Yahoo Autos Consumer Reports Says These Are The Worst Car Insurance Companies
Car insurance has gone from being an annoying monthly bill to a crippling expenditure that makes me question if I want to own a car. Headlines across the country have reported on the unprecedented explosion in insurance premiums over the past few years, so if you’re paying out the nose for coverage you want to be sure you are covered by a good company. In a turn of events that is best described by one of my favorite catchphrases, I was Disappointed But Not Surprised to learn that the big name companies land at the top of the list of worst car insurance companies. Even the company that I use ranks concerningly high on the list.
To establish this ranking, Consumer Reports issued a national survey of over 40,000 policy holders earlier this year and ranked 36 car insurance providers based on the responses. The highest scoring providers offered the best service with the most competitive monthly premiums, so the companies on this list scored the lowest in service and monthly premium pricing. Each company is scored out of five possible points for seven factors. The seven factors are premiums, claims, coverage, policy clarity, help and advice, policy review, and service.
The premiums score reflects customer satisfaction with the price of premiums, and claims scores are customer satisfaction with the handling of claims. Coverage scores reflect customer satisfaction with the breadth of coverage, and policy clarity scores reflect the clarity if policy coverage and prices. Help and advice scores reflect satisfaction with proactive advice, policy review scores reflect satisfaction with thoroughness of policy review, and service scores reflect satisfaction with non-claims customer service.
Keep in mind that your experience may vary, and external conditions like your local weather patterns and traffic conditions still impact your rates. Click here to see Consumer Reports’ car insurance buying guide.
15) Chubb INA Group
Chubb INA Group is a global insurance group that offers both standard car insurance and classic car insurance. As with all of the insurers on this list, it scored a poor 1 out of 5 possible points for premiums, and it scored 2 points for help and advice and for policy review. It got a respectable score of 4 out of 5 for claims satisfaction, though, so not the worst choice. Overall it scored a 46 out of 100 possible points.
14) Hartford Insurance Group
Despite being around since the year 1810, Hartford Insurance only scored a 45 out of 100 possible points in customer satisfaction. It also scored a good 4 out of 5 points for claims satisfaction, but just 1 point for its premiums and 2 for help and advice.
13) American Family Insurance Group
What a name for an insurance company. With an overall satisfaction score of 44 points out of 100, American Family Insurance received middling scores across the board aside from premiums.
12) Auto Club Group
Despite having amazing roadside service plans, AAA fell behind in customer satisfaction in this survey. It scored 43 out of 100 which is actually the same score as the next two companies. AAA fell short in help and advice and service scores.
11) Allstate Insurance Group
Are you in good hands? Allstate scored the same as AAA at 43 out of 100. Customers were reasonably satisfied across the board, except for premium pricing, of course.
10) Travelers Group
Travelers Group received the same score as Allstate and AAA at 43 out of 100. This study showed that Travelers struggled in help and advice rankings.
9) MAPFRE North America Group
I have never heard of MAPFRE, but it turns out it’s a global insurance group doing business in over 100 countries across five continents. Customers hated MAPFRE’s service though, scoring it at just 1 out of 5. Overall MAPFRE scored 42 out of 100, the same as the next company on the list.
8) GEICO (Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group)
GEICO received a 1 out of 5 for premiums cost as every company did on this list, and I can attest to this as a GEICO customer. It also scored poorly in proactive advice rankings, and earned a 42 out of 100.
7) Progressive Insurance Group
I guess Progressive’s it-girl Flo doesn’t do much to help with customer satisfaction. Progressive’s scores didn’t stand out in any areas aside from premiums cost, but it scored just 41 out of 100.
6) Mercury General Group
Mercury received a satisfaction score of 40 out of 100, with demerits assigned to its service scores and premiums score. My family uses Mercury insurance but whenever I have gotten quotes from Mercury they’ve been astronomically overpriced.
5) Liberty Mutual Insurance Companies
Liberty Mutual scored 39 out of 100 in overall satisfaction. Customers gave it just 2 out of 5 points in coverage, help and advice, policy review, and service. Despite this, it scored the same overall as the next insurer on the list.
4) State Auto Insurance Companies
State Auto insurance (not State Farm) is a part of Liberty Mutual, so it now makes sense how the two companies received the same low satisfaction scores. State only got a 2 out of 5 on service, but overall scored the same as its parent company at 39 out of 100.
3) Farmers Insurance Group
Farmers Insurance has been around since 1928 and yet received just 38 out of 100 for overall customer satisfaction in this survey. It received just 2 out of 5 in coverage, help and advice, policy review, and service. Farmers got the same overall score as the next company on the list.
2) Kemper PC Companies
I have never heard of Kemper insurance but now I know to stay away given its low scores in this survey. It received an overall score of 38 out of 100, but scored 2 out of 5 in coverage, policy clarity, help and advice, and service. Despite the low score, the worst scoring company in this survey scored lower by a comparably significant margin.
1) Plymouth Rock Companies
Plymouth Rock sank like a rock to the bottom of the customer satisfaction ranking, receiving just 31 out of 100 possible points. It only offers coverage in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. It is the only company on this list to earn just 2 out of 5 points in customer satisfaction in the handling of claims, which is arguably the most important pillar of car insurance.
