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| Geico Overview | Details |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1936 |
| Current Executives | Tony Nicely - Executive Chairman Bill Roberts - President and CEO |
| Number of Employees | 40,000 |
| Total Assets (2017) | $32 billion |
| HQ Address | 5260 Western Avenue Chevy Chase, MD 20815 |
| Phone Number | 1-800-841-3000 |
| Company Website | www.geico.com |
| Premiums Written (Auto, 2017) | $29,596,404 |
| Loss Ratio | 77.14% |
| Best For | Budget shoppers |
Geico is one of the biggest names in car insurance and has been growing steadily thanks to a reputation for low prices and simplifying the process of buying a policy.
Although the company seems to have exploded onto the insurance scene in the past few decades, they have been around for more than 80 years.
Geico’s direct buy approach to car insurance originally set them apart from the traditional agent-sales method and promises a straightforward process with lower rates thanks to the lack of agent commissions and added overhead.
There’s no question that Geico is a low-cost car insurance company, but are they a good choice for your needs?
Choosing the right car insurance company and policy can be stressful, and it’s hard to dig through all of the promises and advertising to get to the bottom line about a company like Geico. You need straight facts, and you need them all in one place.
This review will do just that for you. We’ve gathered everything you need to know to decide if Geico is a good pick for your car insurance – or not.
We’ll cover Geico’s history, their ratings from major agencies as well as customer complaints, their rates for a variety of situations, and what kind of coverage they have to offer you.
Geico Ratings
Let’s start with the basics – how does Geico rate? There are a number of different rating services and agencies out there that grade insurance companies. Take a look at how Geico stacks up, and then we’ll go over what each of these ratings means.
| Ratings Agency | Rating |
|---|---|
| A.M. Best | A++ |
| Better Business Bureau | B+ |
| Moody's | Aa1 |
| S&P | AA+ |
| NAIC Complaint Index | 0.80 |
| JD Power | Claims Satisfaction 3/5 Shopping Study 3/5 |
| Consumer Reports | 89 |
You’ve probably heard of most of these, but might not be sure what each of the scores represents.
First, AM Best, where Geico has the top score available of A++ (Superior). This is a financial strength rating and means Geico is very financially stable and unlikely to have any difficulty keeping its promise to customers – paying claims, that is.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a consumer organization that accepts complaints and monitors companies’ response.
They rate based on the number of complaints by the size of the business, company response rate, and several other factors. Geico is currently down a few notches with the BBB due to their failure to respond to one complaint.
In the past three years, 3,129 complaints were filed with the BBB against Geico. That number looks huge, but considering how big Geico is, it’s not out of line.
Both Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s (S&P) rate companies for credit-worthiness and financial stability. Geico has a very good rating with both; again that’s a good sign for the company’s future ability to handle claims.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) gathers complaint information from state insurance departments and compiles them for each company.
Since Geico actually operates as a group of companies (most large insurers do) there is more than one to choose from when looking at the complaints index.
The one shown in our chart is for the largest branch of Geico’s auto insurance market, Geico General Insurance Company.
The national median is 1.00, which brings Geico in under the average. That means they have fewer complaints than the average car insurance company.
J.D. Power rates companies in several industries based on consumer satisfaction surveys. In 2018, Geico earned three out of five on both of the national level surveys. That’s a rating of “about average”. Nothing to be concerned about, but nothing to write home about either.
When researching for this review, I did some digging for customer complaints. And whew… there are a lot of them.
Finally, Consumer Reports also uses customer surveys to rate insurance companies out of 100. Geico earned an 89, which is the same rating as State Farm and higher than major competitor Progressive, which earned 87.
If you simply look at the number of complaints filed against Geico on various online forums, it can give the impression that they are a bad company. So it is important to look at them in comparison to other companies as well as their size.
Remember how Geico just squeaked past Allstate to become the second largest auto insurer behind State Farm? Good, because that will provide some context for this section.
Allstate is roughly the same size as Geico in terms of car insurance, with State Farm being almost twice as big. But the complaint totals on ConsumerAffairs.com show a slightly different story. Although not all negative, the majority are as, in our experience, most consumers go on the internet to write a review after a bad experience:
- 2,930 Complaints – Geico
- 2,657 Complaints – State Farm
- 1,444 Complaints – AllState
The numbers on consumer complaint board Pissed Consumer show a similar pattern :
- 490 Complaints – Allstate
- 802 Complaints – Geico
- 838 Complaints – State Farm
What complicates the Pissed Consumer numbers is that they do not distinguish between the different channels of insurance each company sells. So the complaints against Allstate include complaints about auto, home, life, etc. Where Geico complaints are primarily about their auto insurance since that is the primary coverage they actually underwrite.
So a similar-sized company (Allstate) has about half the total complaints about their auto insurance, and a company nearly twice has big (State Farm) has roughly the same number of complaints. So we know on ConsumerAffairs.com that Geico is about twice as likely to garner a complaint as the other two largest auto insurers.
Overall, Geico has stellar financial ratings, but customer satisfaction ratings could be improved.
Company History
Geico stands for Government Employees Insurance Company, and it was founded in 1936 for the purpose its name implies.
They marketed products exclusively to government employees and certain classes of military officers for the first forty years of their existences. In 1974, Geico opened its products to the general public and shortly thereafter faced financial problems.
The company recovered from the difficulty of the 70s and in 1996 was acquired by Warren Buffet’s conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway.
GECIO grew quickly on a national level. In 2000 they introduced the Geico Gecko (more on that later), a marketing success that made Geico one of the most recognizable names in insurance.
By 2015, Geico had reached its current position as the second-largest car insurance company in the country. As growth continues, Geico continues to sneak up on top insurer State Farm.
In 2015, Geico held 11.41 percent of the total market share. That number went up to 11.89 percent in 2016 and up again to 12.79 percent.
As of 2017, Geico is 5.28 percent behind State Farm and climbing, while State Farm lost .19 of its share between 2016 and 2017.
Geico’s parent company, Berkshire Hathaway, sits at number three on the Fortune 500 as of 2018. You’ll sometimes see Geico listed under the Berkshire Hathaway name when looking at ratings and rankings, such as the NAIC’s market share list.
– Sales Approach
Geico is well known for taking a modern approach to selling car insurance.
Their main focus is on sales through their national call center as well as online sales, but they do also have local agents. These agents are captive and can sell only Geico products as well as products from Geico-owned companies.
Currently, only a few markets are open to agent sales:
- San Francisco, California
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Chicago, Illinois
- St. Paul, Minnesota
- Hudson Valley, New York
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Houston, Texas
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Seattle-Tacoma, Washington
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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– Commercials
Geico is pretty well known for its commercials; in fact, during the lead-up to the 2019 Super Bowl, they ran a contest asking people to vote on their favorite Geico ad of all time.
The winner didn’t feature either the Gecko or the famous Geico caveman, but rather a different character altogether, a camel.
Geico has always stuck to a pattern of lighthearted, funny commercials. The Geico caveman, from a series of commercials stating “It’s so easy even a caveman can do it” (save money with Geico, that is) even won his own sitcom on ABC.
Although the sitcom didn’t last, Geico’s use of their two most famous mascots did. Both appear on and off in new commercials.
Geico’s best-known slogan is the simple “15 minutes could save you 15 percent or more on car insurance”, which shows the company’s marketing focus on low price as a big draw.
– Community Service
Through the Geico Cares program, the company is involved in a variety of charitable efforts. These include work with Habitat for Humanity, Paw For a Cause (for homeless animals), and the Game On! program aimed at enrichment programs for underserved youth.
Geico also supports Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., which provides care to children regardless of ability to pay. The insurer has raised $3.4 million for the hospital.
The company also encourages volunteerism among employees and is dedicated to green efforts on a company-wide basis.
– Geico’s Position For The Future
Geico is looking like the company to bet on for the future, considering its ongoing growth and financial stability.
Although the company’s customer satisfaction ratings aren’t as high as they could be, that doesn’t seem to be affecting their growth. An improvement in that area can only mean bigger things for this company.
It seems likely that they will continue to close the gap on State Farm in the next few years.
– Geico Employee Demographics and Experience
Thirty-three percent of Geico’s workforce has been with the company for less than two years according to Great Places to Work. An additional 25 percent have been there less than five years.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the company isn’t holding on to employees; a company that is growing fast hires a lot, which means there are a lot of new employees who haven’t yet reached many years of tenure.
That said, only 6 percent of Geico’s workforce has been with the company for more than 20 years.
Great Places to Work has 68 percent of Geico employees surveyed rating it as a great place to work, although the company performed well in underlying, more specific areas. 86 percent, for example, described it as a friendly place to work.
On Payscale, employees rate Geico at a 3.4 out of 5 for job satisfaction. That’s the same rating as State Farm, but a little lower than Progressive, which earned a 3.8 rating. Employees describe it has a stressful place to work, but also highly flexible.
– Awards and Accolades
Geico and parent company Berkshire Hathaway have both won a number of awards and made a lot of “best of” lists. There’s a full list on the Geico website, but here are some highlights.
Geico earned the top spot for customer loyalty on the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Index in 2017.
They were also rated in the top spot by the Kanbay Research Institute for their customer service and knowledgable staff.
Berkshire Hathaway has been named one of the 100 Most Admired Companies by Fortune for several years running, including appearing at number three on the list behind Apple and Amazon for 2019.
Cheap Car Insurance Rates
Geico is known for being cheap. It’s how the company has positioned itself and how they’ve been advertising for decades. So how low are their rates really?
Every car insurance company’s rates differ depending on a wide variety of factors. Who you are, what you drive, where you live, your driving record, and many more.
So while we can say one company has cheap rates on average, there’s no guarantee they’ll have the best rates for every possible scenario – in fact, that’s unlikely.
We’ll look at Geico’s rates from multiple angles; compared to other companies, averages across states, and for several driver-related scenarios.
– Rates By State
Here’s a look at Geico’s average rates by state. Right away it’s obvious they aren’ t the cheapest option in every state, but they do perform pretty well.
| State | Annual Premium | Higher/Lower | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $2,879.96 | -$541.56 | -18.80% |
| Alabama | $2,866.60 | -$700.36 | -24.43% |
| Arkansas | $3,484.63 | -$640.35 | -18.38% |
| Arizona | $2,264.71 | -$1,506.26 | -66.51% |
| California | $2,885.65 | -$803.28 | -27.84% |
| Colorado | $3,091.69 | -$784.70 | -25.38% |
| Connecticut | $3,073.66 | -$1,545.26 | -50.27% |
| District of Columbia | $3,692.81 | -$746.43 | -20.21% |
| Delaware | $3,727.29 | -$2,259.04 | -60.61% |
| Florida | $3,783.63 | -$896.83 | -23.70% |
| Georgia | $2,977.20 | -$1,989.63 | -66.83% |
| Hawaii | $3,358.86 | $803.22 | 23.91% |
| Iowa | $2,296.16 | -$685.12 | -29.84% |
| Idaho | $2,770.68 | -$208.41 | -7.52% |
| Illinois | $2,779.16 | -$526.33 | -18.94% |
| Indiana | $2,261.07 | -$1,153.90 | -51.03% |
| Kansas | $3,220.65 | -$58.98 | -1.83% |
| Kentucky | $4,633.59 | -$561.81 | -12.12% |
| Louisiana | $6,154.60 | $443.25 | 7.20% |
| Maine | $2,823.05 | -$130.23 | -4.61% |
| Maryland | $3,832.63 | -$750.07 | -19.57% |
| Massachusetts | $1,510.17 | -$1,168.68 | -77.39% |
| Michigan | $6,430.11 | -$4,068.53 | -63.27% |
| Minnesota | $3,498.54 | -$904.72 | -25.86% |
| Missouri | $2,885.33 | -$443.61 | -15.37% |
| Mississippi | $4,087.21 | $422.64 | 10.34% |
| Montana | $3,602.35 | $381.50 | 10.59% |
| North Carolina | $2,936.69 | -$456.42 | -15.54% |
| North Dakota | $2,668.24 | -$1,497.60 | -56.13% |
| Nebraska | $3,837.49 | $553.81 | 14.43% |
| New Hampshire | $1,615.02 | -$1,536.76 | -95.15% |
| New Jersey | $2,754.94 | -$2,760.27 | -100.19% |
| New Mexico | $4,458.30 | $994.66 | 22.31% |
| Nevada | $3,662.09 | -$1,199.61 | -32.76% |
| New York | $2,428.24 | -$1,861.64 | -76.67% |
| Ohio | $1,867.19 | -$842.53 | -45.12% |
| Oklahoma | $3,437.34 | -$704.99 | -20.51% |
| Oregon | $3,220.12 | -$247.65 | -7.69% |
| Pennsylvania | $2,605.22 | -$1,429.28 | -54.86% |
| Rhode Island | $5,602.63 | $599.27 | 10.70% |
| South Carolina | $3,178.01 | -$603.13 | -18.98% |
| South Dakota | $2,940.29 | -$1,041.98 | -35.44% |
| Tennessee | $3,283.42 | -$377.47 | -11.50% |
| Texas | $3,263.28 | -$780.00 | -23.90% |
| Utah | $2,965.57 | -$646.32 | -21.79% |
| Virginia | $2,061.53 | -$296.35 | -14.38% |
| Vermont | $2,195.71 | -$1,038.42 | -47.29% |
| Washington | $2,568.65 | -$490.67 | -19.10% |
| West Virginia | $2,120.80 | -$474.56 | -22.38% |
| Wisconsin | $3,926.20 | $320.13 | 8.15% |
| Wyoming | $3,496.56 | $296.47 | 8.48% |
In 12 states Geico’s rate comes in more than 50 percent below average. In New Jersey, the cheapest state for Geico, the rate is more than 100 percent below average.
They’re only above average in nine states. New Mexico and Hawaii are the most expensive states to have Geico and the only state where the rates are more than 20 percent above average.
– Rates Compared To Top Companies
This table shows the average rates, state by state, for the top ten companies in the United States, including Geico.
| State | Average Annual Premiums | Allstate | American Family | Farmers | Geico | Liberty Mutual | Nationwide | Progressive | State Farm | Travelers | USAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $3,421.51 | $3,145.31 | $4,153.07 | Data Not Available | $2,879.96 | $5,295.55 | Data Not Available | $3,062.85 | $2,228.12 | Data Not Available | $2,454.21 |
| Alabama | $3,566.96 | $3,311.52 | Data Not Available | $4,185.80 | $2,866.60 | $4,005.48 | $2,662.66 | $4,450.52 | $4,798.15 | $3,697.80 | $2,124.09 |
| Arkansas | $4,124.98 | $5,150.03 | Data Not Available | $4,257.87 | $3,484.63 | Data Not Available | $3,861.79 | $5,312.09 | $2,789.03 | $5,973.33 | $2,171.06 |
| Arizona | $3,770.97 | $4,904.10 | Data Not Available | $5,000.08 | $2,264.71 | Data Not Available | $3,496.08 | $3,577.50 | $4,756.25 | $3,084.74 | $3,084.29 |
| California | $3,688.93 | $4,532.96 | Data Not Available | $4,998.78 | $2,885.65 | $3,034.42 | $4,653.19 | $2,849.67 | $4,202.28 | $3,349.54 | $2,693.87 |
| Colorado | $3,876.39 | $5,537.17 | $3,733.02 | $5,290.24 | $3,091.69 | $2,797.74 | $3,739.47 | $4,231.92 | $3,270.77 | Data Not Available | $3,338.87 |
| Connecticut | $4,618.92 | $5,831.60 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $3,073.66 | $7,282.87 | $3,672.34 | $4,920.35 | $2,976.24 | $6,004.29 | $3,190.00 |
| District of Columbia | $4,439.24 | $6,468.92 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $3,692.81 | Data Not Available | $4,848.98 | $4,970.26 | $4,074.05 | Data Not Available | $2,580.44 |
| Delaware | $5,986.32 | $6,316.06 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $3,727.29 | $18,360.02 | $4,330.21 | $4,181.83 | $4,466.85 | $4,182.36 | $2,325.98 |
| Florida | $4,680.46 | $7,440.46 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $3,783.63 | $5,368.15 | $4,339.60 | $5,583.30 | $3,397.67 | Data Not Available | $2,850.41 |
| Georgia | $4,966.83 | $4,210.70 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $2,977.20 | $10,053.44 | $6,484.90 | $4,499.22 | $3,384.88 | Data Not Available | $3,157.46 |
| Hawaii | $2,555.64 | $2,173.49 | Data Not Available | $4,763.82 | $3,358.86 | $3,189.55 | $2,551.83 | $2,177.93 | $1,040.28 | Data Not Available | $1,189.35 |
| Iowa | $2,981.28 | $2,965.86 | $3,021.81 | $2,435.72 | $2,296.16 | $4,415.28 | $2,735.44 | $2,395.50 | $2,224.51 | $5,429.38 | $1,852.57 |
| Idaho | $2,979.09 | $4,088.76 | $3,728.79 | $3,168.28 | $2,770.68 | $2,301.51 | $3,032.19 | Data Not Available | $1,867.96 | $3,226.29 | $1,877.61 |
| Illinois | $3,305.48 | $5,204.41 | $3,815.31 | $4,605.20 | $2,779.16 | $2,277.65 | $2,711.81 | $3,536.65 | $2,344.88 | $2,499.76 | $2,770.21 |
| Indiana | $3,414.97 | $3,978.81 | $3,679.68 | $3,437.55 | $2,261.07 | $5,781.35 | Data Not Available | $3,898.00 | $2,408.94 | $3,393.75 | $1,630.86 |
| Kansas | $3,279.62 | $4,010.23 | $2,146.40 | $3,703.77 | $3,220.65 | $4,784.42 | $2,475.59 | $4,144.38 | $2,720.00 | $4,341.43 | $2,382.61 |
| Kentucky | $5,195.40 | $7,143.92 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $4,633.59 | $5,930.97 | $5,503.23 | $5,547.63 | $3,354.32 | $6,551.68 | $2,897.89 |
| Louisiana | $5,711.34 | $5,998.79 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $6,154.60 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $7,471.10 | $4,579.12 | Data Not Available | $4,353.12 |
| Maine | $2,953.28 | $3,675.59 | Data Not Available | $2,770.15 | $2,823.05 | $4,331.39 | Data Not Available | $3,643.59 | $2,198.68 | $2,252.97 | $1,930.79 |
| Maryland | $4,582.70 | $5,233.17 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $3,832.63 | $9,297.55 | $2,915.69 | $4,094.86 | $3,960.87 | Data Not Available | $2,744.14 |
| Massachusetts | $2,678.85 | $2,708.53 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $1,510.17 | $4,339.35 | Data Not Available | $3,835.11 | $1,361.86 | $3,537.94 | $1,458.99 |
| Michigan | $10,498.64 | $22,902.59 | Data Not Available | $8,503.60 | $6,430.11 | $20,000.04 | $6,327.38 | $5,364.55 | $12,565.52 | $8,773.97 | $3,620.00 |
| Minnesota | $4,403.25 | $4,532.01 | $3,521.29 | $3,137.45 | $3,498.54 | $13,563.61 | $2,926.49 | Data Not Available | $2,066.99 | Data Not Available | $2,861.60 |
| Missouri | $3,328.93 | $4,096.15 | $3,286.90 | $4,312.19 | $2,885.33 | $4,518.67 | $2,265.35 | $3,419.14 | $2,692.91 | Data Not Available | $2,525.78 |
| Mississippi | $3,664.57 | $4,942.11 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $4,087.21 | $4,455.94 | $2,756.53 | $4,308.85 | $2,980.48 | $3,729.32 | $2,056.13 |
| Montana | $3,220.84 | $4,672.10 | Data Not Available | $3,907.55 | $3,602.35 | $1,326.11 | $3,478.26 | $4,330.76 | $2,417.74 | Data Not Available | $2,031.89 |
| North Carolina | $3,393.11 | $7,190.43 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $2,936.69 | $2,182.71 | $2,848.03 | $2,382.61 | $3,078.65 | $3,132.66 | Data Not Available |
| North Dakota | $4,165.84 | $4,669.31 | $3,812.40 | $3,092.49 | $2,668.24 | $12,852.83 | $2,560.35 | $3,623.06 | $2,560.53 | Data Not Available | $2,006.80 |
| Nebraska | $3,283.68 | $3,198.83 | $2,215.13 | $3,997.29 | $3,837.49 | $6,241.52 | $2,603.94 | $3,758.01 | $2,438.71 | Data Not Available | $2,330.78 |
| New Hampshire | $3,151.77 | $2,725.01 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $1,615.02 | $8,444.41 | $2,491.10 | $2,694.45 | $2,185.46 | Data Not Available | $1,906.96 |
| New Jersey | $5,515.21 | $5,713.58 | Data Not Available | $7,617.00 | $2,754.94 | $6,766.62 | Data Not Available | $3,972.72 | $7,527.16 | $4,254.49 | Data Not Available |
| New Mexico | $3,463.64 | $4,200.65 | Data Not Available | $4,315.53 | $4,458.30 | Data Not Available | $3,514.38 | $3,119.18 | $2,340.66 | Data Not Available | $2,296.77 |
| Nevada | $4,861.70 | $5,371.62 | $5,441.18 | $5,595.56 | $3,662.09 | $6,201.55 | $3,477.14 | $4,062.57 | $5,796.34 | $5,360.41 | $3,069.07 |
| New York | $4,289.88 | $4,740.97 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $2,428.24 | $6,540.73 | $4,012.93 | $3,771.15 | $4,484.58 | $4,578.79 | $3,761.69 |
| Ohio | $2,709.71 | $3,197.22 | $1,515.17 | $3,423.01 | $1,867.19 | $4,429.74 | $3,300.89 | $3,436.96 | $2,507.88 | $3,135.16 | $1,478.46 |
| Oklahoma | $4,142.33 | $3,718.62 | Data Not Available | $4,142.40 | $3,437.34 | $6,874.62 | Data Not Available | $4,832.35 | $2,816.80 | Data Not Available | $3,174.15 |
| Oregon | $3,467.77 | $4,765.95 | $3,527.28 | $3,753.52 | $3,220.12 | $4,334.55 | $3,176.83 | $3,629.13 | $2,731.48 | $2,892.19 | $2,587.15 |
| Pennsylvania | $4,034.50 | $3,984.12 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $2,605.22 | $6,055.20 | $2,800.37 | $4,451.00 | $2,744.23 | $7,842.47 | $1,793.37 |
| Rhode Island | $5,003.36 | $4,959.45 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $5,602.63 | $6,184.12 | $4,409.63 | $5,231.09 | $2,406.51 | $6,909.45 | $4,323.98 |
| South Carolina | $3,781.14 | $3,903.43 | Data Not Available | $4,691.85 | $3,178.01 | Data Not Available | $3,625.49 | $4,573.08 | $3,071.34 | Data Not Available | $3,424.77 |
| South Dakota | $3,982.27 | $4,723.72 | $4,047.47 | $3,768.80 | $2,940.29 | $7,515.99 | $2,737.66 | $3,752.81 | $2,306.23 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available |
| Tennessee | $3,660.89 | $4,828.85 | Data Not Available | $3,430.07 | $3,283.42 | $6,206.69 | $3,424.96 | $3,656.91 | $2,639.30 | $2,738.52 | $2,739.28 |
| Texas | $4,043.28 | $5,485.44 | $4,848.72 | Data Not Available | $3,263.28 | Data Not Available | $3,867.55 | $4,664.69 | $2,879.94 | Data Not Available | $2,487.89 |
| Utah | $3,611.89 | $3,566.42 | $3,698.77 | $3,907.99 | $2,965.57 | $4,327.76 | $2,986.57 | $3,830.10 | $4,645.83 | Data Not Available | $2,491.10 |
| Virginia | $2,357.87 | $3,386.80 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $2,061.53 | Data Not Available | $2,073.00 | $2,498.58 | $2,268.95 | Data Not Available | $1,858.38 |
| Vermont | $3,234.13 | $3,190.38 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $2,195.71 | $3,621.08 | $2,128.21 | $5,217.14 | $4,382.84 | Data Not Available | $1,903.55 |
| Washington | $3,059.32 | $3,540.52 | $3,713.02 | $2,962.00 | $2,568.65 | $3,994.73 | $2,129.84 | $3,209.52 | $2,499.78 | Data Not Available | $2,262.16 |
| West Virginia | $2,595.36 | $3,820.68 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $2,120.80 | $2,924.39 | Data Not Available | Data Not Available | $2,126.32 | Data Not Available | $1,984.62 |
| Wisconsin | $3,606.06 | $4,854.41 | $1,513.27 | $3,777.49 | $3,926.20 | $6,758.85 | $5,224.99 | $3,128.91 | $2,387.53 | Data Not Available | $2,975.74 |
| Wyoming | $3,200.08 | $4,373.93 | Data Not Available | $3,069.35 | $3,496.56 | $1,989.36 | $3,187.20 | $4,401.17 | $2,303.55 | Data Not Available | $2,779.53 |
They don’t always have the cheapest rate, but they’re usually among the lowest prices. While they often outperform top competitors State Farm and Progressive, there are states where either one of those options, and sometimes both, are cheaper than Geico.
– Rates By Commute
Commute distance and average annual miles are used by car insurance companies to calculate rates because more time on the road generally equals a higher risk of an accident. Here are Geico’s rates for two different commuters.
| Commute Type | Geico Average Rate |
|---|---|
| 10-mile, 6,000 miles annually | $3,162.64 |
| 25-mile, 12,000 miles annually | $3,267.37 |
On average, Geico charges a little over a hundred dollars a year more for a driver with a twenty-five-mile commute over one with a ten-mile commute.
– Rates By Coverage Level
It’s likely that every insurance professional you have ever spoken with has encouraged you to carry higher levels of coverage.
Although it sounds like a sales pitch to make more money, it does actually protect you a lot better from the financial risks of a serious car accident.
Most people choose a lower level of coverage not because they don’t think they need it, but because they think they can’t afford it. This next comparison shows Geico’s rates for three different coverage levels.
| Coverage Level | Average Geico Rate |
|---|---|
| Low | $3,001.91 |
| Medium | $3,213.97 |
| High | $3,429.14 |
There’s a difference of $437.23 a year between the low level of coverage and the high level. That’s a little over $35 a month, which isn’t a big difference considering the increase in coverage. About $18 a month will take you from low to medium coverage.
– Rates By Credit History
Credit history is a factor car insurance companies can use in most states to calculate rates. Drivers with poor credit pay higher rates than those with good credit.
| Credit History | Geico Average Rates |
|---|---|
| Poor | $4,259.50 |
| Fair | $2,986.79 |
| Good | $2,434.82 |
Geico will ding you pretty hard for having poor credit, but the difference between fair and good credit isn’t as big.
– Rates By Driving Record
A fender bender where you were found at fault, a speeding ticket, even a DUI – what will these things cost you at Geico?
Driving record is one of the biggest and best know factors affecting rates, and how each of these scenarios will increase a premium differs from company to company. Here’s a look at Geico’s average numbers.
| Driving Record | Geico Average Rate |
|---|---|
| Clean Record | $2,145.96 |
| 1 Speeding Ticket | $2,645.43 |
| 1 Accident | $3,192.77 |
| 1 DUI | $4,875.87 |
DUI is often the most expensive of these three scenarios, and it’s the same at Geico. They’ll also raise rates quite a bit for an accident. A speeding ticket, on the other hand, doesn’t cause nearly as much of an increase.
Coverages Offered
For now, let us take a quick look at some of their more popular insurance products:
- Car Insurance – Definitely Geico’s bread and butter, their policies come with all the standard bells and whistles, with the option to add extended coverage. Pretty standard across most major insurance companies.
- Motorcycle Insurance – Geico is one of the few companies that puts a lot of time and money into advertising their motorcycle insurance, and it has boosted them to one of the top spots in terms of coverage in the United States.
- Homeowners Insurance – Whether you are looking for home, condo or renters insurance, you can do it all through Geico and qualify for multi-policy discounts.
- ATV Insurance – If you are looking to protect some of your off road toys, Geico can help you with that.
- Umbrella Insurance – Designed as an extension of car and home insurance liability, an umbrella policy can also fill in gaps that will protect you from things like libel and slander lawsuits.
- Life Insurance – Policies available through Geico are limited compared to some other full service insurance companies, but if you want term life coverage, it can be done.
- Boat Insurance – Including other types of personal watercraft, you can protect your water toys through Geico and in some cases qualify for multi-policy discounts.
- Business Insurance – There is a reasonable list of coverages available through Geico, but probably more suitable for a small business. Things like general liability, business owners policies and professional liability insurance can be obtained over the phone or through an agent.
So here is the deal when it comes to Geico insurance products – besides auto insurance, almost everything is underwritten by a different insurance company.
– Types of Car Insurance Coverage
Geico offers full coverage auto insurance policies that meet all of your state’s legal requirements as well as offering a number of different options for additional coverage.
Their Coverage Calculator is designed to walk the visitor through the process of selecting coverage for their needs, essentially re-creating what an agent might do for you, but without the actual person.
The basics of each policy start with the liability and/or no-fault coverage required by the state. This will differ from state to state but will include some or all of the coverages listed below. From there coverage levels can be increased and extra coverage added. These basic options are:
- Bodily Injury Liability
- Property Damage Liability
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
- Medical Payments (MedPay)
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury
- Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Property Damage
Optional coverage from Geico includes protection for your car and other options:
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Roadside Assistance
- Rental Car Reimbursement
- Mechanical Breakdown Coverage
– Bundling
Geico offers bundling discounts for taking out more than one policy with the company or with one of their partner companies. Multi-policy discounts are available if you have more than one vehicle, including a motorcycle, in force with Geico.
Geico does not write home insurance policies, but offers bundles with other companies.
It’s important to know when getting a quote for both auto and home together that Geico will not be insuring your home.
The list of affiliated companies that might be underwriting your home is long but includes some well-known names and some lesser-known ones, too. Here’s a non-inclusive list of some of the options:
- American Modern
- Chubb
- Homesite
- Foremost Insurance
- Liberty Mutual
- National General
- Travelers
Other types of insurance that are sold through the Geico agency and are underwritten by other companies include:
- Boat
- Classic Car
- Commercial
- Condo
- General Liability
- Life Insurance
- Mobile Home
- Motorcycle (in some cases)
- Pet
- Renters
- Travel
Bundling can still save you some money, but be sure you have taken a close look at the company actually writing the policy if it’s not Geico. They’ll be the one handling any claims, so you need to know who you’re trusting to cover you.
– Area of Operation
Geico writes car insurance in every state as well as in the District of Columbia.
Since they operate as a group of companies, the underlying company writing the policy may vary depending on where you live.
Options include Geico General Insurance Company, Geico Casualty Company, and Government Employees Insurance Company. They’re all part of Geico and you can expect service to be the same.
– Additional Options
Geico doesn’t have the long list of options that. Some insurance companies offer, but they do have a good core set of choices that avoid over-complicating things while still providing the extra coverage you might need.
Rideshare Insurance for drivers that work for companies like Uber and Lyft has been available from Geico since 2015, making them one of the earliest adopters of this coverage.
Accident Forgiveness is available either as a purchased option or as a perk you can earn for free from Geico for remaining a loyal customer with an accident-free record. The site doesn’t say how long it takes to earn it, only that the policyholder will be notified when it’s been added to the policy.
The Geico Car Buying Service, which uses TRUECar, helps the insured to buy a new vehicle after a total loss. The program connects buyers with certified dealers that will offer discounted pricing and other perks to Geico policyholders.
Umbrella Insurance is available as an additional policy that will provide increased liability above and beyond the limits of your underlying auto insurance.
Auto Repair Xpress is Geico’s preferred repair network system. It provides guaranteed repairs with direct claims service in order to make the process easier on the insured. The program also helps with rental car arrangements.
Prime Time Contract is Geico’s special program for drivers 50 and older. The program gives discounts to drivers who, in addition to being over 50, have no drivers 25 or younger in their household, have had no violations or accidents in the past three years, and don’t use their vehicle for business purposes.
Geico Skill for Alexa is an add-on to your existing Amazon Alexa that allows you to ask questions about your Geico policy, and get answers from Alexa.
Before we move on to talking about the discounts Geico offers, we’ll start by pointing out something they do not offer.
– Usage-Based App
GEICO has recently (2019) introduced its usage-based driving app called DriveEasy. This app will record your habits while driving and produces a score that will determine your rate.
The following conditions are those upon which GEICO generates a driver’s score:
- The time of day (driving at 3am is riskier than driving at noon)
- The distance driven (if you have a very short commute or work from home, this will reduce your rate)
- Distracted driving (don’t use your phone while driving – DriveEasy will record this information)
- A driver’s hard braking (hard braking or quick starts increase your risk for being in an accident)
This new app can help you save money on your GEICO premium if you are a careful driver.
– Discounts
Here’s a look at the discounts Geico lists on their website and the amount you could save if you qualify.
| Discount | Percentage Off (up to) | Details/Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-lock Brakes | 5% | Vehicles with anti-lock brakes |
| Anti-theft Device | 25% | Vehicles equipped with qualifying anti-theft device |
| Airbags | 25% for driver side only, 40% for entire front seat | Vehicles with factory airbags |
| Seatbelt Use | 15% on Medical or PIP only | Regular use of seatbelts |
| Daytime Running Lights | 1% | For vehicles with daytime running lights |
| Good Student | 15% | Meet grade requirement of B average or better |
| Good Driver | 26% | Five years accident free |
| Multi-vehicle | 25% | Insure more than one vehicle with Geico |
| Multi-policy | Varies | Have another policy aside from auto with Geico or an affiliate |
| Defensive Driving Course | Varies | Take an approved defensive driving course |
| Driver Education | Varies | Take an approved driver education course |
| Military | 15% | Members of the military |
| Emergency Deployment | 15% | For military members suddenly deployed |
| Group membership | Varies | Discounts for members of a variety of groups |
| Federal Employee | 8% | Employees of the federal government |
More than 800 different organizations and groups are part of Geico’s discount program. You can search their website to see if any of them apply to you.
The Geico website doesn’t specifically list any discounts for things like signing up early or paying in full, but other sources say those discounts are available.
While most of these discounts are fairly common, Geico is one of the few companies to have a military discount as well as a federal employee discount.
How To Make a Claim
Geico claims can be filed in several different ways:
- Online through the Geico website
- Via the Geico mobile app
- Calling the 24/7 claims phone number at 1-800-841-3000
Looking for claims information on Geico’s website makes it clear they steer people towards filing online or using the app; it was more difficult to locate the claims phone number than it was to find the repeated links and mentions of the app as an option. It’s likely the phone number is more readily accessible to customers.
That covers how to file a claim, but how is Geico doing in terms of paying out claims? Loss ratios can give us some insight into the answer to that question.
| Geico Premiums and Loss Ratio | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Premiums Written | $22,805,195 | $25,531,762 | $29,596,404 |
| Loss Ratio | 74.36% | 74.38% | 77.14% |
A loss ratio should be neither too high nor too low; too high and the company is paying out more than it can afford to, too low and it’s not paying out enough. A loss ratio over 100 percent indicates the company is paying more in claims than they are taking in and is in danger of financial problems.
Geico’s loss ratios have been pretty steady, with a slight increase between 2016 and 2017. They’ve consistently been slightly above the industry total, but they are not high enough to be at any risk of paying out more than they can afford. There’s also no sign that they aren’t paying claims as they should be.
How To Get a Quote Online
Online quoting has been Geico marketing point for a long time, which should make them one of the best.
It’s easy to find the quoting system, which appears right on the front page of the site.
After you enter your zip code, the site does something a bit unusual; it asks what the purpose is of your quote request. Once you give an answer, the system will ask for your name, followed by your date of birth and your address.
If the system can find vehicles registered at your address, it will ask if you want to add them to the quote; if not, you’ll be asked to enter vehicle information.
The next section requires driver information, including your social security number. If you’re not comfortable entering it online, you won’t be able to continue the quote, but you can call Geico for a quote instead.
If you decide to go ahead with your quote, you will need to enter your driver’s license information; otherwise, you can save the quote and come back to it later.
| Information | Required/Not Required |
|---|---|
| Driver's License Number | Not required |
| Social Security Number | Required |
| Phone Number | Required |
| Email Address | Required |
| Vehicle Identification Number | Not required |
In general, we found the quoting system easy if a little long. Each page had only one or two questions, many of which could have been combined into one page to make for fewer steps. Still, it ran smoothly and was quick – within the promised 15 minutes.
Geico’s Website and App
Geico takes a lot of pride in the ease of using their website and the many functions of their app.
The site itself is clean and well-organized, although we did find that there was a lot of scrolling involved to find some of the information we were seeking – such as coverage details.
All of the main categories are easily accessible, including product information and claims. The site loads quickly and is easy to navigate.
The Geico Mobile app is perhaps one of the most popular insurance-related smartphone applications on the market, due in large part to Geico’s huge advertising push starring Maxwell the Pig. While many other insurance companies have dipped their toes into the smartphone mobile app pool, Geico remains the standard which the other apps are graded against.
– Device Availability
The Geico Mobile app is available on just about every mobile device that has hit the mainstream market. That includes iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones and tablets, and even the lesser used device, Kindle Fire.
The experience across each device is going to be fairly similar, since they are based on the same software. This also holds true for the features available, with new ones being added across all the devices (generally) at or around the same time.
– App Features
Unlike many other insurance company smartphone apps, the Geico Mobile app can practically serve as a replacement for their website. In our research we uncovered nothing of importance that you can do on the full website that is unattainable on the mobile app.
The features available on the app include:
- Get a new quote
- View claims status
- Update claims information
- Pay your premium bill
- Display mobile ID cards
- Check your insurance coverage limits
- View the discounts you qualify for
- Call for roadside assistance (if your policy includes it)
- Change personal information, including cars and drivers
Google Play / iTunes / Amazon Reviews
The Geico Mobile app has surprisingly high star ratings on Google Play, the iTunes Store and Amazon.
At the time of this writing, there are over 18,000 reviews in the iTunes Store with a 4 star average. Google play shows a 4.5 star average with nearly 60,000 reviews.
It should be noted that Google Play has a much easier reviewing process, so there are generally many more reviews for popular apps like this one. The reviews are also easier to manipulate than on iTunes, so they often result in a better star rating.
Even the Geico Mobile download page on Amazon shows an overwhelming number of positive reviews. Of the 28 current reviews, 16 are 5 stars and the average is 4 out of 5.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Allows changes to policies
- Offers quotes for new policies
- Digital ID Cards right on your phone
Cons
- Reports of app not working on certain devices
Often times when large organizations that are not really centered around technology we see feeble attempts at creating apps because the new craze is all about mobile. Their apps are generally very poor in quality and offer no real usable features.
The Geico app is different.
The entire app was designed to take the place of the Geico website, and nearly every feature you would possibly use is included. For all intents and purposes, an individual can manage their entire insurance portfolio, make claims and update account information all from their phone or tablet.
Pros and Cons
There are both good and bad things about every insurance company, including Geico. Now that you have seen all of the detailed information on this company, let’s simply and list the biggest takeaways in terms of pros and cons.
| PRO | CON |
|---|---|
| Low rates in most states | Average/mediocre customer service rankings |
| Convenient mobile and online services | Bundling is often with third-party companies |
| Good list of discounts | New usage-based app that will take some time to debug |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
We have covered a lot of ground, but you may still have some questions about Geico. Here are a few answers, and if you can’t find yours here, head over to Geico’s own FAQ for more information.
Will I really save 15 percent with Geico? Geico’s tag line is a bit misleading since it’s impossible to say how much any one person can save by switching insurance companies. Rates are just too complex.
What we can tell you is that based on our data, Geico’s average rate is 19.11 percent lower than the national average, so it’s definitely possible to save 15 percent or more.
How do I qualify for the Good Student discount? Geico’s qualifications for the Good Student discount are that you must be between the ages of 16 and 24 and maintain an average of a B or better – or the equivalent of a B if your school uses a different grading system.
Is Geico cheap for young drivers? Geico’s rates for young drivers come in well below the average, even for a 17-year-old driver. That makes them a good choice price-wise for new drivers.
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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.
Amanda schexnailder says
Please do yourself a favor and do NOT get Geico insurance.
I have been paying hefty premiums and they denied a simple claim. Basically filed a claim online for windshield change.
Followed and answered all the questions.
In the end, denied to pay for the claim. Lied about things that were said.
I wish I would have thought to record conversations. Very shady dealings…never have I dealt with an insurance company like them.
Don’t walk away from this company…RUN!
Harry H. Tom says
Got into an accident with a Geico covered driver. He claims I turned right into him from center lane while he was in right lane.
Actual story: we were both in right lane with him behind but he tried to get ahead of me by getting onto right shoulder to speed ahead. Unfortunately he didn’t see there was already someone sitting on the shoulder until too late so to avoid directly rear ending THAT driver, he turns left into me.
Police arrived to take report with one officer taking statements from other driver and her partner getting my statements.
When I went to pick up police report, I saw none of my statements were on it so I proceed to get report amended.
The bad (Very bad):
J. Toscano (adjuster) calls me a few days later to tell me Geico is denying culpability based on (erroneous) police report.
I tell him I have pictures of incident and damage which buttress my perspective as well as a statement from the driver sitting on shoulder that states he was hit from behind from by his client.
Toscano proceeds to tell me “pictures don’t prove anything” (Really? Any legitimate investigator would beg to differ) and begins to question my integrity by asking if I can prove what’s stated on the report is not accurate.
He then finally states that “he’s heard this from a thousand other claims” and that he’s not interested in having this conversation with me. Then why did you even bother to call?
Shouldn’t each case be judged on its own merit? Unbelievably dismissive and unprofessional.
I filed a complaint with his management and expected it to be swept under the rug.
Note: Geico… You spend a ton of money on silly cavemen commercials to garner goodwill and ultimately additional business. In the age of social media, 1 or 2 complaints or horror stories can become viral and take that money and flush it down the toilet.
The Good:
I received a call from T. Portanova who apparently is in the management chain. We had a very good conversation with opportunity from both sides to express our respective viewpoints. I explained that the only thing I wanted was for my voice to be heard in the process which it wasn’t because of the erroneous police report. To his credit, he listened and agreed with me where appropriate and disagreed respectfully when appropriate. Bottom line: he agreed that all my statements as well as any pictures should be part of the process and not be summarily dismissed. Kudos to Mr. Portanova
Bottom line: I canceled an existing policy I had with Geico and have spoken to 3 other friends who are also Geico clients. They are now looking to cancel their policies and will speak to their friends and family about doing the same.
I commend Mr. Portanova for his intervention but the actions of J. Toscano was a bridge too far.
Conversely, my insurance company: “The Hartford” has been a paragon of professionalism and efficiency during this entire regrettable process
Mack says
Geico has been the worst experience I have ever dealt with. When I signed up, I had full coverage on my vehicle and paying my monthly payments faithfully. But recently I was in a car accident and when I called to file my very first claim, I was informed that I only had liability coverage and said that my other coverages was stripped without a warning or being informed as to why. But this whole time I was paying them for full coverage. Shady company. As soon as this is all said and done I will be dropping them and seeking legal counsel. This is outrageous, I’m paying for full coverage but apparently I only have liability coverage.
Nicolas Jomolca says
With all due respect to the company, I can safely say that Gieco has screwed me over and – worse – has gotten away with it. Wanna know how they did it?
About a year ago, August 2017, I bought a car that was around 10k. It was a black Cadillac. Nevertheless, before driving the car, I called Gieco and asked the representative if I should put insurance on the car, regardless of not having the title in hand YET, and she told me that I did not need to put insurance in it because I was covered under my parents insurance plan (for full coverage and crashes and collisions). She simply informed me to wait until I had the title at hand and then to put the same insurance that my parents had for their cars. She said that I would be “covered under my parent’s insurance under crashes and collisions so not to worry.” WHY DID I LISTEN TO HER? Probably because it was my first car purchase and I did not know what I was doing whatsoever.
Later that week of purchasing the vehicle, I crashed the car in an unfortunate raining accident. As I told Gieco about it, they asked me if I was covered and I, of course, replied with a resounding “YES” along with the response that the prior representative had given me before driving the car. (I should have asked for her name before hanging up.)
Long story short: I have been fighting Gieco and explaining my case to them for about a year BUT, finally stopped in the year anniversary of the collision this past August. From multiple representatives to supervisors, to whoever else they passed me (my case) off to, I answered the same questions and gave everyone the same story. NO ONE helped me. No loopholes, no games, I explained to every single person I got on the phone with for hours on end the EXACT SAME thing. It got to the point where they actually had me question my own story: what happened. Do they not say at the beginning of EVERY single phone call say (something along the lines of) “we record the phone calls for quality and training purposes”??? That went out the door when I asked them to look through the records and search for the only real proof of the conversation I had. They simply “could not find it”. It was “nowhere to be found”, HOW LUCKY FOR THEM (SARCASM). Want to know more? I sent them the Bill of Sale twice, and they “could not find any of the information I sent them.” Everything they asked me for, I sent them. The amount of things they asked me in hopes that I would change up the story is upsetting, vulgar and outright disgusting from such a prevalent and big company in our society.
A little background from me: I was 18 when I bought that car and I was amidst going to college in an out-of-state school that cost me around 30k to go to annually. I had to turn down that offer, in turn, to get 3 jobs and then some to pay off the entire balance I owed for the car. I had so much going for me and now at 19, I have to work twice as hard to get it back. It took a year of my life away to save that money when I could have been working towards my future, education, and life. So many things I missed out on because I listened to that initial Geico Rep. Why did I stop after a year? Because I have no hope of Gieco ever paying me back for what they promised me. I’m tired of saying and doing the same things while expecting a different result.
Gieco took advantage of my lack of knowledge, age, and ignorance. They do not deserve the highly ethical and well moral reputation they currently possess. It was such bad customer service; they lied and tried to find loopholes to save themselves from paying up. Not to muckrake the company, but you all should know my story to not ever trust them or any other company of similar status. Thanks for reading :)
Donald C. says
I bought an Auto Insurance policy yesterday from Geico. NO PAPER WORK, only emails for the quote and the confirmations. Reading those emails I find I had paid one month, PLUS one month in advance. The policy was to become effective in October. So I paid October and one month advance. Emails show the first premium due October. So three months paid in ONE months time? I called back to ask what happened and explained 4 times I had straightened this out with the sales rep.. I was told NO sir, you pay TWO months in advance and the email was not correct. The sales rep. NEVER used the phrase “Two months in advance”. My first premium was due in November. SO was it the sales rep. who lied or the Supervisor I spoke with the following day that said TWO months must be paid in advance? We got the mistaken email message fixed, I said OK I will go ahead. Can you believe it … after two days of this fiasco they caused, I was told I have a policy again, and the emails will follow. OH, by the way, you now owe an additional ten cents. TEN CENTS after a two-day ordeal? How ridiculous, Stay AWAY from Geico, seems no one there knows what they are doing, and one contradicts the other. That is no way and not any company to deal with. You see others here explain the same thing. You are told one thing and what you ACTUALLY get is NOT what they told you.
* And this is exactly why I want all communications ON PAPER.
A says
I’m so frustrated right now after being bent over by Geico that I don’t even have the patience to write this review fully.
Here’s the gist of it:
They increase your rates every year regardless of your driving history, location, age, etc.
They try to pull you in with offered discounts, but they’re usually just minuscule offers that you’ll likely disqualify for anyway.
If you read their FAQ, you’ll see how many people are asking why their Premium increases. Read their answer, and you’ll see that they justify their increase with a ton of vague factors that they’ll absolutely refuse to explain further.
They’ll make a mistake when changing your policy through a phone call. After they catch the mistake, they make YOU pay for it even though one of their own representatives were to blame.
Geico does not offer better rates than other providers.
They take full advantage of those who are required to pay for full-coverage insurance because of a leased vehicle. You’re easy prey, and they know it.
Some of the coverage you’re required to pay for is redundant and, therefore, completely unjustified.
To give you my personal example with them (without violating their guidelines — I’d like for this to be published even though I’m 99.9% sure it won’t be) I have been insured for a new vehicle through Geico for 4 years now. In those 4 years, I’ve had no accidents (it says I’m a “Claim Customer” because I used them to repair damage to my windshield from a rock using Safelite. They were GREAT for that experience), am nearing age 30, no traffic violations, and have moved from a MAJOR metropolitan area to a small town in comparison. I have a white vehicle and have started using a FRONT and REAR dash cam that I informed Geico of in order to HOPEFULLY lower my premium.
None of that mattered. Geico has STILL increased my premium every year. Last year, they increased it by $10 (keep in mind, this is after I moved to more of a rural area with much less traffic)
How is this justified? It’s not, but they can claim those vague factors that are highlighted in that answer within the FAQ section. They aren’t required to share their algorithms or guidelines for pricing premiums. They can do whatever they’d like and simply offer you that vague, justification which does not require a proper explanation through hard data. They KNOW that you’ll likely renew your insurance through them when the time comes instead of shop around for a better quote. They know it’s inconvenient to shop around. They increase your premium just enough to irritate you, but not so much that you’ll drop everything and start hunting for better coverage. It’s their business practice.
TLDR:
Don’t insure yourself through Geico. It isn’t worth it.
Take the time to shop around for the insurance you NEED (don’t let them talk you into anything extra)
Get what is required by law, or what is required by your lienholder. Don’t let these snakes get fat off your hard-earned dollar. They’re no different than any other insurance company. Shop around, don’t rush into it. Read other’s stories/reviews and decide what the norm seems to be.
I’m sure Geico likely cherry-picks reviews, so I doubt anybody will see this, so maybe I’ll post it on /r as well.
Maybe it’ll save someone else from this irritation.
Oh, and the Customer Service rep I was trying to explain all these facts to has decided to stop responding to my messages after she increased my premium by almost 20%.
I didn’t intend for this to be so long when I started, but I think it’s better I provided so much detail.
_____________________________________________________
Here are the writing guidelines:
Writing guidelines
“We want your review to get published so please do not:
discuss things that are unrelated to the product
mention the specific price you paid for the product.
include any personally identifying information, such as full names.
If you have an issue for customer service, please e-mail us instead of writing it in a review.”
I followed these guidelines and did NOT discuss anything that wasn’t somehow related to the product/experience that is tied to Geico.
I did NOT mention the specific price I paid for anything — I merely mentioned the increase I had in one of my examples but did not mention the entire price. As a matter of fact, I described a premium increase using a percentage but did not disclose the premium amount.
I didn’t include any personal information.
While I did briefly mention my experience with customer service there at the end, it was not the basis for this review and, thus, does not disqualify me from making it.
_________________________________________________
Here’s to hoping they honor their own guidelines and post my review! I probably just wasted a significant amount of my valuable time and did not change a thing, but hey, at least I’m trying to do a service for humanity instead of sitting by while they milk us our entire lives.
PS
I had tried putting $0 as the amount saved by switching to Geico on this review page, but they won’t allow it with a message that says “Amount Saved by Switching to Geico is too short.”
I’m not even kidding. Gonna try “1”
PSS
1 doesn’t work either. I’m just going to put 500. Know that this amount isn’t valid for me, but they won’t let me post otherwise.
–This is a copy/paste of the same review I wrote on Geico’s site since I’m sure they won’t post it. I’d like everyone to know about this.
David says
Well, I have had Geico for years. I am happy with all the coverage and rates. I am however disappointed at a change to company policy to stop accepting money orders to pay the bill. They don’t take cash and I don’t like paying for things online. A money order is a secured means of legal tender, more secure than personal checks. To make the customer get a pre-loaded visa card to pay a bill is absolutely absurd and inconvenient to the customer. When asked why the policy change, the representative simply stated their system doesn’t update the account fast enough to process the money orders and update the policyholder’s account. This is a fault of the company, not the customer, and so many other institutions accept money orders. I may have to reevaluate my long term patronage to this insurance company. Although I hate to do it, I am not going to be pressured into paying my bill in a way I am not comfortable with or that I have to go out of my way to make a payment to the local office.
Chris says
DO NOT GO WITH Geico!!!!!
Rear ended a woman on March 6th. Damage was centered on front left headlight and plastics surrounding it. Radiator didn’t even crack or leak and I pulled my truck forward and off the road before shutting it off myself. It being my first crash and insurance claim, my dumb ass released my truck to geico. BIG MISTAKE!!! Apparently 1 headlight, 1 fender a hood and bumper for an 05 dodge ram cost more than 10 grand when you let geico look for them. They deemed my truck a total loss and denied me and my father access to the trucks aftermarket stereo system and other parts I had on the interior, which is illegal after speaking to a lawyer. My truck was leased so I was required by the bank to have full coverage and gap just to make sure if I did crash nothing would come out pocket and the positive equity on my truck would be safe. The geico adjustor I was placed with refused to answer my calls and refused to properly document. Geico decided I didn’t have medical, on the day of the crash ONLY, and refused to cover the woman’s medical bill. So now one potential lawsuit and debt hole later, my adjustor, come to find out, has been changed and the new one has no idea how to get a hold of the original adjustor for questioning. THIS COMPANY WILL TAKE THE FIRST CHANCE THEY GET TO PROFIT OFF YOUR SUFFERING. DO NOT INSURE WITH THIS THIEVING SCUM POOL.
Michael welch says
I was insured with Geico and they suck! They put me on two different policies
They didn’t admit they did that. Beware of geico they will screw with you. Beware!
Jed says
Geico is the worst insurance company out there. They never want to pay for any claims. I was with them for 6 years and had an hit and run and they said my uninsured coverage did not cover hit and run. Take your money somewhere else!
Kosmo says
In all fairness, it depends on your state that you live in. The insurance companies do not create uninsured motorist, it is a coverage created by the state. In the state of NC for example, in order to use uninsured motorist, you have to know who the person is and it has to be confirmed they uninsured.
State of PA does not offer UPD and state of MD and DC it is offered but you have to get a police report in order to use the coverage.
Jeff M says
No insurance company will pay or activate your uninsured motorist coverage unless you are able to identify who the uninsured person is (for example, by license plate number). Once that information is provided to your company they will verify that person has no insurance and if that’s the case, then your uninsured coverage comes into play. It’s the same at [Redacted] insurance where I used to work as a claims adjuster.
Jean S says
Agree. Their client turned in front of my brand new car. Police report states clearly he was at fault and they want ME to pay 15% of the damages using after market parts on my car with 5,000 miles. I’m taking them to court. Geico IS THE WORST! Does anyone have a success story regarding taking them to small claims court? I hope I have a sympathetic and informed judge about how bad Geico is.
Angel Shining says
Get a lawyer and it will not cost you anything, they take a % out of what they win. My son was hit by a drunk driver and they left the scene so he has a lawyer to figure it out, with this situation I would get a lawyer to figure it out, that way you are taken care of. My friends son had a similar situation with State Farm and he was actually paying for his own rental till I sent him to the lawyer my son is using and the lawyer was like –no way, I will have them pay all that and he reimbursed him for what he spent already on the rental.(his car was totaled) (my sons car too) Don’t try to argue with these companies on your own, you need someone that does car accidents every day.
Alexa says
I would love to hear how taking them to court went. I recently had an unfortunate tangle with Geico as well. I switched to Geico insurance after moving to a new state. Following the move, my husband was hit by a driver who ran a red light and my car was hit by someone while it was parked outside our house. Both parties cooperated and repairs went through the other drivers since they were at fault. Geico then terminated my policy even though neither accident was my fault and I had filed police reports and had followed all proper channels. They are scam artists and I am trying to figure out if it is possible to get this corrected. It is a shame that they penalize the victims involved as well.
Angela says
I have a policy for a few years. Had an accident where a lady slammed into me and slid me across a parking lot causing $10,000 in damages to my new car. I hired an attorney due to the other insurance denying liability. I pay extra for PIP also. I had the accident in may of this year and still haven’t received my payment from my PIP policy. My attorney has called and emailed the adjuster and her supervisor multiple times and no response. I pay my policy every month and this is how they treat their policy holders?
glen walters says
insured 9 cars with geico for over 8 yrs, just to be canciled because geico says I buy and sell cars, I don’t have a tax number with texas, all my car titles are still in my name, I live alone and can only drive so many cars at a time and choose to insure my cars when needed. I have zero accidents and never filed a claim for any reasons, im just like all Texans with forced liability insurance with the state and insurance companies in bed together. so I am now canciled for selling cars, what a lame excuse
Bridget says
I have been a Geico customer for years. Geico has gotten very expensive. They will raise your bill within a couple of years for no reason, even when you never had an accident. Don’t get Geico
Kosmo says
It is a bad perception to think that rates raise only for accident, there is actually a methodology that goes into it. you cannot have an accident in your life and still see rates increase and that is most likely because of external factor such as the area you live in, your zip code.
For example if you live in a very busy area where a lot of accidents occur in your area you could see an increase because you live in a higher risk zone because of it, and statistics are not in your favor. Also for people who live in areas that experience things such as flooding and hail will see an increase as well.
Lisa Mitchell says
Geico is by far the worst when it comes time to pay on a claim. I had wind rain storm damages to my home / roof & Geico denied my claim. So I’ve been paying over $1300.00 a year for mobile home insurance to ONLY find out my ins is no good ! But Geico wants their payments on time every year.I will be getting a lawyer on this case now.Sad thing is I have all my cars,truck,motorcycles & home with Geico … not much longer …. waiting on Monday 9,2016 from my lawyers …
Angel says
Go with Nationwide, they are very good.
frank fanelli says
although I have never had the experience of going through an accident with injury’s Geico is not the company you want to experience your first time with. the other people were at fault woman went through stop sign her insurance State farm was better serving then my insurance (geico) .Geico only pays pennies on the dollar to medical providers ,one thing you don’t want is a doctor treating you who is pissed off knowing that there services will be denied or paid pennies on the dollar. You would think that should not matter but hey the doctor is in business and has bills to pay as well. Here it is 10 weeks from the date of accident and I have received $100 per week for lost wages from geico and I am spending $50 to $60 dollars a week on gas and tolls going to doctors and physical therapy the rest I am going to buy a hotdog to feed my wife and I for the week. Geico does not care about you just there own bottom line sadly enough I didn’t research them before I switched .Hope you research this information before switching it will save you grief down the road no matter if the accident is your fault or not. You would think that your insurance company would talk to you and advise you on how to get through this ordeal and show a little compassion wow was I wrong. My advise to anyone with geico or that is involved with geico in any way HIRE A LAWYER GOOD LUCK
Amanda Alvarado says
Geico auto insurance for over 15 years and I have never filed a claim .
I was waiting for the red light to change when a car rear ended me. The person who hit me make sure that I was ok and gave me a copy of her policy and drivers licence of which I took a pictures. I took pictures of the damage of my car and hers. Due to the fact that the accident was minor I did not contact the police. The other party that hit me has Geico auto Insurance. Geico claims that they are not able get a hold of the person who hit me, therefore, they cannot help me. Their only suggestion is for me to use my colllision coverage for have my car fix. My deductible is $500.00, which I need to pay before Geico can fix my car using my policy in which case my Insurance will go up.
I want to make sure that people know how neglegent Geico is when handling claims, they are not there to represent you they are looking on how to save money for themselves.
Angel says
Amanda—your inusrance SHOULD NOT go up if you were not at fault and many insurances even have accident forgiveness built in should you be at fault, Nationwide and All State…..this guy on this page is saying Geico is cheap and affordable despite all the complaints but WHO THE HELL CARES if they are no good…….Call up Nationwide or Allstate , I have a $250 deductible and not much difference between the monthly premium of that and the $500 deductible……..
Mark Cumings says
I have Geico and have had for many years. I had a drunk driver run me off the road then stop and drive back into my car twice. When police arrived he was arrested for no license, DUI and he didn’t have insurance. I had to use my uninsured clause in my policy. I took my car to a Geico partner garage. I could tell immediately that the garage is incentivized to minimize the repair cost. ie… [Redacted] the work for cheap then split the savings with Geico. During next policy renewal they raised my rates.
Lindsi says
They are doing this to me right now! I even contacted the police and because their client lied and said she never hit me after taking off, they are siding with her. I even had the policemen call geico and they recorded his statement in which he tells them he found my paint on their car and physical evidence they rear-ended me. I also gave them texts from their insured talking about the estimate how she wasn’t going to pay the amount the estimate states for damages, but because it doesn’t clearly say ‘she hit me’ in the texts, Geico is saying it eludes to an accident but is not clear evidence. They are sleezy, crooked and it still baffles me they can do this over and over again and get away with it! I was the one hit and I’m having to prove my case??? I have never dealt with a more corrupt company!!!
Jeff M says
Regardless of accident circumstances and how obvious fault may seem, both companies have to speak with their drivers before liability can even be assessed. In that case, each party may use their own coverage to fix their cars and once fault is determined, the at fault insurance company will reimburse the company not at fault. This is standard procedure. By law, insurance companies are given 30 days to get a hold of their insured. After this time limit is reached, the company can then decide to accept or deny liability based on the evidence provided. Unless there are photographs, video, and/or witnesses to what happened, it is not likely a company will accept liability without having spoken to their driver to get their side of what happened. This was the same at [Redacted] Insurance where I used to work as a claims adjuster.
Angel says
Not true…..switch to Nationwide people and get a lawyer to go after Geico….I have heard they suck by so many people…..also all of you should complain to BBB so people are aware they suck.Another idea because they’re so many of you class action suit against Geico…..
Jeff says
It is true. I handled claims for many years with another insurance company and negotiated settlements. This is how it works.
Angel Shining says
I was hit in a parking lot by a hit and run , no cameras to show what kind of car but white paint on my suv, so they had no one to talk to , my car was covered…….insurance in America is all a scam anyway, if you go overseas, pennies on the dollar and they use the excuse here there is so much traffic, thats why, thats crap, drive in India or Mexico, their insurance is cheap and have way more people then we do on the roads……..
Joe says
Had an accident with a Geico customer. She claims it was my fault. She ran a red light. I had a witness who saw it. I filed a claim with geico as the officer instructed me to. It has been two weeks now and absolutely nothing has been done. They claim to not have received the incident report yet. What a joke. Incompetence at its worse. When will it end. I dread going through the proces when it finally goes through.
Jeff M says
Insurance companies are allowed 30 days to get a hold of their driver to get their side of what happened. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for people who are at fault to avoid talking to their insurance company. Two weeks is still within the allowed time frame and as a former claims adjuster, sometimes you only have time to make 1 call attempt to speak with the person in a day. If they don’t answer the phone, it’s on to the next one until you have another opportunity to try them again (which may be several days later). It is frustrating though.
Brian Weaver says
Been with Geico for 7 years, had an accident in 2014, my fault, filed a claim and everything was taken care of perfectly.
Had an accident in May of this year, had a police report stating the other driver, insured by Esurance, was at fault. Claim went into arbitration, was strung along being told the chances of getting my deductible back looked good since there was a police report, 3 months later I get a letter stating that Geico was closing the file on my claim since neither Geico or ESURANCE “failed to prove liabilty”
Rates are great but I’ll pay more to another company that does their job and looks out for their clients.
vincent distefano says
I am a policy holder for 61 Years with Geico I am at a point where I see my policy goes up up up I am wondering if the longer you stay the more you pay I am a safe driver no tickets taken the drivers course my creidt is very good and still pay high ptemiums I even pay my payment s by useing EFT hard to belive i pay high price I have one 2003 Toyota and a 2015 Lexus still no brake called Geico and was told i was getting the best price I checked around other companies are less Im looking and waiting for my new premium to arrive ONE other I also get charged 1.00 for each payment i make on my EFT out of my chesking account not to Swift.
Don A says
I had a Geico customer back into me in a driveway with mainly front bumper damage. I had a quote done for him and he decided to turn it over to insurance as the quote was above 1100.00 dollars. I had to get Geico to do an estimate and theirs was 849.00 but they wanted to use aftermarket bumper and headlight. I did not want aftermarket parts on my 3 year old car. So in order to get OEM parts I had to pay for them.
If I had Geico insurance I would change as fast as I could. Don’t like their practices nor the person I spoke with because they were going to use the cheapest parts or maybe parts from a junked car to fix mine. It is in their contract that they can use anything they want to repair your car. Would not trust them nor use any body shop they recommend.
Connie Dugue says
My husband was parked and was hit by another car. While the other insurance dragged their feet Geico started WORKING WITH US immediately to get our car fixed and since I have a 500.00 deductable but am on a fixed income so did not have it on hand they worked with us to get everything done and not worry about the deductable . I love the way they took control and took a lot of the stress from us. I will never have another insurance.
Beth says
Customer 20 yrs! Excellent driving record and payment history, no collision or comprehensive claims, (2) windshield replacement claims (AZ resident having full glass coverage/no deductible), and only carry 25/50 with $100 deductibles
I did deal with a few not at fault claim repairs long ago, with great customer service, no complaints until…
4 yrs ago added a home, underwriters-American Strategic Ins (ASI), 3rd yr policy 12/1-11/30 cancelled 4/4 for non payment, scheduled assigned payments (not allowing monthly payments), paid but for a slightly less amount which changed 4/29 payment date to 4/4. Phoned 4/7 to make another $200 payment fulfilling $600 of $950/yr premium and was informed policy already cancelled w/o reinstating (should have reinstated or refunded $50), which now leads to…
Geico, who said no problem will just rewrite a policy with different insurer more lenient/suitable with payments (fixed income on SSDI), the policy dated 4/8 placing a lapse with $150 charge added by Foremost underwriters, (also placed additional lapse unjustly and removed it when I submitted proof from Verisk (underwriting intelligence for ins company inquiries…had to request personal property disclosure from A-Plus Customer Inquiry Center and lastly should mention my credit score is 795, ins score is 830.
Geico is my agent for HO and this is what they did for me!!
Now Geico has increased auto policy $45 due to area rate increase and suggested I complete defensive driving course online to get a discount of $41 each 6/mo policy.
It is such a racket of greed and lies.
A local agent has found better coverages and rates with Hartford and Geico told me my only option was insuring home with Stillwater, which was $30 higher and worse coverage.
Rene says
They are the worst, you tell the to take out money a surten day and Geico will take it out when ever they want to, messing up my account , they just say sorry and do it again. They have also coast me over 300.00 dollers , for saying I did not have insurance when I did. The only reason I left my other insurance company is because I could not afford them, but now that I am back on my feet I will be going back. DO NOT USE Geico they will screw you over big time.
Steve Falkowski says
America ! Buyer Beware. I can say first hand you will save switching to Geico but what are you saving by a company that denies your claim . My switch to save cost my family plenty. It is a mission for me to pass the word about this horrible unethical company .
Steve says
Someone broke into my car cost Geico 387.00 after my deductible was paid to repair the damages my insurance went up 300.00 every six months 600.00 a year higher because they had to pay out 400.00 for a non fault claim. I have not had an accident or claim in 20+ years I have not had a ticket in 18 years. I dont know what you call this but it sure is not insurance its pure theft IMO…
LANA BUI says
My family and I have been auto and home policy holders for over a decade. This treatment and inability to resolve the situation is unacceptable.
I called Geico claims to see if my premium or account be affected in any way if I made a claim about some minor damage that had occurred to my passenger’s side door. The representative ran their “Accident Evaluation Tool” and deduced that my premium would not change and that no accident would be placed on my insurance record.
I went ahead and filed a claim and took the car to the collision center. The claims adjuster told me that a sealant would fix the issue, but he decided to replace the door and the side mirror as well. I honestly do not understand why he replaced the side mirror as there was absolutely no damaged to the mirror. He failed to tell me that by doing all this work, the cost to repair door would become over $1000, resulting in placing an “at fault accident” on my insurance record and Geico charging me roughly $240 more to my premium.
The claims adjuster made unnecessary repairs to my car, chose a more expensive option when there was a cheaper alternative available without an explanation as to how it would affect me, and as a result, I have been unfairly charged for the past year and an at fault accident has been placed on my insurance record preventing me from getting a better deal at another insurance agency.
Jessica says
Be careful with this company. I had an auto policy with Geico for over seven years. I thought things were going well until I tried to get another insurance. I was then told by an agent with another company that there was a dink on my history with Geico. It appears that the nick I put on a van door parked next to my car costs approximately $600 to repair. The wind had caught my car door and it banged the van next to me. I was still holding onto the door but the wind was strong enough to push the door. I then immediately took a picture of the dink and let the van owner and Geico know about the dink. That was back in 2011. Almost four years later I learn that the van owner took the van to a Geico adjuster that authorized the $600 repair. The picture of the damage I have just been told was not to clear. The Geico customer service person could only determine that the dent was two quarters long above the door handle–really, I mean really! The nick I put on the door was shorter than a dime and was well below the door handle. Tell me how could a door on a Ford Freestyle swing out and put a dent above a the door handle on a large Econoline van. I don’t think so. The Ford Freestyle is just too short to do that. Anyway, I do not consider this to be the company I wish to do business with. My premiums are higher than they should be thanks to stupid Geico. If you are looking for insurance, it might be worth your while to shop for a smarter company than Geico.
Jeff Foster says
I was a Geico customer for 22 years. Recently, my car was damaged by flood while parked at BWI. They covered most of the flood damage, but they refused to cover damage to my dashboard that occurred either when my car was towed by BWI parking during the flood, or during the repair to the flood damage. They told me the damage was already there and I must not have noticed. Like I wouldn’t have noticed–it was blatant. Or, maybe that’s code that they thought I was lying. I don’t know. The supervisor was awful. Never returned my call. When I called again, he finally called back and left a voice mail that he’d be happy to talk to me, but nothing would change. Thanks. Nice customer service. They treat a 22-year customer like that to save shareholders .1 cent per share. Good bye, Geico.
ussanmay says
DO NOT SWITCH TO Geico! So I get a quote from Geico, pay them money, they send me a policy and insurance cards…then 1 week later, their underwriting department calls me and says there are changes to my policy that will increase my policy by $350 per MONTH! I told them to cancel me immediately. This seems like it should be illegal. BAIT AND SWITCH!
ussanmay says
OOPS…meant increase my policy by $350 every 6 months from their original quote.
Ashlee says
I was a Geico customer for 3 years and never had a problem until recently. My boyfriend and I are planning on moving in together at the end of this year. I thought I would be proactive and get a “quote” for adding him to my policy since when we live together he most likely will drive my car on occasion. Right now we see each other a couple times a month due to conflicting work schedules and living over an hour from each other, I explained this to Geico. Geico went ahead and added him to my policy, it went from $200 to $300 a month. They said because I know him and he has an accident on file they had to add him. In the state of Massachusetts the only people required on your policy are people that live with you. They told me to fax 2 documents with his address to prove he doesn’t live with me, after faxing them, they put me on hold for 10 minutes. After the extended hold, they told me no they wont take him off and i have to provide proof of him having his own car insurance. He doesn’t have a car, so he doesn’t have insurance. Geico’s advice: “Then we suggest you find a different company to insure with.” After informing them I will gladly go else where but that I will be filing a report to the Attorney General’s office. They have now blocked me out of my online account (i do everything paperless with them), and when i called to say i was blocked out, they said they were too and didn’t know when I would be able to access it again.
carol says
Ive been looking for a different Insurance company and got a great quote from Geico. After seeing so many negitive comments I am leaning more towards the Allstate quote which is higher.
Rebecca Bayless says
I had auto coverage with Geico for YEARS!! In the period if about 5 yrs, I had 2 claims , neither if which were my fault! They had their adjustir at my cabin w/ in an hour, he verified everything, took pics, etc. and by 4:30 that SAME AFTERNOON, I had about $2,000.00 iny account!!! Next claim, same thing! My rates w/ them , NEVER increased! I only switched companies, because of a drastic drop in my monthly income!!! Now- I want them back!!!! This is an AWESOME COMPANY!!! Gecko, or no Gecko!!!
frank fanelli says
well I have a different story I have only ben with them a short time .I too had a claim which was clearly the other parties fault ( a person ran a atop sign and was cited by police for doing so).I have some injuries and unfortunately did not have collision on my truck but do on the wife’s car . Geico did nothing in the beginning did not advise me on procedure or how to claim from the other party etc. It happened on 02-09-2016 and lost wages are supposed to be paid when injured and unable to work by geico as of 03-18-2016 I have not received a penny tough when you live pay check to paycheck then I find out that Geico will pay me less then 45% and I have to file paperwork through n.y. state disability to retrieve the rest to get to the 80% I am supposed to get .you think they would have told me ,now the paperwork is late and they will not cover retroactively so I will be lucky to see anything from them in May if I am out that long God willing I can go back to work sooner and cancel Geico asap.
Brian card says
Geico is horrible their driver hit me I was waiting to turn sitting still. They admitted 100 pct fault yet almost a year has gone by and they continue to use every loophole allowed within the law to delay
Joe says
The savings aren’t worth it. My car was totaled by another driver and I have to fight with geico to get fair value of the car. They do next to nothing to help with the claim one of the worst experiences I have had.
Don’t use geico.
stats
2011 Toyota camry couldn’t find comparable same mileage and model for under 15000
geico offered me 10700 trade in value at dealership is 13000
Jane says
Geico’s computer system failed and as a result, I was charged twice for my policy. Because it is the weekend and everything is still pending. They told me that there was NOTHING that they could do about for 3-5 days. I am overdraft now because of them. I have to wait until my statement comes in then fax it for them to credit my account. Absolutely ridiculous that I have to wait almost 5 days to get my money back. I am a college student with limited funds and now i have nothing for 5 days. They were so careless. Horrible service!
lora Johnson says
Last night I filled a claim after an animal ran out in front of my car and totaled the front bumper.
I called Geico and spoke with a man named [Redacted] who was very friendly when I asked what my coverage was he told me it was covered and there would be no deductible.
So today the adjuster that came to look at the damage & informs me that there is now one. He then tells me some one would be calling me shortly after there meeting. No one calls!!
A supervisor by the name of [Redacted] calls me after I inquired with a sales rep earlier.
He was very rude and careless and hung up on me. Horrible horrible the way Geico does business and shows no concern for there customers whom I’ve been a loyal now customer for 4 years + . Geico is unprofessional, misinforms customers, lies and does not keep there word.
Tatyana Bondari says
I had pretty bad experience my self with Geico. Ive been costumer for over 4 years. First time in more then 4 years ask for road side assistance. My cars motor exploded, I had 8 more miles to drive. They did not help me with that. Connect me with dome rude truck driver that snapped at me that I need to pay him immediately. What a joke. I was so upset and scared. I mean I am on 285 west. Those semi truck omost hit the car with me in it. I had to call 911 for them to send police car. I was so scared. [Redacted].
Maryanne says
Say NO! to Geico!!!!! My husband was in an accident and they are so awful. The adjuster is not expected to come see his car for 2 or 3 weeks. He says he is working 14 hour days 7 days a week. Our car doors are open and in the elements, will they fix the mold and muck that will gather from rain or snow? I was in the process of looking into another company when this happened. I previously had Progressive and loved them!!! I will go back for sure, in an accident situation at Progressive we weren’t hit with a voicemail system that kept looping. I am a union member and like to solicit recommended union vendors but this is too much! No care, No compassion, No service! Good going Geico. The saddest thing is I know our car is totaled and would like to move on but I have to wait for someone to tell me this!
RN says
After four years with Geico I think it’s time to move on. I never filed a claim was in a 4 car fender bender they took my car to a shop where the shop quoted am insane price to fix $72 an hour etc ..I did not get fair value for my car at all.. No help .. Customer service from the adjuster is horrible .. [Redacted] is rude the worst she might as well work for the other person … Definitely time to switch back to Allstate … Good bye Geico
Gloria says
Disappointed the way my claim was handled:
1.My car was picked up from the scene of the accident 5 days later. Accident happened on the Dec 17th-Car was picked up on Dec 23.
2. The day it was towed I had to wait for 1 hour for the truck to arrive.
3. The authorization to repair was given to the shop 3 days later (Dec 26th)
4. I returned the rental car promptly one month later, but as a result I have been for the last five days asking my friends and relatives for a ride. Geico did nothing to help me.
5. After all of these disappointing situations, you are “rewarding” me by increasing my premium.
I am expecting Geico to find a way to work something out to increase my satisfaction as a customer; otherwise, I will have no other choice but to look for a different insurance company.
Fred "Mickey" Finn says
An Allstate sales person called my home 3 x’s offering a RATE SAVINGS. I gave him my exact coverage –
Here’s my return email.
DENNIS – I APPRECIATE YOUR THOROUGHNESS, EFFICIENCY AND FOLLOW UP.
UNFORTUNATELY YOUR QUOTE DOESN’T COME CLOSE TO BLOWING Geico OUT OF THE WATER.
FRANKLY YOU SHOULD SWITCH TO Geico AND BLOW ALL STATE AWAY. JUST SAYIN’!
CHEERS!
James says
We had a not a fault claim and were told by the adjuster that our deductible would be $250. We had our vehicle repaired and when we picked it up the deductible was $500. Geico admitted that it was their mistake; however they would not honor the $250 quote we were given. Also, we have full coverage and rental reimbursement was not included on our policy. The rental car company told us that insurance companies deliberately do not include rental reimbursement because they don’t make any money off it. So beware. I would not recommend Geico as an insurance company, and am looking for quotes elsewhere ([Redacted] looks good).
Morgan Mundane says
When you fill out the online app it clearly ask if you want rental coverage insurance and there is an asterisk that takes you to a webpage explaining what this coverage is and the limits to the coverage per day.
If you wish to have it you select it and it is added to your costs. I didn’t need it in that I have two cars.
Bo Lee says
They do offer rental reimbursement. But like every other insurance company, it is part of your premium. It is an optional expense that you have to sign up for. That is every insurance company.
Thutmose Janic says
My car was broken into for the second time in less than 90 days. I had to pay $1000 the first time it happened, so when it happened again, I knew it would cost me about the same. Geico picks up the car over the weekend and then they are calling me for an authorization. I tell the on site rep I will not have the monies for a few weeks, he can’t handle it, call Geico. I call Geico, they tell me talk to the body shop. Body shop says, you will have to pay $25 a day for storage and then they say we usually charge you $50. Then I call [REDACTED] supervisor for some help, he tells me Geico did nothing wrong. So, I am telling him it was never explained the cost to keep the car if I could not pay. Some background, the first time this happened the shop was busy and it took over two weeks for the work to get done and I had to wait and they extended the rental time. This time the shop is slow, so they are rushing my claim through to get paid. And here is my problem instead of you cyborg [REDACTED] seeing everybody as a dollar bill, take a minute and listen to people and explain what is going on. I already told them, make it right or I will be gone from Geico. I will also post to any social media that has an outlet to voice my perspective. I may even start a blog, you can’t rush me, I am the customers.
Rocky Burgess says
Geico left my wife stranded and only handles claims m-f 8 -4:30. Their driver turned into on coming traffic causing an car to clip them and spin around and hit my wife. All they can say is file a claim with your insurance and they will collect from us. Or wait till Monday. Never buy insurance from them. They will not be there for you when you need them.
Jason Kustra says
I recently had to file a claim with geico insurance as my vehicle was broken into and all of my identification and vehicle ownership documents were stolen and I have full coverage insurance and here it is that it’s against the law to drive a vehicle in any state without the proper documents for the vehicle and now I’m being told to go pound sand as geico is refusing to assist me with the replacement of these documents as there is a police report filed and even the offer of a reward for the return of these items . I feel like I’ve invested my money in a fraudulent insurance company and the one and only time that I ever needed the assistance to get back to where I’m driving my vehicle legally with all of the documents for this vehicle that they ( geico ) have really let me down. I really must say that the insurance industry has really become a BIG money SCAM operation and I would never again go with an insurance company that is only out there for the MONEY and not out there and in business for the customer, so in the end I state to you geico ” your insurance company service rating really sucks and I’m gonna come for my claim pay out check ” and yes I think you can pretty much well tell that I’m upset with what they(geico )said about my claim. Thank you , j.g.kustra
Morgan Mundane says
Everything changed with the so called No fault laws years ago. I run into you, your at fault for being there and I’m at fault for hitting you so what happens. My company takes care of me, your company takes care of you and both find ways to inch up your premiums so they get their money back.
Only if their are injuries does this change. Then the insurance companies go after each other in court as to who really was at fault and who is paying those medical bills.
Dylan says
If you were a better driver they wouldn’t complicate your life. Everyone claims that they are not at fault yet when all the facts are weighed they played some role in the accident. Your own insurance company isn’t going to be cozy and warm about this if you are found to be partially at-fault. All insurance companies set rates based on the quality of the drivers on the policy. Good luck with this. The Arbitration Board also considers your actions and they are also not cozy and warm. They are honest.
Barbara says
Please explain how I was at all at fault when an 18 wheeler truck reversed into my vehicle while stopped at a red light… with a line of traffic behind me and AMPLE space between us, he just backed up. Even the police officer who witnessed the accident wanted to know why the truck driver didn’t look back before reversing. [Redacted]
deneice says
i simply asked for a “quote” on the price to add someone to my policy. they added this person without my consent. now i have to pay almost $300 for what? a quote does not confirm a policy. im changing insurance companies. they will not even take the new persons name off unless i show proof of other insurance for said person, which i have to fax to them. get that! geico has lost me for good.
Lee says
If they are in your house hold, have a liscense, and no car of their own, then the presumption of accessibiity to your car may be what is driving the automatic coverage{addition} to your account. I believe that folks in your HOUSEHOLD do have some insurance protection even if they are not in your car when an accident occurs.
David says
GOT MY Geico SHOCKER… After 20+ years with American Family I switched to Geico… I did massive research to try to avoid any gotcha’/surprises… spoke with agents at length before I decided to buy… I accepted my 6 month rate… was pleased, except when my daughter got in a $1,100 accident (total)… my rate went up 20% in the MIDDLE of the same policy term! I expected my rate would go up when my policy renewed, NOT in MID policy!
“Caveat emptor” – Buyer Beware! Hopefully, you may now be better informed.
I may not have been so frosted about this if someone may have advised me, saying “When you buy with Geico, although you may get an initially lower rate, your insurance policy will immediately cost more, when you get in an accident and you’re a new customer.”
Dona says
Geico is HORRIBLE!! My car was totaled in Hurrican Sandy and Geico did not offer me fair market value for the car i lost. we went back and forth to no avail, they sent numerous inspectors and are still jerking me around. I would NEVER get another Geico Policy nor recommend Geico to anyone. to date, i am still not settled. you ROT geico!!!!
Lee says
Sounds awful an ordeal but without some details/facts [Year of the car, mileage, offer, your take} it could also sound like sour milk that you are asking us to swallow.
jennifer says
Thanks for correcting Clotide. You may have a good driving record but not everyone does. With insurance you are paying into a pool and when claims happen its paid out of that pool. Its also like you mentioned where you live has a factor, along with a multitude of other factors. Cost of living goes up and so does insurance.
Clotilde Olivares says
I think is “RIDICULOUS” that I was charge $11.98 for a change of address. And “Y” is my policy going up? I’m a safe driver. No tickets!!!! The reason I switch to U, from my previous insurance was for the same reason. I am not happy with the changes.
DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER!!!
Eric Stauffer says
Hi Clotilde,
It is very common for insurance rates to adjust when you change your address. The reason is because the location of where your car is primarily stored is a big factor when calculating rates. Some people see decreases, but unfortunately some see increases too.
Lee says
I changed address (Fom NYC to Albany, NY) and after anticipating still having to make additional payments, received a large refund. Location, Location, Location.
So while you are not happy, te could be a brighter siide in that would be unhappy if you had to pay and additional $250.
Morgan Mundane says
Many moons ago I got out the Navy. Moved three blocks to an apartment waiting for a job opening. My insurance went up 60%. Found out I have moved into the majic insurance circle that said I was a Chicago driver now and not an outstate driver.