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Paige has written extensively on automotive topics. She frequently covers autonomous driving and electric vehicle topics, writes about car insurance and auto loans, covers car and trailer towing safety, and has written content for automotive dealerships.
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Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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At Compare.com, it’s our mission to give you the tools to find the best (and most affordable) insurance for your unique needs and budget. We strive to provide information that’s helpful, clear, and unbiased, and we believe that comparing insurance companies should never put you at risk of spam. Our editorial team — which is made up of experienced writers, editors, insurance agents, and data analysts — has spent thousands of hours researching and creating the coverage overviews, side-by-side comparisons, and detailed reviews you see across our site.
While we make money through partnerships with some of the brands we discuss in our articles, our editorial team operates 100% independently, and these partners never influence or affect the topics, reviews, ratings, or recommendations we provide. We never guarantee favorable reviews or mentions in exchange for compensation from any brands or partners, and we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure our content is always independent, truthful, and unbiased.
| User Reviews | 4.0 |
|---|---|
| Our Rating Compare.com's ratings are determined by our editorial team. The objective formula used in these reviews weighs several important factors to consider when choosing financial products and services, including customer satisfaction ratings, ease of use, and a number of other components. | 4.6 /5 |
| Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $112/mo |
| Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $140/mo |
Drivers appreciate the easy communication and good customer service, but many are unhappy with the regular and significant price increases.
Drivers appreciate the easy communication and good customer service, but many are unhappy with the regular and significant price increases.
Safely, promptly responded and good price
Rising Costs with Geico
Moderate
GEICO is a great choice for drivers with good driving records who want to save money on their car insurance. It’s also suitable for high-risk drivers, but they should be prepared to pay higher rates because of previous infractions. That said, GEICO might not be for you if you prefer the personal feel of a local agent.
Wide variety of insurance products
Affordable rates for high-risk drivers
Highly-rated mobile app
Limited available discounts
Gap insurance not available
Few local agents
GEICO was founded in 1936 as the Government Employees Insurance Company to provide car insurance to federal employees and military officers during the Great Depression. The company became a subsidiary of the Berkshire Hathaway investment firm in 1995.
Today, GEICO offers a full suite of car insurance coverages and a variety of other insurance products, including home, renters, boat, motorcycle/ATV, commercial auto, and business insurance.
The company has earned a reputation for offering some of the best car insurance rates in the U.S. Pair that with its easy online quote process and responsive customer service, and it’s easy to see why GEICO has 18 million auto policies in effect, insuring more than 30 million vehicles.
While GEICO offers many different coverage options, affordable rates, and an easy quote process, customer experiences with the company vary. Some reviewers praise the customer support team, and others describe difficulties with coverage cancellations and claims processes.
Read on to uncover more details about GEICO and how it compares with competitors.
To help you decide if GEICO is right for you, here’s an overview of the insurer’s performance across five key categories. Each is rated on a scale of one to five.
GEICO performs well in most areas — especially in terms of cost, availability, and industry reputation.
Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Cost | 5/5 |
| Customer satisfaction | 3/5 |
| Ease of use | 4.8/5 |
| Availability | 5/5 |
| Industry reputation | 5/5 |
| Overall Score* | 4.65/5 |
GEICO offers a comprehensive selection of insurance products, including car insurance coverage as well as homeowners, commercial auto, condo, and renters insurance. As a result, it’s suitable for all sorts of drivers.
While some car insurance companies won’t insure high-risk drivers, like drivers with a DUI on their record, GEICO offers coverage to them. The company will also provide an SR-22 certificate to drivers who need it.
GEICO has an excellent mobile app available for both iOS and Android. Using the app, you can access your insurance cards, pay your bill, and file and track your claim’s progress.
While GEICO offers plenty of discounts and its DriveEasy program, its discounts are still somewhat limited. For example, a pay-per-mile policy would be an excellent option for drivers who’re retired or who live in a city and spend minimal time behind the wheel, but GEICO doesn’t offer this type of discount at this time.
GEICO offers standard coverage options as well as some specialty coverage, like classic car insurance, but it doesn’t offer gap insurance, which is relatively common. As a result, GEICO isn’t a good fit for anyone who owes a significant amount of money on a vehicle that they are buying or leasing.
Although GEICO offers strong customer support by phone and chat, the lack of local offices throughout the country means that you can’t really engage with local agents. This can lead to a less personal feel when interacting with the company.
GEICO advertises great customer service, but its customer reviews are a mixed bag. Many of the reviews reference pleasant customer service experiences and a smooth quote and purchase process.
But some GEICO reviews tell a different story. Many of the reviews describe frustrating and slow claims processes, as shown in the review below.
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On the plus side, the policyholder shown below experienced a positive claims process that helped solidify their decision to stay with the company.
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On the other hand, several customers complained about coverage cancellation without a valid explanation, and others described situations where their policies were modified after they’d inquired about different coverages but hadn’t actually decided to switch.
Many reviewers described situations where GEICO abruptly canceled their policies because of one missed payment or after a single accident claim. Reviewers like the one below often expressed their frustration about canceled policies without any advance notice.
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The ConsumerAffairs reviewer below described a similar situation to several other reviews. Many reviewers described instances when GEICO made changes to their policy, including adding in a new driver, without their consent. Those reviewers also noted significant difficulty in getting the policy changes reversed.
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The national average for car insurance with GEICO is $186 per month. But keep in mind that factors like your location, driving history, the value of your vehicle, and the coverage you choose will affect your rates.
All but one U.S. state requires you to have liability coverage, which helps to pay for any damages you’re financially responsible for if you cause an accident. Beyond the minimum liability coverage that the law requires you to have, you may want to upgrade to full coverage.
Full coverage includes liability, comprehensive, and collision coverage, which helps pay for damages to your vehicle after not only a car accident but also other events, like a fire or vandalism.
Here are GEICO’s average rates for liability insurance and full-coverage policies, according to Compare.com data.
Liability Only | Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| $101 | $270 |
GEICO’s rates are more expensive when compared to the national average — $92 per month for liability insurance and $176 for full coverage. But national averages aren’t the best indicator of what you’ll pay for insurance.
In the next sections, we’ll cover how different factors like your driving history and age.
It’s important to know how GEICO’s rates compare to similar car insurance companies. Here’s how GEICO stacks up to some of its closest competitors.
Company | Liability Only | Full Coverage | Compare.com Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEICO | $101 | $270 | 4.65/5 |
| State Farm | $99 | $217 | 4.90/5 |
| Allstate | $109 | $290 | 4.93/5 |
| Nationwide | $112 | $229 | 4.70/5 |
| Progressive | $111 | $250 | 4.73/5 |
| Travelers | $109 | $225 | 4.57/5 |
GEICO offers some of the lowest rates compared to its competitors. Of the five competitors, GEICO has the second-lowest liability rate ($101 per month), fall only behind State Farm’s monthly rate of $99. When it comes to full coverage, GEICO’s $270 rate ranks fifth, with State Farm again leading the pack, at $217 per month.
Age has a major influence on your car insurance costs. Teens and young drivers pay the highest rates because they’re more likely to cause a car accident. On the other hand, senior drivers tend to get the cheapest rates because they tend to be much safer drivers.
We’ve broken down GEICO’s average rates by age group in the table below.
Age | Liability Only | Full Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| 18-year-old drivers | $201 | $538 |
| 25-year-old drivers | $87 | $239 |
| 65-year-old drivers | $84 | $214 |
Teens and young drivers pay some of the highest car insurance rates because of their lack of experience behind the wheel. Teens have a higher chance of getting into a car accident than older, more experienced drivers, so car insurance companies charge them higher premiums to make up for that increased risk.
But once you reach age 25, your insurance rates start to drop as long as you maintain a clean driving record. GEICO’s average rates follow this trend, with teens paying an average of $370 per month. The average rates for a 25-year-old driver are less than half what 18-year-olds pay.
When you reach age 65, you car insurance rates start to increase again. Older drivers tend to have slower reflexes, which can increase their chances of getting into a car accident.
GEICO’s rates for seniors average around $149 per month.
Many factors influence GEICO’s car insurance rates in each state, including its population, cost of living, minimum car insurance requirements, and more.
The table below highlights the company’s average rates in each state it operates.
State | Liability Only | Full Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $82 | $211 |
| Alaska | $67 | $164 |
| Arizona | $83 | $181 |
| Arkansas | $67 | $204 |
| California | $67 | $217 |
| Colorado | $81 | $218 |
| Connecticut | $121 | $226 |
| Delaware | $148 | $297 |
| Florida | $98 | $255 |
| Georgia | $134 | $305 |
| Hawaii | $58 | $149 |
| Idaho | $61 | $160 |
| Illinois | $100 | $254 |
| Indiana | $67 | $165 |
| Iowa | $47 | $169 |
| Kansas | $71 | $300 |
| Kentucky | $157 | $320 |
| Louisiana | $208 | $1,569 |
| Maine | $50 | $113 |
| Maryland | $118 | $240 |
| Massachusetts | $80 | $149 |
| Michigan | $293 | $463 |
| Mississippi | $92 | $299 |
| Missouri | $149 | $374 |
| Montana | $127 | $317 |
| Montana | $64 | $273 |
| Nebraska | $74 | $260 |
| Nevada | $119 | $236 |
| New Hampshire | $80 | $178 |
| New Jersey | $105 | $229 |
| New Mexico | $92 | $207 |
| New York | $292 | $511 |
| North Carolina | $94 | $223 |
| North Dakota | $72 | $233 |
| Ohio | $62 | $139 |
| Oklahoma | $81 | $239 |
| Oregon | $138 | $279 |
| Pennsylvania | $114 | $294 |
| Rhode Island | $163 | $385 |
| South Carolina | $74 | $181 |
| South Dakota | $66 | $254 |
| Tennessee | $58 | $167 |
| Texas | $109 | $233 |
| Utah | $70 | $176 |
| Vermont | $90 | $189 |
| Virginia | $61 | $167 |
| Washington | $67 | $172 |
| Washington, D.C. | $110 | $243 |
| West Virginia | $35 | $214 |
| Wisconsin | $92 | $245 |
West Virginia drivers can find rates as low as $35 per month with GEICO — some of the best rates in the entire country. Even drivers in more expensive states like New York, Louisiana, and Michigan can find relatively affordable coverage with GEICO, even though it’s quite a bit more than many other states.
Your driving record plays a huge role in your auto insurance costs. It’s one of the most significant predictors of future claims, so insurers tend to give drivers with clean records the lowest rates.
This table shows how driving history affects rates with GEICO.
Driving History | Liability Only | Full Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Clean record | $62 | $169 |
| Speeding ticket | $82 | $219 |
| At-fault accident | $108 | $294 |
| DUI | $154 | $396 |
Getting a speeding ticket indicates risky behavior, so insurance companies will likely significantly increase your premiums after you get a ticket. GEICO’s increases are relatively small. The liability-only policy increases by just $20, while a full-coverage policy increases by $50.
Car insurance rates can increase significantly after an at-fault accident. GEICO’s premiums increase by nearly 50% after a single accident, according to Compare.com data.
Car insurance companies consider a DUI an indicator that you’re engaging in risky behaviors, meaning you’re at an increased risk of getting into an accident. Insurance rates tend to increase more after a DUI than any other sort of moving violation.
GEICO’s rates nearly double for drivers who have a DUI on their record.
Car insurance companies often use your credit history when evaluating whether you’re a high-risk driver. Many insurers consider poor credit histories to mean that you may be less likely to pay your bill each month, which leads to more financial risk.
The table below shows how GEICO’s average rates change based on different credit tiers.
Credit History | Liability Only< | Full Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent credit | $73 | $191 |
| Good credit | $90 | $239 |
| Fair credit | $107 | $287 |
| Poor credit | $138 | $368 |
GEICO offers low rates to drivers with excellent credit histories, but the rates for drivers with poor credit are nearly doubled.
GEICO advertises 16 standard discounts, including vehicle equipment, driving history and habit, driver’s education, driver affiliation discounts, and customer loyalty discounts. Other discounts include:
Anti-lock brakes
Daytime running lights
Seat belt use
Emergency deployment
Federal employee
Discounts range from 3% to 25% off of your total policy cost. Options like a good student discount make GEICO a practical choice for a wide variety of drivers, including families with kids.
Certain discounts are particularly appealing. For example, driving a vehicle that’s equipped with airbags can save drivers up to 23% on their medical payments or personal injury coverage. Insuring multiple vehicles with GEICO can lead to a discount of up to 25%. GEICO also offers multi-policy discounts, so drivers can save when they insure a vehicle and have homeowners, renters, condo, or mobile home insurance through GEICO.
In addition to these discounts, members of certain groups may be eligible for additional savings. GEICO partners with hundreds of groups, including professional organizations, alumni organizations, and fraternities and sororities, to offer extra discounts.
Drivers can also potentially save money if they choose to sign up for GEICO’s DriveEasy program, a telematics program that monitors and logs driving habits. GEICO states that drivers could see “significant savings” on their bill, but savings will vary based on program participation and the driver’s driving habits. More on that later.
GEICO offers all of the standard car insurance coverages that states might require, as well as several additional coverage options. The sample quote we generated included the following options:
Bodily injury liability: Helps to pay for medical expenses for anyone injured in a crash you cause.
Property damage liability: Helps to pay for the expenses to repair or replace property, like a house or car, from an accident you cause.
Personal injury protection (PIP): Helps to pay for healthcare-related costs, including loss of income and funeral expenses, resulting from a car accident, no matter who’s at fault.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist: Helps to cover expenses that you face after someone with no insurance or not enough coverage hits you.
Comprehensive: Helps to pay for repair or replacement costs for your vehicle from any event other than a car accident. That event might be a falling object, vandalism, fire, extreme weather, or theft.
Collision: Helps to pay for replacement or repair costs for your vehicle after it’s in an accident with another car, no matter who’s at fault.
While the quote process doesn’t give control over customizing coverage levels, GEICO offers this option if you call and talk to a customer support representative. GEICO allows you to customize your coverage limits as long as they’re above your state minimums, and you can also choose your deductible on certain types of coverage.
The company also offers the option to add on coverage like roadside assistance, rental car coverage, or mechanical breakdown insurance, which helps to cover repair costs if your vehicle breaks down.
Buying a GEICO car insurance policy is relatively simple. You can get a quote online in about 10 minutes, or you can call GEICO’s customer service phone number for a quote. When you get a quote online, you can also purchase your policy fully online, making for a seamless and streamlined experience. While GEICO has few local offices, the ability to use the online quote feature or to contact customer service via phone still gives you plenty of options.
GEICO’s car insurance quote generator is available right on its homepage. You can choose from several different types of insurance, including auto, motorcycle, and homeowners insurance. The quote generator even allows you to create a quote for multiple types of insurance at once, like auto and homeowners, or auto and renters, so you can see what your bundled price would be.
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To begin the quote process, you’ll need to enter some basic information, including your first and last name, ZIP code, and date of birth. You will also need to provide your address.
Next, GEICO asks for information about the vehicle you want to insure, including its year, make, and model. Follow-up questions include details about any anti-theft devices present in the vehicle, as well as whether you are the original owner. GEICO also asks whether your vehicle is owned, financed, or leased.
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The next step in the quote process focuses on your driving habits. You’ll be asked whether you use the vehicle to commute, for pleasure, or for business purposes. (GEICO offers specialized car insurance for commercial vehicles.) The quote process also asks you to specify your vehicle’s annual mileage.
Next, you will need to input how many years you have been driving.
GEICO also asks about your driving history, including any accidents, traffic tickets, thefts, or vandalism that occurred in the last six years. You will also need to report any DUIs, or license suspensions or revocations in the last 10 years.
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Adding an incident is easy, thanks to the drop-down menu listing different incident categories. You’ll also be asked for an estimated or exact date of the incident.
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The quote summary page also outlines any discounts included in the policy. The driver profile we used to generate this quote reported a speeding ticket for more than 20 miles over the speed limit between two and five years ago. Despite this ticket, we were still eligible for the
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GEICO does a good job of providing detailed information about each type of coverage. Clicking on the “information” symbol to the side of each option generates a summary of the type of coverage and how it works. The page also highlights the state minimum requirements for the type of coverage, so you can verify you’re buying enough insurance.
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Once you’ve completed your quote process, GEICO shows your payment options, including monthly payments and paying in full. From that quote summary page, you can pay for your policy and activate your coverage 100% online.
GEICO advertises a claims process that is “as hassle-free as possible” and notes that some claims may be settled in just 48 hours. You can file a claim by phone, online, or through the mobile app. You can also track the claims process online or through the app.
GEICO offers a Photo Estimate feature that allows you to submit photos through the mobile app. This feature is suitable for smaller fender benders with minimal damage and can help speed up the claims process.
While GEICO promises a smooth claims process, many customer reviews and complaints say otherwise. One user posted on ConsumerAffairs that they were left without car repairs after the insurer failed to assign fault to either party after a motorcycle sideswiped them. Both drivers happen to be GEICO policyholders.
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Another policyholder shared their bad experience after one of GEICO ’s Auto Repair Xpress facilities performed what they viewed as shoddy repairs on their vehicle. They noted that their adjuster was rude and left them to manage and resolve the repair process on their own.
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To be fair, complaints related to claims processing are some of the most common complaints car insurance companies receive from their customers, and few insurers score well here. After all, the claims process can be inherently stressful for most who go through it, so we understand there won’t be many glowing reviews here.
Getting in touch with GEICO’s customer service is easy. Customer service is available 24/7, and wait times are minimal. We called GEICO at 3 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon and connected with a customer service agent within about 30 seconds. The live-chat function, which we used 10 minutes later, was equally fast, and it connected to an agent in less than one minute.
Several users posted reviews praising the company’s friendly customer service.
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And the customer shown in the review below praised GEICO customer service agents for being friendly and professional.
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GEICO offers a comprehensive selection of car insurance options. These include:
Auto
Motorcycle
ATV
RV
Boat
Collector auto
Commercial auto
Mexico auto
The greatest perk when choosing GEICO is the ability to choose several different types of insurance coverage.
In addition to car insurance, the company offers several types of property insurance:
Homeowners
Renters
Condo
Mobile home
Landlord
Flood
Earthquake
GEICO also offers an excellent assortment of business insurance:
Business owners
General liability
Professional liability
Cyber liability
Workers’ compensation
Medical malpractice
Wellness and fitness
Several additional insurance types are also available:
Umbrella
Life
Travel
Overseas
Identity protection
Pet
Jewelry
Event
Bicycle
GEICO’s mobile app is full of valuable features and has received largely positive feedback from customers. The app allows you to access digital insurance ID cards, request roadside assistance, submit photos of vehicle damage using the Easy Photo Estimate feature, monitor your vehicle’s care history, and even ask the GEICO virtual assistant questions.
The app has a 4.6-star rating out of 5 stars on the Google Play store and has more than 10 million downloads. Several users have posted reviews praising the app’s convenience.
The GEICO DriveEasy program is a telematics app-based program that tracks driving behavior and offers good drivers discounts on their car insurance policies. To use it, you need to download the app on your phone and enable location services so that the app can automatically track your driving.
The DriveEasy dashboard provides details on your driving history, including your score. The app monitors activities like hard braking, handheld calling, and phone handling to ensure that you are driving safely and distraction-free.
Reviews of the DriveEasy program note that the app doesn’t recognize real-world driving scenarios, and sometimes scores unfairly.
Here are answers to some of the most common questions drivers ask about GEICO car insurance.
GEICO’s rates tend to be cheaper because it offers plenty of discounts that help lower car insurance costs. Its direct-to-consumer model also allows it to provide cheaper premiums than other companies.
Keep in mind that your rate can vary depending on factors such as your driving history, where you live, and your coverage.
Yes. GEICO is a reputable and stable choice for car insurance. In operation since 1936, it offers a wide range of coverage options, and has a strong financial standing — it received an AM Best financial strength rating of A++ (Superior).
No company is the single “best” car insurance company. Many factors will affect the rates that you’ll pay, so you should choose an insurer based on your unique needs and budget. That said, Progressive offers more discounts, which provides more savings opportunities for customers. But GEICO offers the cheapest rates overall — across most categories and states.
Rating Methodology:
Compare.com’s mission is to help our readers make more informed decisions about their personal finances. Our editorial staff has crafted a proprietary, objective rating formula — the Compare.com Rating — to make it easier for our readers to analyze and compare many of the industry’s most well-known insurers. The score you see referenced in this article is based on several factors, including:
Cost: How the insurer’s average rates compare to its direct competitors and the industry as a whole. This includes available savings opportunities, such as discounts and other factors.
Customer satisfaction: How satisfied existing customers are with the service they receive. This includes the insurer’s scores among various third-party studies, such as the J.D. Power U.S. Insurance Shopping and Claims Satisfaction studies, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index, among others.
Ease of use: How easy it is for policyholders to utilize their policies. This includes mobile app availability, customer service availability, payment flexibility, and other related factors.
Availability: The overall scope of the company’s insurance offerings. This includes available coverage types, national footprint, and other related factors.
Industry reputation: A measure of the insurer’s overall standing within the industry. This includes its AM Best financial strength rating, BBB accreditation, and other related factors.
Sources:
Trustpilot, “GEICO,” accessed June 24, 2024.
ConsumerAffairs, “GEICO Reviews,” accessed June 24, 2024.
J.D. Power, “Auto Claims Satisfaction Study,” accessed June 24, 2024.
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Paige has written extensively on automotive topics. She frequently covers autonomous driving and electric vehicle topics, writes about car insurance and auto loans, covers car and trailer towing safety, and has written content for automotive dealerships.
Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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