Discovery Insurance Company Review & Complaints: Auto Insurance (2024)

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North Carolina-based Discovery Insurance serves the non-standard auto insurance market across the state. They focus solely on the auto opportunity and sell products through a network of agents.

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What is Discovery Insurance?

Discovery Insurance Company was founded in 1993 in Kinston, North Carolina, where its headquarters remains today. They focus on the non-standard insurance market, providing auto insurance coverage to high-risk drivers who have been turned down by standard insurers for a variety of reasons. These include a problematic driving record, major violations resulting in the need for an SR-22, bad credit, and more.

Discovery Insurance Agency products are sold through independent agents, and policies are available throughout North Carolina. As of the time of this review, there is no indication that the company plans to expand to other states.

Discovery’s website is very bare-bones, containing basic information; they are likely a company that sees most new business through agents and not website visitors.

What Are Discovery’s auto insurance products?

Discovery does not offer much information about their auto insurance policies on the website. There is a basic overview of how auto insurance works and a glossary of terms, but no specifics regarding what to expect from a Discovery policy.

Discovery writes insurance for the non-standard market, which means they likely write a lot of basic liability policies to meet state legal requirements. They also offer higher liability limits and optional coverage that can be added to the policy.

Discovery only insures personal autos and does not offer motorcycle insurance benefits or commercial insurance.

Are the company’s rates competitive?

Although Discovery has a setup on its website for obtaining a quote online, it is not functional. The website states that this option will be available in the future, but currently, quotes are only available by contacting an agent. Based on our previous review of Discovery, this has been the case for more than a year, which indicates they have not made much effort to get the quote function up and running.

The website does have an agent search function using a zip code.

As a non-standard insurer, we do not expect that Discovery’s rates will compare to those offered by standard insurance companies.

What do I need to get a Discovery Quote for car Insurance?

To complement Discovery vehicle insurance advantages, they also include offering your quote online. Such important detail allows future clients to know about the price they’ll have to pay for car insurance from the comfort of their homes. Of course, you will need to present accurate information about your car (year, make and model, etc.) for them to study your quote. You must give true information about the features and general conditions of your vehicle as, in case you decide to buy Discovery car insurance, there’ll be a pre-inspection in which Discovery specialists will verify that information is real. By the way, you need to know the quote they offered you online might be updated after such an inspection so, you will only then have the official car insurance quote. Bear in mind, that if you get an expensive quote, you can try to lower your premiums by buying a lower car insurance plan.

Does Discovery have a Pay as You Drive option?

After carefully researching Discovery car insurance, I have to tell you such an option is not available on their vehicle insurance products.

What’s the best way to contact customer support for Discovery Insurance?

Support resources for Discovery Insurance are available online. You can also reach Discovery Insurance Company via phone at 800-876-1492.

Discovery Claims Process

Ease of Filing a Claim (Online, Over the Phone, Mobile Apps)

Discovery has more information in the claims section of the website than in any other section. The company does have an online claims reporting form easily accessible on the website. A separate form is available for a glass-only claim. There is also a toll-free number to report a claim directly over the phone. The site does not say whether the line is available 24/7.

There is a link to track an existing claim, but that area is currently not functional; this is the second area of the site where the company appears to be behind on getting things working. Again it appears to reflect a lack of interest in web-based marketing.

Average Claim Processing Time

While the article does not provide specific information about the average claim processing time at Discovery Insurance Company, it emphasizes that the company has a section dedicated to claims on its website.

This suggests that the company places importance on providing information and resources for policyholders to efficiently process their claims. Policyholders are encouraged to use the online claims reporting form, but the functionality of tracking existing claims on the website may need improvement.

Customer Feedback on Claim Resolutions and Payouts

Discovery Insurance Company has garnered feedback from customers and agents alike. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has awarded the company an A+ rating, with only four complaints on file in the past three years, none of which were closed within the past 12 months. However, the article highlights that customer reviews on Google and Facebook indicate mixed sentiments.

While there are positive reviews, there’s a significant presence of negative reviews, often citing issues with customer service and claims services. Notably, some of the positive reviews are attributed to agents rather than customers, potentially skewing the overall rating.

Digital and Technological Features of Discovery

Mobile App Features and Functionality

The article does not provide specific details about Discovery Insurance Company’s mobile app features and functionality. However, it mentions that the company has a website with some basic information but does not elaborate on whether they offer a dedicated mobile app for policyholders.

Further information about the mobile app and its features would be helpful to assess the digital experience offered by the company.

Online Account Management Capabilities

Similarly, the article does not delve into the online account management capabilities of Discovery Insurance Company. It mentions that the company’s website is “very bare-bones” and primarily serves as an information source.

To provide a comprehensive assessment of the company’s digital offerings, additional information about online account management features, such as policy management, bill payment, and document access, would be beneficial.

Digital Tools and Resources

The article briefly touches on Discovery Insurance Company’s digital tools and resources, emphasizing that their website contains basic information. However, it suggests that the company may need to enhance its web-based marketing efforts to provide a more robust online experience for customers.

A deeper exploration of the digital tools and resources available on the company’s website would provide valuable insights into its commitment to offering digital convenience to policyholders.

Does the company have positive ratings and consumer reviews?

Discovery has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and there have been only four complaints on file in the past three years. There are no complaints closed in the past 12 months.

We found 68 Google reviews of this company with an overall 3.7-star rating out of 5. It is very important to note that a look through the reviews found multiple 5-star ratings not from customers, but from agents that sell Discovery products. This has the effect of skewing the overall rating to make it appear that more customers rated them highly. It appears that there are more negative reviews from customers than there are positive ones. Repeated complaints refer to poor customer service and difficulty with claims services.

The company’s Facebook page has 12 reviews, with an overall 2.7-star rating. Similar to the other reviews, we found that the positive reviews appear to come mainly from agents who work with Discovery, while the actual consumer reviews are universally negative.

Discovery’s ratings are a good reminder that it is always worth reading through the reviews rather than basing an opinion on the overall star rating. In this case, agents seem to have artificially bumped up the company in a way that does not seem to reflect the actual customer experience.

Discovery Insurance Company Review: The Bottom Line

If you need non-standard auto insurance in North Carolina, Discovery might be worth investigating. Finding a good value in non-standard insurance is difficult, as is finding a company with a really solid reputation. Our look at the company did raise some concerns regarding claims service, which is what matters in the insurance business. Agents who work with this company, however, do seem to hold it in very high regard and go out of their way to praise its services. While we would prefer to see happy customers, that does carry some weight.