Esurance launched in 1999 on the tail end of the dot-com boom of the 1990s. With a mission to streamline the complicated process of shopping for and choosing insurance, Esurance still strives to modernize the industry and keep pace with changes as new technology develops. If you need extra reassurance about the insurer’s stability, consider that Allstate, one of the largest insurers in the country, owns it.
Whether you want to know how to get an Esurance quote or if you need to learn more about the insurer to decide whether it’s a good option for you, read on to discover the positive and not-so-positive characteristics of Esurance.
The Not So Good
As you explore the variety of coverage options, you may notice that Esurance lacks a few key options, including mechanical repairs beyond routine maintenance, new car replacement and coverage for personal belongings in your car during an accident. Additionally, although online payments are standard with Esurance, if you want to pay over the phone or by mailing a check, you are unable to do so with this insurance company. A 2015 survey by J.D. Power ranks Esurance as below average in overall satisfaction.
The Good
Esurance users often praise the company’s easy-to-use website and interactive tools that make it easy to get an Esurance quote and to choose the type of coverage that’s right for you and your family. It also offers modern mobile apps that make this an ideal option if you like to do everything on your own instead of go through an agent or speak to someone on the phone. Esurance has mobile apps that are easy to use and navigate and 24-hour claim service in addition to its multiple coverage options and discounts that let you save on your premiums. A.M. Best gives Esurance an A+ rating for financial stability.
Esurance Auto Insurance
Vehicle insurance is one of Esurance’s primary products. The company provides insurance options for cars, motorcycles, ATVs, boats, RVs, snowmobiles and more. Its CoverageMyWay tool uses technology to help you find the coverage options that are right for you. When you use the car insurance quote tool, it combines algorithms with your personal information, including your driving history and vehicle information, to come up with personalized options that feature various coverage amounts.
Coverage Options
You can opt for comprehensive coverage, which covers necessary repairs to your vehicle after a non-accident event such as natural disaster or theft. Collision coverage covers any property damage to other people’s property or vehicles in an accident that you cause. Policies through Esurance include three main categories: liability, medical and personal injury protection. Esurance also offers optional extras such as gap coverage, customized equipment coverage and rental car coverage.
Personal Injury Protection: This covers any medical expenses for you or your passengers after an accident. The coverage typically includes lost wages, hospitalization costs and rehabilitation costs. This option is required in no-fault states, which include:
- Pennsylvania
- Florida
- New Jersey
- New York
- Michigan
- Hawaii
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Massachusetts
- Utah
- North Dakota
- Minnesota
- Puerto Rico
Medical Payments: This coverage pays for medical care that you and/or your passengers need after a car accident. It also includes funeral expenses and coverage if you’re struck while walking or biking.
Liability: Most states have laws that require you to have liability coverage. This coverage pays for medical care, lost wages and damaged property for other passengers and drivers hurt or damaged in an accident for which you’re at fault. Each state determines its minimum limits of liability coverage, and you’re able to choose higher amounts for your insurance policy coverage. This type of coverage is commonly expressed using a three-tier figure.
For example, for a 25/50/15 policy, the insurer pays $25,000 toward the injury-related expenses for each person involved, up to a $50,000 maximum for each accident. The insurer also pays $15,000 for any property damage in the accident.
Esurance Apps
The company’s mobile app lets you pay your bill, submit photos, call a tow truck and file a claim. Esurance also offers extra apps such as DriveSafe, which provides the ability for parents to track their kids’ driving abilities, and the Fuelcaster, which predicts gas prices to let you know when and where you can get deals on gas prices.
Esurance Home Insurance
This type of coverage protects your home and personal property from damage incurred during a variety of natural and human causes, including fires, explosions, riots, theft, ice and windstorms. Homeowners insurance from Esurance typically excludes the following:
- Mold
- Water damage
- Fungus
- Vermin
- Wear and tear
- Deterioration
- Floods
- Earthquakes
Coverage
All Esurance homeowners policies feature basic coverage that you can adjust to suit your needs. This includes:
- Dwelling protection, which covers the financial loss of your home if it’s damaged in a covered disaster
- Other Structures protection, which covers the unattached structures, such as fences, sheds and carports, on your property
- Additional Living Expenses coverage, which pays for temporary relocation costs
- Personal Property insurance, which protects your belongings
- Family Liability, which gives you protection from the costs associated with legal liability if you cause injury or property damage to someone else
- Guest Medical protection, which pays the medical bills for anyone who sustains injury while on your property
Esurance Renters Insurance
Renters insurance is a valuable tool that protects you from the loss of your personal property in the event of a disaster. Your landlord has coverage on the building, but that doesn’t cover your personal property and belongings. Esurance’s renters insurance provides coverage for:
- Personal Liability: Coverage that protects you in the event that someone is injured in your rental or in an accident you cause
- Medical Payments: Pays the medical bills for guests who are injured on your property
- Property Damage to Others: Covers you if you break someone else’s property or damage it in an accident
Bottom Line
Esurance isn’t your only option if you want to shop for insurance online, but it offers an excellent starting point. Easy-to-use online tools let you quickly get a quote for insurance, and you can compare that to quotes from at least two or three other insurance companies to find the one that works well for you.
