PEMCO Auto Insurance Review: Can you get affordable quotes? (2024)

PEMCO insurance is only available in Oregon and Washington State. Many PEMCO insurance reviews find the company with positive consumer ratings from J.D. Power and a good financial standing with A.M. Best. Although PEMCO Insurance Company has been voted the best car insurance company in the Northwest for seven years, you should still compare auto insurance quotes online before deciding to buy a policy with them. Enter your ZIP code below to make sure you're paying a fair price for auto insurance.

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Chris Tepedino

Feature Writer

Chris Tepedino is a feature writer that has written extensively about auto insurance for numerous websites. He has a college degree in communication from the University of Tennessee and has experience reporting, researching investigative pieces, and crafting detailed, data-driven features. His works have been featured on CB Blog Nation, Flow Words, Healing Law, WIBW Kansas, and Cinncinati.com. ...

Feature Writer

Ty Stewart

Licensed Insurance Agent

Ty Stewart is the founder and CEO of SimpleLifeInsure.com. He started researching and studying about insurance when he got his first policy for his own family. He has been featured as an insurance expert speaker at agent conventions and in top publications.  As an independent licensed insurance agent, he has helped clients nationwide to secure affordable coverage while making the process simpl...

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UPDATED: Oct 27, 2023

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PEMCO Insurance is a personal lines mutual insurance company based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1949, “Public Employees Mutual Insurance Company” continues to only serve residents of Washington and Oregon. PEMCO earned $460 million in revenue in 2017 while employing 500 people across the Pacific Northwest. Find out if PEMCO is a good car insurance company today in our company profile.

PEMCO Insurance History

PEMCO traces its history back to 1936 when Seattle schoolteacher Robert J. Handy created the Seattle Teachers Credit Union. Seven separate companies emerged out of that credit union, the largest of which is now known as PEMCO Insurance. The Seattle Teachers Credit Union, meanwhile, is now known as Inspirus Credit Union.

PEMCO is the largest personal lines insurance company in the Northwest United States, offering auto, home, boat, and umbrella coverage to policyholders across Washington and Oregon. The company differentiates itself from other insurance companies utilizing a “preferred risk” business model, which means PEMCO specifically targets low-risk policyholders. PEMCO wants to attract policyholders least likely to have traffic tickets or car accidents, for example, as well as policyholders who take proactive steps to protect their vehicles and property.

Today, PEMCO continues to be headquartered in Seattle and is based in the South Lake Union tech district. PEMCO also has regional offices in Lynnwood and Spokane.

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PEMCO Insurance Reviews and Rankings

PEMCO isn’t one of the largest car insurance companies in the United States, so it does not appear on the nationwide J.D. Power rankings. However, PEMCO is one of the largest car insurance companies in J.D. Power’s Northwest subregion, which includes five states in the Pacific Northwest.

PEMCO performs exceptionally well in the Northwest regional rankings. J.D. Power ranked PEMCO as the “highest in customer satisfaction among auto insurers in the Northwest region” every year from 2013 to 2019.

PEMCO received a perfect five-star rating in all six J.D. Power categories:

Overall Satisfaction: 5 out of 5

Policy Offerings: 5 out of 5

Price: 5 out of 5

Billing Process and Policy Information: 5 out of 5

Interaction: 5 out of 5

Claims: 5 out of 5

Only one other car insurance company received similar scores in the Northwest subregion: USAA. Overall, it’s rare to find any insurance company in any subregion to get perfect scores across all categories. The fact that PEMCO has received similar scores seven years in a row is significant.

However, PEMCO lags behind its competitors in terms of its financial strength and stability. PEMCO has one of the worst financial ratings among major car insurance providers in the United States. In 2016, A.M. Best downgraded PEMCO’s financial strength rating to B++ or “Good”, and that rating has not changed through year-end 2020.

What Makes PEMCO Insurance Unique?

PEMCO has several features that make it unique:

Only Available in Washington and Oregon: PEMCO only serves residents of Washington and Oregon. The company has branded itself as, “The Defender of Your Northwest”.

Multiple Insurance Products: PEMCO offers numerous insurance products, including home, auto, umbrella, and life insurance.

Mutual Good Programs: PEMCO operates Mutual Good programs that aim to boost the community in various ways. PEMCO has programs to improve the environment, for example, enhance youth education programs, build stronger communities, and raise community safety, among other benefits.

Ideal for Those with Good Credit and a Clean History: PEMCO is unique among insurance companies. The company has a stated goal to attract policyholders with strong credit and a clean history. If you have a high credit score and minimal home or auto insurance claims on your record in the last seven years, then you will be able to enjoy very low rates with PEMCO.

Is PEMCO a Good Insurance Company? Our Review

PEMCO has been ranked as the best car insurance company in the Northwest United States for seven straight years by J.D. Power. The company is particularly well-respected for its claims satisfaction and customer service, although it also received perfect scores in terms of price, billing process, and policy offerings.

Despite the strong claims satisfaction and customer service ratings, PEMCO doesn’t charge significantly higher rates than its competitors. PEMCO is frequently the cheapest option for drivers in Washington and Oregon.

PEMCO also has a mission to specifically attract low-risk drivers and homeowners. If you have a long history of safe driving with no accidents, speeding tickets, or other incidents on your record, then you may be able to enjoy rock bottom rates through PEMCO.

Most ratings organizations reinforce the idea that PEMCO is a great insurance company. J.D. Power’s rankings speak for themselves, but other online review platforms are equally as positive. Typically, when searching for customer car insurance reviews online, you’ll find hundreds of complaints from people who had an unsatisfactory claims process. With PEMCO, it’s the opposite: customers are happy to share their wholesome experience with PEMCO.

Overall, the only bad thing about PEMCO is that it’s only available in the Pacific NW region of Washington and Oregon states. But if you’re in that area, you should definitely check out PEMCO reviews online.

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PEMCO Auto Insurance Policies and Products

PEMCO separates itself from the competition with certain unique car insurance policies and products, including all of the following:

Supplemental Auto Insurance Coverage: PEMCO offers a standard range of collision, comprehensive, and liability coverage policies. However, customers can also add towing/labor, rental reimbursement, auto loan coverage, camper parts and equipment coverage, pet coverage, accidental coverage, and other bonus options.

Rideshare Coverage: PEMCO allows Uber or Lyft drivers to get additional coverage to protect them between rides.

Custom Parts, Equipment, and Trailer Coverage: PEMCO insures a lot of outdoorsy policyholders. The company offers specific insurance policies for campers, canopies, and tonneau covers, for example, as well as custom parts and equipment coverage for other items.

Timesaver Repairs: PEMCO has a preferred repair network called Timesaver Repairs. Shops on this list will work directly with the claims department to handle vehicle repairs. Customers can also select their own repair shop if they wish to do so.

Final Word

PEMCO is a popular car insurance company for residents of Washington and Oregon. Every year from 2013 to 2020, PEMCO received J.D. Power’s highest award in terms of customer satisfaction for the Northwest subregion. The company also specifically targets low-risk individuals, including drivers and homeowners with a limited claims history, anyone with a good credit score, and those who take active steps to protect their property.

If you need good car insurance in the Pacific Northwest, then PEMCO is undoubtedly worth a look.

Reviews
for PEMCO Mutual Insurance Company

4.17 (101 reviews)
3
August 5, 2023

mary_bost

One Hand Doesn't Know What The Other is Doing

PEMCO's website offered me a quote, and I answered all their questions, admitting my insurance had lapsed. The website formed a very detailed quote with actual dollar amounts and payment plans. But it said a real representative would have to follow up. The representative, [REDACTED NAME] Jolly of [REDACTED NAME] County, WA, emailed me back on the follow-up. She said, "It looks like your insurance has lapsed" and said that disqualified me. I...
PEMCO's website offered me a quote, and I answered all their questions, admitting my insurance had lapsed. The website formed a very detailed quote with actual dollar amounts and payment plans. But it said a real representative would have to follow up. The representative, [REDACTED NAME] Jolly of [REDACTED NAME] County, WA, emailed me back on the follow-up. She said, "It looks like your insurance has lapsed" and said that disqualified me. I already told the website my insurance lapsed - it was one of their first questions. But they formulated a decent quote anyhow. She refused to honor it.
1
September 6, 2021

meewhoo

Horrible! They make up horrific stories to avoid payment.

I'm appalled by the conduct of the multiple Pemco employees I've been dealing with. It's been 1 year 9 months since I was hit by an uninsured motorist while stopped at a stop sign. The abandoned my car at the repair shop where it was taken apart. The shop was going to put a lein on it so PEMCO (after I contacted them) towed it and abandoned it in my driveway. This was after they insisted it was intact and I explained that if it wasn't my HOA woul...
I'm appalled by the conduct of the multiple Pemco employees I've been dealing with. It's been 1 year 9 months since I was hit by an uninsured motorist while stopped at a stop sign. The abandoned my car at the repair shop where it was taken apart. The shop was going to put a lein on it so PEMCO (after I contacted them) towed it and abandoned it in my driveway. This was after they insisted it was intact and I explained that if it wasn't my HOA would fine me daily. Because my car is rare and there are only 2 compareable vehicles nationwide, they are fighting me tooth and nail over the cost of the claim. The comp cars are for sale for 15k and 14k, their offer to me is about 4k with no explination. They're not only bad insurance agents, they're bad people. Throughout all of this, they invented a story that involved the other driver losing a child/pregnancy in the accident. For that reason they said they weren't going to pay out because in their minds it changed the fault of the accident to have been my own. When I explained that although that's unfortunate, it doesn't change the covereage to my car, they would only repeat that "she lost a child!" over and over with an occational mention that I will be liable and will have to go to court over it at which point I will need to pay damages to her out of pocket. They hung up on me countless times when I disagreed and asked them to explain their reasoning, provide proof for what they were saying, or show where it describes this exclusion in my policy. At some point during a several month period without contact, I learned that they "closed" the claim. I had to explain the criminal nature of their actions to a supervisor before they agreed to continue with the claim. Their lies have included inventing that the other driver had lost a pregnancy in the accident, that my car was already taken apart/totaled before I DROVE IT to the shop, denying statements made to me which I have recorded, and insisting they never got emails I've sent AFTER they've replied to them!!! For anyone considering becoming a customer - BEWARE! The rates are super low at first to draw you in, but they raise them constantly and for no reason at all! You'll only get a year at best for the price they quote you. But none of that matters when they refuse to pay out on a claim. I've only had to deal with them covering the cost of my own car, I can't imagine how much worse it could get paying out-of-pocket for another persons claim if you were actually at fault, but you'll be doing just that because there's no way Pemco is going to pay out!!
1
November 16, 2020

Consumerism

Dishonest company

Dishonest company. They will raise yoir rates with little notifications and for no reason and deduct throguh auto pay. Sneaky and underhanded.
5
October 13, 2020

DeepakT

Great Insurance that fits into your budget

Pemco is great company. It provide insurance within our budget and also gives discounts every year. It also has great customer support
5
January 16, 2020

Happyvalley

I recommend PEMCO

I have have a policy through PEMCO for the last 7 years and always have great customer service. I recommend them for Auto and Homeowners Insurance.
5
October 10, 2019

KFaria

Fantastic!

Great company to work with. I was in a small accident last month and it was so easy to deal with. I would highly recommend them.
5
September 17, 2019

Aaiyahbaby

great

I love PEMCO. I love that I can call and immediately talk to a real, live person who can pronounce my name. I love that I can talk to a real, live person right after that who answers my questions about car and home owner's insurance and treats me like an adult worthy of respect. I have been with them for 7 years, and while I haven't had to file any claims, their customer service for my homeowners insurance has been awesome. So disclaimer: t...
I love PEMCO. I love that I can call and immediately talk to a real, live person who can pronounce my name. I love that I can talk to a real, live person right after that who answers my questions about car and home owner's insurance and treats me like an adult worthy of respect. I have been with them for 7 years, and while I haven't had to file any claims, their customer service for my homeowners insurance has been awesome. So disclaimer: this high rating is just for their customer service, which rocks my socks.
5
March 25, 2019

Ckreis

Hit and run

I had a claim of a hit and run on my vehicle. I did follow the guy home and he ended up being a neighbor that was driving under the influence and with a suspended license. I called PEMCO and they told me to go right into any company I chose and get it fixed. I had to pay $100 for the claim. It was fixed and paid for in one week. I called the police and he was arrested. PEMCO followed up on my claim and 3 months later they refunded my $100. They ...
I had a claim of a hit and run on my vehicle. I did follow the guy home and he ended up being a neighbor that was driving under the influence and with a suspended license. I called PEMCO and they told me to go right into any company I chose and get it fixed. I had to pay $100 for the claim. It was fixed and paid for in one week. I called the police and he was arrested. PEMCO followed up on my claim and 3 months later they refunded my $100. They have great customer service and low rates. My rates did not go up.
2
November 25, 2018

Washstatewoman

Prices increasing, support decreasing

PEMCO has long been an excellent company but that has been changing recently. I do appreciate customer service that is available by phone or email but I dislike that one person says one thing while another person says another thing. I was signed up for auto pay and made a payment by credit card several weeks before the auto pay occurred. I was dinged for doing that, with a $35 charge. The PEMCO support person did not tell me I would be dinged...
PEMCO has long been an excellent company but that has been changing recently. I do appreciate customer service that is available by phone or email but I dislike that one person says one thing while another person says another thing. I was signed up for auto pay and made a payment by credit card several weeks before the auto pay occurred. I was dinged for doing that, with a $35 charge. The PEMCO support person did not tell me I would be dinged. She accepted payment happily. You can also make the payment via their site without a "fail." I complained and asked for a return. I was told "no." Their premiums have continued to go up year after year despite cars aging and driving less and less. I was told it was because of the fires and the the legalization of cannabis in the state of Washington. I'm looking elsewhere.
5
November 20, 2018

vic1234

Great company.

Pemco has the best customer service. My suv was parked in my driveway and it was hit in the middle of the night. It was a hit and run. It was totaled. In two weeks had my check and was completely satisfied with the amount.
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