Farmers Insurance is the 6th largest auto insurer in the country. They are available in all 50 states through a network of over 50,000 independent agents. Farmers Insurance writes more than 20 million insurance policies which are serviced through its local offices and through its website by nearly 24,000 employees.
Farmers Insurance offers standard coverage choices for auto insurance, in addition to several types of optional coverage, including:
- Accident Forgiveness – For every three years that you drive without an accident, you are eligible for accident forgiveness. That means that your rate will not go up even if you have an accident.
- New Car Replacement – Farmers Insurance will replace your vehicle if it is totaled in the first two model years or 24,000 miles of ownership.
- Small Claim Forgiveness – Even if an accident is your fault, your rate will stay the same.
- Incident Forgiveness – If you get a speeding ticket and nobody files a claim related to the incident, your rate will stay the same. This is not available in all the states.
- New Car Replacement – If your new car is totaled in the first two model years or 24,000 miles of ownership, Farmers pays to replace it with a brand new one.
- Loss of Use – If your car is in the shop or totaled after an accident, Farmers Insurance will reimburse you for a rental, cab, or public transit.
- Extended Customized Equipment – If you have custom parts installed in your car, such as a new stereo system, this option will expand your policy to cover those parts if they’re stolen or damaged.
- Rideshare Insurance – While the app is on, companies like Uber and Lyft provide limited liability insurance for drivers, with full coverage when you accept a ride and have passengers. Farmers Rideshare Insurance extends your personal auto policy to fill in the gaps, which means they provide coverage between rides. You will always be covered during your Rideshare job.
Pros
A large amount of discounts to choose from – Here are some: bundle discounts, business and professional groups, distant student, multiple car, teen driver, youthful driver, alternative fuel, electronic funds transfer (EFT), homeowner, pay in full, transfer, good student, and mature driver.
Helpful Mobile App – With the mobile app, you can view ID cards, pay bills, report claims, set up payment reminders, and view policy documents.
Website – Easy to use website
Cons
Not for tainted driving records – Bad for people with recent accidents on their driving record.
What Other People Are Saying
It was hard to pinpoint and summarize what people were saying since the comments were all over the place. I picked one positive and one negative experience to share, as I thought they both were good representations. The first one has to do with an overall good experience with the company, while the second is a more specific complaint.
The person with a favorable experience said,
“I have been a customer for several years. One day I went to my car and noticed that my windshield was cracked. I called Farmers and it was taken care of very quickly and easily. The staff at my Farmers Insurance office is very friendly and helpful in finding reduced rates for me and my husband. One of the clerks there suggested that my husband and I sign up for the senior driving course and that would lower our insurance rates. I have only had one or two claims, but they are very fast, courteous, and helpful in helping me with the paperwork and sending someone over to fix my windshield.”
The person with a negative experience explained it this way,
“I have been a Farmers customer for a few years. I have been paying over $300 dollars monthly and every time I tried to filed a claim, I get all kind of excuses like, your deductible is too high, xyz product/s are not covered by your policy… When that was the reason why I got the insurance in the first place, beside that my monthly bill has been going up for a couple dollars every month, and I did not realize it until I checked my monthly statement. Since I have autopay, I was not worried about it until my last claim I try to filed. I gave them about $4000 a year on auto insurance only, and they couldn’t even cover stuff stolen from my vehicle. And as for the new glass on my vehicle, it obviously came out of my pocket. Overall very dissatisfied with this insurance company.”
Cost and Process to Join
Joining Farmers Auto Insurance is easy. You can go to their website to apply or call them on the phone. Farmers Auto Insurance, for the most part, is on the average side as far as price. In most places, price ranks middle of the road compared to other auto insurers.
Customer Support
Reports on customer service with Farmers Auto Insurance is all over the place. Some like the customer service, while others have had less than favorable experiences. I can tell you that according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, Farmers Insurance had fewer than the median number of complaints to state regulators in 2016 (the latest data available) for a company of its size.
My Conclusion
Farmers Auto Insurance is right about in the middle of the road as far as auto insurance prices go. Depending on what type of discounts you are eligible for, it may or may not be a great choice for you. Farmers offers discounts for business and professional groups, distant student, multiple car, teen driver, youthful driver, alternative fuel, electronic funds transfer (EFT), homeowner, pay in full, transfer, good student, and mature driver in addition to bundle discounts. If you have any kind of a bad driving record, however, this probably is not the insurance for you. But, if you want to check it out, their website is very easy to use. I hope that my review of Farmers Insurance can help you as you look to make an auto insurance decision in the future.
For more reviews and information, check out our picks for the Top Ten Auto Insurance Companies of 2018.