Auto Insurance Claims Service

[haha]

It is easy to find out which policy is cheapest, but I also want to know about service. How are you treated when/if you have a  claim?

I have Progressive. After my recent not-at-fault wreck, they were great at giving me a fair price for my car. They offered somewhat more than State Farm, who insured guy who hit me.

Anyone have experience or knowledge pro or con about various companies claims work?

Ha

 

[REWahoo]

Here are the top 15 auto insurers according to Consumer Reports, ranked according to overall customer satisfaction:


1 New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co.
2 Amica Mutual Insurance Co.
3 United Services Automobile Association
4 Auto-Owners Insurance Co.
5 State Automobile Mutual Insurance Co.
6 USAA Casualty Insurance Co.
7 State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co.
8 State Farm Fire and Casualty Co.
9 Hartford Underwriters Insurance Co.
10 Erie Insurance Co.
11 Erie Insurance Exchange
12 GEICO General Insurance Co.
13 California State Automobile Assn.
14 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.
15 Safeco Insurance Co. of America

 

[Nords]

3 United Services Automobile Association

USAA is desperately trying to bulk up their customer base, since the military is much smaller than the 1960s-70s and their clientele are aging (& dying) rapidly.

If you have any remote connection with the military-- immediate family, Reserves or Guard, even ROTC-- it's worth giving them a call. They want your business and they'll try to make it work.

 

[AV8]

FWIW we've been very satisfied with USAA.

AV8

 

[Nords]

Here are the top 15 auto insurers according to Consumer Reports...

Hey, Brewer, this started another train of thought.

For the last 20 years we've had our personal property/homeowner's insurance with Armed Forces Insurance Exchange (AFI), a smaller imitator of USAA with only military customers. Part of the attraction was their prompt claims service, another part of our satisfaction was the extremely low premiums which, in retrospect, AFI has learned were too low. They're actually dropping customers in the southeast's "Hurricane Belt" and premiums have risen almost 50% in the last couple years.

When a company like AFI isn't on CR's "Best of" list, is that because AFI only serves a small portion of the market, or is it because they're on rocky financial ground?

 

[brewer12345]

Hey, Brewer, this started another train of thought.

For the last 20 years we've had our personal property/homeowner's insurance with Armed Forces Insurance Exchange (AFI), a smaller imitator of USAA with only military customers.  Part of the attraction was their prompt claims service, another part of our satisfaction was the extremely low premiums which, in retrospect, AFI has learned were too low.  They're actually dropping customers in the southeast's "Hurricane Belt" and premiums have risen almost 50% in the last couple years.

When a company like AFI isn't on CR's "Best of" list, is that because AFI only serves a small portion of the market, or is it because they're on rocky financial ground?

I've no idea what CR's screening criteria are, so I can't comment.

On AFIE: they are far, far smaller than USAA and are rated A- by AM Best (no Moody's or S&P ratings). They are also apparently not much interested in telling us about their financial condition since I see nothing resembling financial statements on their website. I personally would not be particlarly eager to do business with a small, marginally rated insurer like this, and I would encourage you to run if you see them get downgraded to B++ or below. OTOH, if you are happy with the service and rates, there is probably nothing wrong with them provided they don't slip any further.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

CR often doesnt consider small or regional players, and often doesnt include products or services from companies that require a membership or have very narrow acceptance guidelines. They're usually looking for companies with broad availability and open enrollment characteristics.

As important as the company is the agent. I'm with Farmers, who doesnt have the very best record on service and claims filing. But my agent is the son of the regional arbiter who ultimately decides if claims have merit and how they're paid. Besides the obvious benefit to that connection, my agent pretty much was raised to be an insurance agent since both his parents have been in the business all their lives. He's a real pro and spins the system as best he can in my favor.

I think theres also something to picking an agent that has some familiarity with people like you. My wifes agent here in Yuba City is used to people with no money that have very different lifestyles and risks than someone with a high net worth that retired early. So we decided to stick with my old agent thats 75 miles away...half his clients are well to do high tech workers and government workers that have a high net worth and many are retiring early. His "cookie cutters" are a lot closer to my cookie type.

 

[haha]

Thanks everyone for the info.

Ha

 

[Nords]

OTOH, if you are happy with the service and rates, there is probably nothing wrong with them provided they don't slip any further.

Thanks, Brewer, that's pretty much the situation.

They mention declining reserves & rising premiums in their member reports but that's about all the details we get too.

I have zero customer loyalty between the two. Every year I go through the pricing shuffle to decide if USAA should get all our business or if it should stay split. You'd think one or the other would get the hint & offer a discount by now...