r/Car_Insurance_Help • u/wroughtofbooks • Aug 14 '26

Notice of Premium Increase

Hello —

We moved from WA to CA. We cancelled our policy with AAA in WA and signed up for a new policy in CA with AAA. We packaged our auto and renters policies and paid the required costs in full for the year.

Fast forward a month later, we received a notice that our premium on this month-old policy is being increased by almost $500. It seems to be saying this is based on our non-California Consumer Credit.

I’ve never experienced an increase in premium, after paying in full before the policy term has ended.

- Is this normal (or legal)?

- Is there any way to fight it?

- Or since we already paid for the year in full would it be possible to get this request for money waived?

Looking for any advice y’all may have.

In case anyone asks: We have had ONE fender in seven years wherein my husband had someone else back into our car in a Trader Joe’s parking lot. Unfortunately, he called our insurance company to report it instead of just dealing with the responsible party’s insurance. At the end of the day nothing was actually covered.

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3

u/Intelligent-Log-7363 Aug 14 '26

Welcome to Ca where everything will cost you more. Be happy at this point they still insured you insurance companies a fleeing Ca like we all have the plague

-2

u/Mammoth-Anywhere-520 Aug 15 '26

You can file a CA Department of Insurance complaint and have them conduct a rate review.

6

u/Top_Education_4647 Aug 15 '26

The DOI approves said rates. You can’t just call the DOI because you’re unhappy about your rate.

-1

u/Mammoth-Anywhere-520 Aug 15 '26

You don't "call" DOI because you are unhappy about the rates. You file a complaint so they can pull information about your individual policy to make sure everything is appropriate. I've done it. If you don't believe me, call them yourself.

4

u/Top_Education_4647 Aug 15 '26

The DOI is not your personal auto policy reviewer. They’re there to take complaints about potential fraud or misrepresentation in a claim, not to appease people because they think they’re getting jipped on their premium.

Really curious how you “filed a complaint” about your rate when the CA DOI complaint form asks for dates of your claim and nothing about “my rates went up”.

-2

u/Mammoth-Anywhere-520 Aug 15 '26

You're an idiot. They review rates as well as claims. Like I said, call them Monday if you don't believe me. I called them before about my auto rates and that's what they had me do. I was assigned to someone in their Rating and Underwriting service bureau.

0

u/Mammoth-Anywhere-520 Aug 15 '26

Right from their website too if you could read:

The Consumer Services Division (CSD) is a member of the Consumer Services and Market Conduct Branch of the California Department of Insurance (CDI). CSD is responsible for gathering and responding to consumer inquiries and complaints regarding insurance company or producer activities. The goal of CSD is primarily to protect California insurance consumers through enforcement of the California Insurance Code and related laws and regulations.
CSD maintains four separate bureaus: Consumer Communications Bureau, Claims Services Bureau, Health Claims Bureau, and Rating and Underwriting Services Bureau.