Esurance overcharged me $900 in less than a year
Written: Feb 23 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Responsive on the phone, full-featured website
Cons: Couldn't complete transaction online. Was overcharged $900.
The Bottom Line: If you get a quote from them that seems too good to be true, it probably is.
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| Andyman's Full Review: Esurance |
I'm not sure what to think of Esurance in the end, but it's enough for now to say that I used to use them but don't anymore.
At the time I signed on, I needed auto insurance lickety split. I had bought a new car that very day and was just about to head off for a 5-hour drive. I needed something online which I could sign up for, print out, and carry with me as positive proof of insurance. I didn't want to risk it.
Esurance fit the bill. Their website seemed streamlined but in fact I encountered some bugs which prevented me from completing the transaction. I was, however, able to call and take care of this over the phone. They seem to be mainly a regular insurance company which tries to do most of its business online, but realizes that phone support is necessary. This is a good feature.
Of course, all the major carriers are online now. 21st Century and Progressive and Geico all have great websites now, so Esurance's brief novelty from back in the dotcom days is irrelevant.
The trouble with Esurance must have started early, because I was only their customer for about 10 months. But to be honest, I am the kind of guy who sets up auto bill pay and forgets about it. This bit me with Esurance, but luckily I wasn't the only one.
I received several letters from them informing me that they'd lost a class-action lawsuit against them and would be refunding me over $900 due to overcharging me. I did not read the details of the legal documents to find out if it was their own premium which was too high, or if they overcharged on fees, or double-charged, or what.
But apparently they stuck it to a lot of people and got caught in the end. I cancelled my policy. A new and unknown company pulling something like that, and then actually FIGHTING it in court, takes a lot of nerve. I thought they were a really innovative little startup, but in reality I felt more comfortable with a more established company with a higher profile.
It's funny now to see Esurance marketing themselves again. I don't know how you can recover from such a PR nightmare, and I'm even surprised that they didn't go under from having to pay out all those settlements.
Suffice it to say that they might have changed their ways, but I would not start with them when there are lots of other alternatives online. If you get a quote from them that seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
Andyman
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Member: Andy Hilal
Location: Oakland, CA
Reviews written: 131
Trusted by: 177 members
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