Shelter Auto Insurance Review: Quotes and Service (2024)
Shelter earned an 80 out of 100 in MoneyGeek's car insurance analysis. The insurer excels in customer satisfaction and financial stability while providing valuable discounts. However, its overall affordability isn't great.
Updated: August 20, 2024
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5/5
discounts
4.5/5
complaints
5/5
satisfaction
4/5
stability
1.5/5
affordability
pros
cons
Verdict
Shelter has an excellent score for customer satisfaction and an above-average score for complaints. The insurer’s policies are expensive for drivers with a traffic violation or full coverage, while policies are neither cheap nor expensive for teen drivers or drivers with minimum coverage.
You can learn more about Shelter and other insurers with MoneyGeek’s resources on the cheapest car insurance companies and best car insurance companies across all 50 states. If you want to check the differences between Shelter and other insurers, MoneyGeek has a comparison tool for auto insurance companies.
How Does Shelter Rank for Customer Service?
Shelter has been rated by companies like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), AM Best and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to mostly positive scores, especially when compared to other insurance providers.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
The BBB gives Shelter an A+ rating, while customer reviews give it three stars out of five. However, from a customer satisfaction standpoint, this may not be an accurate representation as the star rating is currently only based on two reviews.
Customer Complaint Ratio
The NAIC rates insurance companies on the number of complaints they receive in a given year. Companies are then ranked, producing a national median score of 1.00, with lower scores indicating fewer complaints. By comparison, Shelter comes out ahead of the competition with fewer complaints. The NAIC gave Shelter a score of 0.60, meaning that the insurance company receives fewer customer complaints than most other insurance companies.
Shelter Auto Insurance Quotes: How Much Does it Cost?
MoneyGeek gathered auto insurance quotes for sample drivers in every state, which includes the states where Shelter sells auto insurance, and computed average costs. In the states where MoneyGeek has data on Shelter, it can have expensive premiums, costing an average of $1,462 annually.
For drivers with full coverage or a speeding violation, Shelter’s policies are expensive. On the other hand, policies are neither cheap nor expensive for drivers with minimum coverage or a young (teen) driver.
MoneyGeek realizes you want the cheapest car insurance in your state, but consider factors like customer service and financial stability instead of looking at price alone. Investing in a slightly more expensive auto insurance company because of its overall customer satisfaction rating could be worth it.
Average Annual Cost of Car Insurance with Shelter versus National Average
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Is Shelter Car Insurance Expensive or Cheap? Why?
If you’re a driver with minimum coverage or a teen driver, Shelter’s policies are neither cheap nor expensive — you can expect a moderate rate. But if you’re a driver with full coverage or have a traffic violation, you pay an expensive premium with Shelter.
Insurance companies aren’t typically transparent about how they calculate their rates, but Shelter charges more for drivers with additional coverage and those with a poor driving record. Auto insurers consider drivers with traffic violations to be risky, which affects the cost of their insurance.
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Discounts Offered by Shelter That Can Help You Save
You can take advantage of discounts to help save on your auto insurance policy with Shelter, especially if you have full coverage or a ticket and need to lower your rate. Shelter offers almost all the common insurance discounts, like bundling, multiple car, good student, safe driving, anti-theft system, pay-in-full, defensive driving and airbag but doesn’t offer a paperless discount.
Shelter also has two unique discounts that most insurance companies don’t offer. Active military members and their families based in Louisiana can use a military discount to qualify for a cheaper premium, while Louisiana residents who have a vehicle identification number (VIN) etched into each of their car windows can get a VIN etching discount.
Car Insurance Comparison Tool
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Note: The cost of car insurance is highly personalized and varies from driver to driver. Auto insurance companies weigh several factors when considering your rate, including age, driving record, address, the type of car you drive and more. The MoneyGeek calculator estimates how much you could pay for car insurance, without entering your personal information. The estimator can help you decide if it's time to switch car insurance companies or find a provider that fits your needs and budget.
Does Shelter Offer Broad or Unique Coverage?
Traditional coverages like liability, comprehensive and collision insurance are offered by Shelter. The provider also has most of the common add-on coverages, like roadside assistance, rental car and/or travel reimbursement, new car replacement and gap insurance. However, it doesn’t offer better car replacement, accident forgiveness or deductible modification coverages.
Unlike many other auto insurance companies, Shelter does not have unique coverages available.
What Online Auto Insurance Tools Does Shelter Offer?
Shelter offers a solid lineup of customer support features. And while its basic auto insurance coverages are somewhat limited, there are many other optional coverages available.
- Type of FeatureDescription
- Online Bill PayCustomers have the option to pay their auto insurance bill online, and they don’t have to log in to get it done, though that’s an option.
- Online ClaimsYou can also create online claims, with or without logging into your Shelter account.
- Mobile AppThe company has an iPhone- and Android-compatible mobile app, so customers can easily report claims and upload relevant photos, get roadside assistance, contact their agent, view their I.D. cards and pay their insurance bills.
Other Shelter Insurance Products
Shelter offers a wide variety of other insurance products, which can be especially useful to those looking to take advantage of bundling discounts. However, keep in mind that, even with those discounted rates, you may still be able to find cheaper options elsewhere, even if it requires you to use separate companies for different types of insurance policies.
- Type of ProductDescription
- Homeowners InsuranceIncludes options for homeowners, dwelling, mobile home, condominium, apartment owners and personal articles.
- Renters InsuranceProtects your belongings housed in your rental, in addition to providing liability and medical payments coverages.
- Flood InsuranceProvides building and personal property coverages in the event of a flood.
- Personal Property InsuranceGives policyholders additional protection for their personal items, like jewelry, guns and livestock.
- Life InsuranceProvides access to term life, permanent life and junior special life insurance.
- Umbrella InsuranceProvides additional coverage for your home and auto policies.
- Business InsuranceIncludes coverages for business owners, like work-related vehicles, commercial fire insurance, general liability, apartment owners and rental dwellings.
- Agricultural InsuranceThis includes coverages for farmowners, including farm property, liability, Equipment and livestock.
Financial Strength
AM Best’s rating system looks at the financial strength of a given insurance company and considers how likely each is able to meet its obligations to customers if they need to file a claim. AM Best gives Shelter an A rating. Shelter’s rating indicates stability in this area, though it’s important to note that this is not a warranty of their financial strength or ability to pay out for claims.
Compare Auto Insurance Rates
Ensure you're getting the best rate for your auto insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.
How to Make a Car Insurance Claim With Shelter
Customers can file a claim through the Shelter website, via their mobile app or by calling the toll-free customer service phone number, which is available 24/7. The company directs customers to visit one of their claims offices if they have any questions about filed claims.
Contact Shelter Car Insurance
Methodology and Assumptions
To evaluate and review auto insurance companies, MoneyGeek carefully weighs factors such as price, financial strength, policy features, customer satisfaction, service and other leading indicators. MoneyGeek also references publicly available data from industry leaders such as J.D. Power, AM Best, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and the Better Business Bureau. Learn more about MoneyGeek’s review methodology here.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.
sources
- BBB. "Shelter Insurance Profile." Accessed March 26, 2020.
- AM Best. "AM Best Rating Services, Shelter Mutual Insurance Company." Accessed March 26, 2020.