What You Need to Know About Elephant Insurance (Reviews)
What is a product that many people are required by law to purchase? It is a product that they cannot see, hear, touch, smell, or taste. They hope they will never use it, and they will not know how it performs until they actually need it.
What is this product? Insurance.
Today, we will look at reviews on Elephant Auto Insurance to give purchasers an idea of whether Elephant Auto Insurance is right for them.
Image Source: Elephant Auto Insurance
Coverage Area
As of July, 2016, Elephant Auto Insurance is only available in Illinois, Maryland, Texas, and Virginia. Elephant Insurance reviews from residents of other states may not be from legitimate customers or may be from people who moved and were no longer in the area Elephant services at the time they attempted a claim.
Financial Strength
While Elephant Auto Insurance reviews do not usually focus on the financial strength of the company, customers considering their insurance should. An insurance contract is a promise to pay something in the future, so those buying it need to make sure the seller is capable of paying any claims that arise. Unfortunately, Elephant is not rated by AM Best, a premier name in consumer insurance information. This could be a red flag.
If a potential customer of Elephant Car Insurance reviews data collected by the Texas Department of Insurance they would learn that Elephant had the following Asset to Liability ratios:
- 2013: 2.2
- 2014: 1.7
- 2015: 1.5
If the company was getting financially stronger, the numbers would be getting bigger, not smaller. Those looking at Elephant Auto Insurance Reviews should contrast Elephant’s numbers with the 2015 Asset to Liability Rations of these insurers:
- State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company: 2.4
- Allstate Insurance Company: 1.5
- Progressive Casualty Insurance Company: 1.3
- GEICO Advantage Insurance Company: 2.1
When someone considering Elephant Insurance reviews those numbers, they should be relieved to know that Elephant Auto Insurance is in the same range as the major insurers, even if their ratio has decreased over time.
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How to Purchase Elephant Insurance
While most Elephant Auto Group reviews do not discuss the purchasing process, Elephant Insurance is a direct-to-consumer product. This means that the policy is purchased directly from the company and not from an agent. While this has the advantage of cutting sales costs, it means that the customer has to deal directly with Elephant and does not have an agent helping him.
An eligible customer can go to the website of Elephant Insurance Company, review the online questions, and answer them to get a quote immediately. Customers can provide the rest of the needed information online or may call and speak to an employee to finish the process. Positive Elephant Car Insurance reviews compliment Elephant Auto Insurance on their simple application process and low rates.
Elephant Insurance Company reviews by these people point out its strengths:
- DanChester said, “Compared to another larger company that my family had used for years, Elephant beat them by about $60 a month (which is huge).”
- SurferJoe192 posted another of the positive Elephant Auto Group reviews, stating, “One of the best & simple features is the website: how easy it is to get a quote and pay my monthly bill.”
- Sammerson gave one of the mixed Elephant Auto Insurance reviews, claiming “The application process is super easy, and they’re really pretty cheap. The customer service representatives are friendly, and they help you out as much as they possibly can, but there are a few issues with the way the business is run. But, you get what you pay for. I needed insurance fast, and I couldn’t afford much, so they were able to offer me a low down payment and low premiums, but there was an error in my paperwork.”
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Elephant Insurance Reviews: Pros and Cons
Cons
Many customers use some type of electronic payments to pay for their Elephant Auto Insurance policy. Unfortunately, a lot of the negative Elephant Insurance reviews deal with payment issues. The Better Business Bureau shows 97 closed complaints against Elephant Auto Insurance in the last three years. Thirty of those complaints were for billing/collection issues.
- A.M. said in one of the negative Elephant Insurance Company reviews on the BBB site: “This is the worst insurance company I’ve ever seen in my life. They take money out of your account without your permission. The customer service is very unprofessional, and didn’t take the time to resolve the issue.”
- One would expect Elephant Auto Insurance Reviews on a site called “Pissed Consumer” to be negative. One said, “I called to get a quote on 6/28/2016. I spoke to some man and I was asking him a question, I heard him in the background speaking to someone asking them do you want to take this call.”
- Another one of the negative Elephant Auto Insurance reviews said: “Elephant online service is down again. I have been with this company a few months and this has happened numerous times….The only way to pay is through a draft or credit card. No checks. No money orders.”
- Some Elephant Insurance reviews are critical of Elephant’s customer service. One Google reviewer said, “The customer service is terrible. I got some question about my policy. They made me stay on line for more than ten minutes. You almost can never reach them.”
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Everyone wants low rates and great customer service, but when push comes to shove, the main thing customers want and need from an insurance company is to have their claims paid promptly at the proper value. Many Elephant Insurance reviews indicate that customers are unhappy with Elephant Auto Insurance Company’s claim handling. Here is what some reviews on Elephant Auto Insurance have to say:
- One of the Elephant Insurance Company reviews on “Pissed Consumer” said “my 2014 Equinox [was] struck by lightening…Elephant gives everyone 3 days to complete and submit their estimates…They began the repairs, 1 by 1, cause the dealership had to get prior authorization from Elephant to do anything…Fast forward to 4 weeks and I get a call from dealership telling me that my car was repaired and ready to be picked up, only when I get to the dealership do they tell me that they can’t release my car to me because the insurance company is disputing the cost of labor!”
- According to one of the Elephant Car Insurance Reviews on the Better Business Bureau website, “Their client ran into my daughter’s car, admitted in front of her and another motorist witness that he was at fault. After my daughter filed the claim she received nothing but the run around for weeks. Constant busy signals and no call backs. Even after the witness validated that he has 100% no doubt that their client was at fault they refused to pay for the claim. This company and their client have no morals or sense of honor.”
- “My vehicle was rear-ended by a driver with insurance through Elephant. The claims adjuster (Johnny) returned my call the day after the accident and it has been over a week since I have heard from him. I have made several attempts to contact the adjuster, with no response” was the opinion in another one of the BBB’s Elephant Auto Group Reviews.
Pros
However, there are some positive Elephant Insurance reviews that talk about claims:
- Vlmobley said “I had to file a claim last year because someone nicked my car with their shopping cart. The claim was handled very smoothly and quickly. Within days, I had my car in the shop getting fixed.”
- In another one of the positive Elephant Auto Insurance reviews, SurferJoe192 said “ About 6 months ago my car got hit by another driver…Elephant Auto worked with me to help me get the most out of my claim through the other company!”
If a potential customer of Elephant Insurance reviews the complaint information listed by the Texas Department of Insurance, he or she would learn that Elephant Insurance has a complaint index of 3.8378 in December 2015, whereas the average insurer had a complaint index of 1.
If someone who plans to purchase Elephant Car Insurance reviews the BBB site, she would learn that 61 of 97 complaints had to do with problems with the product or service. Clearly, many of the reviews on Elephant Auto Insurance are negative.
Who Should Purchase Elephant Auto Insurance?
Reading Elephant Auto Insurance reviews gives clues to the type of person who might be happy as their customer. Elephant Insurance reviews praise the low rates: “I had Elephant Insurance for a number of years, because it was the most affordable car insurance for me.”
Positive reviews on Elephant auto insurance also mention the ease of sign-up: “Elephant insurance is quick, fast, and easy” and “Very easy and quick to sign up. Quick response and affordable coverage.” If price is the main consideration and you need fast service, Elephant Insurance Company reviews indicate that you may be happy.
However, Elephant Car Insurance reviews show that if claims handling is how you judge an insurance company, you may not be as happy. Far more Elephant Insurance Reviews complain about their claims handling than praise it.
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