Starr Insurance Companies at a Glance

Starr pros: Long-standing company with more than a century’s worth of experience in the insurance industry. Offers a myriad of coverage choices for business and industry. Coverage available in more than 100 countries across multiple continents. High ratings through A.M. Best and the BBB. Strong financial stability. Good customer feedback.

Starr cons: Official website could use a redesign. Discount information not readily available. No 24/7 claims reporting. No online claims reporting.

What Types of Insurance Does Starr Offer?

Starr offers several forms of property and casualty coverage for businesses and industries, including:

This list of insurance solutions offered by Starr is far from exhaustive. Your independent insurance agent can help you find out more about these coverages and even more forms of insurance offered by Starr.

What to Know about Starr

Starr Insurance Companies was founded in 1919, making it a well-established insurance carrier with more than a century’s worth of experience in the industry. The insurance company started out as the first American-owned carrier in Shanghai. Today, Starr operates across six continents to deliver property and casualty solutions to businesses and industries of all kinds. The insurance company prides itself on being the biggest name in the industry in China.

Starr’s LinkedIn profile states that the insurance company is one of the world’s fastest growing insurers. The carrier delivers coverage across 128 countries. More than 1,750 Starr employees can be found on the social media platform. Starr is also huge in terms of financial size, with A.M. Best placing the insurance company in the $2 billion or greater category.

Starr’s extensive history and global reach aids the carrier’s reputation as a financially stable insurance provider with a strong outlook for the future. A.M. Best, the leading global credit rating agency monitoring the insurance industry, gives Starr an “A” rating, indicating the carrier is an excellent choice for insurance customers. The “A” rating assures customers that Starr is capable of offering guaranteed, secure coverage from a trustworthy and reputable carrier.

Established in 1899, A.M. Best is one of the oldest rating companies in the world. Reviews from A.M. Best indicate an insurance company’s financial strength and creditworthiness, and are based on comprehensive evaluations of the company’s operating performance, business profile, and balance sheet. For customers who aren’t as familiar with insurance companies’ respective reputations, A.M. 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 to remain a strong, financially sound company in the long term.

What Discounts Does Starr Offer?

Though Starr does not readily provide information about any specific discounts offered, there are several discounts and ways to save money on premiums that are commonly offered on comparable coverages. These discounts and premium-saving hacks can include:

An independent insurance agent can help you find out for certain which specific discounts are available through Starr, helping you get the most bang for your buck out of your coverage.

Starr Customer Service

Starr allows customers to handle customer service issues and file claims over the phone. The following customer service options are provided by the carrier:

Fortunately for those who don’t like contacting their carrier directly, you can get in touch with your independent insurance agent instead. Independent insurance agents are available to handle claims and insurance concerns for you, which allows for much easier and smoother customer service.

Starr FAQ

What is Starr's average claim response time frame?

Starr allows its customers to file claims through a couple of different mediums. The official website does not provide a specific claims response time frame promise other than that the carrier “will review and process your claim as quickly as possible.”

What is Starr's customer service availability?

Starr offers separate phone lines for customer service inquiries and claims reporting. The main customer service hotline is available at restricted hours, Monday-Friday. The carrier does not offer 24/7 claims reporting. However, the carrier has a social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, which makes it more accessible to customers.

What is Starr's claims process?

Starr allows customers to file claims over the phone, fax, email, or through the regular mail. The official website lists out the carrier’s claims process very briefly, as follows:

“Step 1

Get a claim form.

Download claims forms

or

Call to request forms by email or mail at 866-477-6741

Step 2

Submit your claim form.

Send us your completed form:

E-mail:StarrTravelClaims@hsri.com

Fax:972-512-5820

Mail:

Starr Travel Claims

HSR Plaza II

4100 Medical Parkway

Carollton, TX 75007

Step 3

Your claim is processed.

Our team of claims professionals will review and process your claim as quickly as possible.”

If customers have further questions about the claims process or want to check on the status of a claim, they can contact the carrier or their independent insurance agent.

Does Starr create a user-friendly experience for customers?

The layout of Starr’s website is honestly somewhat confusing and difficult to navigate. It’s hard to locate certain important details such as a contact page for the carrier and information about claims. When it’s much easier to "Google" various pages of a carrier’s website than to locate them through obvious links on the website itself, that’s a problem. It could be a deterrent for prospective customers and a frustration for current customers. The insurance company also does not offer 24/7 claims reporting. That being said, the carrier does have an active social media presence. Overall, Starr could certainly stand to improve its user-friendliness aspect a good bit.

Does Starr have good contractors pollution insurance?

Starr offers a large catalog of insurance solutions for industries of all kinds, including contractors pollution insurance. The carrier’s contractors pollution insurance includes the following coverages and perks:

• Coverage available on claims/occurrence basis
• Coverage for pollution incidents caused by the policyholder
• Cleanup cost coverage
• Third party liability coverage
• Asbestos, lead, mold, PCB, and dioxin coverage
• Completed operations coverage
• Transportation pollution liability coverage (add-on)
• Up to $25,000,000 coverage limit

Your independent insurance agent can help you find out even more about Starr’s contractors pollution insurance, as well as their many other insurance products offered.

Is Starr a good insurance company?

Starr has been around for more than a century now and has high ratings through both A.M. Best and the BBB. The carrier offers a myriad of coverage solutions for businesses and industries. The carrier also has only one complaint filed against them through the BBB in recent years, which is extremely low, especially for a company of its massive size. The insurance company does not offer 24/7 or online claims reporting, which is downright strange for a modern carrier, especially one of its magnitude. However, there are many glowing customer reviews easily spotted across the web, which means that Starr clearly can be considered a good insurance company.

Starr Customer Reviews

Google

“If I could rate higher than 5 stars I would. High quality service and they were able to save me money on my insurance!”

Google

“Truly great customer service with all Chambersburg office members consistently attentive, helpful, and empathetic to policy/claim processing needs. Friendly and personal connection with a high-speed, top-notch professional follow-thru that sets the industry standard. USAA has much to learn from Starr Ins.”

Google

“I have just switched my commercial policy to Starr Insurance.  These guys were the only ones who called me back, and actually wanted my business. Todd has been outstanding! Very Personal, and Professional. He normally responds to my messages within minutes. THANKS TODD!”

Facebook

“Second to none in customer service! The best of the best.”

Better Business Bureau

“We have our business liability insurance with Starr which includes supposed business interruption insurance. During Hurricane Irma, my medical practice lost power, phones, internet, etc. for 10 days, and we obviously couldn't see any patients without power, elevators, lights, etc. It took another few days after the power and phone service resumed before we could reschedule all of the patients we'd been unable to treat and who had been unable to contact us. After 90 days of waiting for a payment from Starr, we were told that our loss of power and phone service because of the hurricane didn't meet their criteria for paying for a business interruption. This is the kind of situation where trusting people pay an insurance company for years before the situation they thought they were insuring finally occurs, and the insurance company tells them it doesn't qualify for any reimbursement or payment. Hopefully other business owners looking for an insurance company that will actually pay them for a significant business interruption like mine, will see this review and choose a company with a record of making payments.”

TrustedChoice.com's Final Review

We award Starr Insurance Companies a final rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The carrier has been around for more than a century now, and it appears to have used this time to its advantage. Starr offers an extensive catalog of insurance solutions for businesses and industries of all kinds, and its coverage is available across multiple continents. The carrier has also been highly rated by A.M. Best and the BBB and has demonstrated strong financial stability. Despite not offering 24/7 claims reporting, there are plenty of glowing customer reviews easily spotted across the web. In fact, the vast majority of customer feedback is quite positive. All this considered, we say that if you’re in need of any of their many coverage solutions, don’t hesitate to look into Starr Insurance Companies with your independent insurance agent to be your next trusted carrier.