The GEICO gecko is one of the most recognizable animal “spokespersons” since that annoying duck began squawking on about disability insurance. And while the commercials are certainly entertaining, they actually tell us little about how satisfied we’ll be if we choose GEICO for our automobile insurance needs.

For that we have to check the reviews. The only problem with that is that reviews are usually only offered by people who have had negative experiences, or overwhelmingly positive ones. Folks who have an average experience, where their expectations are met and everything goes smoothly, seldom comment. So any group of reviews had to be taken with a grain of salt.

The one exception to this warning is the reviews from J. D. Power, an organization that regularly surveys a broad spectrum of consumers to determine their ratings of various companies and services.

When it comes to GEICO, consumers surveyed by J. D. Power gave the insurance company an overall rating of 4 out of 5 possible stars when it came to the initial buying experience. That was the same score given to policy offerings, price and the quality of the customer call center. There was no rating for local agents and the GEICO website got a perfect 5 star rating.

In addition, GEICO received 3 out of 5 possible stars ratings on all facets of the claims experience, including the final settlement, rental car reimbursement, repair process and interaction with the service department.

GEICO also scored “better than most,” with 4 out of 5 stars for billing and payment and pricing considerations. The overall rating for the company was 3 out of 5 stars.

These ratings seem to be consistent with the ratings of GEICO given by consumers at the FiLife website, where GEICO received 3 ½ stars out of a possible 5, based on 22 consumer reviews. Consumers seem to especially like the convenience of being able to purchase insurance from a website, which certainly may appeal to a younger consumer segment. And, as you’d expect, there are a few negative reviews from people who had difficulty during the claims process or with increased premiums, particularly following an accident or at renewal time. Several commented that online quotes didn’t match the final quotes they were given as they made their final purchases, where rates were much higher. Overall, however, people seemed to be pleased with this insurance company.

However, GEICO didn’t fare as well with the reviewers at CarReview.com. At this site, GEICO’s rating was 2.19 stars out of a possible 5. As you’d expect, the reviews were polarized between the two extremes of 1 and 5 stars. The comments on this site are generally the same, involving final purchase prices not matching initial quotes, trouble during the claims process and increasing premium rates.

If you’re searching for car insurance, GEICO should make the list of companies to consider. Just keep in mind that the online quote you receive may not be what you’ll actually have to pay for your insurance. Don’t cancel your existing insurance until you have a written premium amount in hand.