Root Insurance Company Review

Root Insurance Company at a Glance

Root Insurance Pros: High rating through the BBB. Offers affordable car insurance based on driving habits. Rewards safe drivers. Offers 24/7 claims reporting. Offers a mobile app.

Root Insurance Cons: Coverage not available nationwide. High volume of customer complaints filed against the carrier through the BBB. Large volume of dismal customer reviews. Customers report large premium increases over time. Not rated by A.M. Best.

What Type of Insurance Does Root Insurance Offer?

Root Insurance is a specialized carrier with a focus on car insurance. Their only coverage offering includes:

If you’re in the market for auto insurance and live in an area where coverage is offered, Root Insurance may have what you’re looking for.

What to Know about Root Insurance

Root Insurance was founded in 2015, giving the carrier just about five years’ worth of experience in the insurance industry. The insurance company specializes in auto insurance, with a unique perspective which bases its premium rates on how well its customers drive. Root Insurance currently offers coverage in 37 states across the country.

Root Insurance does not offer coverage to “high-risk” or “bad” drivers. The carrier monitors its current and prospective customers’ driving habits through a mobile app that accesses the GPS on a smartphone. Customers’ premium rate quotes are determined after their driving is assessed over a period of two to three weeks, which the carrier calls their “Test Drive.” Many prospective customers are denied coverage if their driving habits are deemed unacceptable by the carrier.

The insurance company has not been rated by A.M. Best, the leading global credit rating agency monitoring the insurance industry. While ratings through this organization are not a requirement for an insurance company, they do help to solidify a carrier’s credibility and financial strength ratings, and potentially influence prospective customers’ decisions about whether to trust the carrier with their coverage needs.

However, Root Insurance has received one of the highest ratings possible through the BBB, an “A+.” Ratings from the BBB are based on several criteria, including the business’s complaint history, the type of business, the length of time in business, transparent business practices, and any advertising issues. Prospective customers and partners are able to gain insight into an insurance company’s values by reviewing its rating from the BBB.

What Discounts Does Root Insurance Offer?

Root Insurance advertises discounts of up to $900 per year for “good” drivers. The insurance company offers discounted rates for customers with safe driving habits, but while they hint at other available discounts, they do not readily provide specific information about any. However, many modern auto insurance companies offer common discounts on their coverage, including:

Your independent insurance agent can help you find even more information about discounts offered by Root Insurance and other ways to save money through the insurance company, helping you to find the coverage you need at the rate you deserve.

Find The Right Company Today.

Shopping for a company? We have the right one for you.

Request a Quote

Root Insurance Customer Service

Root Insurance allows customers to report claims over the phone or online at any time. The carrier also provides the following customer service options:

The best way to ensure a smooth customer service experience is to work with an independent insurance agent. Independent insurance agents can help handle claims and other concerns for you, so you can relax and enjoy your coverage.

Root Insurance FAQ

What is Root Insurance's average claim response time frame?

Root Insurance allows customers to file claims at any time over the phone or online, but does not list a specific claims response time frame promise on their official website.

What is Root Insurance's customer service availability?

Root Insurance allows customers to file claims at any time online, through email, or over the phone. Their hotline for customer service inquiries has restricted hours, Monday through Friday. Customers can also pay their bills through the website. The carrier also has a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, which makes them more accessible to customers.

What is Root Insurance's claims process?

Root Insurance allows its customers to file claims anytime through multiple mediums. The official website breaks down their claims process in very brief, simple steps, as follows:

“We’ll contact you

We’ll call you to complete your claim.

We look at the damage

This helps us know how much money you need for repairs.

We complete your claim

You may receive a check or electronic payment.”

To check on the status of a claim after filing, customers can contact the carrier, log in to their online account, or get in touch with their agent.

Does Root Insurance create a user-friendly experience for customers?

Root Insurance’s official website is decent. While the layout is intuitive, some information is not provided or not explained in satisfactory detail, such as the carrier’s claims process. There’s also a total lack of a claims response time frame promise. However, 24/7 claims reporting and other modern customer service features like online bill pay and requesting quotes are a nice touch. The carrier also relies heavily on its mobile app for driver behavior tracking and other customer service features. So, while Root Insurance may not be the best modern carrier in terms of user-friendliness, they’re also far from the worst.

Does Root Insurance have good auto insurance?

Root Insurance focuses its efforts on affordable car insurance for customers based on their driving habits. Their auto insurance policies include the following coverages:

• Property damage liability coverage
• Bodily injury liability coverage
• Roadside assistance
• Collision coverage
• Comprehensive coverage
• Rental car coverage
• Uninsured motorist property damage

While Root Insurance is unique for offering discounted premium rates based on driving habits, the coverage they provide under their car insurance isn’t anything special beyond most standard policies. Your independent insurance agent can help you find out more about the insurance company’s auto coverage.

Is Root Insurance a good insurance company?

Root Insurance has only been around for about five years now, making it one of the younger carriers on the market today. The carrier has a high rating through the BBB, however it’s also had a high volume of customer complaints filed against it through the organization, with 246 total complaints closed in the last three years. That’s extremely high, especially for a newer insurance company. Customer feedback is largely mixed, which makes it hard to determine for sure if Root Insurance really delivers on their coverage promises. Overall, it may be up to individual interpretation if Root Insurance can be considered a good insurance company.

Root Insurance Customer Reviews

Clearsurance

“Bait and switch, for sure! Every six months they ‘renew’ your policy, and it goes up every time. I scored a 9/10 on their driving test, and with the pandemic have been driving far less... No claims, no accidents, no tickets, nothing that would cause a rate increase... But we still got one, and were informed we would likely have another in six months! During a pandemic! So, while people are losing their jobs and livelihood, and driving less than ever before, Root decided to come in and dig around for every extra cent you have and then have the audacity to say they refuse to answer rate increase questions, just directing you to a page that says, ‘Your rates will go up, even if you do nothing to cause them to, and we will not be discussing it!’ I thought this whole premise was to reward good drivers? I thought that was the point of letting it track me everywhere? Searching for a new company now.”

Clearsurance

“Root has been good to work with. My six month price increased recently but is still significantly lower than what I was paying with GEICO, and I had been with them since I was 18. I'm 46 now. Adding cars and removing cars was a breeze with the app. I look forward to many years with Root. Everything has been easy, simple and they've always been responsive. Thanks Root!"

Clearsurance

“I signed up with Root because I could get insurance for $89 a month. About 6 months later it doubled. By the time I cancelled a little over a year later it was up to $327. No accidents, tickets or anything. No warning, just jumps month to month. Finally cancelled and now with GEICO for $189 per month.”

Better Business Bureau

“Just like any other company, Root’s main focus is profit and continued greed. When you raise people's rates who are not driving during a pandemic by over $120 a month with no change in driving or accidents, you're a s***** company. Seemed like a cool concept at first but now I'm sincerely hoping they go out of business.”

Better Business Bureau

“Root raised my insurance $20.00 in April 2020. My company closed the doors in March and I've been teleworking ever since. I barely drive 100 miles a month and that's being generous. My renewal is coming up this month and they are raising it over $40.00. They refunded me $6.50 for adjustments due to COVID. This is absolutely ridiculous. Needless to say, I'm shopping for insurance."

TrustedChoice.com's Final Review

We award Root Insurance a final rating of 2 out of 5 stars. The carrier is fairly young, with only about five years under their belt at this time. Still, the insurance company’s age does not excuse the concerning volume of customer complaints filed against them through the BBB in recent years, which is very high compared to other carriers. Though the carrier does have a high rating through the BBB, the overwhelming amount of dissatisfied and downright upset customer reviews spotted on that website, as well as others across the web, is what catches our attention the most. Further, while Root Insurance is unique for offering affordable car insurance based on driving habits, their model causes them to miss benefits that other carriers provide, such as loyalty discounts for long-term customers. Instead, many Root Insurance customers have reported not only increased premiums over time, but large, unexpected hikes in their rates at that. We also don’t like that the carrier’s claims process is not very detailed on their website and that they fail to provide a claims response time frame promise at all.

Bottom line: 24/7 claims reporting and low initial premium rates don’t matter too much when an insurance company fails to take care of its customers over time, or at least not as far as we’re concerned. If you’re looking for affordable car insurance from an insurance company you can trust to provide you with quality, dependable coverage, we say work together with your independent insurance agent to survey your other options, and perhaps skip looking into Root Insurance entirely.