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Root Insurance Review

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Root Insurance Company provides an app-based car insurance interface that sets car insurance premiums primarily on the basis of driving behavior. Founded in 2015 and based in Columbus, Ohio, the privately-held company does business in 24 states.
 
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How is Root Insurance rated?

Breakdown

4.8/5
Coverage
4.7/5
Financial Strength
4.5/5
Supplemental Coverage
4.7/5
Pricing & Discounts
4.5/5
Claims Satisfaction & Customer Experience
4.6/5
Automation

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5 (Excellent)

Root Insurance believes people who drive well should pay less for car insurance. Using technology in smartphones to measure driving behavior, the Root app knows who's a safe driver and who isn't.

Root has full-service, in-house claims and customer service teams that are available to speak with members and potential customers over the phone or via chat/email. Customers can get insurance all through an app and don't have to pay middleman fees via an insurance agent.

The Root app uses mobile technology to measure customers' driving habits and assign a driving score. The driving score is the #1 factor that goes into car insurance rate. By only insuring good drivers, Root can save good drivers up to 52% on car insurance (based on national reviews reported by actual customers).

Root Insurance Coverage

Basic Coverage

  • Bodily Injury Liability
  • Property Damage Liability
  • Collision
  • Comprehensive
  • Personal Injury
  • Medical Payments
  • Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist

Additional Coverage

  • Glass
  • Roadside Assistance
  • Rental Coverage

Coverage - 4.8 / 5

Root offers nearly all of the coverages that are offered by much older and larger firms--and some that traditional insurers do not. The company offers SR-22 coverage and also insures cars with rebuilt and salvage titles. Root policies apply when one of their customers is driving a rental car. Roadside assistance is included with every policy*.

Root does not cover motorcycles, ATVs, exotic vehicles, or commercial vehicles. It covers Uber and Lyft drivers when they are driving on their own time, but not when they are driving for hire.

Coverage Fine Print

Coverage by Root depends on the insured agreeing to have his or her driving monitored by the company's vehicle telematics system.

Customer Experience

National Association of Insurance Commissioners

NAIC Complaint Ratio
0.9
NAIC Total Complaints 2020
0

Customer Ratings

BBB Rating
A+
Date Collected
2019-02-01
*The NAIC Car Insurance complaint ratio (in this case 0.9) compares a company’s performance to other companies in the market. The median complaint ratio across all car insurance companies is 1. A score below 1 means the company received fewer than the expected number of complaints. A score above 1 means the company received a more than the expected number of complaints.

Claims Satisfaction & Customer Experience - 4.5 / 5

Root Insurance is a young company and as a result, there isn't much information available about its customer experience. However, the Root app has a 4.7 star rating with over 30,000 reviews. Premiums are set primarily according to driving behavior, which the company measures. For those who are used to traditional insurance models, this new business model may take some getting used to, however the Root app is quite easy to use.

The company has no reviews on TrustPilot. It is a BBB-accredited firm with a high rating. Complaints to the BBB have centered around claims experience and customer communication, and were mainly lodged during a period at the end of 2018. In a response to those complaints, the company says it was experiencing growing pains in building their own in-house claims team and has since resolved the concerns.

Financial Strength

Key Details

Underwriter
Root underwrites its own policies but is reinsured by Munich Re, Maiden Re, and Odyssey Re.

Financial Strength - 4.7 / 5

Root has not been rated by Standard & Poor's, Moody's, AM Best, or Demotech. However, in 2018 Root raised $100 million in Series D funding and the company valuation is now at $1 billion.
*The above information reflects the financial strength of the underwriter of the Root Insurance car insurance policies: Root underwrites its own policies but is reinsured by Munich Re, Maiden Re, and Odyssey Re..

Pricing & Discounts

Pricing & Discounts - 4.7 / 5

Root's business model is organized around the idea that premium pricing should be based in large part on how people drive. The company claims to be selective about who it insurers and suggests that by covering only "good drivers," it is able to make rates more affordable for those people. Root says this approach can save some people as much as 52% on their insurance based on national reviews reported by actual customers.



*Offered as a separate coverage in NV and CA.

Contact & Additional Information

Homepage URL
https://www.joinroot.com
Company Phone
(866) 980-9431
Headquarters Address
80 E. Rich Street Suite 500, Columbus, OH, 43215
Year Founded
2015

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Customer Comments & Reviews

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Shayla H
12/18/2023
They scam people! They intentionally do not provide financial documents before the purchase of the policy. Once the policy is purchased they will come out the blue with hidden fees. It is truly a waste of money and time. Save yourself the trouble and do NOT purchase anything from them! They lack accountability, anytime a problem is brought to their attention they will make excuses! The purchase of their policy is undeniably one of my biggest regrets for 2023

michaelrwilhite
11/19/2020
They raise your rates each and every renewal. We have NO tickets or accidents, never have had. Very poor customer service, bordering on we don't care about any of it as long as we get our money!

J
James
10/24/2020
I was interested in finding a company that would rate me on my driving (good driving). I was looking for a risk pool of the best drivers. This is how I came across Root Insurance. I took the three week driving test monitored via cell phone program while driving. I completed the test with a perfect score of 10 - I honestly never speed (cruise control), I really do come to a complete stop at all stop signs and red lights before making right turn etc; If you decide to never speed and are committed to a complete stop at all stop signs you must also be prepared to be hassled by a lot of other drivers!! I was offered the quote today. The quote is 33% lower than my current rate IF... Read More

erudykh
12/16/2019
I do not recommend Root insurance to anyone who was involved in an accident more or less recently. It does NOT matter if you were actually a victim and not someone who causes the accidents on a regular basis. It does NOT matter is you get 9/10 driving score when you drive. It does NOT matter that you only drive a few miles a week. They claim to be based on how you drive in determining the premium. They are not. If your car was hit by a truck in the past (like mine was), you are going to pay high premium no matter what. Like any other insurance, they will find a way to make it look "fair".

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