SMARTPHONE SPY-APP CAN DOUBLE YOUR AUTO INSURANCE RATES!

Photo byVlad DeeponUnsplash

Our smart phones are now becoming spies for auto insurance companies and the data collected could double your premiums!

At first, it may seem like a good idea. Your insurance carrier offers you a 10% discount if you agree to track your driving habits with a smart-phone app. They even sweeten the deal by promising additional discounts up to 30% – if the app shows you’re a safe driver.

What they don’t tell you is the other side of the story.

What happens if your smartphone shows you are not safe, in the insurance company’s eyes? Then, you could be socked with much higher rates, far exceeding your initial discounts! In some cases, your premiums could double!

The app tracks all movement, such as sudden or hard braking, rapid acceleration, and speeding – even by a few miles-an-hour over the limit. It also tracks how you use your phone while driving. But what these insurance geniuses have not figured out is how to tell if you are the driver, or just a passenger, or if you mistakenly left your phone in a moving vehicle!

Yes, it’s true! You could be penalized for being in the passenger seat … of a friend, an Uber, a taxi and even a city bus! So, in addition to using the app, you are expected to go online to make notations of the times you were not the driver.

For now, some insurance companies will let you opt out of the tracking app, if you’re willing to forgo the discount. But other insurance companies are making the app mandatory.

What does the future hold? According to insurance experts I’ve interviewed, you can expect it to be the norm in coming years. Welcome Big Brother – thank you for watching over us!