How Does Allstate Stack Up?

As the second largest house insurance company in the nation, Allstate is a major player in the industry. Considering that a quarter of their business comes from home insurance, you could definitely say the company has a vested interest in maintaining a quality product. Founded in 1931, the brand has come a long way and has firmly entrenched itself as one of the top providers in the nation.

A Brief History

Originally part of Sears Roebuck, Allstate eventually became independent in the 1980's. Currently, the insurer is providing insurance products to more than 17 million households in every state and it employs nearly 15,000 agents and financial specialists. According to current numbers, the organization is ranked second in market share, only behind State Farm. Aside from house insurance, the provider also offers auto, life, and health products. Though this review will focus on home insurance, we can attest to the quality of the insurer's other types of services as well.

Customer Service

With an extremely large network of agents, you can get personalized customer service from the company just about anywhere in the country. Is the organization putting quantity above quality though? One recent survey suggests that the company provides less than stellar customer service during the claims process. Nearly half of the policy owners surveyed also noted that they would not renew their policies with the organization. Despite these results, anecdotal online reviews from current customers tell a different story. While several customer reviews claim they received poor service and went through a difficult claims process, there are a number of positive reviews out there as well.

Online Presence

Thanks to a fairly clean and simple layout, the official website appears to be in good hands. For new customers, it allows you to purchase directly from the site and even receive quotes. Should you need help with the process, the website even offers to have a local agent contact you for personal assistance. There's also several helpful tools for consumers, such as software for creating a home inventory and a resource that shows you the most common types of claims in your area. Current policyowners can file claims through the website, as well as check their status. Compared to many of the other major providers, this insurer's website clearly ranks as one of the best.

Bottom Line

With their long history of quality service and great online interface, this provider has proven to be a dependable option. Although prices are always changing, current rates are extremely competitive and are often the lowest available. If the recent survey is any indication, one area the provider may be able to improve in is it's customer service, though our anecdotal evidence may suggest otherwise. Bottom line - if you're looking to purchase online through a dependable provider at a reasonable rate, we think this brand would make an excellent choice.