The General Auto Insurance Review

The General Auto Insurance Ratings at a Glance

The cost and type of coverage drivers must procure varies from state to state. For example, Oregon, New Jersey and New York require liability, personal injury protection, uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage. In California, Colorado and Georgia, only liability coverage is required. 

The General offers auto insurance in 47 states, so it has a wide range of coverage options to meet the requirements of different states. While insurance minimums differ in each state, one constant is that the minimum often is insufficient to cover the fallout of a major accident. Always purchase enough coverage to protect your family and assets.

Liability Insurance

Liability is one type of auto coverage required in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. When you see liability coverage quoted, you’ll see three numbers, like 100/300/50. These figures represent the three different facets of liability coverage:

• Bodily injury per person: The amount the policy covers per individual injured in an accident deemed to be your fault

• Bodily injury per accident: The amount the policy covers per at-fault accident, regardless of the number of injured persons.

• Property damage: The amount the policy covers for damage to surrounding property caused in an at-fault accident.

The General offers minimum and maximum coverage liability options for drivers in good and not-so-good standing.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

The General offers uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage as part of its full coverage plan. This type of coverage protects you should another driver with insufficient liability coverage (i.e., the state minimum) hit you and a lack of assets to pay for damages. If an uninsured driver hits you, this coverage will kick in and help pay for damages.

Comprehensive Insurance

Comprehensive covers nonaccident events, such as weather, vandalism or damage caused by an animal — people who live in deer country in the Northeast United States need comprehensive. Although not required by state law, it’s a good idea, and The General offers it.

Collision Insurance

Often confused with comprehensive, collision insurance covers you should you get in an accident with something other than a vehicle, such as hitting a patch of ice, a downed tree branch in the road or other objects that other drivers can’t control. The General offers both collision and comprehensive coverage.

Gap Insurance

The General also offers gap insurance, which is recommended for drivers financing their vehicles. Cars depreciate quickly, and if your vehicle is totaled in an accident, you may find that your outstanding loan balance is higher than the value of the car. Gap coverage protects owners from value depreciation should a relatively new vehicle become totaled.

Car Insurance Discounts Offered by The General

Here are a few additional discounts The General clients can receive:

• Multiple driver bundle discounts
• Good student discounts for teens

The General earns points for having three ways to contact customer service: phone, email and online chat portal. Licensed insurance agents can be reached from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CST Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The General loses points despite the range of contact options because responses often need to be faster and more effective. Most complaints at Consumer Affairs and the Better Business Bureau list slow claims process and difficulty reaching the proper agent as the most significant concerns.

High-risk drivers will always pay higher rates for insurance, and premium costs will vary depending on your driving history, age, location, credit score and type of vehicle. Because The General’s client base skews toward the high-risk drivers, the rates are more expensive than usual. But the overall skew higher doesn’t explain why companies like Progressive and Geico often have lower premiums for high-risk drivers. 

The General car insurance mobile app allows clients to access their policies, pay their bills, produce ID cards and contact customer service through a sleek and intuitive design. Clients can link their bank account information, set up autopayment and receive discounts. All chat, email and call features from the website are here too. The app has a 4.7-star rating at both the Apple App and Google Play stores.

Clients can receive good driver discounts, teen discounts for good grades, rental car coverage and full-pay premium discounts. The General has also expanded its insurance options to homeowners, rentals, commercial auto, health and pet insurance. But as you might expect from a company that leans toward high-risk drivers, the user benefit offerings aren’t very robust.

Getting a quote and proof of insurance can be done in a single business day through the website or mobile app. Potential clients can select a policy and receive coverage quickly. The user experience varies from there. Many complaints list stories of slow customer service response times, challenging and inefficient claims processing and unexpected rate hikes. The General remains well-rated on Trustpilot and the BBB, but the number of service-related complaints must be recognized.

The General Car Insurance vs. Competitors

The General offers car insurance coverage to drivers frequently shunned by other companies. Acceptance rates compared to competitors are high, and coverage options are as plentiful as most other major insurers.

The General has fewer discounts, higher rates and worse claim processing and customer service marks than national firms like Geico, Progressive and Nationwide. Potential clients should always compare rates and types of coverage before agreeing to a policy, especially if you have a good record and a wide range of options.

Overall, The General gets a 3.5-star rating. The coverage options, mobile app and acceptance of high-risk drivers make the company a good choice for certain motorists. But customer service response times are frequently criticized, the claims process is often slow and tedious and rates aren’t always the cheapest, even for high-risk drivers.

The General is Ideal for High-Risk Drivers, but Those with Clean Records Will Likely Prefer Other Companies 

If you’re a high-risk driver, it might be worth considering The General auto insurance. The process is simple, the coverage options robust and the mobile app makes it easy to stay on top of payments and claims. But unless you’re considered high risk, you can probably find a better deal elsewhere. Check out The General’s quote generator today to see whether it offers you the best bang for your buck.

Frequently Asked Questions