Majority of Consumers Satisfied With Auto Insurance, But Many Still Shopping for Price: IRC Survey

The majority of insured drivers are satisfied with their current auto insurance company, according to a recent public opinion survey, but many are still shopping for a better price.

The survey by the Insurance Research Council (IRC) found that 86 percent of insured drivers who responded were satisfied with their current auto insurance company. However, despite such a high level of consumer satisfaction, 1 in 4 respondents who own at least one vehicle said that they had shopped for auto insurance during a recent 12-month period, and 80 percent of those who shopped said they did so primarily to see whether they could get a better price for coverage. Only one-third of those who shopped for insurance actually changed to a different insurance company.

Of respondents who shopped for insurance, 71 percent accessed the Internet for information. Desktop computers had the highest usage rate, with 48 percent of shoppers who own a desktop computer saying they used it to shop for insurance, followed by laptops (39 percent), smartphones (19 percent) and tablets (13 percent).

Other key findings from the survey:

• Most owners of licensed vehicles (85 percent) felt they were well informed about auto insurance and how to buy it.
• 39 percent of respondents had been with their current auto insurer for more than 10 years.
• Customer satisfaction levels were higher for respondents who had been with their insurer longer and for older respondents.
• 88 percent of those who did not shop for insurance mentioned satisfaction with their current insurer as the most important reason why.

The report, “Shopping for Auto Insurance and the Use of Internet-Based Technology,” is based on an online survey of 1,168 respondents by GfK Public Affairs & Corporate Communications on behalf of the IRC. The survey was conducted Sept. 24-Oct. 13, 2014. Survey data were weighted to the United States population of adults aged 18 and above.