Mercury Auto Insurance Ratings
Auto
Overall| Product |
HOW WE WEIGH OUR SCORE
Price
35%
Customer service
25%
Claims
20%
Website and app
10%
Renew/Recommend
10% | Claims Processing | Customer Service | Value for Price | Website and Apps | % Who Would Recommend to a Friend | % Who Plan to Renew | WHAT IS THIS RATING? A.M. Best's Financial Strength Rating is an independent opinion of an insurer's financial strength and ability to meet its ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations. A.M. Best's rating is NOT used to calculate the overall score but it is important information to consider when choosing an insurance company. October 31, 2019 |
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Reasons for Buying from Mercury
| Offered best price | 30% |
| Reputation | 19% |
| Recommended by friend or family member | 18% |
| Saw online ad | 10% |
| Was the company my parents had | 6% |
| I had other insurance with this company | 5% |
| Saw TV commercial | 5% |
| Financial Strength rating | 4% |
| The company website and mobile apps are easy to use and helpful | 3% |
How likely are you to recommend this company to a friend, coworker or family member?
Would you renew?
Website and Apps
How You Prefer to Deal with Insurers
About Mercury
Types of auto coverage
- Personal and Business Auto
Additional policies offered
- Homeowners
- Renters
- Condo/Townhouse
- Business Insurance
- Umbrella
Best Auto Insurance Companies 2020: How Mercury Auto Insurance Measures Up
With an overall score of 84.9, Mercury earned sixth place on the list this year, failing to crack the top five by less than a point. Still, it placed No. 4 for claims handling (91.35) and No. 5 for value for price (81.4). In the customer service category it placed fifteenth, with a score of 84.6, which was less than a point behind the four preceding carriers. Mercury landed in the middle of the pack, at twelfth for usefulness of its webs site and apps. Eighty-two percent said they would recommend the company to friends and family. Ninety-two percent said they’d renew their policy.
Gauging an insurance company
Before buying with a company it is wise to check on a company's financial strength and complaint record. The A.M. Best rating listed above gives you an idea of Mercury's financial strength to pay claims. A complaint ratio can be found on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) site. The median complaint ratio from the NAIC is always 1.00. This means half of the insurers have a complaint ratio of under 1.00 and half have a ratio above. Basically, numbers lower than 1.00 are better with fewer complaints than the median and a number higher than 1.00 has more complaints than the median. For auto insurance, Mercury (NAIC# 27553) had a complaint ratio of 0.87 for 2018. 2019 complaint numbers will be available in 2020.
Company Background
All drivers are not created equal
In the 1950s, everyone paid the same rate for auto insurance regardless of age or driving record. George Joseph thought there was a better way to provide insurance and raised $2 million to start his own company. Mercury General sold its first automobile policy in April 1962.
Throughout the '60s and '70s, the company expanded, opening offices throughout California. By the mid-1980s, Mercury had become the largest independent agency writer of private passenger auto insurance in California.
In 1989, it began selling outside of California -- in Georgia and Illinois. Today, it sells auto and home insurance through a network of independent agents and brokers in 11 states -- Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia. Mercury is the 14th-largest private passenger auto insurance provider in the nation.
Consider Mercury for no-frills and low rates
The company’s commercials state, “Working hard to keep rates low.” Not only does that mean rewarding the best driving habits and records, but it also means that Mercury works to keep its overhead low. The company’s site is straight-forward without a lot of resources or diversions, and claims are submitted over the phone, but that doesn’t mean they are stuck in the past. Like many insurers, they are available 24/7 and offer a smartphone app in order to access your policy information on the go. Mercury may not be as fancy as some insurers, but the idea is that those savings will be reflected in your rate.
Contact information
Corporate Headquarters
4484 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Customer service and claims: 1-800-503-3724
