Occidental Auto Insurance Review (2021)
Looking at Occidental auto insurance? They offer property and casualty insurance and have a financial rating of A- (Excellent) from A.M. Best.
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Written by
Mathew B. Sims
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Reviewed by
Daniel Walker
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UPDATED: Mar 16, 2021
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- Occidental Insurance is part of the IAT Reinsurance Group
- Occidental provides commercial insurance products
- Occidental also offers services as a re-insurer to other insurance companies
* OcciQuoteSM is decommissioned.
Occidental has been in existence since 1960. This North Carolina insurance company is one of 20 companies under IAT Reinsurance Group. These include:
- Harco National Insurance Company
- TransGuard Insurance Company
- Safeport Insurance Company
- Wilshire Insurance Company and Acceptance Casualty Insurance Company
Occidental Fire & Casualty Company also offers personal lines of coverage through the company network. IAT-Re Group is the formal name of the holding company over all 20 insurance companies.
Occidental has an “A-” rating from A.M. Best, the insurance rating organization.
As an insurance products provider, they have standard coverage options available throughout the country. Every state has a minimum coverage requirement for all drivers.
To get auto insurance quotes from Occidental as well as other major carriers, enter your ZIP code here to get started.
What are My Occidental Auto Insurance Options?
Occidental insurance options include the following:
- Bodily injury liability – for any injuries or death to another person or people in an accident where you are at fault
- Property damage – pays for items that you damage with your vehicle
- Collision – covers damage to your car when you collide with another vehicle
- Comprehensive coverage – covers your car when it falls victim to weather conditions, vandalism, or theft
- Personal injury protection – covers you and your passengers in the event you are hurt or killed in an accident
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist’s – protects you and your vehicle when you encounter a driver without insurance or without enough insurance coverage
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Occidental Auto Insurance Additional Coverage
Additional coverage includes rental reimbursement, which replaces your vehicle with a rental when your car is in repair.
Towing options are common inclusions, such as roadside assistance with gas, or towing 24 hours a day, seven days per week.
Other on-site repairs are covered under this inclusion such as a battery jump or tire change.
What Are the Best Ways to Get Savings with Occidental Auto Insurance?
Most drivers on the road today are interested in any type of savings.
One suggestion is to inquire about a diminishing deductible program. If you decide on a higher deductible, your premiums will be lowered.
If you opt to pay a larger down payment on your annual premium, your monthly premiums may be more affordable.
In addition, if you pay premiums in advance, your annual amount will be lower. The difference is in the interest you pay over the length of the policy.
If you have points on your driving record, you may be able to improve them by taking a defensive driving course. These courses may help remove as many as six points from your record.
Another way to save is to combine your homeowners insurance or motorcycle policy with your vehicle policy.
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Is the Auto Insurance Industry a Good Career?
An insurance company is also a good place to work.
A career with Occidental Insurance may involve one of the following positions:
- Actuary
- Customer Service
- Underwriter
- Agent
- Processor
- Administrator
- Management
Along with other possibilities, some of these positions may be entry level or professional level. Unfortunately, there is no online application to submit.
Upper management positions may have to be sought after through IAT Specialty Group‘s Scottsdale, Arizona or Omaha, Nebraska offices.
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What do Customer Reviews Say About Occidental Auto Insurance?
Occidental’s review record is not all bad considering they only receive a handful of complaints annually. The reviews are commonly mixed with complaints about unreturned phone calls and claim denials.
Business peers saw Occidental as a company who took advantage of the lack of competition in the state of Massachusetts.
Policyholders were paying a surcharge in premiums and on windshield replacement. Pressure from community advocates influenced change that eventually resulted in rate and surcharge reductions.
The Internet allows you to write your own review about Occidental or any other consumer experience. Most people write about bad experiences, although many also write about exceptionally good experiences.
To compare auto insurance rates, all you have to do is enter your ZIP code in the FREE search tool here!
Review
STAY AWAY. You will regret giving them your money.
This company denies even the most OBVIOUS of claims. Our car was hit by someone trying to enter traffic from a PARKING LOT and cutting across our lane of traffic. In their 100% denial of the claim, Occidental Auto/Wilshire Insurance is calling the parking lot entrance an intersection which it clearly is not – no light, no nothing, just an entrance to an Outback Steakhouse.
NC is a no fault state, but the cops at the scene told me that the other driver was at fault because they were trying to enter traffic. To make things worse, the people at Occidental Auto/Wilshire Insurance are totally unprofessional.
It took 2 weeks and my persistence to get the first call; the adjuster (Trey Lowdermilk) told me during the first call with no knowledge of the facts that they would deny the claim (how does that even classify as due process??); the person taking the recorded statement called 48 hours late and HAD NOT even bothered to read the police report first; the independent adjuster they sent to take pictures was late but he was the best of the lot (he’s not an employee).
We are currently in the process of notifying the NC insurance commission. THINK LONG AND HARD before being tempted by low rates.
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Review
UPDATE to the 1/15/15 post: I emailed the executives at the company with details of why I was appealing the decision. Just under a week later, the adjuster called me back to say they would be paying the claim. Our car is now fixed.
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Review
A driver who had this insurance destroyed the front fence of my house. I called to place my claim and they said they will contact me to evaluate the damage… 3 months has passed and I have never heard from them (there is a police report about the accident).
I will never be a client of such a mediocre insurance.
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Review
Great company. No issues.
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Review
The claims department is totally unresponsive to letters and voice messages. I have been trying to get Wilshire Ins to respond to a several letters and voice messages since October 2015 and have had no response.
When you call the “800” you are put on eternal hold and then transferred to a generic mailbox. The company appears to have a very unprofessional claims department.
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Review
This is not even an insurance company, it’s just an office with a few scam artists and a telephone line. The claims adjuster I spoke with was rude and knew nothing about auto claims.
Right now I am in the process of trying to get reimbursed for $800 in rental fees for when my car was in the shop after a bad accident(I was NOT at fault). I have been calling for the past two weeks every day leaving voicemails—no answer, no callback.
SAVE YOURSELF. THIS COMPANY IS HORRIBLE AND HAS NO INTENTION OF HELPING YOU AS A CUSTOMER—-STAY AWAY!!!!
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Review
This is literally the WORST car insurance you can get! STAY AWAY!
My license was expired and I hit a pole, because a man in a mechanical wheelchair was driving across the parking lot and I avoided him, it says NOWHERE in our contract that the company would not cover a FULL COVERED vehicle because of an expired license, it only says the policy can be cancelled if the license is suspended or revoked. Even my insurance agent went over the paperwork and found nothing of that sort.
This company called me and said they were denying my claim but still kept my policy active and took my money willingly without giving me the benefits of FULL COVERAGE that I have paid for. Even up until today my policy is still active, they refused to respond or send anything in the mail stating why they are denying my claim. I have called back and asked to speak with a manager, they also refuse to transfer any calls.
This company will deny any claim they can, even if all of your premiums are up to date like mine are to this day. I have a valid driver license and they still refuse to cover my car. My insurance agent and friends are definitely turning away from this company and will not be promoting it anymore.
Save yourself the hassle and the money and go somewhere else! You won’t regret it, go to a more reliable insurance company.
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Review
This “auto insurance” is a scam.
I still have full coverage on my crashed car through them and they refuse to pay for my claim. My license expired and because of this, they are denying my claim although they didn’t tell me my policy wouldn’t be in effect, although, I paid the premium.
Its kind of funny because I wrote a review last week and they didn’t post that one. This insurance agency is a joke please go to a legit company like Allstate…much more worth it. Ha
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Review
Terrible.
I was involved in a hit and run, my truck was a total loss, took almost a month to even open a claim because no one answers the phone.
Now here we are 2 months later all my calls go unanswered and unreturned. Wish I would have known this before hand. I never would if used them.
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Review
I have a commercial policy on my semi-tractor as an independent owner-operator. I have had this company for over a year and a half. my premiums are outrageous high. I was notified two days ago I had been canceled due to non payment. Funny since I have the bank statements showing I have never missed a payment as I am federally required to maintain insurance at all times.
If you like high premiums and poor customer service with the answer “I don’t know” this is the company to get it from.
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Review
Your claim dept is the absolute worst. I work in a body shop and I deal with claims depts all day and your circle jerk of prompts just have you going around and around.
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