Safeco Auto Insurance Review

The original name for Safeco was The General Insurance Company of America, and some products sold by Safeco are still sold under this name. Compare Safeco auto insurance by entering your ZIP code and finding the best car insurance rates for FREE!

In 1953, the company took the name Selective Auto and Fire Ensurance Company of America, which as a bit of a mouthful, so its acronym, SAFECO was used instead. Now, the company has changed the name, and simply uses Safeco. If you are looking for best auto insurance, then enter your ZIP code into our FREE search and compare auto insurance companies INSTANTLY!

Safeco Auto Insurance Company Profile

Up until the mid 90’s, despite there relative size, Safeco was not a household name. However, this changed when they bought the Seattle Ballpark, which is home to the Mariners, and renamed it Safeco Field. However, anyone who looks into the company profile will see that ‘on paper’ Safeco certainly has an impressive profile.

• They have more than 85 years of insurance experience, and are a member of the Liberty Mutual Group. The Liberty Mutual Group is a Fortune 500 company.
• Safeco has a national reach, and although it employs more than 3,000 people, most of its policies are sold through local independent agents.
• Safeco provides insurance coverage for auto, home, umbrella, watercraft amongst others.
• Safeco’s Customer service centers have won awards for ‘Outstanding Customer Service Experience” from J.D. Power and Associates for three consecutive years.
• Liberty Mutual is rated A* (Excellent) by A.M Best Company.

Main Safeco Attractions

It is very easy to see why potential customers would be tempted to get a quote from them for their car insurance. The Safeco website very effectively presents the company in a attractive way.

• Safeco’s extensive insurance experience and membership of the The Liberty Mutual Group, the fifth largest insurance provider in the U.S, means that Safeco can offer financial security and peace of mind to its policy holders.
• Safeco has a national presence, so anyone in the country can get insurance with them. Moreover, because most policies are sold through local independent insurance agents, it is more likely that customers will be offered the best brand of insurance to suit their individual needs. This is opposite to captive insurance agents, who only offer a single brand of insurance which they will try to sell regardless of its suitability. Furthermore, the reputation of independent insurance agents relies heavily on ‘word of mouth’ marketing, and local agents have strong community ties.
• Because Safeco is not limited to auto insurance, they offer very attractive bundles or package deals, which save customers a lot of money. For example, auto insurance combined with home insurance may save customers up to 15%.
• J.D Power and Associates are well-respected consumer watch dogs.
• A.M Best Company has been rating and analyzing insurance companies for more than a century, and policy holders trust their ability to assess an insurance company’s financial strength.

Reading in Between the Lines

In reality, the service offered to Safeco customers everyday is not so impressive. In fact, recent J.D Power and Associates ratings for Safeco have been average or below average in the following three categories: Auto Claims Ratings, Auto Insurance Provider Ratings and Auto Insurance Purchase Experience. Read our auto insurance company reviews to find the best company for your particular needs!

Furthermore, most customers nowadays realize the importance of shopping around for insurance claims. As a result, most of the larger companies are providing almost immediate online auto insurance quotes. Safeco does also offer this service, but many customers report that, because they do not request sufficient information online, their quotes are wildly inaccurate, the majority of them being way too high.

If customers are determined enough to phone Safeco’s call center or contact a local independent agent, they often find that the rates offered by Safeco are actually very competitive and could commonly save them a lot of money when compared to their current provider’s rates. Everyone should take a look at auto insurance discounts to find the best rates for their money!

However, how many customers will bother to do this, and how many will be completely turned off by the extortionate rates quoted online?

Lastly, many customers have reported that Safeco customer services representative are indeed excellent when discussing rates and discounts, but rather more reluctant when it comes to talking about the details of their policy coverage. For this reason, people looking to buy should make sure they know exactly what they want and make sure they know their state’s auto insurance laws!

The Good News

However, it is not all bad, and Safeco is still worth considering for some people. Despite the inconvenience of getting an insurance quote from Safeco, they do have some unique or beneficial offerings for different types of auto insurance coverage:

• Teen Safety Rewards™ – Safeco seem particularly interested in offering reduced rates to suitable teenage drivers, who often have to face higher insurance costs. Statistical evidence shows that teenagers are more likely to have an accident, particularly boys, so insurance providers charge more for coverage. Safeco has a scheme called Teen Safety Rewards™, which offers discounts to families insuring teenage drivers if a number of criteria has been fulfilled. For example, students maintaining a high GPA or students enrolling in driver’s education programs will benefit from reduced rates.
• Safeco Website – Their website offers a very comprehensive collection of tips and advice on an insurance 101 section. Tips for people looking for auto insurance cover include ‘How can I lower my costs?’ and an ‘Accident and Emergency checklist’. This advice is extremely useful and seems to be completely independent of any product or service that Safeco offer.
• Emergency Package – Safeco offer an emergency package, which includes roadside assistance and money for meals and other expenses if policy holders are involved in accidents which happen more than 50 miles away from their home address. Coverage of up to $500 is also given for any car contents that were damaged or stolen during an accident.

The Bottom Line

All in all, it is worthwhile getting a quote from this insurance provider, despite the fact that they do not really make this very easy. This is even more the case if the driver to be insured is under 20. Once an accurate quote has been provided, Safeco really can offer competitive rates, especially if more than one type of insurance policy is held with them.

However, be sure to make use of their ‘Outstanding Customer Service Experience’ and discuss coverage included in any auto insurance policy in great detail so as to avoid any surprises when a claim is made. Use our FREE search and find cheap auto insurance for your automobile’s needs! We are here to give you the best information on auto insurance companies!