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Donegal Auto Insurance Review

Sunday, 15 December 2013 17:14

Donegal Insurance Group sells Donegal auto insurance in 20 state markets and is one of the oldest and most well established insurance providers in Pennsylvania. The company expanded from its Pennsylvania roots through a series of strategic acquisitions that started in the 90s, but it remains one of the lesser known mid-sized insurance companies even though it has increased its annual premiums substantially in recent years. The company is known for its strong financial stability and for having a stable financial outlook, and it may be a good choice for customers who happen to be looking for insurance in one of its 20 states.

Company Background Information

Donegal Insurance Group was founded in 1889 in Pennsylvania by a small group of farmers who wanted to have reliable insurance for their property. The company purchased its first office building in 1919 and continued to expand for the following three decades as a strong regional insurance provider. By the 1980s Donegal had premium writings of nearly $30 million in the state of Pennsylvania and in the 80s the company expanded into Delaware and Maryland.

In the 90s, Donegal acquired the Delaware Atlantic Insurance Company, Pioneer Insurance Company, and Southern Heritage Insurance Company and helped the company expand into new regions. In the 2000s Donegal merged several of its subsidiaries together, and in 2008 the company had $457 million in annual premiums, with the most recent acquisition of Michigan Insurance Company being one of its latest business moves. Donegal is rated “A” by A.M. Best for its strong financial performance in recent years with a stable outlook. Donegal currently sells insurance in 20 state markets and has not yet been rated by J.D. Power for its customer service quality.

Pros of Donegal Auto Insurance

  • Very well established regional auto insurance provider
  • Wide range of auto and other insurance products
  • Several discount options

Cons of Donegal Auto Insurance

  • Available only in limited states
  • Limited information on customer service quality

Discounts

There are some brief mentions of discounts on the company website including these discounts:

  • Good student discount
  • Accident forgiveness program
  • Discounts for good driving
  • Passive restraint discounts
  • Carpool discounts
  • Drivers education discounts for taking an approved course
  • Multiple product discount for adding home and auto insurance
  • High chargeable accident threshold

Discounts vary based on the state.

Types of Insurance Offered

Donegal offers the standard auto coverage options and other personal, commercial and farm insurance products. For auto products the company sells bodily injury, property damage, uninsured/underinsured motorist, comprehensive, medical payments, and collision coverage. Extra insurance for towing and labor and rental reimbursement can also be purchased. Coverage options vary based on the state.

Website

The website offers some basic information on the auto insurance and other insurance products offered. Claims cannot be filed from the website but must be phoned in. Customers can make payments from the website and access their policy documents as well as view the status of their claim. There is a small learning center with information on insurance shopping recommendations and other related articles.

Customer Reviews

There are not many reviews of Donegal auto insurance online, most likely due to the company being a mid-sized auto insurance provider.

Donegal

Recommendations

Donegal may be worth checking out for auto insurance shoppers in one of its state markets, however the discounts that are offered may be limited compared to other auto insurance providers, and the discounts will vary based on the state. There is also very little information about the company’s customer service quality, but it can be recommended for shoppers to consider due to its financial stability. If you are shopping for auto insurance at the moment you can get immediate quotes from providers by entering your zip code on this page.

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