Safeco Insurance Review 2024

Safeco is ideal for drivers who want the personalized approach of working with an agent and the ability to customize their policy with various coverage options.

Safeco Is Best for Those Who:

• Want to work with a local agent for personalized advice and recommendations
• Have alternative vehicles they’re looking to insure, including classic cars
• Are looking to bundle home and auto insurance
• Are safe drivers and can take advantage of Safeco’s telematics program

Safeco Is Not Best for Those Who:

• Want to shop online
• Live in Hawaii or Washington, D.C.

Data on average Safeco rates is not available, so you’ll need to reach out to an agent to get a quote and see how it stacks up to other quotes you receive for the same coverage. Generally, it’s always a good idea to compare quotes from at least three insurers before deciding who to go with.

I spoke with a friend who has Safeco for their auto insurance, and they said their premium has increased by about $200 at the last renewal. That said, premiums have increased across the board, so it’s not unique to Safeco but still something to keep in mind.

Safeco offers various auto insurance discounts, particularly aimed at safe drivers. Keep in mind that available discounts can vary by state. If you’re getting a quote, talk to the agent to see if you’re eligible for any of the following savings opportunities.

Highlighted Discount: RightTrack Telematics Program

Safeco’s usage-based insurance program, called RightTrack, is one of the best ways to save on your premiums if you drive safely. You’ll receive a 10 percent discount just for signing up, and you can earn a discount of up to 30 percent thereafter if you continue driving safely. However, if your final discount is less than your initial discount, expect to be billed for the difference.

To enroll, you’ll need to download the Safeco app after purchasing a policy and register using either your Safeco online account information or the activation code included in your welcome email. The program lasts 90 days, after which Safeco will calculate a RightTrack score based on the driving behavior of all participating drivers on your policy. It will then apply a discount to your policy, which could be anywhere between 5 and 30 percent based on how safe it deems your driving. This discount will apply for the life of your policy.

RightTrack monitors total miles driven, nighttime driving between the hours of midnight and 4 a.m., braking and acceleration. Currently, the program is available in every state where Safeco operates except the following: Alaska, California, Delaware, New York, and North Carolina.

Safeco policies are exclusively offered through independent agents, so in order to get a quote, you’ll need to find a local agent that works with Safeco. You can input your ZIP code on Safeco’s website to find an agency near you that you can contact to start the process.

Safeco offers the standard car insurance coverages you’d expect from any insurer — this includes liability coverage, collision and comprehensive coverages (also known as full coverage), uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, and medical payments coverage.

I have increased liability limits as well as comprehensive and collision coverage on my own policy, which I recommend if you can afford it, as it provides added financial protection in case you get into an accident or your car is damaged.

Safeco also offers the following optional coverage:

Safeco doesn’t operate in Hawaii or the District of Columbia, and it doesn’t offer accident forgiveness in California due to state regulations. It doesn’t advertise certain popular coverages, such as GAP insurance, on its website, but it does note that it offers many more coverage options, so if there is another add-on that interests you, be sure to ask about it when you contact an agent.

Since pricing data about Safeco is limited and it’s not possible to get a quote online, looking to industry research is particularly helpful in evaluating how Safeco customers feel about the company’s service on average. I’ve compiled some of the most useful data points to provide an overview of various customer satisfaction metrics.

Safeco’s best rating is its financial strength rating of A from AM Best, indicating that it is reliable when it comes to paying out claims. It also received an above-average score of 880 out of 1,000 from J.D. Power in its 2023 Claims Satisfaction Study, which evaluates customer satisfaction with various aspects of the claims process, including settlement, first notice of loss, claim servicing, estimation process and repair process.

However, it’s worth noting that it scored very low on CRASH Network’s 2024 Insurer Report Card, where it’s combined with Liberty Mutual, meaning that auto repair shops find the companies difficult and inefficient to work with, which may translate to a poorer experience for customers.

Safeco also ranked third-to-last in J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study, indicating that customers experience a less satisfactory purchase experience with Safeco than with its competitors. This may be due to the agent-centric buying process.

If you need to file a claim with Safeco, you can do so online or via the app, and you can get the help of your agent if needed. You’ll need to upload photos of the damage, and in some cases, the company may send an adjustor to review the damage in person. You’ll also be able to track your claim through your online account.

The amount of time it takes for a claim to be processed will depend on the severity of the damage and the details of the claim, but it should take about 30 days. However, many Safeco customers report that their process took several months, so your mileage may vary. Your agent will assist you through the process and can potentially help advocate for you, so if you run into any issues or have questions, don’t hesitate to contact them.

Safeco has an online portal and mobile app through which you can do the following:

• Pay your bill
• Enroll in automatic payments
• Review and manage your policy
• View policy documents
• Get ID cards and add them to Apple Wallet on iPhone
• File and track a car insurance claim
• Get roadside assistance
• Connect with a customer service representative or call your agent

Here’s a look at the home screen of the app from the App Store’s preview image:

I also downloaded the app to get a feel for it, even though I couldn’t log in, given that I’m not a customer. Safeco’s telematics program, RightTrack, can be accessed through the same app — just click to enter your activation code instead of logging into your account. You can also skip logging in to file a claim or pay your bill.

Reviews from both iPhone and Android users note that RightTrack is highly sensitive and can record inaccurate driving behavior, especially for drivers dealing with city traffic who need to brake often (which is not a sign of driving unsafely in that context). Users report frustration with not being able to get much of a discount because of issues like this.

It’s also worth noting that when you go to log in, the app brings up an embedded web browser, which somewhat defeats the purpose of an app and doesn’t make for a great experience. This means you may not get a much better experience from the app than you would simply using your mobile browser to access the site.

That said, it has high overall ratings on both the App Store and Google Play Stores, so customers are generally satisfied with the app.

We assess companies on the following:

1. Pricing and coverage: We evaluate the coverage offered and how it stacks up in terms of competitiveness, discounts and affordability.
2. Customer experience: We are auto insurance customers ourselves, so we leverage our firsthand experience as well as customer reviews to share details about the shopping process and ease of engagement with a provider.
3. Claims handling: Claim fulfillment is the key function of insurance companies. We analyze each company’s claims process using third-party data, customer feedback and our own experience.
4. Industry ratings and reviews: We use data from independent agencies to evaluate factors including financial strength, complaint records and customer satisfaction.
5. Digital tools and technology: We assess how easy the companies’ websites, mobile apps and online account management features are to use.