# Intrusive insurance company questionnaire **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798 "2011-01-07T22:24:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/1 "2011-01-07T22:24:50Z")
I’ve been with Erie Insurance for 15 years or more. They just mailed me a 1-page questionnaire, with the usual stuff like how far each vehicle is driven per week and who drives the vehicles and annual miles for each vehicle. That’s fine I suppose, I provided information like that when I first signed up and they want to update it. But they are also asking “Are there drivers in your household not listed above and not insured with Erie? If so please list them:” And for each driver they want name, **birth date** , **driver’s license #** , relationship to me, **social security number** , and insurance company. I’m not at all inclined to answer any of that other drivers section. None of their business and I’m not giving out personal information of people that aren’t even Erie customers. Anybody know of a reason that I would need to, and would not answering affect my policy? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/2 "2011-01-07T23:27:27Z")
Aren’t they assuming that these non-Erie drivers will be driving your insured vehicle? ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/3 "2011-01-07T23:29:08Z")
In MA, not listing all licensed drivers in your household is grounds for denial of coverage if one of those people is driving the car & has an accident. The insurance on the car is based on the “worst” driver in the house, unless that person is listed as the primary driver on another car. So basically they want to make sure you’re not insuring the car in the name of a person whose been driving 30 years without an accident or ticket, but the car is usually driven by the 19 year old with multiple speeding tickets, a DUI, and 2 at-fault accidents. SS # is a bit much though. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/4 "2011-01-08T00:31:37Z")
I would make up the SS number. But if someone other than the people you listed had an accident, I suppose you could be in trouble. I always list my wife. She has a perfect record since she hasn’t driven in about 30 years (with very occasional exceptions). ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/5 "2011-01-08T04:52:22Z")
Some companies use credit rating as an underwriting criterion. Evidently there is a strong enough correlation between credit score and the likelihood of having an accident. Sound odd to me too, but it’s an approved system. And don’t make up a SSN. Personal info like that is trivially easy to buy from third party vendors, and insurance companies do buy it. \*\*muldoonthief \*\*nailed the rest. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/6 "2011-01-08T05:25:22Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > In MA, not listing all licensed drivers in your household is grounds for denial of coverage if one of those people is driving the car & has an accident. The insurance on the car is based on the “worst” driver in the house, unless that person is listed as the primary driver on another car. > > So basically they want to make sure you’re not insuring the car in the name of a person whose been driving 30 years without an accident or ticket, but the car is usually driven by the 19 year old with multiple speeding tickets, a DUI, and 2 at-fault accidents. > > SS # is a bit much though. Not just MA, I think it’s true in most states: If a household member is not listed on the policy, and is driving when an accident occurs, the coverage can be denied. And worse, the whole policy can be cancelled. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/7 "2011-01-08T14:00:59Z")
Insurance underwriting is all about risk. Since the coverage applies to the vehicle, the company simply wants to know how many other potential users there are in your household. The more users, the higher potential for other users to drive the vehicle and this naturally increases the risk of an accident. ---
**Author:** ![contradancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@contradancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/contradancer)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/8 "2011-01-08T14:07:49Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I’ve been with Erie Insurance for 15 years or more. They just mailed me a 1-page questionnaire, with the usual stuff like how far each vehicle is driven per week and who drives the vehicles and annual miles for each vehicle. That’s fine I suppose, I provided information like that when I first signed up and they want to update it. > > But they are also asking “Are there drivers in your household not listed above and not insured with Erie? If so please list them:” And for each driver they want name, **birth date** , **driver’s license #** , relationship to me, **social security number** , and insurance company. > > I’m not at all inclined to answer any of that other drivers section. None of their business and I’m not giving out personal information of people that aren’t even Erie customers. Anybody know of a reason that I would need to, and would not answering affect my policy? I think it’s outrageous that they are asking you for such personal information. It’s like ID theft under the guise of business. It violates the privacy of those people. It seems to me they could sue you for divulging this information. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/9 "2011-01-08T14:59:42Z")
My 16 year old son was having problems at home and came to spend a month with me last year. Then about a week after he moved back in with his mom, I got a similar questionnaire in the mail. Timing is everything. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/10 "2011-01-08T15:04:24Z")
> [@contradancer](#): > > I think it’s outrageous that they are asking you for such personal information. It’s like ID theft under the guise of business. It violates the privacy of those people. It seems to me they could sue you for divulging this information. I don’t understand your position. If the “other drivers in the house” are driving the car the insurance company is insuring, isn’t it their business to know how much of a risk they’re undertaking? Aren’t they asking for that information so they can research that risk? IOW, wouldn’t they be negligent if they _didn’t_ ask? ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/11 "2011-01-09T21:17:35Z")
Just because other household drivers _can_ drive my vehicles doesn’t mean they will. Like for instance if the other driver can’t drive a manual transmission and my vehicles are manual transmission, wouldn’t that invalidate the insurance company needing to know about it? ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/12 "2011-01-09T22:10:57Z")
Well since not disclosing the information has no impact to you as long as they don’t drive your vehicle EVER, it’s up to you what to reveal. Risk/reward, it’s all about risk/reward. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/13 "2011-01-10T00:27:38Z")
There is also a possible legitimate way around this. When I was a teenager there was a rider put in my parents policy that specifically said that I was a household member that was NOT covered by the policy, and if I were to drive the car and be involved in an accident they would NOT pay up. That way the insurance company knew about me but the premiums were kept unchanged. It was fine with me because I never intended to drive their car anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/14 "2011-01-10T14:57:26Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Just because other household drivers _can_ drive my vehicles doesn’t mean they will. Like for instance if the other driver can’t drive a manual transmission and my vehicles are manual transmission, wouldn’t that invalidate the insurance company needing to know about it? Well, unless the other driver is missing his right arm, this situation can change in about 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/15 "2011-01-12T11:34:00Z")
Only declare anyone who will ever drive your car. If nobody but you will ever drive it, leave the additional driver area blank. Whoever you choose to declare, leave their SSN spaces blank. Or put all 9s (or UNKNOWN or N/A) if an answer is required. I work in auto/work comp insurance and I know that in at least one state, providing SSN has been made legally optional. I can’t imagine them pressing you for the information, because they would have other means of obtaining it if it were truly necessary. Still, you don’t need to make their job easier. Just know that if you choose not to declare a potential driver, and they cause an accident with your vehicle, your ins co will deny the claim and you will be on the hook for 100% of the damages out of your pocket. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intrusive-insurance-company-questionnaire/566798/16 "2011-01-12T15:20:17Z")
I think that’s what I’ll do, just leave the other drivers area blank. Thanks for the opinions.