GEICO will provide $2.5 billion in credits to customers. Liberty Mutual refunding $250 million to Liberty and Safeco insureds.
GEICO and Liberty Mutual separately announced that they would be providing relief to their auto insurance policyholders, joining Allstate and American Family that announced similar programs earlier this week.
GEICO, the second largest private passenger auto insurer in the U.S., announced it will provide a 15 percent credit to its auto and motorcycle customers as their policy comes up for renewal between April 8 and Oct 7. The credit will also apply to any new policies purchased during this period.
According to GEICO, it’s average auto policy has a semi-annual premium of about $1,000 and generally covers more than one vehicle. This means GEICO expects credits to average about $150 per auto policy and $30 per motorcycle policy. The company estimates the benefit to its 18 million auto and one million motorcycle customers will be approximately $2.5 billion.
Current customers can expect to see the discount when they renew. Customers do not need to take any action to receive this credit.
“This ongoing crisis has widespread effects that will linger. That is why we wanted to give this credit for at least six months,” said GEICO President and CEO Todd Combs. “Our customers have been loyal, and we are committed to doing all we can to help them.”
Last month, GEICO announced it was pausing cancellations of coverage due to non-payment and policy expiration through at least April 30, 2020. Beyond that, the company has committed to offering maximum flexibility to policyholders who need special payment options as well as transitioning nearly all of its associates to work from home to continue providing the 24/7 service it is known for.
Liberty Mutual
Liberty Mutual Insurance, the sixth largest private passenger auto insurer in the U.S., announced its Personal Auto Customer Relief Refund, which gives personal auto insurance customers a 15% refund on two months of their annual premium. This returns approximately $250 million to Liberty Mutual and Safeco personal auto insurance customers and builds on other customer support, including flexible payment options and delivery coverage expansion for auto policies.
“For more than a century, we’ve made it our goal to be there for people when they need us most,” said Liberty Mutual Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Long. “Today, more than ever, we recognize the uncertainty and financial challenges our customers are facing. We remain dedicated to serving our customers during this unprecedented pandemic, and we hope our premium relief and other actions we have taken offer support and help to alleviate some of their worries.”
Personal auto insurance customers will receive a 15% refund on two months of their annual auto premium as of April 7, 2020, pending regulatory approval. The refunds will begin in April, and will be issued either by check or in the manner the customer made their most recent payment. The payments will happen automatically and customers do not need to call Liberty Mutual to receive the refund.
Liberty also announced that late fee charges have been automatically stopped and cancellations due to non-payment have been temporarily paused for personal auto and home customers from March 23 through at least May 22, 2020.
Also, all personal auto policies have been expanded to cover customers who use their personal vehicles to deliver food and medicine. Standard Safeco personal auto policies typically exclude such coverage. This additional protection is in effect for all personal auto policies in all states for losses occurring from March 16 to May 22, 2020, and reported by July 1, 2020.