Elephant Auto Insurance Vs. Erie: Which Offers The Best Coverage And Rates?

Elephant Auto Insurance is a subsidiary of Admiral Group PLC, a major insurance provider in the United Kingdom. Elephant offers insurance in only eight states: Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The company provides competitively priced car insurance policies with a seamless online quoting, buying, and self-management process. Elephant's rates are lower than average for teens and young drivers, and it offers a broad discount program, including multi-car, safe driver, and pay-in-full discounts.

Erie Insurance is a regional provider of auto, home, and life insurance, among other services. Erie operates in 12 states and Washington, D.C., including Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia, which overlap with Elephant's coverage area. Erie offers a full range of car insurance coverage options, including liability, collision, and comprehensive insurance.

Both Elephant and Erie have positive and negative reviews from customers. Elephant has an average of 4.1 to 4.2 out of 5 stars on Google, but a low score of 1.2 out of 5 stars on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website. On the other hand, Erie has an A+ rating from the BBB and an A+ (Superior) rating from AM Best, indicating strong financial stability.

In terms of pricing, Elephant is known for its affordable rates, especially for one-year insurance terms. Erie's rates may vary depending on the driver's location, driving history, coverage type, and other factors. It's worth noting that Erie has been in business since 1925, while Elephant was founded in 2009, giving Erie a longer track record in the industry.

Elephant's customer service

Elephant Auto Insurance has received mixed reviews for its customer service. While some customers have praised the company for its "great rates" and "best coverage for affordable insurance", others have criticised it for issues with billing and fees, and for refusing to cover certain car repairs. Elephant has also received an average score of 1.2 out of 5 stars on Better Business Bureau (BBB) from 64 customers, although it's worth noting that this is a small percentage of Elephant's customer base and may not be representative of the company's overall service.

On the positive side, Elephant has been recognised for its "exceptional" customer service by Forbes, which named it America's Best Insurance Company in 2023. This assessment was based on a survey of over 15,000 customers of more than 3,300 insurance companies. Elephant also has an average Google rating of 4.7 stars and a high customer retention rate, with 89% of customers staying with the company at renewal in 2022.

In terms of accessibility, Elephant's customer service is limited to business hours and is not available 24/7. The company relies on its website, mobile app, and online tools to service customers outside of these hours. However, Elephant's mobile app has received positive reviews for its convenience and ease of use.

Overall, Elephant Auto Insurance has received mixed reviews for its customer service, with some customers reporting positive experiences and others citing issues with billing, fees, and claims.

Elephant's coverage options

Elephant Insurance offers a range of coverage options to its customers. The company provides all the standard coverage options that are required by state law, including liability insurance, collision insurance, comprehensive insurance, and uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance. Elephant also offers additional coverage options and services, such as medical payments (MedPay) and personal injury protection (PIP), rental reimbursement, upgraded accident forgiveness, and diminishing deductible.

Liability insurance covers bodily injury and property damage costs when the policyholder is at fault in an accident. Comprehensive and collision insurance cover damage to the policyholder's vehicle, regardless of who is at fault. Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance covers damages when the at-fault driver does not have sufficient insurance. Medical payments (MedPay) cover medical bills for the policyholder and their passengers after an accident, while personal injury protection (PIP) covers medical expenses as well as non-medical expenses like loss of wages and funeral costs.

Elephant also offers rental reimbursement, which covers the cost of a rental car while the policyholder's vehicle is being repaired. Upgraded accident forgiveness waives the waiting period for an at-fault accident, while diminishing deductible reduces the policyholder's deductible for each year they go without an accident.

In addition to these coverage options, Elephant offers custom parts and equipment (CPE) coverage, which insures upgrades and modifications made to the vehicle. Elephant automatically covers up to $1,000 of CPE, but drivers with collision and comprehensive coverage can increase this limit. The company also provides pet injury coverage, which reimburses up to $1,000 for vet bills if a pet is injured in a covered claim. Finally, Elephant offers legal resources to help with legal situations like contesting a moving violation or creating a will.

Elephant's pricing

Elephant Insurance is known for its affordable rates and wide variety of discounts. The company offers a seamless online quoting, buying, and self-management process for competitively priced car insurance policies. Elephant's car insurance quotes are 8% higher than average, with full-coverage car insurance costing about $156 per month. However, the company has a high rate of customer complaints, with 65% more complaints than a typical insurance company of its size, mainly regarding billing and claims processing.

Elephant offers several discounts to its customers, including:

• Early bird: Switching to Elephant at least five days before the current policy expires can save up to 10%.
• Electronic signature: Using an electronic signature for documents can save around 18%.
• Paperless account: Choosing paperless billing can save up to 3%.
• Pay in full: Paying premiums upfront can result in savings of up to 15%.
• Multi-car: Insuring multiple vehicles can lead to savings of up to 46% on monthly premiums.
• Multi-policy: Bundling auto insurance with other types of insurance can result in savings of 4% to 12%.
• Good student: Maintaining good grades can lead to discounts.
• Work from home: Working from home and spending less time on the road can lead to discounted premiums.

Elephant also provides add-on coverages, such as accident forgiveness, diminishing deductible, rental reimbursement, pet injury coverage, and legal resources plan.

Elephant's customer reviews

Elephant Insurance has received mixed reviews from its customers. While some customers have praised the company for its competitive rates, easy online buying process, and responsive customer service, others have complained about issues with billing and fees, steep price increases, refusal to cover certain car repairs, and inefficient and hard-to-reach insurance agents.

On Trustpilot, Elephant Insurance has earned high marks from reviewers, with some customers highlighting the convenience of the chat option for getting a quote and issuing a policy. One reviewer mentioned how they were able to get a representative on the phone immediately to correct a minor error. Another reviewer praised Elephant for its low prices and responsive customer service team.

However, on Yelp and the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the company has received more negative reviews. One common issue mentioned in these reviews is unexpected fees, such as a fee for canceling a policy or a fee for not leaving card details on file. Some customers have also expressed frustration with denied or delayed claims, unexpected total loss decisions, and issues with rental car reimbursements.

According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Elephant Insurance has received a higher number of customer complaints compared to other insurers of a similar size. The company's NAIC rating of 1.87 indicates that it has more customer complaints than the average competitor, adjusted for size.

Despite the mixed reviews, Elephant Insurance has a Net Promoter Score that is 32% higher than the industry average for car insurance. This score is based on customers' likelihood to recommend the company to a friend. Additionally, the company has an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 on Google, with over 3,500 reviews.

Elephant's availability

Elephant Insurance is available in eight states: Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The company offers a seamless online quoting, buying, and self-management process for competitively priced car insurance policies. Elephant's car insurance quotes are 8% higher than average, with full-coverage car insurance costing about $156 per month.

Elephant offers a broad discount program, including multi-car, safe driver, and pay-in-full discounts. The company also offers rare coverage options, like upgraded accident forgiveness, diminishing deductibles, pet injury coverage, and the YourMechanic program, which connects customers with qualified mechanics who make home visits.

Elephant's mobile app is rated 4.9 (out of 5) on the App Store and 4.8 (out of 5) on Google Play. The app allows users to access their ID cards, manage policies and payments, and file a claim.

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