Safeway Insurance has over 60 years of experience in the industry and promises coverage at a great value.
More than 300,000 customers have bought their car insurance coverage from Illinois-based Safeway Insurance. Our review will dive deep into this company’s coverage options, cost, customer service, and financial strength, so you can decide if it’s the right provider for your situation.
If you are new to car insurance shopping, you can also explore more provider options in our review of the best auto insurance companies in the market. Fill out the form below to see what’s available in your state and compare quotes.
In this article:
About Safeway Insurance
Founded in 1959, Safeway Insurance is the largest, privately owned, family owned insurance company in the U.S. and sells auto insurance in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Illinois, California, Texas, Tennessee, New Mexico, Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and Colorado.
Safeway Insurance Group has a financial strength rating of A (Excellent) from AM Best and is comprised of four members: Safeway Insurance Company, Safeway Insurance Company of Alabama, Inc., Safeway Insurance Company of Georgia, and Safeway Insurance Company of Louisiana.
While Safeway Insurance previously sold home insurance, too, auto insurance is its only line of business now and is sold through a network of more than 3,000 independent agents. The company is headquartered in Westmont, Illinois, and it has regional offices in all the serviced states.
In 2018, the Safeway Insurance Group wrote over $272 million in total private passenger auto premiums.
Safeway Auto Insurance Coverages
Safeway Insurance provides standard auto insurance options and ensures you comply with state laws.
Liability Coverage
Liability coverage will help pay for injuries or property damages to others if you cause an accident. It is mandatory in almost every state in the U.S.
For example, if you live in Texas, the minimum liability coverage you are required to have is 30/60/25. This means that your coverage will pay up to $30,000 for medical expenses for one person in an accident, up to $60,000 for all injuries in the accident, and up to $25,000 for property repairs.
Collision Coverage
Collision coverage will pay for repairs if your car is damaged in a collision with another vehicle or an object. A deductible will apply before you are able to claim the benefits. For example, if the repairs cost $3,000 and you have a $500 deductible, you will pay $500 to the repair shop and Safeway Insurance will pay $2,500.
Generally, your collision coverage premium is determined by the deductible you choose and the value of the insured vehicle. If you want to save money on your premium, you could choose a lower deductible. But in this case, you will have to spend more money out-of-pocket on repairs if there is an accident.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive coverage will provide protection for your car from theft, vandalism, fire, extreme weather, and other non-collision damages. Similar to collision coverage, a deductible will apply.
Both collision coverage and comprehensive coverage are optional unless you have an auto loan or lease.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Uninsured motorist coverage will pay for your injuries and property damage in an accident if the other party was at fault, and they don’t have enough insurance to pay for the expenses. According to the Insurance Information Institute, some states require their drivers to have uninsured motorist coverage along with liability insurance.
Safeway Insurance extends its coverage to high-risk drivers and promises to provide insurance to customers even if they have a less-than-stellar driving record or no insurance history.
How Much Does Safeway Insurance Cost?
Safeway Insurance promises car insurance at a great value. While it provides coverage for all drivers, its offerings appear to be targeted more for drivers looking for non-standard insurance at cheaper rates. If you belong to this category, we recommend comparing your Safeway quote with those from other specialized non-insurance providers to know if you are getting a good rate.
Every company has its own pricing strategy, but in general, you can expect the following factors to decide your final insurance cost:
- Your age, gender, and marital status
- Where you live
- Your driving habits, driving record, and insurance history
- The vehicle you drive
- The type of coverage and limits you choose
Insurance discounts are a huge selling point for most insurance companies, but Safeway Insurance doesn’t list any available discounts. If you decide to buy Safeway car insurance, do not forget to ask your agent if you would be eligible for any discounts for paying in full, setting up automatic discounts, having a student away at school, and so on.
Safeway Car Insurance Quotes And Claims
Safeway Insurance doesn’t offer insurance quotes over the phone or online. The only way to get a quote for your policy is from an agent. There are online tools to help you locate the nearest Safeway car insurance agent. You can filter your results by language to find an agent who speaks Spanish, Korean, Chinese, or other languages.
While some people may like the in-person touch and the opportunity to talk to a local agent who speaks your language and understands your area well, others may find the lack of online quoting inconvenient.
If you do prefer an online experience, we recommend using this quick form to get matched with quotes in your area:
Insurance Claims
Safeway Insurance has a standard claims process like most insurance providers. To file a claim with Safeway Insurance, you will need the following information:
- Date, time, and location of the accident
- Names and contact information for everyone involved in the accident and the witnesses
- Details of the vehicles involved (make, model, color, license numbers, and insurance information)
- Policyholder’s name and policy number
- Photos of the damages if available
- Police report number
You can file the claim at your nearest Safeway auto insurance office or over the phone. Office hours for reporting a claim at each Safeway Insurance location are listed online. Your Safeway car insurance ID card will also have a telephone number you can call in the event of an accident.
Safeway Insurance requires the car to be towed or driven to a repair shop after the accident and will help you arrange this service if necessary. The company will then evaluate the car and provide a written estimate for the cost of the repairs. If you have rental coverage on your auto policy, your claims representative will inform you how much the company will pay for a rental car and for how many days.
If the cost of the repairs exceeds the fair market value of the car, it will be considered a loss. In this case, Safeway will ask for your car to be transferred to storage and process your settlement.
If the car can be repaired, Safeway Auto Insurance will work with you and the repair shop to ensure the repairs are done as quickly as possible.
Safeway Car Insurance Reviews And Customer Service
Being a multi-location business, Safeway Insurance has more than 15 listings on the Better Business Bureau. Some of the Safeway car insurance locations are accredited with BBB while others are not. The ratings for these listings vary widely from A+ to F to Not Rated.
Many of the customer reviews we found for Safeway car insurance on BBB were negative and filed by people who were in accidents with drivers insured by Safeway Insurance. We also found a few reviews submitted by Safeway auto insurance customers who were unhappy with the lack of communication during the claims process.
We suggest looking up customer reviews for your Safeway car insurance office location to get an accurate picture of the local customer service quality.
If you look at the complaint index for Safeway Insurance companies in 2018, Safeway Insurance Company of Louisiana scores 1.76, Safeway Insurance Company of Georgia scores 2.03, Safeway Insurance Company of Alabama scores 0.45, and Safeway Insurance Company scores 1.64 against the national median of 1.16.
The complaint index is calculated by dividing the company’s complaint share by the company’s premium share. While Safeway Insurance Company of Alabama has less than half the complaints for a company of its size, all of the other Safeway companies had more than the average number of complaints.
Online Access
Many people like having an online portal or a mobile app that can help them manage their insurance policies from their homes, which is why we look into these factors in our reviews. While Safeway Insurance doesn’t have an app, customers can use their MySafeway accounts to make online payments, print their insurance ID cards, and check claims status on the website.
Final Thoughts On Safeway Insurance
If you live in any of the 11 serviced states and are looking for basic coverage, you could consider getting a quote from Safeway Insurance.
However, it is not a national company and doesn’t appear to have many of the extra coverage options like ridesharing coverage or gap coverage, which can be important for some customers.
Online customer reviews we found for Safeway car insurance appear to indicate a lack of consistency in its customer service experience across different locations. Also, due to the lack of information available online about its offerings, we could not determine if Safeway has any insurance discounts for customers.
If you plan to get car insurance from Safeway Insurance, we think it would be a good idea to discuss your policy needs in person with an agent to find out if the company can match up to its promises in terms of coverage and price.
Use this easy quote form to get matched with the best options in your state:
Alternate Providers
Getting multiple quotes is always the best way to ensure you get the most affordable rates for your coverage. You can use our recent auto insurance company reviews to look for a company that ticks all the right checkboxes, whether it is coverage, cost, customer service, or financial stability.
If you are a military family, you can’t find a better provider than USAA for your auto insurance. However, if you are not in the military, and want a provider with affordable coverage and good customer service, we recommend starting your insurance shopping with Geico and Progressive. Here is a quick overview.
Geico
With a 4.5 rating out of 5, Geico was ranked Best Insurance Company Overall in our review. Competitive pricing, wide coverages that go beyond the basic options, excellent financial stability, and good customer service make this company a great choice for all customers.
Progressive
Progressive, which also won a spot in our top three insurance providers with a 4.5 rating out of 5, is another company known for its great discount options, wide coverages, and strong financial stability. Also, its prices are very competitive, even if you have a DUI on your record.
