Wawanesa Insurance review 2024

Wawanesa earned a Bankrate Score of 2.8 out of 5.0, as it lacks some of the things that the best car insurance companies tend to have, like a mobile app, local agencies and 24/7 customer support. Its consistently high customer satisfaction ranking with J.D. Power and typically holds a solid financial stability rating from AM Best (although it currently earns a C++ (Marginal) rating following news of its intent to sell its U.S. subsidiary).

Additionally, Wawanesa insurance is currently only offered in California. In addition to state-required coverage, like bodily injury and property damage liability, drivers may opt to include special vehicle equipment coverage, which insures aftermarket customizations and equipment added to the vehicle, and vehicle manufacturer replacement parts. With this optional coverage, car parts can be replaced with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts after a covered accident instead of standard or aftermarket parts.

Pros and cons of Wawanesa car insurance

When comparing car insurance quotes, it’s important to consider what a carrier offers through its policies as well as through its service. Here are some quick pros and cons of Wawanesa car insurance:

Like with its car insurance, Wawanesa home insurance is currently only offered in California. Its home insurance earned a 3.9 out of 5 Bankrate Score, which is higher than its auto insurance policies. One factor is that while Wawanesa’s standard home insurance policy is relatively basic, it performs slightly better in the NAIC index for complaints than auto — although still above-baseline. Policyholders do have options to purchase more coverage for increased limits under Wawanesa’s Special Limits Enhancements coverage, which include options for personal property, watercraft and equipment, as well as extended replacement cost.

Wawanesa also has other add-on home insurance coverage available. This includes the option to schedule personal property for any high-value items, like artwork and jewelry, that exceed the personal property maximum for special belongings. Homeowners worried about their personal information could also include identity fraud and home cyber protection coverage in their Wawanesa home insurance policy.

Pros and cons of Wawanesa homeowners insurance

If you’re considering Wawanesa home insurance, it helps to consider how the carrier could meet your home insurance requirements. Below is a quick summary of some of Wawanesa’s strengths and drawbacks:

Wawanesa may meet the needs of many drivers and homeowners, but it can be helpful to compare its home insurance and auto insurance offerings against other companies. Perhaps you’re looking for a carrier that has a bit more flexibility, for example. Comparing with other carriers can also give you an idea of what your preferences are. Below are some comparable insurers that might also offer what you need:

At Bankrate, our insurance editorial team combines nearly 50 years of industry experience to help consumers make the best insurance decisions for their needs. As a super-regional carrier, Wawanesa is not going to be an option for most. Additionally, the lack of a mobile app for non-Android users and a robust online portal may be a drawback for those who want a fully digital policy management experience — Wawanesa still primarily operates through local independent agents. However, those that own a home or have a car registered in California may appreciate Wawanesa’s extensive add-on coverage options and vetted customer service.

What are real-life customers saying about Wawanesa?

Word of mouth can be some of the best ways to determine how customers feel about their insurance company. Customer reviews and discussions on online platforms like Reddit and Trustpilot can give you helpful insight into the kind of service you may receive from your potential carrier. While Reddit allows users to post questions and discuss any topic regarding a company, Trustpilot's format permits users to post a review and the carrier can publicly reply; there isn't an option for additional comments or feedback from other users.

One thing to remember when reviewing online forums is that consumers usually post about an experience that is exceptionally good or unusually bad. It is the combination of consumer feedback, official customer satisfaction and financial strength ratings, reviews from industry experts and your personal interactions with a company that will help you feel confident about your choice of insurance company.

Reddit

Due to the regional availability of Wawanesa, there aren't too many conversations about this company on Reddit. After a thorough review of posts spanning several years, the common consensus is that customers are unhappy with the recent premium increases — which are happening with most insurance companies, not just Wawanesa. Comments from many users state they have been with the company for several years, but there aren't many comments regarding coverage or customer service.

Trustpilot

The Wawanesa reviews from Trustpilot differ from Reddit, with the majority of users unhappy with the claims process and payout amounts. While there are few company reviews — most of them being over a year old — the major sticking point aside from claim experience is the level of service. Something to note is that while the newer reviews skew towards the negative, they are from users based in Canada, not California. The reviews from California users tend to be from 2022 and earlier, but are much more optimistic about their experience with customer service and claims.

*The quotes and citations included on this page have been verified by our editorial team and are accurate as of the posting date. Outlinked content may contain views and opinions that do not reflect the views and opinions of Bankrate.

Wawanesa company details

Whether you are thinking about joining Wawanesa or just need to make some policy updates, here is the primary contact information to help you start or manage your policy:

• Customer service: 1-800-640-2920
• Claims: 1-888-WAWA-CLAIM (929-2252)
• Roadside assistance: 1-855-WAWA-TOW (929-2869) can be called 24/7 or by filling out an online form.
• Email: New customers can email insure.us@wawanesa.com, while existing customers can email service.us@wawanesa.com.

State availability

For U.S. residents, Wawanesa is only available in California. While there are still some active Oregon policies, Wawanesa is no longer accepting new businesses in other states.

Wawanesa tools and benefits

In addition to home and auto insurance, Wawanesa also offers the following insurance products:

• Renters insurance: As a renter, you’ll likely need to consider insurance for your own belongings, as your landlord’s policy does not insure this. Liability coverage is also provided through renters insurance.
• Condominium insurance: Condominium unit owners may purchase insurance to cover the interior of their units, which this type of insurance provides.
• Pet insurance: Wawanesa partnered with Embrace to offer pet owners accident and illness coverage to care for their pets.

Frequently asked questions about Wawanesa

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze May 2024 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on 40-year-old male and female homeowners with a clean claim history, good credit and the following coverage limits:

Auto

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our sample drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

The rates for drivers ages 16–20 added to their parent's policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16-20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket and single at-fault accident.

Homeowners

• Coverage A, Dwelling: $150,000, $300,000, $350,000, $450,000, $750,000
• Coverage B, Other Structures: $15,000, $30,000, $35,000, $45,000, $75,000
• Coverage C, Personal Property: $75,000, $150,000, $175,000, $225,000, $375,000
• Coverage D, Loss of Use: $30,000, $60,000, $70,000, $90,000, $150,000
• Coverage E, Liability: $500,000
• Coverage F, Medical Payments: $1,000

The homeowners also have a $1,000 deductible and a separate wind and hail deductible (if required).

These are sample rates and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your quotes will differ.

Bankrate Scores

Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC, were analyzed.
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.