The General Insurance Company Review | Legit Or Scam?

General Insurance came into existence in 1963 and is reputable for providing a wide range of insurance for different types of drivers. For drivers with tickets on the record, General Insurance is their best choice. The company has a variety of flexible plans and affordable rates that are suitable for those with bad driving records.

General Insurance provides an opportunity for those without a perfect driving history to access insurance policies that satisfy the general requirements of the state.

Thus, those with DUI records or at-fault accident records can still gain access to some kind of license that meets state requirements.

Nonetheless, its coverage options are limited and its insurance policies may be on the high side. For example, drivers with DUI issues can get up to a $410 hike on their policy rates per month.  

Note that the minimum policy requirements may differ from one state to the other. For some states, only liability insurance is required while other states may require other coverages like personal injury protection and uninsured motorist insurance.

According to General Insurance reviews, the company promises to provide affordable coverage to high-risk drivers. Since the company specializes in writing nonstandard rates, its rates are usually higher than other companies writing standard rates like Progressive insurance.

 If you are seeking to understand if it is possible to even acquire insurance, even with bad driving records, or if the promises of General Insurance are a hoax or scandalous, continue reading till the end to find out more about General Insurance.

General Insurance Over the Years

Founded in 1963 as a Paramount General Agency, the company began its business by selling products under the name Paramount General Assurance Corporation (PGAC).

In 1997, the company adopted the name General Insurance. However, the company continued to use the name PGAC in all its official dealings.

In 1998, American Family Insurance purchased the company and continued to run it as an individual entity. General insurance has its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.

Over the years, the company has grown and today, customers can purchase policies online, via a phone call, or through an independent insurance agent.

General Insurance has service stations in many states. However, its service covers more than the company’s number of service stations. The company stands out for making it easy for customers to access an SR-22 form.

However, the services are not cheap. Customers seeking SR-22 insurance at low rates may want to look for other alternative options as General Insurance can be on the high side.

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How General Insurance Works

When looking for car insurance, it is essential to have a good idea of what a car insurance covers and the essential covers the state requires of you before making payment.

There is no specific coverage known as full coverage. Instead, it is a combination of different policies like collision, liability, and comprehensive insurance.

Therefore, it is essential to understand the different types of insurance available at General Insurance and how they work.

General Insurance offers the majority of the policies available with the traditional coverage.

Insurance PolicyPurposeRequired or Not?
Liability for bodily injury and damage to property liabilityCovers the cost of taking care of injuries or death, and damage to property from an accident.Yes, most times
Uninsured or underinsured motorist policiesTakes care of medical bills and property damage costs in case of an accident with a driver that does not have sufficient insurance or no insurance at all.Often necessary
Collision policyTakes care of the cost of repair from traffic-related accidents, irrespective of who’s at fault.May be required for a car lease or loan
Comprehensive insurance policy/coverageTakes care of repair costs arising from circumstances outside of your control. E.g. weather, theft, running into an animal while in motion, vandalism, etc. May be required for a car lease or loan

Table showing the common types of car insurance and their purposes.

1. SR-22 Insurance Policy

The SR-22 is a document that shows that a driver has adequate car insurance.

Depending on your state, you may be required to file an SR-22 in the case of DUI and other serious traffic-related offenses like driving without insurance or driving without a license (for a person whose license was recently revoked or suspended).

2. Custom Equipment Policy

For those with cars that have custom parts (not included in the original design of the car by the manufacturer) like custom wheels, spoilers, paints, camper shells, and other parts, the custom equipment policy will cover damage to any of these parts to the sum of $5,000 maximum.   

3. 24/7 Roadside Assistance Policy

Nation Safe Drivers (NSD) is in charge of administering General Insurance 24/7 Roadside Assistance Policy. They also provide 24/7 towing assistance for cars that break down on the roadside due to operational issues.

4. Rental Reimbursement

For those involved in an accident and their cars decommissioned for repairs, this policy will cover the expenses for renting a new car.

Rental Reimbursement comes with per day limit and has a cap on the number of days a driver can access the service.

5. Towing and Labour

In case a driver’s car breaks down and requires towing, this option covers the cost of towing.

Drivers who sign up for this policy have the choice to decide the limits General insurance will cover for this kind of situation.

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Can You Save Money with General Insurance?

The answer is yes. Like other insurance companies, there are ways you can access discounts with General Insurance. A driver can access discounts in two major ways from General Insurance and they are:

#1. Discount by Policy

  • Double Deductible: Customers can request a double deduction, which will double their deduction for the first 45 days of their policy, and in return, they enjoy a discount on their premium.
  • Full Payment Discount: customers that pay for their policy in full may be eligible for a discount.
  • New Customer Discount: customers that switch from another insurance policy to General Insurance (after at least 5 years) may qualify to enjoy some discount from General Insurance,

#2. Direct Discount to Vehicle Drivers

  • Multi-car insurance on one policy from general insurance is one way to enjoy some discount from the company
  • Homeowners discount is designed to reward a customer who owns a home on his policy.
  • Military benefits are designed to reward active military men who base in Louisiana.
  • Good Student Discount is designed to reward students that meet the general requirements of General Insurance.
  • Driver training is designed to reward drivers that willingly decide to take a course without a court order. At the end of their course, they may be eligible for a discount from General Insurance.

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The General Insurance Auto Insurance Reviews

According to general insurance auto insurance reviews obtained from the popular review website Nerdwallet,  the insurance company scores a  total of 3.5-star out of 5 for general performance.

However, General Insurance is not included in J.D Power’s rating for customer satisfaction and claims satisfaction.

Nonetheless, the insurance company has an excellent score for financial strength but a very poor score based on the NAIC complaint index (General insurance scores worse than average).

NAIC receives more than average complaints regarding General Insurance per annum.

Pros and Cons of General Insurance

Pros

  • General Insurance can file SR-22 form for clients who need it
  • General Insurance writes insurance policies for high-risk drivers

Cons

  • It has a higher number of complaints from customers to state regulators for auto insurance. 

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Is general Insurance Legit or a Scam?

According to the General insurance reviews available online the company is legit and also among the top insurance companies in America. However, their premium is also on the high side. 

However, if you are a driver with poor credits or infractions, like DUI records, at-fault accidents, or stop sign violations, General insurance is your best choice.

While the cost may be on the high side, considering your condition, General Insurance rates are more affordable than other insurance companies that charge a cutthroat price for such situations.  

Drivers with good driving records and scores can also look into General Insurance when looking for an insurance company if they can deal with the poor customer service issues.

Due to the high-risk clients, the company has to deal with daily, the company may not be able to offer the most extensive coverage as well as discounts to its customers.

Nonetheless, General Insurance rates are affordable and take care of your base cost.

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Verdict for The General Insurance Reviews

The General Insurance reviews by customers generally take a positive score. When it comes to financial stability, the company scores an A, which shows its financial ability to meet up with ongoing insurance commitments.

While the company is not listed on the J.D Power U.S. Auto Claims Satisfactory Study, which is responsible for ranking the overall customers’ satisfaction about different insurance companies, doesn’t make it a scam or less legit.

There are other top companies like Geico, Nationwide, and State Farm that did not make it to J.D Power list as well.

For drivers with issues trying to find an insurance company because of bad credit scores can resort to General Insurance. The company specializes in writing insurance policies for such companies that cover state-level minimum requirements for drivers.

However, those with a clean driving record and high grades may need to look for other insurance companies. General Insurance is expensive for such drivers and offers limited policies.

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