I got an online quote from USAA for auto insurance, because Clark says they are one of the best, but after looking at online reviews I’m reluctant to go with them. Both ConsumerAffairs and Trustpilot reviews give them VERY low scores (in the one star range). In reading some of the comments, folks say that USAA used to be client focused and easy to work with, but that has changed in the last 10 years.
Does anyone here use USAA for insurance (or other services) and would you recommend them?
Yes, and yes.
Been with them since the days when they only insured officers. As they have expanded over the years they have divided members into pools, for lack of a better description, and some are under subsidiary insurers vs the original USAA. I don’t believe those folks get the yearly payouts from the subscriber savings account or the longevity bonuses but I could be wrong. Those two distributions pretty much cover a big chunk of my auto insurance each year. I find their rates reasonable but can’t speak to whether their customer service is as personal as it once was. I’ve only had two claims that I can remember and none recently.
definitely so, not the old USAA it used to be
All insurers are fine until you have to make a claim. Consumer Reports periodically rates insurance companies. Also, you may want to consider a broker and bundle home, auto and umbrella.
First, thank you for your service or your family members’ service.
I listen to almost all the shows, and I think Clark has seen some trends in the wrong direction.
Per the BBB, they are not accredited, at least for AUTO, and there are some complaints on the site as well.
I personally would look at Amica
In case you did not see this https://clark.com/insurance/homeowners-insurance/best-and-worst-home-insurers/
We have had excellent service with AutoOwners.
However, we have only had one claim for hail damage resulting in the roof being replaced so that may not be enough experience for a reifiable rating.
Thanks, I checked the Consumers Report for auto insurance and USAA is down the list a ways. I’ve got a call in to an independent agent to see what he can quote.
It was actually my father-in-laws membership that qualified us. USAA has always had such a great reputation that I was very interested in trying them. The most recent reviews indicate that they’ve changed a lot and their customer service has really fallen off. I’ve requested a quote from Amica.
Unfortunately, they won’t quote in CA. Neither will Erie, who I’ve had good experience with in the past.
Well I have been USAA for over 50 years, and have never strayed on the auto insurance. Generally it has been good though the premiums seem outrageous.
Sometime a few decades ago they created a bank, which I have used almost since it was opened. Also did some brokerage and I don’t really know what all else. It one point in time USAA held the bulk of my retirement savings, mostly in a brokerage account I think. But there have been multiple instances where I concluded that the company did not appreciate this customer. More than one time I have voted with my money. When I got a new bride they treated her so badly that she prefers to use BoA! It took multiple calls with hours listening to the world’s most awful hold music to get it straight. About all I have left is a decades old annuity that pays a guaranteed minimum of 4.5% interest! They have not angered me enough to pull it yet.
One of the objectionable things they did was insist on pulling credit to do a car loan. This was after being a 30+ year customer and having way more than the loan amount just sitting there in an account.
So I would say, your mileage may vary.
Thanks, this is great insight and echos other reviews I’ve read.
Good luck on your search. I’ve heard good things about Erie, but they don’t write in Georgia. I would generally say that the major players which includes USAA all universally despised.
I was with USAA for 40+ years. My FIL 60. When my FIL / MIL were creamed by a speeding driver - 100+ in a 45 zone - somehow my MIL survived, but the other driver only had 100K of liability. So his uninsured/underinsured kicked in. This only happens if the other driver is at 51% or more fault. USAA did their best to prove my FIL ran the stop sign - the police report did not matter. It was despicable. Which made me start looking.
Well, Allstate saved me almost $5k/year in premiums for the same coverage. I’m not advocating Allstate, I have issues with them as well. FIL switch to State Farm and was shocked at how much he saved.
I have/had 3 sons in the USARMY. None of them use USAA - and their driving records are impeccable. This should tell you something.
Now, having said all that, please don’t make the mistake of thinking that customer loyalty means anything. Shop your plans annually (make it part of your IRS return). Reminds me, I need to do that.
We have used them for 40 years and I see a definite downturn in customer service.
To be fair, the same can probably be said for any company we’ve dealt with for decades. 
I know USAA charges more than other carriers, but I thought it paid off with better service when you needed them. It seems that it is no longer the case. It’s terrible that they tried to reject your FIL’s claim the way they did. They are riding on their good reputation, but it is fading. I’ve chosen to reject them as an option.
That’s true. I can’t think of a single company that I originally loved, that maintained a high standard of service and pricing over the long haul. That could be a good topic for a new thread.
I don’t qualify for USAA, nor have any direct experience with them. But, I do have a great deal of experience with insurance and know people insured by them. First, few people like insurance companies and even fewer will leave favorable reviews. Historically, they are one of the best and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them. Due to Covid, high inflation hitting companies and high interest rates, all companies are having difficulties and probably some poor performance. The good companies like USAA and State Farm will go through this stuff along with the others. If you have a good one think hard about leaving them for a few bucks. These companies don’t have a lot of loyalty, but not being loyal to them could be a costly mistake. Having to deal with an insurance company on a complex claim can be way more costly than the premiums from a good insurance carrier. Tread lightly, but the money is important.
I’ve had USAA auto & home insurance for over 40 years but recently (2 years ago) switched to Progressive auto insurance due to a much lower auto insurance cost quote. I called up USAA before switching to see if they could come close to the competitor’s quote but they fell short. I have had excellent service from USAA when I needed it (both home and car claims) and I was hoping for a competitive quote from them. I did keep my home insurance with USAA though since when I tried to get a package deal from Progressive they said they did not insure homes at my rural address.
I thought I would weigh in on this, as I have had USAA as my auto insurance for years on multiple cars and multiple family members. I have in the past considered changing, but after several accidents and USAA doing a great job with resolution I decided to stay. I get plenty of discounts with them due to multiple cars, and find that if I price other companies the discounts really make a difference. Currently they are taking care of a lawsuit filed against us by a local police department (the officer ran into our car at an intersection, and was found at fault by the state trooper.) I stick with USAA. (There have been some situations that we were not able to work out with USAA, but that was not related to banking or auto insurance.)