Allstate Insurance Testimonials

Initial Impressions
After visiting the Allstate web site (see review of that below) I found their quote to be extremely fair. I'm a young first time car buyer living in the San Francisco area and they quoted me a price well below any quotes I had received from Progressive or State Farm. The one quote they couldn't beat was from USAA, but being that I wasn't in the army, I didn't qualify to be a member. darn!

24 Hour Service
Allstate also promotes that they are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions you have, activate an account, or process any claims. So at 7am in the morning I gave them a call.

Activating An Account
This is a pretty simple process. If you research a quote online they will give you an easy reference number to use when you call. This reference number already contains much of your driving history and personal information. After a quick DMV check and verification of address information, Allstate is ready to activate your account. I received a packet in the mail that clearly defined my policy and what was needed from me to complete the process.

Customer Support
Probably my favorite reason for opening up an account with Allstate is the nice customer support I received. The agent was very polite and even cracked a few jokes to lighten up the conversation. The agent also went out of her way to make sure that I knew about their various reductions. After a few questions it was determined that I qualified for all of their reductions.

Discounts
One particular reduction that I surprisingly qualified for was the low mileage driver. This is what put a smile on my face. The Allstate agent asked me how many miles I drove a year. I told her 10,000. She asked in return, "do you think you would drive less than that?" I answered that I might. She then proceeded to put on my account that I drive less than 7,000 miles a year and therefore qualify for the low mileage reduction. I couldn't believe it! She was actually trying to find ways for me to save money, including stretching the truth!

Costs
Allstate is by far the most inexpensive auto insurance you will find. Their rates are low especially for first time car buyers. Similar to any insurance carrier the more accidents or tickets you have the higher your premium will be. But Allstate normally charges considerably less for their insurance and always try to find ways for you to save even more money.

Allstate Website
Allstate web site is full of information. You can receive an online quote (if you are not a member) or access your account and even pay your statements online. They also allow you to step up an automatic payment schedule that will deduct your monthly bill from your checking account. You can also do research on what each "coverage" is and what it protects you from. I found their web site extremely easy to use, very informative, and full of features.

Claims
So far I haven't had any experience with their claims department. I don't plan to. If I ever do, I'll update my opinion.

Competitors
Every year I get a call or someone challenges me ..."Let's see if we can give you a better rate!" I think this is amusing, so I say, "sure". They give me a quote and I let them know what I'm paying. They turn red and run. Oh, the small joys in life. Sometimes I just say matter of factly "I have Allstate" and they run. I have to wonder though, why is everyone else's price so high?

Payment Options
Direct withdraw, over the automated phone, through customer service phone, personal check, personal check online, credit card over phone, credit card online, or in their office. They are adapt to get your money. You can also pay in full for the year or monthly.

Claims
After 9 years my payments finally came back to me. Some bad-bad boys stole my car and damaged it to the point that it could not be driven. Here was the moment of truth. The lady was very helpful when I placed my claim and described what I could expect.

Local Agent
My file was given to the local agent that specializes in theft in my area. He is the one that takes care of the paperwork and assigns the adjusters. He set up a rental car for me. No, I mean he set up an open tab on Allstate's account and we didn't have to pay anything for it. The insurance that I had paid for my personal car rolled over to my rental so I didn't have to pay extra to insure the rental. Enterprise brought the car to me. I had the $ for the car seat that was stolen within 2 days. He said the adjuster would look at the car within 24 hours.

Adjuster
I got a call from the adjuster within 24 hours before I had even gotten there to see the car. He wrote me a check right then for one of the repairs. The repair shop had to take a look at the engine and transmission to determine the damage done and if it could be repaired. Those repairs were set up on the Allstate tab and paid directly to the garage so I didn't even have to do anything. All I paid was my $250 deductible.

Allstate Repair Center
My car was towed to a Allstate repair center recommended by the police. This place did an excellent job of fixing the car.

Homeowners
I have been thinking about this for a year and as soon as my commitment is up I'm going to move my homeowners to Allstate. I've been with State Farm and need to move on. The best thing about their homeowners is that it covers the amount regardless of what's inside.
If you have 30K of computers and 10K of household stuff Allstate will insure you for a straight 40K. State Farm on the other hand will only give you $10K for computers. If you want to insure them for 30K you can PAY for an additional $20K policy to be added and you have to get serial numbers and make a big deal about it.

Roadside Assistance
Again, another way to simplify my life. I've used AAA and although I don't have any complaints, I'm not jumping up and down. Allstate offers a very competitive package.

Conclusion
Allstate is a full service car insurance company who treat you right even if you are a young first time car buyer. Their rates are unbeatable (2003 note: they were unbeatable...I found a lower rate at 21st Century) and their customer support staff knowledgeable and polite. Plus they look out for you and try to find ways to reduce your bill. Overall, I am a satisfied customer, who is willing to send in my payments when they are due. Beginning with two generations before, my family has been served by allstate for probably 40+ years now. I have been a happy customer for 17 years, but you will not find me in their ads.

Recommend Allstate
Yes