Safe Auto Insurance Review

Founded in 1993, Safe Auto offers property and casualty insurance in 16 states.

The company prides itself on its ability to keep things simple, while providing low rates to customers.

However, before you call 1-800-SAFE-AUTO to purchase a policy, you should use this Safe Auto insurance review to learn more about the company and the level of service it provides.

With Safe Auto, creating a policy is pretty simple.

Safe Auto Insurance

You can obtain a quote for auto insurance online or over the phone, and the company has a wide range of coverage options for you to consider including:

Liability Coverage: Liability is the part of your policy that protects you from a personal injury or property damage claim if you’re involved in an at-fault accident. This is what most states require you to carry by law.

Collision and Comprehensive Coverage: If you’re financing your vehicle, the bank may require you to carry comprehensive and collision coverage.

These options pay for damage to your vehicle if you are involved in an at-fault accident or if your car was damaged due to acts of vandalism or a natural disaster.

Roadside Assistance and Towing: Adding roadside assistance and towing to your policy makes sure you never get stuck mid-journey.

If you have a flat tire, your battery dies, or you run out of gas, this option pays for your roadside services.

Rental Car Coverage: This optional coverage pays your rental car expenses while your car is in the shop due to a covered incident.

Claims Satisfaction

One of the more important categories you should study in a Safe Auto insurance review is Claims Satisfaction.

This tells you how Safe Auto customers feel about the way the company handles claims.

Since your contact with your insurance provider is usually limited to policy changes, such as adding a driver or car, the claims process represents the single most important and stressful insurer/consumer interaction point.

We believe that claims satisfaction can be summed up under three key performance indicators: timeliness, communication, and ease of service interaction.

The J.D. Power 2017 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study breaks the claims process down even further, giving you a detailed look into how well each company on the list handles their claims.

While Safe Auto wasn’t included in the J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction Study, the company keeps its claims process as transparent as possible, making it easy for customers who need to file a claim.

Safe Auto provides policyholders with a direct number to its claims department, which is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

As soon as you report a loss, the claims process begins, and as soon as your claims adjuster verifies your policy coverage and determines fault, the company settles your claim so your car can be fixed quickly.

Overall Customer Satisfaction

Overall customer satisfaction is also an important part of any Safe Auto insurance review.

This covers things that aren’t considered part of the claims process, such as how easy it is to purchase a policy, customer service, and the number of consumer complaints that have been filed against the company.

The J.D. Power 2018 Shopping Study tells readers more about the purchasing process of different companies.

Safe Auto wasn’t included in the study but does make it easy for people to purchase a policy through them.

In addition to offering quotes both online and over the phone, Safe Auto has local agents in major areas for customers who prefer to build a long-term relationship with their agent.

Another good resource to check out is the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), whose complaint database shows consumers how many complaints an insurance company has within a specific time frame, as well as how the company’s average number of complaints varies over the years.

Unfortunately, Safe Auto (NAIC #25405) has a complaint ratio of 1.91, which is almost double that of the national average.

But when you compare the total number of complaints between 2015 and 2018, you see that Safe Auto has seen a steady decline over the years.

In Ohio, the company’s complaint ratio doesn’t prove to be any better. (For more information, read our “Cheapest Car Insurance in Ohio“).

Safe Auto has approximately 1.10 percent of Ohio’s business, with 4.03 percent of the state’s complaints.

This gives it a complaint ratio in the state of 3.67, which is one of the highest in the state.

Only Alfa Insurance Company (6.88) and First Acceptance Insurance Corporation (10.71) have higher complaint ratios.

Even though these complaint ratios are a bit high, it’s important to remember that these numbers only show you how many closed complaints the NAIC has on file.

The company actually has a multitude of positive reviews on its own site, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) gave Safe Auto an A+ rating.

Pricing

Multiple variables go into determining an auto insurance premium including things like your gender, your age, how long you’ve been licensed, and the type of car you drive.

In fact, your auto insurance rates can even change if you move.

Therefore, while it’s important to read through the pricing portion of any Safe Auto insurance review, you should definitely get a quote directly from the company before making a purchase.

The scenario below gives you a good idea of just how little it takes for rates to vary.

The Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner’s website has a handy rate comparison tool to help consumers compare the rates of different insurers.

If you look at Safe Auto’s rates for a 19-year-old single female who lives in Atlanta, drives over 15,000 miles annually, and has no violations, you’ll see that a basic liability policy costs $1,016.

For a 19-year-old single male in the exact same circumstances, a basic liability insurance policy from Safe Auto would cost $1,320.

In both scenarios, Safe Auto offered low premiums compared to other insurance companies on the list.

For example, the same single male would pay $1,752 for a liability policy through American Family and $1,357 for a policy from Geico.

Financial Strength

It’s really important to assess an insurance company’s financial strength before purchasing a policy.

After all, if the insurance company you choose doesn’t have enough assets to cover the cost of claims filed in the event of a major disaster, you may find yourself in trouble.

You can research the financial strength of auto insurance companies by reviewing information from S&P, A.M. Best, and Fitch Ratings. Rating companies like these assess different companies in the industry for you.

Unfortunately, Safe Auto isn’t a national brand, so you may not be able to find Safe Auto insurance ratings through them.

You can rest assured in the knowledge, however, that the company has over $382 million in assets and $359 million in policies written, according to the NAIC.

In comparison, they only have an outstanding debt of about $245 million.

While this sounds good, it might be a good idea to have a third-party professional review the company’s financial information before you purchase a policy.

Is Safe Auto Insurance For You?

Overall, Safe Auto Insurance ratings show that the company makes it easy for consumers to start new policies, make changes to current ones, and file claims.

With a website, call center, and agent help available, low premiums, and decades of industry experience, Safe Auto might be your best choice if you are looking for a bargain.

To review more car insurance companies, check out our compare quotes page.