Esurance is making a name for itself by trying to streamline the car insurance buying process to be done entirely online. “Quote, Buy, Print” is their slogan and they’re generally marketing themselves to technology-savvy, computer-friendly consumers. Their insurance will be easy to purchase, but will you be satisfied with your choice? However, if something happens to your car, you may find that you want to hear a person on the other end of the phone line, not a bunch of pixels – however well designed they may be.

When you’re looking for car insurance reviews, you have to remember that the people most likely to give reviews are the people who are unhappy with a company. A few people will comment if they feel they’ve received exceptionally good service, but fewer people who have received good service will take the time to comment. That’s why companies that survey consumers, like J. D. Power, can be so helpful, but unfortunately, J. D. Power doesn’t rank Esurance. With no source of information we can rely on for some objectivity, we’re left to explore the other review sites.

And in fact, there are plenty of reviews of Esurance to be found on these sites, although whether or not there are any that are positive is another matter. Even after reading hundreds of reviews in order to present you with a balanced picture, it seems that this insurance company is seriously disliked by most consumers who have dealt with it.

For many people, the problems start when the rate they were quoted and paid for when buying insurance online increases considerably. Several reviewers complain that they received no notice that their insurance premium would be increasing – the higher premiums were just automatically debited from their bank accounts.

In fact, problems with taking money from bank accounts were mentioned frequently. A number of reviewers complained that with no notice of increased premiums, Esurance debited their accounts for renewals several weeks before the payment was actually due. When these people tried to get refunds, they were charged handling fees. When these people tried to cancel their insurance, they were told they’d have to pay a cancellation fee to get out.

Problems with claims were just as frequent. Several complained about rude customer service employees and settlement and repair offers that seemed inexcusably low. In addition, more than one person mentioned that they had to contact the insurance commissioner in their state to get support in resolving problems with Esurance.

Perhaps most telling is that there’s a special website devoted solely to complaints about Esurance. Another website that allows employees to vent privately about their employers has comments from a number of Esurance employees who encourage people to buy their insurance elsewhere. And while there have always been – and will always be – disgruntled employees, when employees go out of their way to say “don’t shop here,” you have to seriously consider that there may be good reason for their advice. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere for your auto insurance coverage.