Auto Insurance (Virginia), When Agent Gives Quote where is that Return Info Coming From, Exactly!!

[tonyclem]

I want to know exactly how getting a quote coming from, when the agent hits the submit button for whatever company they are quoting from GMAC, Farmers, etc. where is that return data coming from that they get on there computer screen. I am looking for the detailed inner workings please. Example: Is a potential customer data about past insurance, license status, claims, etc. housed in a clearinghouse type situation or some other data collection service to get this various information.

I was told that personal information on license and infractions, etc. is pulled from directly from DMV computers, I do not believe this could be true and need to know what really occurs. There must be a middle man (so to speak) a data collection house that all these agent from all over the country and all these online websites use, there is no possible way this all hits the DMV computers directly. Please advise.

 

[Josh]

I want to know exactly how getting a quote coming from, when the agent hits the submit button for whatever company they are quoting from GMAC, Farmers, etc. where is that return data coming from that they get on there computer screen. I am looking for the detailed inner workings please. Example: Is a potential customer data about past insurance, license status, claims, etc. housed in a clearinghouse type situation or some other data collection service to get this various information.

I was told that personal information on license and infractions, etc. is pulled from directly from DMV computers, I do not believe this could be true and need to know what really occurs. There must be a middle man (so to speak) a data collection house that all these agent from all over the country and all these online websites use, there is no possible way this all hits the DMV computers directly. Please advise.

The MVR info is coming from the dmv in most states, if not all. Why do you think it would be any different?

 

[tonyclem]

1) When being given a quote they are checking and verifying many types of information, only one of which is MVR. So when a quote is given the agents computer program goes to various sites/computers to verify all these different bits of information? Most other industries have things such as clearing houses . . . example: Mortgage Insurance has C.L.U.E. report and database.


OK, if you say it comes from DMV then how can DMV show a person as licensed +5 points, but your insurance company runs you through their local company and get back "suspended" and run you through national company like GMAC and they come back with "canceled" as license status. This has been going on for 2 weeks and The insurance company are basically calling me a liar even after providing a current MVR and then that wasn't good enough so I went to DMV and got a compliance letter. So my logic of the situation says that a 3 party company has latched on to to incorrect information and is providing what is in their database as requested.

Someone please explain how the data is really compiled, there has to be a data collector that is drawn from in the middle, a company that supplies data for all companies inquires?


Very important to get an answer, not more questions.

Thanks

 

[djs]

Yes, there is a middle man company for an initial pass of information. It is also called C.L.U.E.

Many agents do subscribe with direct DMV information, many don't. It helps more in the non-standard market than the preferred market.

If you have a printout of your dmv record, an agent should be able to rate it based on that, but you have to realize that a modified rating is subject to verification.

The terms suspended / cancelled / and even in some cases expired are simply mappings of DMV codes into carrier or rating software. Agents hate this stuff because sometimes its unclear. I can have a valid (current) license that is suspended with no points due to lapse of insurance. This will come up differently because there are different codes used and different carriers care about these things differently.

I will say though, cancelled is a term I have rarely seen. I think a judge has to be involved for that to take place, though it likely means expired or suspended.

Recent changes will not necessarily be reflected in CLUE very quickly. An agent has to request a new MVR pull (and sometimes pay for it).

All of this is more than you need to know, outside of just take your dmv record to an agent, have them run a quote based on that and the vehicles you tell him about. He should be able to do it from there.

Dan

 

[tonyclem]

I Have had the insurance for five years and yes I DO NEED to know this because my AGENT is clueless as is their company.

Again 5 straight years of coverage, 1 missed payment by a few days and now they want to rewrite and they say they cannot because the computer will not allow me on the policy because I am showing a status of Canceled/suspended and is will not allow a policy with me, the father, head of household, main policy holder to be included. It says I have no active license . . . . Funny thing is I have been licensed since age 16 and been suspended maybe one for not paying a ticket 25 years ago.

I have provided MVR record, I have provided compliance letter stating my current good standing and +5 points. DMV states their is nothing more that they have available to provide. They are the official administrator of my current GREAT status of my license, 20+ years no infractions, Active CDL class B, never a DWI, never an accident and never a claim.

Yet my ignorant insurance company is clueless.

My only other thought is that DMV keeps two or three separate data bases where information is pulled from . . . Like a CDL data pool, or a data pool just for insurance company inquiries and then the general pool for the consumer inquiries and that one of those data collection has been feed wrong information and is erroneously passing it along with every inquiry . . . Is that possible.


Help still needed, the insurance company swears they are correct, yet they are 100% wrong, DMV is 100% right . . . so where is the data distribution breakdown?

 

[Josh]

I Have had the insurance for five years and yes I DO NEED to know this because my AGENT is clueless as is their company.

Again 5 straight years of coverage, 1 missed payment by a few days and now they want to rewrite and they say they cannot because the computer will not allow me on the policy because I am showing a status of Canceled/suspended and is will not allow a policy with me, the father, head of household, main policy holder to be included. It says I have no active license . . . . Funny thing is I have been licensed since age 16 and been suspended maybe one for not paying a ticket 25 years ago.

I have provided MVR record, I have provided compliance letter stating my current good standing and +5 points. DMV states their is nothing more that they have available to provide. They are the official administrator of my current GREAT status of my license, 20+ years no infractions, Active CDL class B, never a DWI, never an accident and never a claim.

Yet my ignorant insurance company is clueless.

My only other thought is that DMV keeps two or three separate data bases where information is pulled from . . . Like a CDL data pool, or a data pool just for insurance company inquiries and then the general pool for the consumer inquiries and that one of those data collection has been feed wrong information and is erroneously passing it along with every inquiry . . . Is that possible.


Help still needed, the insurance company swears they are correct, yet they are 100% wrong, DMV is 100% right . . . so where is the data distribution breakdown?

Ultimately you need insurance, right? Have you tried firing your agent and getting a new one? Knowing where they're getting the data from might be interesting, but the sooner you can get the insurance the better.

 

[djs]

I know it can be maddening when you know data is incorrect and you can't seem to get it corrected, but your insurance carrier should be able to do this for you without you jumping through any significant hoops.

If not, use a different carrier. Don't do their job for them.

I haven't seen this problem come up often, but it does come up from time to time, especially if its been a recent change. Never had a problem getting it resolved, especially if you have a DMV printout. Just understand that pulling records directly from DMV's take anywhere from instant to 3 days to return (depends on the state). Its usually not an 'instant' fix, but it is very manageable.

Dan