State Farm started its operations in 1922. They have grown into the largest auto insurance company in the country with a consistent 18% market share and a significant lead over the other companies. They have kept up with the times and have extensive services online at http://www.statefarm.com/insurance/auto_insurance/auto_insurance.asp. As you would expect these days you can pay your bill online, review your policy and check your bill status. You can also update your coverage or file a claim.

I have had to file several State Farm auto insurance claims and so far they have all gone smoothly. Don’t get me wrong. Having to file a claim is always a hassle because that means something happened to your car. My car seems to be a magnet for flying objects. I cannot claim to be happy about having my car sit at the repair place for weeks while it is being repaired but State Farm’s role in the process has been easy to deal with. In my experience it has taken only a few phone calls to get matters taken care of and my car on its way to recovery. Generally, I call my agent to report the problem, then I have to call the claim center and they tell me where to take the car. Maybe I am just lucky but it has been that easy so far. I even had one driver give me an invalid phone number but since he turned out to be insured by State Farm as well, they tracked him down and I didn’t have to worry about it.

Being on the road a lot gives you plenty of chances to experience what kind of service your insurance company provides. I have had to replace windshields while on the road and I just called up State Farm and they gave me the closest places to have it done. Getting my car battery jump started only took 15 minutes from the time I called them when I found myself stranded at a hotel. I can’t say that I have been equally impressed with other companies. I have had to deal with others when people have backed into my car and didn’t have State Farm auto insurance. You should see my cheerful countenance by the time I take my car to the third repair place for yet another required bid. Yet another car company simply dropped their insured driver after a claim even though it was a very minor claim.

State Farm lets you get auto insurance quotes online. It takes about ten minutes to go through the process. You can also find an agent near you online if you prefer to talk to someone in person. I don’t think that approach is any faster but it is nice to know who you are dealing with. You should also read other people’s reviews of State Farm auto insurance. Some can be found at www.carreview.com.  Even though I have had great experiences with their service, that may not be true where you live.

If you consider their accounting department as part of the service, my reviews for that part of the company would not be as strong. I have had to correct bills on several occasions and they are not very speedy in that department. It took a full three months for a refund on an overpayment. I would have expected better from a company that seems to know how to streamline a claims process. Overall my State Farm auto insurance experience has been hassle free and I would certainly encourage people to check into getting insurance from them.