Consumer Reports: Amica among highest-rated in customer satisfaction

AMICA MUTUAL GROUP earned 93 points in Consumer Reports' October 2010 auto insurance ratings. For a larger version of this image, <a href=CLICK HERE. / " title="AMICA MUTUAL GROUP earned 93 points in Consumer Reports' October 2010 auto insurance ratings. For a larger version of this image, CLICK HERE. /"/>
AMICA MUTUAL GROUP earned 93 points in Consumer Reports' October 2010 auto insurance ratings. For a larger version of this image, CLICK HERE. /

PROVIDENCE – Amica Mutual Group earned 93 points in Consumer Reports’ October 2010 rating of auto insurers, placing among the Top Four companies in customer satisfaction.

The magazine based the ranking on the response of more than 28,000 readers who placed claims in the period from January 2006 to June 2009.

The New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company, USAA Group and Auto-Owners Insurance Group of Companies also placed in the Top Four.

Customers for the highest-rated insurance companies had “relatively few” problems with their claims, said Consumers Report.

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Amica did well in the categories of claims-related problems, based on readers who reported at least one problem during the course of their claims, and non-claims related problems, which were based on issues with the insurer. The non-claims related problems were polled on a larger group of surveys, about 96,600 respondents, Consumer Reports observed.

Amica turned out an average performance for “timely payments,” based on claims that took longer than 14 days to settle.

Overall, 86 percent of readers were highly satisfied with the handling of their claims by the 22 insurers rated.

MetLife Auto & Home Group, with 84 points, and Commerce Insurance, with 81 points, were the lowest-ranked companies on the list.

Consumer Reports recommended that readers save money on their car insurance by doing annual rate checks, including reporting reduced mileage. The publication also recommended reading a separate report that ranked cars based on safety.

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3 COMMENTS

  1. My family has been with AMICA for over 65 years, and I cannot imagine a better colmpany with which to do business. I have had two major claims in my experience; both were settled fairly, honestly and qjuickly. In one case, the company went well beyond anyuthing I could possibly expect, to make sure the problem in my home never recurred. In the other, a burglary in which family heirlooms were taken, and no precise valuation could be ascertained, they sat down wth us and helped us come to a conclusion as to value that was acceptable to both sides. At no time did they try to bargain with us or give us the feelling that we were being “forced” to accept a settlement that was anything but fair. My parents were also treated in like manner. Too long a story for this blog, but they would not have considered insuring with any other company.

  2. AMICA is known to have a good reputation and they charge some of the highest rates for insurance in the industry. I thought this would be an indication that their service would be one of the best and that I didn’t need to worry about them being there for me in a time of need.

    My family and I have had insurance with AMICA for years. We have paid them thousands of dollars over the course of decades and we’ve had home and auto insurance. We have only made one claim regarding auto coverage that was very minor. When my car got stolen they denied my claim. The worst part about it is that they were extremely rude, ignored my calls, emails and letters for 6 months before denying my claim. They never came through on their promises (ie, if they told me I would get a call from someone at AMICA, I would NEVER get a call from anyone). I’ve incurred a lot of hassle from not having a car for the last several months and they have taken a lot of time from me. (I spent about 30 hours collecting all of the paper work, records and files that they required). I complied with everything they asked me to present. They would not even entertain the idea of fixing my car even though my contract specifies that they are required to fix the car if they do not pay out the blue book value and they declare the car a total loss (which they did with my vehicle).

    I ran a Carfax on the car before I bought it. It had a clean title when I bought it. 6 months after I bought the car, it got stolen. I learned later that on the 3rd month I had the car, the prior owner had somehow kept their insurance on the car (even though I owned it and it was sold through a dealer) and made a claim with their company One Beacon Insurance saying the car was stolen (even though it wasn’t) and the car then got a salvage title. AMICA has not gone after the dealer who sold me the car or the individual who committed insurance fraud (or even One Beacon Insurance for that matter), despite the fact that they know who did this. AMICA has also decided to not fix my car, they haven’t paid for the damages and they won’t replace the car with an equivalent model or pay the blue book value. They simply denied my claim. I’m now left with a salvage vehicle that has been striped down and abused and a lawsuit with AMICA which I plan to win. What is the point of insurance if the company won’t even provide the service you have been paying them for?

    My car got stolen in Rhode Island where they have their headquarters. I have had a nightmare experience with AMICA. If you are considering a cheeper insurance, it’s worth it because it absolutely can’t get any worse than AMICA. If you currently have AMICA, I recommend you switch to another insurance company right away. God forbid you need to count on them for something.

  3. I know this is an old story, but I recently attempted to get insurance through them. It was denied because I was rear-ended 2 years ago. There were no injuries and no claims were made. Glad I found out about the company before I switched.