Acceptance Auto Insurance Review: Acceptable Choice for High-Risk Drivers, but Often With Higher Rates
Editor's Rating
Acceptance Insurance specializes in providing auto insurance to people who need nonstandard, high-risk or SR-22 insurance, and might not be able to get coverage from other companies. However, Acceptance's rates are often more expensive, sometimes strikingly so, than its competitors — even for its target market of higher risk drivers. And drivers who find competitive rates from Acceptance may still want to look at better companies, as its poor customer reviews and low financial strength rating suggest the company delays claims and isn't the most financially stable.
Contents
Acceptance Insurance: Our thoughts
Acceptance Insurance specializes in providing auto insurance for people who struggle to get coverage from other insurance companies. This includes drivers who require an SR-22 insurance certification, most commonly after a DUI or driving without insurance. It also takes on "high-risk" drivers, such as those who are very young or old, anyone with multiple recent accidents and those with low credit.
Overall, Acceptance Insurance is a poor choice for most, as it has higher-than-average monthly costs, even for higher risk driver types the company specializes in.
Acceptance has a financial strength rating of C++ from A.M. Best. This means that the company is much less financially stable than many of its competitors, and there is even a chance it will have trouble paying for customer claims in the future. Acceptance also has a very high number of complaints and poor reviews from existing customers, so we would recommend first considering cheaper auto insurance companies unless you've been denied coverage elsewhere and are limited in your options.
For those high-risk drivers that consider Acceptance Insurance, it does offer a few unique coverage options unavailable from other auto insurers, so it may be worth considering if one of these extras will save you money. Its TicketProof coverage reimburses drivers for up to $650 of the ticket and legal fees for certain driving infractions per rolling 12-month period. Customers can also get coverage that can defray the cost of prescription drugs and hospital stays, as well as accidental death and dismemberment coverage, all of which are rare options among car insurance companies. However, if you're considering one of these extra coverages, make sure they complement, not overlap with, coverage from your health or life insurance policies.
Bottom line
Acceptance offers higher-than-average monthly rates across the board, and the company's questionable financial stability means it may have trouble paying claims. However, drivers who require nonstandard insurance may find that they can get coverage at Acceptance even if rejected from other insurers.
Acceptance Auto Insurance rate comparison
Acceptance offers more expensive than average auto insurance rates across the board, offering the highest price for two out of three sample drivers for which we pulled quotes. It does not offer the absolute highest rates for some risky drivers, such as one after a DUI; even so, there are often other insurers available that offer significant savings compared to Acceptance. And for those with clean driving records, Acceptance customers can expect to pay 38% more than the average rate.
We compared Acceptance with three companies: The General, another insurer popular among high-risk drivers; plus Geico and Progressive, two national auto insurance companies. All prices refer to the costs of a six-month insurance policy, with a "pay upfront" discount applied where possible.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Your Area
Company | 30-year-old, DUI, requires SR-22 | 18-year-old, clean record | 30-year-old, clean record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance | $625 | $1,095 | $438 |
| The General | $400 | $1,088 | $304 |
| Geico | $1,028 | $778 | $268 |
| Progressive | $348 | $879 | $260 |
Acceptance Automobile Insurance
Acceptance specializes in automobile insurance, especially for people who need nonstandard insurance. Nonstandard insurance applies to certain high-risk categories of drivers who may have difficulty finding insurance at normal insurance companies. This includes young drivers, people with a high number of recent accidents, and anyone who is required to have an SR-22 proof of insurance form.
Acceptance Auto Insurance coverages
Like most insurance companies, Acceptance offers optional coverages that you can buy to complement your policy, such as roadside assistance and rental car coverage. It also offers a few noteworthy options that aren't common among car insurers.
TicketProof: If you're convicted of certain minor traffic infractions, such as running a stop sign or speeding (15 mph above the speed limit or less), Acceptance will reimburse you for the fine and certain legal fees, up to $650 per year. Note that TicketProof also includes roadside assistance, so you wouldn't need to buy it separately. This is an unusual coverage option that few other insurers provide. Cost: $15/month
Rx Discount Plan: This coverage provides you with a blanket 20% discount on prescription drugs. The discount applies regardless of whether the prescription is tied to injuries from a car accident, so it can be used for any type of medication. This is sometimes included as part of a health insurance policy, but it is not commonly available from car insurers. Cost: $3/month
Hospital Indemnity: If you are admitted to the hospital as a result of a car accident, Acceptance's hospital indemnity coverage will pay for expenses of up to $125 per day. This also includes accidental death or dismemberment coverage up to $10,000, medical payments up to $1,000 and the Rx Discount Plan described above. Hospital Indemnity is sometimes available as an add-on to a health insurance policy, but it is not commonly available from car insurers. Cost: $8/month
Accidental Death: For each driver on your policy, you can choose whether to pay a certain amount to a beneficiary if that driver is killed as a result of an accident. This is sometimes an add-on to health insurance or life insurance policies, but it is not commonly available from car insurers. It is also redundant to the coverage provided in hospital indemnity coverage. cost: $10/month
Traditional coverages available
Acceptance also offers a variety of more commonly available coverages related to your car. Some of these are required to meet state insurance requirements, though exactly which ones you need depend on the state you live in.
- Liability Coverage: Pays for damage to the other driver's car and their medical expenses when you are at fault in a collision
- Collision Coverage: Pays for damage to your own car when in a collision
- Comprehensive Coverage: Pays for damage to your own car if damaged by noncollision events or hitting an animal
- Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury/Property Damage: Pays for damage to your own car and medical bills if the other driver in a collision doesn't have sufficient insurance
- Roadside Assistance: Roadside assistance covers you whenever you have a problem with your car while driving. This could include providing a tow, extra gas or fixing a flat tire.
- Medical Payments: Covers your medical expenses in an accident regardless of who is at fault
- Rental Car Reimbursement: Covers cost of a rental car if your car is damaged in an accident, up to a certain dollar amount
- Towing: This covers the costs of getting your car towed. It’s redundant to roadside assistance, so it is not necessary to have both.
Acceptance customer service
Among the most troubling aspects of Acceptance Insurance are the negative reviews the company gets regarding its financial stability and customer complaints.
Acceptance Insurance also has a Complaint Index Score of 4.74 from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The median score is 1.0, meaning that Acceptance has nearly five times as many complaints as an average auto insurance company relative to its size. The most common theme in complaints about Acceptance relates to the claims process. Acceptance customers reported issues and negatively reviewed the speed at which claims were processed, and they raised concerns regarding the responsiveness of Acceptance claims investigators.
Acceptance Insurance agents and availability
Acceptance has physical locations and agents in every state it provides coverage in — except Virginia — though the number of locations varies by state. You can find the location nearest you here. Acceptance offers insurance in the following states:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
Acceptance is fairly flexible in how customers can interact with the company. Current or potential customers can get quotes, make claims or pay bills in a variety of ways: over the phone, on the Acceptance website or at an in-person location.
Unfortunately, Acceptance does not offer 24-hour customer service. Its claims department is only operational 6 a.m. – 8 p.m. Central Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Central on Saturdays, so claims submitted at night or on Sundays will not be processed until the office reopens. On the plus side, the website is optimized for use on mobile devices, and Acceptance offers iPhone and Android apps to make claims remotely.
Frequently asked questions
Is Acceptance a good insurer?
Acceptance is not a good car insurance option for most people. Its rates are very expensive, with few coverage options. However, if you're having trouble getting coverage elsewhere, Acceptance may be more likely to offer you an insurance policy.
Is Acceptance a good insurer after an accident?
True to its name, Acceptance Insurance is more likely to offer coverage after a crash, or another incident like a ticket, than some other insurers. However, its rates are high across the board when compared to mainstream insurers.
Does Acceptance have a grace period?
Insurers don't like it when drivers let their insurance policies lapse, as it can mean someone is a higher risk to insure. You are likely to find higher rates at Acceptance, or any insurer, if you let your policy lapse. You may have a brief grace period if you're just behind on your payments, but don't count on it.
Methodology
We collected 6-month car insurance quotes from Acceptance and top competing companies for drivers in California. Rates are for a 30-year-old man with a DUI and SR22, an 18-year-old teen driver with a clean driving record and a 30-year-old man with a clean record.
Quotes used auto insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes will be different.