MetLife offers excellent auto insurance coverage and reasonable pricing, but customers have been less than impressed with the service they’ve received.
MetLife offers several auto insurance coverages that are hard to find elsewhere, including new car replacement, sound system, legal fee, and gap coverage, which insures your vehicle for the amount you still owe on it, rather than its depreciated value.
There are few discounts available, but its rates are reasonable, especially if you’re part of a group policy. Safe drivers are eligible for even more savings, including the Deductible Savings Benefit, which lowers your deductible every year you go without an accident.
Despite all these perks, MetLife had a middling performance in JD Power’s 2017 customer satisfaction survey. If excellent customer service is at the top of your priority list, you may want to explore other options with a reputation for satisfaction, like State Farm.
MetLife Auto Insurance Review: The Claim
MetLife strives to provide quality auto insurance at an affordable rate. Its customer service is available 24/7 to answer questions and its online and mobile tools give you convenient access to your policy wherever you go.
Is it True?
MetLife goes beyond the basic auto insurance coverages to offer extras, like custom sound system and gap coverage, that are hard to find elsewhere.
It also offers new car replacement for vehicles less than a year old and glass repairs without a deductible. If you get sued as the result of an auto accident, MetLife will even pay your legal fees.
In terms of price, MetLife is fairly reasonable. It doesn’t offer much in the way of discounts, but it offers excellent rates for groups. It also offers rewards to safe drivers, including its Deductible Savings Benefit, which lowers your premium by $50 every year you go without an accident. I got quotes from MetLife and several other insurers for an individual auto policy and found that MetLife fell right in the middle, about $40 more expensive than my cheapest option. You may get a different result, but as with any insurance company, you’ll have to get a quote to find out.
Despite its excellent coverage and reasonable rates, MetLife comes up short in customer satisfaction. In the latest J.D. Power survey, it scored average or below in almost every region it was rated in. The clarity of the billing statements and customers’ interactions with company representatives were the most common complaints. The company also has a C+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. This shouldn’t discourage you from getting a quote from MetLife, but it’s something to keep in mind as you compare your options.
Cost Rundown
You won’t know how much your auto insurance is going to cost you until you get a quote. Insurance premiums are personalized for you, taking factors like your age, driving record, vehicle and address into account. While all insurers look at the same information, every company weighs it slightly differently, which is why you end up with such variance in quote prices.
You should compare quotes from several companies before making a purchase, but don’t choose a company based on price alone. Make sure you go with a company that’s financially stable and is known for efficient claims handling. This is worth paying a little extra because it’ll save you a lot of stress when you need to file a claim.
What Others Are Saying
- CNET reported on MetLife’s entrance into the ridesharing market back in 2014. It partnered with Lyft to provide its drivers with comprehensive protection while they are working for the ridesharing service. Lyft released a statement announcing this partnership: “In the coming months, we will work together with MetLife Auto & Home to develop insurance solutions that further protect Lyft’s drivers and passengers when utilizing this new sharing economy platform.”
- Boston.com ran a story about MetLife’s recent legal troubles in Massachusetts. The state attorney general fined MetLife $50,000 for allegedly penalizing its customers for accidents in which they were not at fault. MetLife was also required to refund an undisclosed amount of money to its customers. The company was cooperating with the attorney general’s office to make sure the customers who were wrongly charged would “receive the appropriate refunds.”
- Business Wire ran a press release about MetLife’s safe driving program for teens. This program rewards teen drivers with $50 every year they go without an accident. When asked to comment on this program, a spokesperson said, “We hope this new program helps teens learn good driving habits for life. If we can prevent just one teen death, it will be well worth the effort.”
The Bottom Line
MetLife offers solid auto insurance coverage and reasonable rates. Despite its average customer satisfaction ratings, it’s worth taking the time to get a quote to see what kind of a deal MetLife can offer you.
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