Cell Phone Use Not Illegal While Driving In Ohio
Filed under: Cell Phone, IIHS, Ohio, State Specific Information, West Virginia
Is the cell phone law in Ohio such that it allows officers to ticket fully-licensed, experienced drivers for using their cell phones while driving on Ohio roadways?
My 20 year old daughter who is attending college at Ohio State University recently got pulled over by a patrolman in Columbus, Ohio. She told me the officer raked her over the coals for talking on her cell phone while she was driving her car. He didn’t give her a citation, but claims he could have. She was a wreck after the encounter, and scared out of her wits. My daughter and I are from West Virginia and I am not familiar with Ohio traffic laws to any great degree. I know in WV a driver can’t use a cell phone while driving on a learners permit. But it is not against WV law to use a cell phone while driving once fully licensed. Is the cell phone law in Ohio different in that it allows officers to ticket a fully-licensed, experienced driver using a cell phone?
Sandra
Morgantown, WV
Auto Insurance Adjuster Blatantly Lies to Third Party Claimant
A dim-witted driver hit me last Saturday causing an auto accident that tied up four lanes of rush hour traffic and nearly destroyed my new 2007 Ford truck. The body shop I had it towed to estimated more than $20,000 in damage and said the truck might not even be repairable.
Of course the accident left me pretty aggravated since it wasn’t my fault. Then the claims adjuster for the other guy’s insurance company took my rage to new highs when he told me the truck WAS repairable, but I couldn’t go to the auto body shop I wanted to go to! I had to go to an auto repair shop the insurance company recommended.
I thought there was a law that gave me the right to choose the auto repair shop instead of the insurance company. Not being certain of my rights I didn’t argue much. But if you tell me to the contrary that I am allowed to go wherever I want to have my truck repaired, I’m going to be calling that insurance company back and eating that guy’s lunch.
Rick
Akron, Ohio
GAP Insurance - Is GAP Necessary on Auto Loans and Leases?
Filed under: Auto Dealerships, Auto Leasing, Auto Loans, GAP Insurance, Ohio
I’m uncertain what GAP Insurance is, or if I need it.
My wife and I have been shopping for a new minivan in Columbus, Ohio where we live. We haven’t yet agreed on a particular model, but we have narrowed our choices to three so the dickering won’t be far off. I’d prefer to buy the vehicle outright with 60 month financing, but leasing is not out of the question. My wife prefers the lease since it will allow us to drive a nicer vehicle while enjoying cheaper monthly payments than if we’d bought. Ideally, we would like to put 10% or less down on a new minivan priced around $30,000.
I am told GAP insurance is a must-have on a lease, but unnecessary when buying a new car outright. I need to know the purpose of GAP Insurance and if you would recommend it in my situation. If you can, please give me enough facts about this coverage to keep the dealership from sticking it to me. Your help is appreciated.
Paul
Columbus, Ohio
Auto Dealer to Dissatisfied Consumer, “You’re too Picky!”
Filed under: Auto Dealerships, Auto Manufacturers, Lemon Laws, Nissan, Ohio, State Specific Information
About three months ago my wife and I bought a new 2007 Nissan 350Z. It was our first new car and we were both eager to get it. Since neither of us know cars very well and we had no previous car shopping experience we probably assumed too much, which made us easy targets for hungry car salesmen and financiers. At any rate, the deal is done.
After spending almost $40,000, I expected our new car to be perfect or close to it, but it isn’t. Now that some of the newness has worn off I’m seeing all sorts of defects, predominantly with the body. The fenders and doors have uneven gaps between them; the hood flutters like the wings of a hummingbird at 60MPH or faster, and wind noise in the car is so loud we can hardly hear the radio when driving on the interstate.
The powers that be at the car dealership have told me I’m being too picky. It’s not that they can’t see the trouble when I point it out. Both service advisors that have test driven the Nissan admit the car is far from perfect and they would be unhappy also. But, instead of fixing the car the service manager is telling me that the complaints I have are characteristic of Z cars and there is nothing more under warranty that can be done to make them better.
Since this is a new car and we will probably have to drive it for quite some time, do you have any suggestions that I can use to leverage the dealership to take my complaints seriously and get this car fixed? Better yet, can I make them take it back under the Ohio lemon law? I hate to think car dealerships can blow new car owners off so easily when they have legitimate complaints.
Brandon
Marietta, Ohio
Auto Insurance Company Not Paying All It Owes to Claimant
Filed under: Insurance Companies, Ohio, State Specific Information, Third Party Claims
My husband was involved in a car wreck last week with our 2002 Dodge Ram Pickup. The accident wasn’t his fault. He was hit by a teenage driver carrying a carload of friends to school. The boy’s insurance company told us we could get the vehicle fixed for $2407.56. When we took it to an auto body repair shop we know for an estimate, we were told there was more like $4,000 in repairs that needed to be done to fix the truck the way it should be fixed. Do we have the right to dispute what the insurance company adjuster told us or do we have to take what they say it can be fixed for? We are not crooks trying to take advantage of anyone. We just want to be paid what they owe us.
Sarah
Dayton, Ohio
Ohio Consumer Questions Progressive Insurance Claims Practices
I bought car insurance on my Corvette from Progressive. After having a bad experience with another auto insurance company on an auto accident where I wasn’t even at fault, I saw the television commercials that promised a friendlier approach to claims and thought I’d give Progressive Insurance a try.
The insurance quote I received was lower, just as the television commercials said it might be, and I got comparisons on the spot that showed the hundreds of dollars I could expect to save over buying from other insurance companies. My greatest hope was that with Progressive Insurance being headquartered in Ohio where I live, I might stand a better chance of being treated fair than if I bought an insurance policy from a company headquartered in another state. By exploring coverage at other insurance companies, I hoped I might luck into finding an insurance company that really would be on my side, if you know what I mean.
Overall, Progressive Insurance seemed like a great deal. It was certainly better than I had with my previous insurance company, so I bought insurance coverage on the Corvette and another car.
Now, after having this new insurance policy a few months I’m hearing that Progressive Insurance may be hard to deal with after an auto accident. I’ve read some horror stories on Corvette Forum and other websites that give me reason to be concerned. I know you can’t believe everything you read, but there seems to be a lot of people who are not getting their cars repaired and their claims paid as they believe they should.
What is your opinion of Progressive Insurance and their new approach to claims?
Rick
Cleveland, Ohio