Comprehensive Review of Country-Wide Auto Insurance

Country-Wide Insurance Company has more than 55 years of serving residents of New York. While it doesn’t have a large customer base, Country-Wide takes pride in being a local provider.

While it wants to project a small-town feeling of hospitality, Country-Wide has numerous unsatisfied customers. With high rates, poor financial stability, and few discounts, it might seem like Country-Wide is an easy choice to skip.

However, this company does have a loyal following of customers who are thrilled about their coverage. From basic car insurance to truck coverage for semi-drivers, Country-Wide might be the best choice for you. (For more information, read our “Best Commercial Truck Insurance Companies“).

You can explore your options with Country-Wide insurance plans below. Then, compare prices with as many companies as you can to make sure you get the best price for your car insurance.

What is Country-Wide auto insurance?

Country-Wide Insurance (not to be confused with the mortgage company Countrywide Financial) only operates in New York. While most companies actively try to expand, Country-Wide is happy where it’s at.

The focus of this company is on car insurance and financial services. However, Country-Wide’s goal is to maintain its local business reputation and cement its place in the communities it serves. While it’s a small car insurance provider, it still provides standard coverage options:

• Liability. If you cause property damage or injure someone in an at-fault accident, liability will help pay the resulting bills. Most state laws require a minimum amount of coverage, including New York. Empire State residents need to have 25/50/10 coverage to drive.
• Collision. No matter who is at fault, collision will help repair your car after an accident. New York doesn’t require drivers to carry collision, but it’s a wise investment for people that can’t afford to replace their cars.
• Comprehensive. Comprehensive covers damage outside of accidents, like animal contact, theft, weather, vandalism, or fire.

Country-Wide offers a few more insurance options for your policy, though this list is not nearly as extensive as many of its competitors. These include:

• Underinsured/uninsured motorists Although New York state law requires drivers to carry insurance, not everyone obeys it. This coverage protects you from drivers without enough coverage. New York requires a small amount of this insurance.
• Personal injury protection (PIP). Getting injured in a crash is terrible, but what might be worse are the hospital bills that come after. PIP helps pay for your medical expenses. New York requires $50,000 PIP coverage.

It might not be the most impressive list of products, but Country-Wide has the bare bones you need for the complete protection of your vehicle. If a more extensive list of products is important to you, you should look elsewhere for your insurance needs.

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Does Country-Wide offer auto insurance discounts?

Buying from local businesses is important to many people and for good reason. However, there are some drawbacks to shopping for your insurance needs from a small company. Most small insurance companies offer fewer discounts than their larger competitors.

While the same is probably true about Country-Wide, this company is tight-lipped about what discounts it offers. However, most insurance companies provide some form of discount to help their customers save money. The most common discounts even small insurance companies offer include the following:

• Good driver. Insurance companies like to reward their drivers for keeping their records clean of accidents, speeding tickets, and other traffic violations.
• Good student. This discount is for full-time students who maintain a 3.0 (or “B” average) GPA.
• Multi-car. If your household has more than one car, you can usually earn a discount if you combine them into one policy.
• Safety or security features. Safety features like anti-lock brakes or anti-theft devices that keep your car out of the hands of thieves are usually eligible for a discount.

While these are some of the most common car insurance discounts companies offer, you’ll have to call the Country-Wide insurance phone number for more information.

How much does Country-Wide insurance cost?

Another problem with smaller insurance companies is that they usually do not offer the convenience larger providers have. For Country-Wide, this mild inconvenience shows itself when you want a quote — there are no online options to look at rates.

Instead, you’ll have to speak with an agent. However, you can get an idea of what prices might be like with Country-Wide by looking at average rates in New York.

Country-Wide has a reputation for higher-than-average rates, so you’ll probably see prices a little higher than the state average. However, many factors go into the cost of your insurance. If you want to see what Country-Wide can offer you, speak with an agent or visit one of their local locations.

Read more: Best Cheap Car Insurance in New York

Country-Wide Auto Insurance Financial Reviews

One of the best ways to get to know an insurance company is by looking at the reviews.

Looking at professional ratings is a great place to start. Country-Wide is too small to be noticed by some rating companies, but the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and A.M. Best, both issued ratings.

A.M. Best gives insurance companies a rating based on their financial strength. The better the grade, the more likely a company will be able to pay its claims. Unfortunately, A.M. Best was not impressed with Country-Wide and gave them a C++.

Things are more positive at the BBB, where Country-Wide received an A+. However, many complaints are listed on the site, which primarily focuses on the quality of Country-Wide’s insurance.

Finally, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) rates insurance companies by the number of complaints filed against them. The NAIC compares complaints against the company’s size, then scores it. A 1.0 is the national average, and anything higher means a higher-than-average number of complaints.

Country-Wide receives a 3.63, which means it gets more than triple the national average for complaints.

What do customers think about Country-Wide Insurance?

Despite its good intentions, Country-Wide does not seem to be fostering good feelings with its customers. Customer reviews are overwhelmingly negative, particularly focusing on how high the rates are.

On a positive note, high-risk drivers that were turned away from other companies appreciate that Country-Wide is willing to work with them. They even say that the rates are affordable, given their situation.

Another chief complaint is that people are unimpressed with Country-Wide in general. The website has an outdated feeling that is long overdue for an update. Customers are also unimpressed with the limited amount of coverage products. Most people like to customize their plans, but that’s not an option at Country-Wide.

Despite all this, Country-Wide has loyal local customers. For the most part, Country-Wide customer service representatives go above and beyond to make people feel welcome and important. They’re so good at their job that some customers report being happy to pay higher prices because the service is just that good.

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Find the Best Auto Insurance Rates Today

If you live in New York, this small insurance company might be right for you. While coverage options are limited, discounts are vague at best, and rates are on the high side, there are a lot of happy Country-Wide customers that recommend this company.

Country-Wide insurance might be the best choice for you, but you should always compare quotes with other companies before you make a decision.

 

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