


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## disp350 (Jul 16, 2016)

Hornplayer said:


> Yes, I know Uber insures you during your rideshare driving (if it's an Uber passenger). But some regular companies offer a "rideshare addendum" or a separate rideshare policy.
> 
> Do any of you Calif folks carry your regular company's rideshare insurance, in addition to what Uber insures you for?
> 
> ...


I'm not in Calif, but just read the horror stories in these forums of drivers involved in accidents with Uber/Lyft - their fault or not. Unless the law in Calif is different, most likely your personal insurance won't cover anything, even if your deductible is less than Uber/Lyft and they will probably drop your coverage. Best advice, doesn't matter what it costs, if you drive ride-sharing, you need either a ride share endoresement, or in my case, a business policy. Didn't cost me much more at all, maybe 10% higher premium.


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## Hornplayer (Jan 17, 2019)

Thanks for all the great descriptions, folks. Quite an eye-opener.

Just now I was playing with the rate-quote calculators some insurance companies have on line on their websites. Saw something interesting on the Allstate site.

Allstate said that in quoting a policy for just my Uber car, a policy with Allstate's "rideshare endorsement" only costs $3/month more than the same policy without it. Seemed very surprising, and very attractive.

Until I read the fine print. Under the heading "About the Ride For Hire Endorsement", they said that their RFH endorsement is to bridge the gap between and Allstate personal auto policy and what is offered through a transportation network company (i.e. Uber, Lyft etc.)

In other words, if you have an Uber passenger and have a wreck, Allstate won't pay a dime, because they expect Uber's insurance to pay for it. They mention an exception: that then Allstate would pay the difference between Uber's collision/comp deductible, and your Allstate personal collision/comp deductible.

If your normal collision/comp deductible is $500, and Uber's is $1,000 (as the recent Uber addendum that came out March 1, 2019 says), and you have the above wreck, Allstate pays out a grand total of $500. If I'm reading this right... and I think I am.

Sounds kind of like the only real result of getting the Allstate RFH endorsement, is that you are officially informing Allstate that you are using your car to drive for Uber or Lyft, and getting Allstate's approval. So that they can't boot you out of Allstate altogether for doing ridesharing without telling them, I guess.

That said, Allstate's policy (with or without ridesharing) is pretty inexpensive, at least for my case. Hmm.


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## disp350 (Jul 16, 2016)

Hornplayer said:


> Thanks for all the great descriptions, folks. Quite an eye-opener.
> 
> Just now I was playing with the rate-quote calculators some insurance companies have on line on their websites. Saw something interesting on the Allstate site.
> 
> ...


Check with several companies. A business policy will cover you regardless of Ubers policy and it might not be much more expensive then a ride share endoresement. But at the least, grab that option to protect yourself.


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## Stevie The magic Unicorn (Apr 3, 2018)

Hornplayer said:


> Yes, I know Uber insures you during your rideshare driving (if it's an Uber passenger). But some regular companies offer a "rideshare addendum" or a separate rideshare policy.
> 
> Do any of you Calif folks carry your regular company's rideshare insurance, in addition to what Uber insures you for?
> 
> ...


Your mistaking what a rideshare policy does.












Hornplayer said:


> Thanks for all the great descriptions, folks. Quite an eye-opener.
> 
> Just now I was playing with the rate-quote calculators some insurance companies have on line on their websites. Saw something interesting on the Allstate site.
> 
> ...


Yes... that's what $3.00 buys you, being able to operate the way you think it's supposed to work.


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## Bbonez (Aug 10, 2018)

Hornplayer said:


> If your normal collision/comp deductible is $500, and Uber's is $1,000 (as the recent Uber addendum that came out March 1, 2019 says), and you have the above wreck, Allstate pays out a grand total of $500. If I'm reading this right... and I think I am.


In this situation you are correct if you are on the way to a pax or have a pax in the car and are using Uber. If you are using Lyft the deductible is $2500 so the endorsement will cover $2000.

The major advantage is when you have the app on waiting for a pax, without a endorsement you are forced with the decision between insurance fraud (dont tell your personal insurance you had the app on) or paying for all the damages out of your own pocket.

I have state farm endorsement and it's less than $20 a month, I'd say its worth it. If I ever get in an accident I can call state farm and tell them the entire true story and let them fight with ubers insurance for me.


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## Z129 (May 30, 2018)

I'm insured through a large nationwide insurer with a rideshare endorsement.

I would not do this without proper insurance. Too many people have just assumed they were covered when in fact they were sadly not insured at all and they walked away owing for a wrecked car or worse.

A rideshare endorsement isn't all that expensive, but I hope the increased cost results in a lot of drivers just quitting. Sorry to be mercenary about that but it is what it is.


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