UPDATED: Jul 28, 2020
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About Harleysville Insurance
Harleysville Insurance was created in its namesake city as an automobile insurance association, and it was chartered in 1917 to meet legal requirements two years after it began operations. Originally two companies, Mutual Auto Theft Insurance Company and Mutual Auto Fire Insurance Company, by 1933 they were operating as one under the Harleysville Mutual Casualty Company name.
The Casualty was dropped in 1956, and the group added a life insurance branch in 1960. Multiple acquisitions over the following decades led to the company’s IPO in the mid-1980s. More acquisitions followed, with the company eventually reaching a merger deal with Nationwide in 2011. That merger was completed the following year.
The company continued to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary for several more years before Nationwide decided to re-brand and bring all of their group of companies under the main name. All Harleysville policies are now Nationwide policies and all underwriting, claims, and administration handled under that name. As of the time of this review, Harleysville no longer operates as an individual company. All searches for the company redirect to the Nationwide website, and the Harleysville website is no longer in operation.
Prior to this merger, Harleysville had moved into the writing of mainly commercial insurance policies. All of these policies are now Nationwide policies.
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About Nationwide
Nationwide Insurance is one of the biggest insurance groups in the nation and sits at number 66 on the Fortune 500 list for 2018.
Over the past few decades, they have acquired a large number of smaller companies and groups, making their insurance offerings some of the most comprehensive of any company. In particular, Nationwide is one of the few that actually underwrites almost everything they offer, from auto insurance to pet insurance.
For more on Nationwide and its products and reputation, read our full review of the company here.
For a list of companies that we recommend, visit our Best Insurance Companies page.
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Review Information
About Eric Stauffer
I am a former insurance agent and banker turned consumer advocate. My priority is to help educate individuals and families about the different types of insurance they need, and assist them in finding the best place to get it.
This is Matt again,
Harleysville finally agreed to go to court after three years, but not until they made me sign a document stating I can’t come after them for bad faith, in trust all would drop all lawsuits against me my son and all companies. After selling my home and assets to keep the business running, and massive borrowing and no work because of the lawsuits along with my credit damaged.
Everyone demanded I sign it, to get rid of the lawsuits and so the plaintiff could see relief as they had no resolve and in massive debt from medical bills.
I signed it and it went to court and Harleysville was found that they should have provided coverage from the beginning as my policy clearly read.
This was complete bad faith and after paying them over 300,000 in premiums.
We were left with defense bills ( which per insurance Harleysville should have provided but instead denied and excepted no responsibility )
And we lost nearly 2 million in revenue, 300,000 in premiums paid to Harleysville that returned no defense or coverage for over 3 years, and debt borrowed of 400,000.
God bless the plaintiff for getting their settlement final so they can move on but we will be battling a discussing debt load because of Harleysville forever!
They put my companies and family in ruin!!!!!
They sent a letter to me that my policy coverage ceases before upcoming renewal on 7/7/2018. The reason is because my daughter was involved in an at-fault accident in 2017 resulting in $616.99 property damage and $5,000.00 bodily injury paid. This action is really stupid because that’s why we all bought insurance for, right? An accident could be your fault or someone else’s fault. This company is on my bottom list.
Worse company ever!!! They agree to an amount but when the time comes to pay it they all of sudden deny the claim for no reason. They didn’t even pursue the other insurance just denied and closed the claim.
What kind of company doesn’t work with their clients. They are there to get the money you owe them monthly but when it is time to pay out they don’t want to part with it. Hello I paid in thousand upon thousands of dollars and yet a thousand dollar claim you deny and close without any reason or working with other insurance company! I thought you get insurance to protect yourself against others you shouldn’t have to protect yourself from your own insurance company. DO NOT EVER and I mean EVER go with this company. They don’t even deserve one star! The deserve negative stars!!
Have been with Harleysville since 1976. Combined home and auto insurance. Zero claims on the auto policy. 1 small $500 claim 8 years ago on the homeowners. Until about 4-5 years ago the rates seemed reasonable. My bill has doubled in the past 4-5 years. Same coverage. They think since I have been with them 40 years I will never change companies. WRONG! Goodbye Harleysville.
DO NOT PURCHASE insurance through Harleysville. They cancelled our workman’s comp policy and then a year later hit us with a $6,000 audit bill. They are crooks. It was their error in why they didn’t get paid. I recommend that no one EVER purchase company insurance, whether liability, workman’s comp, or commercial auto through this company. I am turning them into the Attorney General, the Better Business Bureau and I am going to flood Facebook, and all media outlets to and I will let everyone know who has this insurance to leave immediately unless they want to be taken advantage of in the worst way! Very unethical company!!!
I was involved in an auto accident insured by Harleysville group Insurance and this is when my nightmare began. Nationwide low-balled the repair estimate comparing repair costs to a luxury Mercedes Benz to a more common domestic car. None of the local shops have knowledge of how to remove plastic parts or make suitable repairs to this vehicle. The bottom line: Nationwide/Harleysville expects band-aid repairs using discount parts and demands these are the same quality as the factory parts made in Germany. The personnel handling this claim are argumentative who deny their company is financially responsible for actual repair costs and blames unqualified shops for accident damage by abusing their economic influence… 18 months after this accident, my car still has unfinished repairs and no shop will even consider the repairs because there is no guarantee the insurance will pay for repair costs by pushing the burden of financial responsibility upon the consumer.
I had been with Harleysville Insurance for 2 years. They had low premiums, so went with them for my auto insurance. At the end of the second year, I was involved in an accident and my car was totaled. The amount they were offering was less than what could buy a similar car. When I asked the adjuster what does total mean and how much they must pay me. There was no reply from my adjuster. I had to follow up 4 times by phone and 3 times by email. Finally he called me after about 20 days and agreed that for total, they must pay me enough money that can buy a similar car from a dealer within 25 miles of my residence. I asked him to show me a single similar car available for sale at the price they are offering. He said he will email me. It has been a month. I have sent like 10 emails but no reply so far. I had even escalated to their claim department a week ago but still nothing so far. What kind of insurance company refrains from replying to customer.
I am never going to choose this company for insurance in future.
I thought Harleysville was a strong company that can and would protect you?
I was wrong!
Harleysville, lets company down and many folks will be losing there jobs!!!!
I have been a strong client of them for many years, holding over 5 million on a policy for my construction company and paying them many thousands of dollars per year.
i had a company truck paid for and serviced by my company and i bought a new one and let my son who works for the company barrow it as to go to job sites and to and from work,
with our company letters he had a personal injury accident,
Harleysville denies claim, we are going down because of it,
Thanks Harleysville,