PROGRESSIVE AUTO INSURANCE REVIEW | MONEY

Every driver needs auto insurance, but choosing a company requires more than a quick rate comparison. In this Progressive Auto Insurance review, you’ll learn the highlights of buying your policy as well as the company’s strengths and types of coverage it offers. Continue reading to find out if Progressive is right for you.

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Progressive Auto Insurance Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Rewards for good driving
  • Rideshare insurance options
  • Competitive rates for drivers with DUI

Cons

  • Most expensive teen driver rates
  • Low customer loyalty
  • Auto shops generally give policies a C rating

Pros explained

Rewards for good driving

Progressive is one of the first companies to offer usage-based auto insurance called Snapshot. This program calculates your rates based on your driving habits. If the telemetry indicates you are a safe driver, your rates are likely to be lower.

Rideshare insurance options

Unlike other auto insurers, Progressive offers rideshare auto insurance plans. Rideshare companies provide insurance to drivers. However, their coverage doesn’t fully protect drivers. Progressive understands this problem. As a result, Progressive requires rideshare insurance if you work in this industry to bridge the gap.

Competitive rates for drivers with DUI

Progressive also offers auto insurance to high-risk drivers, including those with DUIs. Additionally, Progressive provides SR-22 insurance plans and plans for people with poor credit, offering better rates than other companies.

Cons explained

Most expensive teen driver rates

While Progressive offers competitive rates, it isn’t necessarily the best cheap car insurance provider. This is especially true for teen drivers, as you’ll likely pay more when insuring a teen driver if you choose Progressive.

You can request different limits and coverage options with a Progressive auto insurance quote. Of course, your choices affect your rates. Quadrant Information Services finds that Progressive’s rates are just above the national average for adult drivers.

If you’re wondering how much car insurance typically costs, the national average is $1,442 annually. Progressive’s average cost is $1,533.

Low customer loyalty

Customer loyalty measures how likely a customer is to stay with their current policy. Additionally, it measures how likely a customer is to recommend the company to friends and families.

Unfortunately, Progressive doesn’t fare well by these measures, despite the loyalty program it offers to reward customers for sticking with its policies. Customers earn rewards after one, three and five years. However, only 30% of policyholders say they’re likely to recommend Progressive to others. Policy costs rank as one of the leading causes of low customer loyalty.

Auto shops generally give policies a C rating

Auto shops handle the repairs vehicles need after collisions. Unfortunately, auto shops issue low ratings for Progressive claims. One of the primary complaints from customers is their freedom to choose the auto shop they want to use.

Progressive Auto Insurance Plans

Progressive offers every type of auto insurance coverage you could want. Because of their wide range of offerings, anyone can find a commercial auto insurance policy through Progressive to suit their needs.

Bodily injury and property damage liability insurance

Liability insurance is the most basic and common form of car insurance. You can buy a policy that provides bodily injury and property damage liability insurance to protect against accidents you cause.

If you cause an accident, liability insurance covers the financial costs for the other driver. Victims can receive compensation from your plan for medical bills, property damage, lost wages and funeral costs. Your liability plan also covers legal fees if the victim sues you.

Comprehensive coverage

Progressive also offers full-coverage insurance plans, including comprehensive coverage. Comprehensive primarily covers non-driving accidents, such as theft. In addition, you can choose the insurance deductible for the policy.

Fully protecting your car also requires adding collision coverage, which protects you if you cause a collision. You can also choose the collision deductible with this coverage.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

Uninsured driver coverage protects you when an uninsured driver causes a collision. Similarly, underinsured motorist coverage protects you when the at-fault driver lacks sufficient coverage.

Medical payments insurance

Progressive lets you add medical payments insurance to your auto policy. This coverage pays for doctor visits, medical tests and other healthcare needs after you sustain injuries in a car accident. The coverage limits vary, but you can choose from $1,000 to $25,000 of coverage.

Progressive Snapshot

You can request a Progressive auto insurance quote based on your current demographics, driving record and location. However, you can also opt into the Progressive Snapshot plan. Progressive Snapshot uses a plug-in device or cellphone app to record your driving habits.

It measures your speed, how quickly you stop, and other variables. Then, Progressive determines your rates based on these factors. Safe driving habits lead to lower rates, while erratic patterns yield higher rates. This plan is usage-based, so the costs vary from month to month.

Rideshare insurance

Uber and Lyft are two of the most common ridesharing companies. When you sign up to offer driving services through these companies, they provide you with some insurance protection. However, Progressive requires rideshare workers to add extra rideshare insurance coverage to their plans.

Insurance riders

Insurance riders add extra coverage to a policy for things the policy doesn’t cover. Progressive offers a variety of riders to drivers, including gap insurance. Gap coverage, also called loan/lease payoff, pays the deficit if you total a car. The deficit is the difference between your car’s loan balance and its value.

Progressive also offers accident forgiveness. If you have a clean driving record for five years, this program “forgives” an accident, meaning your rates won’t go up if you file a claim.

You can also purchase roadside assistance through Progressive auto insurance. Roadside assistance provides you with protection from car-related problems. For example, you can receive assistance from an on-call technician if you lock yourself out of your car, get a flat tire, need towing services or run out of gas.

Additionally, Progressive offers a unique plan option called Name Your Price. You can suggest your price through this tool, and the tool then offers you a plan that fits your budget.

Limitations

Progressive is known for offering quotes to all drivers, regardless of their driving records. As a result, there are few limitations, and anyone can request an auto insurance quote from Progressive.

Progressive Credentials

Progressive has strong financial stability ratings, although its ratings are lower than those of some of its competitors. However, Progressive has earned many impressive awards.

Awards

Progressive is regularly ranked as one of the top companies to work for. U.S. Veterans Magazine has named Progressive on its Best of the Best: Top Veteran-Friendly Companies list for seven years in a row. Progressive also made the list of the Best Workplaces for Parents in 2022, its sixth consecutive year on this list.

Financial stability

AM Best issues an A+ rating to Progressive for its financial stability. Standard & Poor assigns an AA rating for financial stability, and Moody gives it the third-highest rating possible, Aa2.

Third-party ratings

According to J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Auto Insurance Study, Progressive ranked 820 out of 1,000 on overall customer satisfaction. The Better Business Bureau, however, rates Progressive with an F.

Regulatory actions

Progressive currently faces a class action lawsuit in New York. The lawsuit alleges that Progressive reduces the amounts given to claimants due to unlawful adjustments.

However, Progressive takes sustainability seriously. It offers an annual Corporate Sustainability Report outlining the company’s environmental and social actions.

Progressive Auto Insurance Accessibility

Getting a quote from Progressive auto insurance is simple, and its products are readily available across the U.S.

Availability

Progressive car insurance is available in all 50 states, although not all states offer the same plans and discounts. Drivers in New York and California pay the cheapest rates. You can purchase a plan through an agent or buy auto insurance through Progressive Direct, which lets you buy a plan from the company directly.

Progressive also has a prominent digital presence, providing many avenues for customer education. For example, it offers a resource center online to answer questions.

Contact Information

You can contact Progressive through a chat button on the company’s website.

You can also reach Progressive customer service by phone at 1-888-671-4405. The mailing address is 6300 Wilson Mills Rd., Mayfield Village, OH 44143.

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Customer Satisfaction

Progressive’s reviews tend to be mostly positive across individual reviewers. However, it has received several complaints.

Customer reviews

Most consumers like the insurance products Progressive offers but feel the prices are slightly high. Additionally, consumers complain about Progressive’s customer service experience.

However, most consumers feel satisfied when settling Progressive auto insurance claims. The average time it takes to settle a claim is 10 days. In many polls, Progressive ranks as one of the best auto insurance companies.

One area in which Progressive dominates the industry is discounts. Progressive offers dozens of discounts to qualifying individuals. For example, it sells homeowners and life insurance, and you can get a bundling discount if you buy multiple policies from the company. Additionally, it offers discounts for loyalty, good students and using paperless statements.

Complaint Index

The NAIC complaint index rates Progressive at 1.45, which means it received more complaints than average car insurers. Poor customer service is one of the top complaints from customers. Additionally, customers complain about the company raising their rates, as well as issues settling claims for accurate amounts.

Progressive Auto Insurance FAQ

How do you file a claim with Progressive Auto Insurance?

Progressive offers several methods for filing a claim. You can contact your insurance agent or log in to your online account. You can also use the mobile app to initiate a claim and track its status.

How do you cancel Progressive Auto Insurance?

You can call Progressive at (855) 347-3939 if you decide to cancel your insurance policy. Additionally, you can cancel your plan through the mobile app or your online account. However, before canceling your plan, learning how to switch car insurance the correct way is vital.

Who owns Progressive Auto Insurance company?

Progressive is a publicly traded company owned by its shareholders. It trades under the name PGR on the New York Stock Exchange. Progressive's largest shareholders include The Vanguard Group, BlackRock Fund Advisors, SSGA Funds Management and Wellington Management, which have a combined ownership of 20%.

How does Progressive Snapshot work?

Progressive Snapshot is a unique program that helps you control how much you pay for your car insurance. When enrolling, you agree to let Progressive monitor your driving habits. You can do this in several ways, including through an app. Then, Progressive analyzes your driving habits and bills you accordingly. The average person saves $156 annually by enrolling in this program. Of course, depending on how you drive, you might save more or less. Choosing the Snapshot program differs from asking for a traditional Progressive auto insurance quote. This program primarily benefits people who don't drive at night and those who drive very little.

How we Evaluated Progressive Auto Insurance

In this Progressive Auto Insurance review, we considered the following factors:

  • Products and policy options
  • Ratings and customer satisfaction
  • Awards
  • Costs
  • Pros and cons
  • Comparisons with other insurance companies

Summary of Money’s Progressive Auto Insurance Review

Progressive auto insurance offers rideshare insurance and competitive rates for high-risk drivers. It also rewards policyholders for good driving records. While its prices are slightly higher than many competitors, it’s one of the largest car insurance companies in the U.S., with mostly positive customer reviews and remains a popular choice. Progressive provides a compelling digital experience for consumers that makes it simple to get a quote and find the best plan for you from among its many offerings.

© Copyright 2023 Money Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This article originally appeared on Money.com and may contain affiliate links for which Money receives compensation. Opinions expressed in this article are the author's alone, not those of a third-party entity, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed. Offers may be subject to change without notice. For more information, read Money’s full disclaimer.

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