Commerce West Auto Insurance Review

Company Background Information

Commerce West Insurance Company originally known as Western Pioneer Insurance Company and was established in 1948 in the state of California and first offered auto insurance to the state. Western Pioneer Insurance Company was acquired by Commerce in 1995 and rebranded to Commerce West. The acquisition was a part of Commerce’s plan to expand to other geographical regions. Commerce West sells auto insurance in the states of California and Oregon and sells insurance through its network of independent agents.

Commerce West is a division of the Commerce Group, which is wholly owned by MAPFRE, S.A., a global insurance provider and one of the largest insurance companies in the world. Commerce Group was rated an A+ by A.M. Best in its most recently financial stability outlook reports due to the company’s overall financial stability and progress. Commerce Group was only given 3 out of 5 power circles by J.D. Power for the New England region, however Commerce West in particular was not rated in the California J.D. Power regional study.

Pros of Commerce West Auto Insurance

• Backed by a large global insurance company
• Rated highly for financial stability

Cons of Commerce West Auto Insurance

• A relative lack of information on customer service quality
• Only available in three states

Discounts

Discounts offered to customers in the states of California, Arizona and Oregon include:

• Group discounts for group affiliations
• Responsible driver discounts
• Claims free discounts for not filing a claim within a certain period of time
• AAA membership discount
• Stable employment discount

To get more information about discounts, customers would need to call a Commerce West agent.

Types of Insurance Offered

The minimum levels of liability coverage are offered to drivers in the states of California, Arizona and Oregon, along with supplementary coverage options. Liability limits for both states go up to $500,000 and optional coverage options include vacation liability, personal items, motor home, and emergency vehicle expense coverage.

Website

The Commerce website is hosted by MAPFRE and has many of the most useful features that can be expected on an insurance company website. Unfortunately the Commerce website lacks specific information about the discounts and products available to residents of California, Arizona and Oregon, but it does have more detailed information for residents of other Commerce states. With the companies being combined recently it is most likely that the same discounts and auto coverage options are offered for Commerce West customers.

Customer Reviews

Third party reviews of Commerce Group in New England were average in the most recent survey, but Commerce West in particular was not rated so it is difficult to determine how the customer service is for that branch of Commerce Group.

Recommendations

Commerce West may be worth a look for customers in California, Arizona and Oregon, however there are many alternative choices to consider that may offer better discounts and a larger range of coverage options. To find some of these providers you can enter your zip code on this page and you will receive live quotes based on the coverage that you need.

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