Permanent General Auto Insurance Review (2020)
Looking at Permanent General? They offer non-standard and specialty automobile insurance intended for high-risk drivers, 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: Aug 17, 2020
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- Permanent General Assurance Company is a subsidiary of Peapack Gladstone Financial Holding Corporation
- The company offers non-standard and specialty auto insurance for high-risk drivers
- Permanent General has an AM Best rating of A-
Permanent General Assurance Company was established in 1987 and is a subsidiary of PGC (Peapack Gladstone Financial) Holding Corporation. Permanent General Assurance Company, Permanent General Assurance Company of Ohio, and The General Automobile Insurance Company are all under the PGC umbrella.
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Permanent General specializes in non-standard and specialty automobile insurance. This type of auto insurance coverage is intended for high-risk drivers. This includes new, inexperienced drivers or drivers who have been dropped by their prior insurance company because of excess tickets, accidents, DUIs, or lapses in coverage.
Permanent General offers coverage in 22 states at this time.
Coverage Types with Permanent General Automobile Insurance
There are four types of automobile coverage available. The different types of coverage include liability coverage, medical payment coverage, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and comprehensive and collision coverage.
Liability coverage protects the insured from property damage or personal injury claims. Each insured has the option of choosing the amount of coverage desired as long as the insured’s coverage meets state requirements.
Additional coverage can also be purchased through Permanent General like towing and labor and car rental insurance.
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Permanent General Auto Insurance Agents
Permanent General Insurance is sold by independent agents across the United States. If you are interested in selling their insurance, there is an application available online which must be submitted to Permanent General before you are eligible to sell their insurance.
You can find a Permanent General Agent by clicking on the “Agent Locator” on the Permanent General website. Simply enter your address, city, state, zip code and choose the mile radius you are willing to travel. The agency names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and maps will appear so that you can choose an agency convenient for you.
Permanent General Auto Insurance Benefits
Permanent General believes that, regardless of your driving history, you should be able to receive good, affordable insurance. The company offers low down payments and monthly payment options. Payments can also be made with a credit card or on the website.
A unique aspect of Permanent General’s website is their link section. The company provides links to helpful sites like car financing, the department of insurance for each individual state, driving records, recall information, and vehicle safety sites.
Permanent General Auto Insurance Customer Service
Permanent General offers its policyholders customer service by promoting the submission of comments on their website. They have provided an online form with blank fields for questions and concerns that the policyholder can ask or make. Once submitted, it is sent to the person who is most likely able to answer the question, concern or comment.
Another area in which Permanent General gives good customer support is in the frequently asked questions section of the website. The site breaks down the questions into three categories: general questions about auto insurance, questions about insurance premiums, and what to do if you find yourself in an accident.
Permanent General insured drivers can also view their account on the company website. You can see who is covered on your policy and details of your coverage as well as make policy changes.
You also have the ability to make payments online under the MyPolicy Self Service section of the site.
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Permanent General Auto Insurance Claims
Permanent General Claims can be physically sent or phoned in at the following address and phone number:
P.O. Box 305195
Nashville, TN 37230-5195
(800) 280-1466
Permanent General Careers
Permanent General Careers can be found on the company website. Internal postings are also available on the site. There are two ways to apply for jobs at Permanent General. First, interested individuals can enter a keyword for openings as well as location, category and position type.
Second, potential employees can search the “Open Job Positions” on the site. The title, location, and date of posting will appear on the “Job Listings” page.
Individuals who have applied for jobs before can return to the site to edit personal information or see jobs already applied for within the company.
Referrals for positions are encouraged and can be submitted on the website within the employment opportunities section.
Permanent General Auto Insurance Ratings
Permanent General maintains a rating of A- with A.M. Best.
You can get online auto insurance quotes from active providers by typing your ZIP code into the free rates tool now!
Review
Great Company!
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Review
They don’t even deserve 1 star! This company is a complete rip-off! Someone broke into my car, broke the passenger driver side window and it took a WEEK to get it replaced! Their claims service and adjusters are rude and inconsiderate! So glad I switched.
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They don’t deserve any rating, they are rip-off artists.
I had an accident that had 2 damage spots, and they told me I had to file 2 claims and pay 2 deductibles. They claim it didn’t happen at the same time. Then it is taking them weeks to work with the body shop. My car could have been ready in 3 days but because of them dragging their feet it is taking them weeks.
The agent they assigned me is never there to be reached by phone, and she never returns calls. They set me up with a rental car, they pay 20$ a day and they give me one that’s 30 dollars a day, and I have no choice but to take it?? This company is a scam stay away from it!!!
Review
I took them an entire month to process my claim and send my total loss. :/ This company sucks.
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This is the worst insurance company I have ever dealt with.
I went to a dealership to buy a car, I was approved and was told I needed to put insurance on it before I could drive it off the lot. I called PGC and paid my downpayment for the car insurance. After I hung up the phone the dealership said there was a problem with the car and it couldn’t be sold.
I called the insurance company right back and they said they would cancel the policy and issue me a refund. Life got busy and I forgot about it for a few months when I realized I still had not received anything from them.
6 months later and several phone calls later, they are saying I can’t get the full refund and I have to fax them a bunch of stuff and they are going to charge me an early cancel fee.
The customer service department is rude and very unhelpful. If you get a chance to speak to a supervisor they are even worse. Stay away from this company at all costs!!!
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Review
This company must be paying their customer reps way below minimum wage because the level of the staff is very poor. Almost impossible to speak to a person and always get voice mails. The staff sounds very low class and uneducated. If you can go with another company I would do so.
I had a claim and they tried to deny it but they finally accepted my claim.
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Review
This company is too much.
Canceled my daughter’s insurance without notifying her that it was going to happen. The way she found out was when she received a letter from the DMV saying she had been without insurance for 22 days.
Yes, the payment was mailed 4 days late due some problems, but they cashed the check and also sent us a renewal policy for next year. Then we find out she had no insurance for 22 days. This is going to cost her money she does not have because they failed to inform us of the cancellation.
I hope your business goes out, because of the way you treat people.It does not even deserve a single star. I will say the company representatives are polite cant say the same for the company policy. Hope you go out of business.
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On April 23, I drove my 2006 BMW 325i through water about 6 in deep. The engine died. The car was pushed to a parking lot and later towed to BMW’s contracted body shop for the original estimate and later towed to my preferred mechanic’s shop. The mechanic estimated the cost to repair $4500.
I made a claim on 4/25 with my insurance company The General. Jason Fox, a claims representative, contacted me and advised me to have the car towed to their yard – I was not happy. I did not know at the time, the yard is 70 miles away. The appraiser looked at the car on 5/12 and called me to ask if water had got inside the car because she couldn’t see any evidence of water damage.
On 5/22, almost a month after I made the claim, Jason called to say the car was a total loss. I was upset and confused as to why they would total it since the mechanic estimated it at $4500 to repair it. That was below the 70% of the value of the car. I said I didn’t except that the car was a total loss. I was referred to Joanne, a total loss adjuster. I left several messages for her that day with no response. At that point I was so distraught, I found the location of the car from the insurance customer service.
I called the yard to inform them I had the title in hand and was coming to pick the car up. They refuse to release it to me until the insurance company gave them permission. After finally contacting Joanne the following day, I sent her the estimate for the repairs. She sent it to a Superior to look at. She told me she would call me as soon as she had info for me.
In an email, she said Jason would call me by noon and if he didn’t I should call his supervisor. The email stated a tear down of the vehicle would need to be completed. I called the supervisor and left a message on the followingTuesday. He did not return my call.
Please note, the estimate of the General’s repair list included the replacement of interior jetting, cleaning and deodorizing of carpet, seat tracks cleaned and lube, seat belts inspected and lube etc. The only water that got in that car was from my soaking feet! I have rubber mats! I have invested over $1500 in rental car fees.
On June 6, 2014, I told the insurance company I wanted a second appraisal on my car damage. I wanted my car taken back to my mechanic for a second opinion. I did not agree with their estimate for damages to the inside of my car. They said they would release the car but I would have to have it towed back to the mechanics at my expense. Again, their yard is 70 miles away from me. I did have the car tow back to the mechanic I started with. Because the original motor was not available from the first estimate the new estimate of the cost of repair at $4800.00. Finding no damages to the inside of the car.
An auto detailer shop also confirmed that carpet has not been cleaned and there is no water damage to the inside of the car or inside the trunk as stated in the insurance estimate. Also said they could provide a statement detailing this. They had no explanation as to why the insurance company or the insurance adjuster would claim there was any damage to the inside of the car. Perhaps foul play or an incompetent adjuster. Regardless the insurance company should be responsible for the incorrect estimate.
The price they gave me for my car if it was totaled is not a fair value of the car for this region. There are no other cars in the 2006 year range, in my car’s condition, that I can replace it with. Either way, I’m being cheated.
I had my car repaired, at my cost and it has been on the road since June. I have had no problems with it is running strong. The Permanent General wants to wrongly total that car. I feel they are trying to take advantage of me by not listening in to my complaints. They say there’s nothing they can do for me. Stated that the body shop and the repair shop or giving the estimates that are not complete because they don’t include the damage done to the inside of the car.
I can no longer deal with them. Insurance companies are supposed to have your back. By far the worst insurance company I have ever dealt with. DO NOT EVER BUY FROM THIS COMPANY!
Review
I was with THE GENERAL for a little over three years. BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
service is great if you don’t use it!!!.
A month before my policy was up for renewal I received a messaging stating that their records showed I may not be garaging my vehicles at the location I had listed.
I live in two places both within the same zip. but since I stay at both places equally and their system doesn’t allow more than one garaging location they cannot cover me.
so I ask them to have a supervisor call me. a week later no call. I attempt to engage in a chat and as soon is I enter my policy info for the chat it is disconnected…. repeatedly. so using the contact us from within my policy link I ask what a garaging location is again. I received an email but it was automated. two days latter no new word.
I wanted to add a car to my policy that was supposed to expire this month.
it turned out to be perfect timing went to progressive of all insurance companies and now pay$15 more than i did with the general and have two cars covered with roadside assistance. so I get 2x more and then some…
Thank you “the General” for showing what a bad insurance company is really like.
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My daughter was in an accident in March. It is now August 31. The General’s policyholder was the one at fault in the accident. They wouldn’t even procure their own accident report. They have sent me paperwork twice (yes, since March) and it is incorrect. I am still waiting for correct paperwork. I have to call them every day.
NEVER, EVER USE THIS COMPANY. THEY ARE SO UNPROFESSIONAL! I have State Farm and if it were us that was at fault, it would have been taken care of months ago. Now they keep sending me to hold music over and over.
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The absolute worst company ever. I am literally so angry at this point that I cannot even type my story.
Please save yourself the hassle and headaches and never Bring your business to this business. I needed insurance quickly and that’s the only reason that I went with The General….my mistake was staying with The General. I’ve only been with them for three months now and I have had problems every single step of the way.
When they threatened to pull up our taped conversations from the past because they said that there’s no way that the things I was saying we’re possible I politely invited them to do so and then to please get back to me when they did, in fact, review the taped conversations. They must have listened to the conversations because now they say that there’s an error and they cannot retrieve them. Gee, I wonder why.
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Review
This company cannot verify coverage on one of their customers. I have waited 3 weeks and they still cannot confirm whether the person who hit me has coverage or not. Fortunately, I have real insurance with a reputable company and they are covering my vehicle and will seek legal action on the person who hit me. My first initial call to their claims number was the day of the accident and they said she was insured. Two hours later they called me back and stated they weren’t sure when the payment was made but it was made on the day of the accident. If it was made after the time of the accident, then she won’t have insurance. 3 weeks later, they still don’t know when her payment was made. This company is the worst I’ve ever worked with and their adjusters are the most unprofessional people. A complete joke!!!!!
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