Selective Insurance Company Review

What insurance options do I have with Selective Insurance?
Written by Rene Todd Fields
Written by Rene Todd Fields

Environmental and natural resource advocate and business owner, Rene Todd Fields, has more than 10 years of experience working within both private and public sectors and enjoys helping individuals understand their options and make solid coverage decisions.

Updated

Selective Insurance Company at a Glance

  • Founded in 1926
  • 41st largest US property and casualty group
  • Offers flood, home, and auto coverage
  • Business coverage available in 27 states and the District of Columbia
  • Coverage is available in 15 states for individuals
  • “A” (excellent) rating by AM Best
  • “A+” (excellent) rating by the Better Business Bureau (BBB)
  • Also offers fraud protection coverage and other services for businesses
  • 24/7 online, phone, or mobile app claims reporting
  • Strong financial stability

Selective pros: Well-established carrier with more than 90 years worth of experience in the insurance industry. Highly rated by AM Best and the BBB. 24/7 claims reporting via online, phone, or mobile app. Strong financial stability.

Selective cons: Not BBB accredited. Does not have nationwide coverage.

To find insurance in your state, use our national insurance company directory to find the best company to meet your needs. You can locate insurance companies that specialize in your specific coverage needs and get connected to an agent near you.

What Type of Insurance Does Selective Offer?

Selective is a general insurance company, with a focus on coverage for individuals and businesses. Their insurance products offered are as follows.

Individual insurance

    • Auto insurance
    • Homeowners insurance
    • Personal Flood insurance
    • Apartment/Renters insurance
    • Condo insurance
    • Umbrella insurance

Business insurance

    • Abuse and molestation coverage
    • Business income and extra expense coverage
    • Business owners policy (BOP)
    • Commercial auto
    • Commercial flood
    • Crime/fidelity insurance coverage
    • Crisis coverage
    • Cyber liability
    • Data compromise coverage
    • Electronic information systems (EIS)
    • Errors and omissions
    • General liability coverage
    • GreenPac
    • Identity recovery (IDR)
    • Inland marine
    • Management liability
    • Product recall
    • Property insurance coverage
    • Surety bonds
    • Umbrella liability coverage
    • Workers' compensation

Your independent insurance agent can help you find more information about the coverage offered by Selective, and help you decide if this insurance company is right for you.

What to Know about Selective

Selective was founded in 1926, giving the carrier more than 90 years worth of experience in the insurance industry. Selective Insurance in NJ began with a carriage accident which guided the idea that has been the basis of their customer service policies.

Today, Selective still focuses its efforts on providing individual and business solutions individuals and business owners in need. Coverage is offered in 27 states and the District of Columbia across the country. The insurance company's LinkedIn profile states that Selective has between 1,001 and 5,000 employees, with 2,261 of them found on the social media platform. As far as financial size, AM Best places the carrier in the $1.5 billion to $2 billion category.

Thanks to its widespread reach and financial strength, Selective has earned a reputation as a stable insurance company with a positive outlook for the future. AM Best, the leading global credit rating agency monitoring the insurance industry, gives Selective an “A” rating, indicating the carrier is an excellent choice for insurance customers. High ratings from A.M. Best assure customers that Selective can offer guaranteed, secure coverage from a financially sound carrier.

Established in 1899, AM Best is one of the oldest rating companies in the world. Reviews from AM Best indicate an insurance company’s financial strength and creditworthiness and are based on thorough assessments of the company’s operating performance, business profile, and financial statement. For customers who are not as familiar with insurance companies’ respective reputations, AM Best’s ratings system allows them to make an informed decision about who they can trust to meet their needs in the short term, and who will remain a strong, financially sound company in the long term.

What Discounts Does Selective Offer?

Selective makes information about their discounts readily available on their official website. There are many discounts offered and include the following.

  • Current policy discount: If the customer has a current auto policy with Selective, they many qualify for a discount.
  • Double current policy discount: If the customer has both a current auto and homeowners policy with Selective, they can obtain higher discounts.
  • Protective device discount: If the customer has smoke alarms, burglar and fire alarms, automatic sprinkler systems, and smart home safety and protective devices, they may qualify for a discount.
  • Claim-free discount: If the customer has not reported any claims within the past three years, they may qualify for a discount.
  • Consistent bill pay discount: If a customer consistently pays their insurance bill on time, they may qualify for a discount.
  • Higher deductible discount: If a customer pays a higher deductible for their insurance, they may qualify for a discount.
  • Advanced Quote discount: If a Selective insurance agent quoted a customer’s policy 8 or 15 days before the expiration date, they may qualify for a discount.
  • Commercial vehicle discount: If a customer owns a commercial vehicle in the household, they may qualify for a discount.
  • Defensive driving discount: If a customer has completed an approved defensive driver course, they may qualify for a discount.
  • Young driver discount: If a customer is a young driver and has completed an approved driver training course and/or maintain good grades, they may qualify for a discount.
  • Anti-theft discount: If a customer has a vehicle(s) with specific qualifying safety or anti-theft features, they may qualify for a discount.

An independent insurance agent can provide better discount information and premium quotes for coverage through Selective. When it comes to coverage, independent insurance agents work hard to help to get you the most bang out of your buck.

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Selective Customer Service

Selective offers 24/7 phone, online, and mobile app claims reporting for its policyholders. The carrier also provides the following customer service options.

  • Online bill pay: Customers who pay their bills online may qualify for a discount.
  • Online account management: Customers can access their online account and manage certain aspects of their account.
  • Selective Drive: Fleet management tool designed to ensure drivers safety and improve fleet efficiency and vehicle health.
  • SWIFTClaim®: Selective offers a fast and easy way to resolve qualified claims such as small property claims under $2,500 and one-car accidents.
  • Diamond Council: Selective’s Diamond Council members have the opportunity to participate in short polls and detailed surveys, which may contain discounts.
  • Praesidium: Selective Insurance joined with Praesidium to provide policyholders access to expert knowledge and targeted solutions to help bolster any abuse prevention efforts.
  • Vehicle and product recalls: Selective has a product recall insurance program that offers comprehensive coverage, numerous options, and different types of expenses triggered by a recall, as well as an analysis of a customer’s current or developing contingency plan.
  • Safety management: Selective has a safety management team to help customers navigate their business exposures with various free resources designed to address and reduce their industry-specific risks.
  • Customer service availability - Selective’s customer service is available 24/7 by phone, online, or mobile app. Holiday hours are observed.


Hours (Eastern)


Monday-Friday 24/7


Saturday 24/7


Sunday 24/7

The best way to make sure you have an efficient customer service experience is to work with an independent insurance agent. Independent insurance agents can help handle claims and other troubles for you, so you can take it easy and enjoy your coverage.

Selective FAQ

What is Selective's average claim response time frame?

Selective offers claims reporting through a couple of methods. However, the insurance company does not provide an official claims response time frame promise on their website.

What is Selective's customer service availability?

Selective allows customers to file claims by phone, online, or mobile app 24/7. The carrier’s social media presence extends across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, which makes them a lot more accessible to customers.

What is Selective's claims process?

All customers except flood

They offer two convenient ways to report a claim

  • Report by phone

Contact their Claims Service Center 24/7 at (866) 455-9969

  • Report online

Self-service users can login and click the "Claims" tab, select the appropriate policy, and click "Report a New Claim" for simplified reporting. Customers not registered for self-service can also report a claim online from the home page by clicking on the “Report a Claim” icon.

Flood customers

To report a claim

  • Call: (877) 348-0552
  • Email: floodclaims@selective.com
  • Fax: (877) 647-1798
  • Submit online

Be sure to have your policy number handy and a phone number where you can be contacted.

Reporting insurance fraud

Insurance fraud can be reported directly to Selective by calling their Fraud Hotline (877) 862-2824. They try to make every effort to maintain customer confidentiality.

You can also report insurance fraud to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) or to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (CAIF):

  • National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Hotline: 800-835-6422 (800-TEL-NICB)
  • Website: www.nicb.org
  • CAIF Website: www.insurancefraud.org

If customers have additional questions about filing or the claims process itself, they can contact the carrier via phone, online, email, or get in touch with their independent insurance agent.

Does Selective's insurance create a user-friendly experience for customers?

Selective’s official website is fairly easy to use and to find insurance information. The carrier provides some limited information about their claims process. They also list a lot of information about their coverage plans and discounts. Online bill pay is available, as is 24/7 claims reporting via phone, online, mobile app, which are nice, contemporary customer service features. So, while Selective is pretty good in terms of user-friendliness, they could stand to update their practices in a couple of areas.

Selective Customer Reviews

bbb.org
5 Stars
“Have house insurance with them. A little hard to reach when fire first started in the middle of the night, had to go through my local agent the following day. After that they have been amazing. I have 3 dogs and they have made sure everything and every body is taken care of. Finding me hotel and rental accommodations that take this many dogs is hard and they have shown no hesitance to get the job done despite the price and hurdles. On top of that, I turned down half the options when I plain did not like them and they were still okay about it. Advancing me checks when I needed them, getting me the results and money within a month for the house, which was totaled. I and my family have felt very taken care of and I appreciate everything they have done. Looking for a new house now, this is why you get insurance.” —Laura S


bbb.com
5 Stars
“Selective is a nice company to work with and they gave me great pricing. Flexible payment options. Hopefully I'll never need them but I've heard they are good with claims too.” —danak811


bbb.com
5 Stars
“Selective has the benefits of a large company with a small company feel. They offer comprehensive coverage at a fair price with great customer service. I highly recommend this company!” —cutsbykevin


selective.com
5 Stars
“In March of this year my wife and I had a horrific loss by losing our home that we lived in for 38 years to a devastating fire.  We lost all of our memories and everything we had.  All we had was the shirts on our backs as we ran from the fire, which moved with incredible intensity and speed.  From the moment I placed the claim the following day to the adjuster that was appointed to us, we have nothing but praise for the way we were treated.  Let's not forget in which they moved so fast to find us living quarters and to make us as comfortable as we could be under the circumstances.  As time has moved on and it is now almost seven months later, I will always recommend the Selective Insurance Company whenever I am asked about the subject. Though the fire was on March 25th, my wife and I look at March 26th as the start of the second half of our lives." —Roy W.


selective.com
5 Stars
“Being new to the HR portion of managing a practice, keeping track of these services was new to me. Your team was amazing at helping me to understand what I was doing and what all of those things that I wasn't accustomed to meant. So, great job to your amazing team... You really make it easy for me to focus on the day to day running of our practice instead of insurance!" —Jenny B.


TrustedChoice.com's Final Review

5 Stars

We award Selective Insurance Company a final rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The insurance company has been around for more than 90 years now, which is incredible within the industry. Though Selective has received high ratings through AM Best and the BBB, they have not been accredited through the latter organization. Coverage is offered in 27 states and the District of Columbia and their catalog is quite extensive, with a focus on personal and commercial insurance. The insurance company provides 24/7 claims reporting via phone, online, mobile app and online bill pay and account management. There is plenty of information about the carrier’s coverage on their official website and limited information about their claims process. It is easy to find positive customer feedback about the insurance company online. Currently it is really easy to say many positive things about this carrier. So, our recommendation is that if you are in the market for personal or commercial coverage, survey your options for trusted carriers with your independent insurance agent, and look further into Selective.

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https://www.selective.com

ambest.com

bbb.org