Esurance Auto Insurance Review
Esurance Auto insurance was founded in 1999 and has since become one of the most recognizable names in the insurance industry.
Esurance was bought out by Allstate in 2011, and the company now acts entirely as a subsidiary of Allstate.
Esurance offers multiple auto insurance options and add-ons so that their customers are able to create the best policy for their individual needs.
Esurance Car Insurance Review: Claims, Satisfaction, Products, Prices
Here are just a few of the options Esurance has available:
- Liability Coverage: This option, which is usually state-mandated, provides protection from damages caused by the insured person or vehicle in the event of a collision.
- Comprehensive Coverage: This optional add-on pays claims that result from vehicle damage caused by incidents that are not driving related such as storm damage or theft.
- Medical Payments Coverage: This additional medical option takes care of medical-related expenses or funeral expenses after an accident for an insured or deceased driver or passengers.
- PIP (Personal Injury Protection) Coverage: Insured drivers and passengers are covered for additional medical expenses, such as rehabilitation and, in some cases, loss of wages or childcare expenses.
Claims Satisfaction
After a customer has created their policy with an Esurance Auto representative, interaction between them and the company is usually rather limited.
The occasional phone call or a visit to a local Esurance office may occur to make changes to policies such as adding a teen driver or changing a home address.
Aside from that, though, the bulk of contact made is during the claims process, and that makes Esurance Auto ratings dependent on claims satisfaction.
When companies like J.D. Power gather information and review Esurance Auto insurance along with other insurance providers, they use unique criteria to determine claims satisfaction ratings.
One thing they have in common is the use of three main key performance indicators that they use to rate each insurance provider’s claims process: communication, ease of service interaction, and timeliness.
In the J.D. Power 2017 US Auto Claims Satisfaction Study, Esurance received 3 out of 5 in overall claims satisfaction. This rating is made up of individual categories pertaining to the claims process, including Claims Processing, Rental Process, and Settlement.
Esurance was rated 3 out of 5 in all six individual categories except for Repair Process, for which it received a rating of 2 out of 5.
These Esurance Auto insurance ratings put the insurer just ahead of Progressive and Auto Club of California Insurance Group and just behind 21st Century and Nationwide. (For more information, read our “21st Century Auto Insurance Review“).
Overall Customer Satisfaction Review
Even though the claims process is important, it’s not the only thing considered when Esurance Auto insurance reviews are created.
Overall customer satisfaction takes every interaction between Esurance and their consumers into account, including how the company manages complaints and how they respond to inquiries from both potential customers and current policyholders.
The J.D. Power shopping study contains overall satisfaction ratings for Esurance Auto and its major competitors. Esurance received a rating in this category of 3 out of 5. Individual categories that make up this rating include Call Center Representative, Website, and Policy Offerings.
Esurance received 3 out of 5 ratings across the board except for Call Center Representative, for which they received a 5 out of 5. This puts the company just ahead of State Farm and Travelers, and behind Farmers and Progressive in overall customer satisfaction.
The California Complaint Ratio Study calculates a ratio based on complaints originating in California (the most populated state) and the number of claims received by major insurance providers.
In the study, Esurance auto insurance ratings placed the company 26th out of 50 insurers. Based on a total claim exposure of 263,523 and a total of 14 justified complaints received, the company’s complaint ratio sits at 5.3.
Pricing
There are a number of factors that go into determining the cost of any car insurance policy.
Some of these factors include the age, gender, geographic location of the driver, driving record, length of time licensed, and the car’s make and model.
For comparison purposes, we used the following scenarios to review Esurance Auto’s pricing:
- Single Female (licensed 9 years): One car (Toyota Camry), one violation and one no-fault accident in the preceding 3 years, work driving use of 12,000 miles per year, living in Miami-Dade County, Florida
- Single Male (licensed 9 to 15 years): One car (Toyota Camry), no violations, driving around 12,600 to 15,000 a year, living in San Francisco County, California.
In scenario one, which involves a single female living in Miami-Dade County, Florida, Esurance quotes a price of $1,275, near the lower end of the spectrum. The lowest price for this scenario comes from the United Services Automobile Association at $576, while the highest is from Direct General at $4,866.
In Scenario two, we see a single male driving a Toyota Camry in San Francisco County, California. The price Esurance quotes here is $1,182 which is rather high for this scenario. State Farm quotes a price of $949 and AAA is much lower at $664. Higher rates are posted for Nationwide at $1,247, and Liberty Mutual with $1,590.
Financial Strength
It’s not common to think to research financial strength when looking at Esurance Auto insurance reviews, but it’s still an important consideration.
If a large-scale disaster were to occur, it’s crucial that policyholders know that their insurance provider will come through at a time when hundreds or even thousands of claims are being made within days of each other. Looking into the company’s financial background can help provide the peace of mind that consumers seek.
The Insurance Information Institute is a good resource for more information on how to make sense of financial ratings from independent agencies.
Financial ratings for Esurance Auto show that the company is very strong financially.
A.M. Best has provided a Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A+ (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of aa- for Esurance, while Moody’s Investors Services has given Allstate, the parent company of Esurance, a rating of Aa3.
After reading the above Esurance Auto insurance reviews, you should have a healthy understanding of how insurance ratings work, and feel confident that you can find the right insurance policy for you and your family.