Posted by: LK Lam

EDITOR’S RATING 2.5 / 5 PROS

• Affordable option for high-risk drivers who struggle to buy coverage elsewhere.
• Online claims filing by mobile app.

CONS

• Limited coverage options and discounts.
• Complaints about customer service, confusing website, and claims service.
• No reward for safe driving.

The General Review Summary: The General is one of the few companies in the auto insurance industry that sells policies to drivers with a history of traffic violations and accidents. Not only that, but The General offers traditional auto coverage options at affordable prices, throwing a lifeline to drivers who might be struggling to purchase coverage elsewhere.

Although The General has competitive rates, it doesn’t have as many coverage options and discounts as its better-known competitors. Interestingly, given the high-risk drivers it insures, The General does not provide any incentives to promote safe driving habits. The General’s lackluster website also makes it hard to nail down coverage and discount details. Prospective customers must request a quote in order to learn more about their options.

In the sections below, you can learn more about The General’s auto insurance offerings, including what customers are unhappy with and how they measure up against top competitors.

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• WalletHub: 3.8/5 (50 user reviews)
• Better Business Bureau: A+ rating (accredited through its holding company, PGC Holdings)
• J.D. Power: Not ranked
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC): In 2018, The General received more complaints than other similarly-sized auto insurers.

Customer complaints against The General consistently pan their customer service and insurance purchasing process, using words like “sloppy,” “confusing,” and “rude.” Customers also found the bare-bones website to be unhelpful, and some complained that they did not understand the details of the policies they purchased. In terms of financial strength, The General has received an A (Excellent) rating from A.M. Best, which is a reliable rating but less stellar than other companies in the industry.

Fun Fact: The General Automobile Insurance Company was acquired by American Family Insurance in 2012, but it has remained a separate entity that sells car insurance policies. Former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal is a spokesman for the company.

The General Insurance Coverage Options

The General auto insurance offers all the traditional coverage options that are typically required by state laws. These include bodily injury liability, property damage liability, personal injury protection, uninsured/underinsured motorist, collision, and comprehensive.

In additional to these major coverage categories, drivers can further customize their auto policies with special add-ons to provide enhanced protections and benefits.

Extra Coverage and Benefit Options from The General:

• Rental Reimbursement: Covers the cost of a rental car if your vehicle is in the shop for repairs after an accident. Policyholders must have comprehensive or collision coverage in order to purchase this add-on. The rental limit is $30/day for up to 30 days.
• Custom Equipment: Covers the cost of custom sound systems, wheels, headlights, etc., if they are damaged in an accident. In order to purchase this optional protection, policyholders must have comprehensive and collision coverage.
• Roadside Assistance: Covers the cost of towing, battery service, lockout service, and fuel delivery. In order to purchase this optional coverage, policyholders must have comprehensive and collision coverage.
• Deductible Waiver – Safety Equipment/Glass: Waives your deductible when you file a claim for broken vehicle equipment. In order to purchase this coverage, policyholders must be residents of Arizona or Connecticut and have both comprehensive and collision coverage.

The availability of these coverage and benefit options vary by state.

Specialty Types of Auto Insurance from The General:

Commercial Auto Insurance for individuals who use their vehicles for business purposes, including ridesharing services. This specialty auto policy is not prominently advertised on the company’s website, and there is not much policy information beyond a general description – requiring prospective customers to contact an agent for more details.

Mexico Tourist Auto Insurance for individuals who need to purchase liability and other coverage options for driving in Mexico. The General offers this policy through a third-party provider, the International Insurance Group.

The General also offers insurance policies for motorcycles, boats, motor homes, ATVs, and snowmobiles.

The General Car Insurance Quotes

Age	Clean Driving Record	Poor Driving Record
21 years old	$310 / month	$319 / month
30 years old	$139 / month	$143/ month
42 years old	$124/ month	$128 / month

Premiums may vary by state and level of insurance purchased. Learn more about how WalletHub obtained these sample quotes from our Methodology.

The General Insurance Discounts

• Double-Deductible Discount: When you elect to double your comprehensive and collision deductibles for the first 45 days your auto insurance policy is in effect. This is a one-time discount.
• Good Student Discount: For maintaining a “B” average or better or for making the “Dean’s List” or honor roll.
• Driver Training Discount: When you complete a driver training course within 5 years of your auto policy’s effective date. The course cannot be mandated by a court.
• Transfer Discount: For switching your auto insurance policy to The General. To qualify, you must have maintained continuous coverage for the past 6 months with your old insurance company.
• Military Discount: For active military personnel based in Louisiana who are serving full time in the U.S. armed services.

The availability, eligibility, and other details for these discounts vary by state.

The General Insurance vs. Popular Alternatives

Insurer	The General	Progressive	GEICO	Allstate
Average Annual Premium	$2,312	$3,422	$3,546	$4,949
WalletHub Ranking (total of 46 companies)	3rd	17th	21st	40th
Complaints Score (lower is best)	2.67	0.70	0.84	0.88

Methodology

In order to determine The General’s ranking in the auto insurance industry, WalletHub’s editors reviewed the policies offered by the largest and most popular car insurance companies in the U.S. This allowed us to identify the relative strengths and weaknesses of each company as well as the types of consumers each is best positioned to serve.

WalletHub’s car insurance rating for The General is based several key factors that are particularly important to car insurance shoppers.

• Customer reviews
• Watchdog ratings
• Coverage options
• Coverage limits
• Claims process
• Customer service
• Transparency
• Cost

To gauge the level of customers satisfaction at The General and other companies, WalletHub calculates a complaints score for each insurer. This score is the ratio of each insurer’s share of all U.S. car insurance complaints over its share of annual premiums for private passenger auto policies. In other words, the complaints score represents the number of complaints adjusted to the size of the auto insurer. The adjustment is necessary, as larger companies tend to receive more complaints.

Assumptions for The General Car Insurance Quotes:

• Gender: Male
• Marital Status: Single
• State: California
• Car: Honda Accord
• Comprehensive Deductible: $250
• Collision Deductible: $500 (deductible waiver add-on included)

Coverage Type	Coverage Limit
Bodily Injury	$100,000/person $300,000/accident
Property Damage	$50,000
Medical Payments	$5,000
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (Bodily Injury)	$30,000/person $60,000/accident

For price comparison, WalletHub obtained quotes from major auto insurers for at least 30 cities in California. We collected quotes from the state regulator’s database for drivers varying in age and driving record. For our quotes, a poor record assumes at least one at-fault accident or one traffic violation. California was chosen given that it is the most populous state in the U.S., and it lands in the middle of WalletHub’s price rankings for car insurance.

For more car insurance research, check out WalletHub’s 2019 Cheap Car Insurance Study. And if you have experience with The General car insurance that you think might help other consumers, you can also write a review for The General car insurance.

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