For anyone looking for a large selection of discounts and coverage options for car insurance, Safeco might be the right fit. Unfortunately, customer service and claims reviews are not impressive and Safeco's rates are average.
Auto Insurance Review: Safeco
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- Auto Insurance Review - Safeco
Score764/5
discounts
3.5/5
complaints
2/5
satisfaction
4/5
stability
2/5
affordability
pros
Provides 24/7 online claims
Offers comprehensive, flexible coverage options
Easy-to-navigate website
cons
Below-average customer service reviews
Their billing process can be confusing
Higher-than-average prices
Safeco is a national car insurance company that provides coverage in all 50 states. Safeco is well known for its good-driver discounts and bundled insurance packages at low-to-average price points. While Safeco might be great for good drivers looking for incentives, they’re not necessarily the best option when it comes to customer service, so it might be beneficial to shop around before making a commitment.
How Does Safeco Auto Insurance Rate?
Safeco is a major competitor in the auto insurance field, typically ranked among other national brands. J.D. Power’s 2019 survey of auto insurance company ranked Safeco 19 out of 25 other competitors. While Safeco has average-to-low scores compared to top competitors, they offer a few perks that set them apart, such as ridesharing coverage for Uber and Lyft drivers and yearly deductible reductions.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
First Notice of Loss:
3/5
Estimation of Process:
3/5
Repair Process:
3/5
Claims Servicing:
3/5
Rental Experience:
3/5
Settlement:
3/5
While the Better Business Bureau (BBB) gives Safeco an A rating, Safeco has slightly higher than 1 star in customer ratings, with many reviews focusing on poor claims management or customer service issues. J.D. Power ranks their overall customer satisfaction level as average.
Customer Complaint Ratio
Safeco
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) analyzes the average number of insurance company complaints each year. It measures each insurance company against the national median complaint ratio, which is 1. Safeco has a median complaint ratio of 1.56.
Financial Strength
AM Best ranks auto insurance companies routinely on their financial strength, which refers to the company’s ability to finance and meet the needs of its insurance customers. Safeco received an A rating, which is not surprising since this company is owned by a larger company, Liberty Mutual, which also received an A ranking.
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Safeco Insurance Features
The main difference between Safeco and other auto insurance companies is the large number of incentives available. Safeco provides useful features to customers, including accident forgiveness, first aid reimbursement and diminishing deductible options. It also provides gap coverage if your vehicle is lost or stolen and rideshare coverage that allows you to stay ensured when en route to pick up rideshare clients (in participating states).
| Type of Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Online Bill Pay | Whether you choose to pay monthly, bi-annually or annually, Safeco customers can pay their bills online and streamline payments with auto-billing. |
| Online Claims | If you need to file a claim, Safeco lets customers initiate the process online, through their account. Updates and "next steps" can also be tracked online. |
| Mobile App | Safeco gives you access to your policy details and allows you to make changes online. Instantly obtain proof of insurance from a computer or mobile device. Make quick changes to the drivers on your policy from your computer or phone. Pull your account data and billing history easily to obtain records of past payments and changes. |
Safeco Auto Coverage
Thanks to backing from a top brand, Safeco is able to offer a comprehensive list of coverage for auto policies.
| Type of Coverage | Description |
|---|---|
| Collision | This coverage protects you against damages that occur during an accident. |
| Personal Injury Protection | No matter who is at fault in an accident, this coverage will help you pay for you and your passengers’ medical expenses and hospital bills. This coverage is not required in every state but can be added on. |
| Uninsured | This coverage offers you coverage if the other driver in an accident is found at fault but does not have insurance or enough insurance to cover your damages. |
| Liability | Bodily injury liability: This coverage protects you from paying the full cost of bodily injury expenses resulting from a car accident, such as medical bills or hospital care that you could be held responsible for. Property damage liability: This coverage helps you pay for repairing someone else’s car after an accident if you’re found to be the responsible party. |
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Optional Insurance Features and Coverage
Safeco is well-known for its large selection of features and options in its auto insurance policies. These features can be added in addition to the required coverage.
| Type of Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Rental Reimbursement | After an accident, this coverage will reimburse you for the full or partial cost of renting a car. Safeco Claims Valet Service will also deliver a rental car right to your door. |
| Roadside Assistance | This option allows you to call Safeco’s roadside assistance department day or night to help tow your car to a nearby repair shop. Roadside assistance also will bring you gas, help you change a tire, jumpstart or vehicle, or connect you with a locksmith if you get locked out of your car. |
| New Car | If your car is under a year old when totaled or stolen, this coverage pays for the value of a comparable vehicle. |
| Personal Effects | This coverage offers reimbursement for audio-visual equipment and custom equipment that were installed after purchasing the vehicle. Common examples include custom CD/Bluetooth players, lift kits and roll bars. |
Available Discounts on Safeco Car Insurance Coverage
Safeco offers a number of discounts, particularly to safe drivers, to help you save on your auto insurance policy.
| Type of Discount | Description |
|---|---|
| Safe Driver | Receive additional benefits by being a safe driver, purchasing a safe vehicle or taking an accident prevention course. Most discounts last up to three years. |
| Multi Vehicle | Save when you add multiple vehicles to the same Safeco policy. |
| Anti Theft | Save money when you deter thieves with anti-lock devices and alarms. |
| Multi Policy | Save up to 15% when combining your auto and home insurance policies. Receive a discount (in some states) for owning your own house, condo, townhouse or mobile home. |
| Safety Equipment | Save money if you have anti-lock brakes (varies by state). |
| Pay In Full | If you pay your policy bill (six-month or one-year amounts) in full, you’ll receive a discount. |
| Other | Teen Safety Rewards - Offers a package of discounts to lower the cost of adding a teen onto your policy. Savings include options like good student discounts and driver training discounts. |
Other Safeco Insurance Products
In addition to auto insurance, Safeco offers a number of other insurance coverage policies to protect your home, rental property, and valuables. Safeco also offers additional vehicle policies, as well as umbrella, pet and identity recovery insurance.
| Type of Product | Description |
|---|---|
| Homeowners Insurance | Safeco provides a large number of coverage options to protect the value of your home in case of damages or an accident. This insurance type also covers the house’s occupants, as well as the belongings inside. |
| Renters Insurance | Similar to homeowner’s insurance, renter’s insurance provides coverage for a rented property, yourself, your guests and your belongings inside in the rented home. |
| Umbrella Insurance | This type of insurance extends beyond the protection of any existing insurance policies, to provide additional protection for any expenses that are not covered. It typically does not cover personal property damage, criminal acts or losses from your business. |
| Landlord Insurance | This policy covers rental properties from financial losses. It typically covers only the property itself but can extend to the contents inside (like appliances) that belong to the landlord. |
| Personal Property Insurance | This coverage protects your most valuable belongings in the case of theft or damages. Typical items covered include jewelry or expensive medical devices. |
| Identity Theft Insurance | In the case of ID theft, identity recovery insurance helps pay for a case manager, lost wages, child/elder care expenses and offers a reimbursement amount of up to $25,000 per year for qualifying expenses. |
| Pet Insurance | Pet health insurance: This insurance helps you pay for expensive vet bills and includes preventative care. |
| Other |
How to Make a Car Insurance Claim With Safeco
Safeco makes it simple to file a claim in three different ways. You can use their online claims system, report a claim on their mobile app or reach out to their customer service team by phone.
Contact Safeco Car Insurance
Methodology and Assumptions
To evaluate and review auto insurance companies, MoneyGeek carefully weighs factors such as price, financial strength, policy features, customer satisfaction, service and other leading indicators. MoneyGeek also references publicly available data from industry leaders such as J.D. Power, AM Best and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and the Better Business Bureau. Learn more about MoneyGeek’s review methodology here.
SOURCES
- J.D. Power. "2019 U.S. Auto Claims Satisfaction Study." Accessed April 11, 2020.
- AM Best. "Safeco 2019 Credit Ratings." Accessed April 11, 2020.
- Better Business Bureau. "Safeco Corporation." Accessed April 11, 2020.
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners. "Safeco 2018 Complaint Ratio Report." Accessed April 12, 2020.
- Safeco Insurance. "Safeco Insurance." Accessed April 12, 2020.
