QBE Insurance Review & Complaints: Commercial, Auto & Home Insurance (2024)

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If you have been looking for QBE insurance reviews, then you’ve found the right place for extensive information and information on their place in the insurance industry. QBE Insurance Corporation is a global company founded in Australia more than 125 years ago. Although the company has a main focus on commercial insurance as an insurance provider, QBE does also offer a few products for individuals such as car insurance coverage and homeowners insurance.

Are you trying to search for auto insurance quotes before reading QBE reviews? Enter your ZIP code in the FREE comparison tool above to find online quotes for affordable auto insurance in your area. If you want to learn more about QBE, continue reading.

What is QBE Insurance?

QBE Insurance Company was founded in 1886 as the North Queensland Insurance Co. Limited in Australia. In 1921 the Banker’s and Trader’s Insurance Co. was formed, and in 1959 the company acquired Equitable Probate and General Insurance Co. These three company names were combined to finalize the name QBE. Today, the company is Australia’s largest general insurer and has a branch in North America.

n 1991 QBE opened the doors of their North American branch. In the U.S., they offer both business and personal property & casualty insurance, specialty coverage including accident and health, crop insurance, and coverage for financial institutions. In 2015 QBE scaled back their North American operations by selling their underwriter-agency business to Alliant and their mortgage and lenders products to National General insurance.

You can buy QBE insurance, particularly property & casualty, through independent agents and brokers. While insurance quotes from QBE insurance aren’t offered online, the company does offer an online service for bill payment. Unfortunately, since quotes are not available as an online service, it means QBE insurance rates are not readily available for those trying to comparison shop.

What products are offered?

As previously mentioned, QBE offers mainly commercial products but it does have a few personal products, including auto insurance and home insurance.

Does QBE sell auto insurance?

QBE’s FlexAuto program is designed to reward good drivers and help keep rates down. According to the website, eligible drivers are determined by driving records and other characteristics. The website does not go into much detail regarding the program or suitable driver characteristics.

From what is provided, the FlexAuto program includes the following:

• Bodily injury
• Property damage
• Medical payments/Personal Injury Protection
• Physical damage
• Uninsured/underinsured motorists

Optional add-ons or additional coverage options include:

• Towing and labor
• Audio/visual equipment
• Transportation expenses

QBE does have an Accident Forgiveness program. Drivers with 4 years of continuous coverage who have had 3 consecutive years without a chargeable accident qualify to have the accident surcharge waived should they become involved in an accident.

They also offer a list of standard discounts such as:

• Good student discount
• Proactive customer discount
• Passive restraint discount
• Longevity discount
• Accident/violation-free discount
• Multi-policy discount

Does QBE sell home insurance?

QBE offers the following types of coverage in multiple levels of homeowner’s insurance. You can get QBE condo insurance and renters insurance coverage through their FlexHome program.

• FlexHome Value is the most basic policy intended for those with basic needs or seeking to obtain coverage on a budget.
• FlexHome Plus is a more comprehensive policy offering more coverage and higher limits.
• FlexHome Ultra is the highest level of homeowner’s insurance, designed for those with higher value homes and a lot of property to protect.

The FlexHome Condominium policy is also available in a basic and Ultra version as well.

QBE home insurance reviews from customers are among the easiest to find online.

Does the company sell business insurance?

QBE insures businesses large and small. Business coverage options include:

• Crime
• Commercial Inland Marine
• Property and Business Income
• Commercial Package
• Commercial Umbrella
• Farm Insurance

Does the company offer specialty insurance?

QBE does offer a variety of specialty insurance products which include some more unusual coverage options. These are:

• Accident & Health
• Aviation
• Management Liability and Professional Lines
• Cyber
• Inland Marine
• Surety

Ask about third party property insurance with QBE. Sometimes marine insurance can cover your personal property if it was damaged while on a marine vehicle.

What specialty products are offered?

QBE’s lineup also includes crop insurance, financial institutions coverage, and reinsurance products.

Are QBE’s rates affordable?

Since online quoting is not available, it’s challenging when you are trying to compare QBE’s rates to other insurance companies. They advertise competitive rates, and it is clear from the website that they market their auto insurance mostly towards low-risk drivers who do not have tickets or accidents.

Since their policies are sold through agents, QBE products will include the cost of commissions. They are unlikely to be competitive with direct-buy insurers.

QBE Insurance Claims Process

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

QBE Insurance offers several options for filing a claim, although the process may vary depending on the type of insurance you have. Policyholders can report claims directly to their insurance agents or to QBE via a toll-free number.

However, it’s worth noting that there is no option to report a claim online, although it may be possible with a QBE login. This absence of online claim reporting is somewhat unusual for a large insurance company.

Average Claim Processing Time

QBE Insurance does not provide specific information about their average claim processing time on their website. The time it takes to process a claim can vary depending on the complexity of the claim and the documentation provided. Policyholders should contact their insurance agent or adjuster for more information on the expected processing time for their specific claim.

Customer Feedback on Claim Resolutions and Payouts

The BBB lists 12 complaints, four of which have been closed in the last 12 months, and 11 complaints relate to issues with product and service. This rating suggests that the overall quality of customer experience may not be favorable.

It’s worth mentioning that the low rating is partly attributed to a government action requiring QBE to refund homeowners who were improperly charged for force-placed insurance policies.

The government action was issued in September 2016. Given the lack of customer satisfaction ratings and recent government action, the reliability of QBE’s claims resolutions and payouts may be a concern for some policyholders.

Digital and Technological Features of QBE Insurance

Mobile App Features and Functionality

QBE Insurance offers a mobile app that provides policyholders with convenient access to their insurance information. While specific features and functionality may vary, typical capabilities of insurance mobile apps include viewing policy details, making payments, and accessing digital ID cards. Policyholders can download the QBE mobile app to explore its full range of features.

Online Account Management Capabilities

QBE Insurance provides online account management capabilities for policyholders. This allows customers to access and manage their insurance policies, view billing information, and make payments online. Online account management can offer convenience and flexibility for policyholders who prefer to handle their insurance-related tasks digitally.

Digital Tools and Resources

In addition to the mobile app and online account management, QBE Insurance offers various digital tools and resources to assist policyholders. These may include educational resources, articles, and tools to help customers understand their insurance coverage better. These digital resources can be valuable for policyholders seeking information and guidance related to their insurance needs.

Are there any consumer complaints against the company?

QBE is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has a D- rating. The BBB lists 12 complaints, four of which have been closed in the last 12 months, and 11 complaints regard issues with product and service. This rating is not favorable for a company to have and speaks plainly about the overall quality of customer experience. The Better Business Bureau states the poor rating results from a government action requiring QBE to refund homeowners who were improperly charged for fore-placed insurance policies. The government action was issued in September 2016.

Overall, there are not many reviews of the company available, possibly due to their heavy leaning towards commercial insurance. The complaint level itself doesn’t raise major red flags, but the entire picture of QBE’s reliability remains somewhat fuzzy due to the lack of customer satisfaction ratings and recent government action.

What are the company’s financial strength and credit ratings?

For insurance experts, the most reliable ratings come from the top financial strength and credit rating agencies such as A.M. Best, Fitch, and S&P Global. We’ve collected the ratings from each one of those agencies and provided the grades of QBE Insurance.

QBE Insurance Financial Strength and Credit Ratings

Despite the BBB’s rating, QBE appears to have a strong and stable financial outlook, according to A.M. Best. The best way to find out how reliable the company is to compare it to other companies.

QBE Insurance Review: What’s the bottom line?

QBE is a major insurance company in Australia and a big company overall. They are relatively unknown, especially in terms of personal lines insurance, in the U.S. Their personal lines products include only auto and home, and do seem to have some useful features and options for customers to get the right coverage for their needs. Low-risk customers may find their rates competitive, but most drivers will likely get better rates elsewhere.

With an overall lack of information about the products themselves, particularly auto, and no rate information, it’s hard to say whether or not affordable QBE insurance is available to most people. Customer reviews of the company are minimal, albeit negative, which leaves enough questions to make it difficult to recommend QBE.

Now that you’ve read all there is to know about QBE Insurance, it’s time to save on your own insurance costs.

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