CONNECT by American Family Auto Insurance Review

Last Updated on November 9, 2023

Connect is an insurance company headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Family Insurance.

The company was founded in 1986 and has been known under multiple names since its launch. In 2020, the company rebranded itself to Connect, powered by American Family Insurance.

Should you buy car insurance through Connect? How does Connect by American Family Insurance work? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about Connect auto insurance today in our review.

Key Takeaways:

• Connect is an insurance company powered by American Family Insurance and offers auto, home, and other insurance products.
• Connect has a history of mergers and acquisitions and has rebranded itself several times since its founding in 1986.
• Connect has unique features such as online policy management, windshield repair, stolen key coverage, and accident travel expense coverage.
• Connect has mixed to poor reviews from customers who have experienced policy cancellations, insurance issues, and poor claims handling.
• Insurance Panda rates Connect 3.8/5

What Is CONNECT by American Family Auto Insurance?

Connect, also known as CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance, is an auto insurance company founded in Green Bay, WI, in 1986.

The company formed as part of mergers and acquisitions between three companies, including American Express Company, IDS, and the Wisconsin Employers Casualty Company of Green Bay.

Today, all Connect insurance policies are underwritten by two wholly owned subsidiaries of American Family Insurance, which is why the company is “powered by” American Family Insurance. When you buy car insurance through Connect, your policy is underwritten by American Family Connect Property and Casualty Insurance Company or American Family Connect Insurance Company (formerly known as Ameriprise Insurance Company).

Today, Connect generates most of its business through partnerships: a significant amount of Connect business comes through strategic partnerships with Costco and Ameriprise Financial, for example.

In addition to offering standard auto insurance products, Connect offers unique insurance products for ATVs, RVs, motorcycles, boats, and more.

How Does CONNECT by American Family Work for Car Insurance?

Connect offers home insurance, auto insurance, renters insurance, umbrella insurance, and specialty insurance, among other insurance products.

The goal of Connect is to provide “affordable insurance, handled with care,” according to the official website.

Connect offers similar auto insurance service to other major insurers: the company offers a range of coverage options for all types of vehicles. Drivers can save money by adjusting coverage or qualifying for discounts.

CONNECT by American Family Auto Insurance Coverage Options

Auto insurance coverage options available through Connect, powered by American Family Insurance, include the following:

Property Damage Insurance: Property damage liability coverage, also known as property damage insurance on the Connect website, covers damage you cause to others’ property when driving.

Bodily Injury Insurance: Bodily injury liability coverage, also known as bodily injury insurance on the official Connect website, covers certain injuries after an accident for which you may be liable – like drivers and passengers of another vehicle.

Collision Coverage: Connect’s collision coverage helps protect you and your vehicle from damage after a collision with another car. It pays for car repair expenses, for example, and similar costs.

Comprehensive Coverage: Comprehensive coverage covers vehicle theft, vandalism, environmental damage, and other damage that occurs to your vehicle outside of accidents.

Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist Coverage: Connect offers uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, which some states require. These coverages compensate you after an accident with a motorist who has too little or no insurance coverage.

Personal Injury Protection Coverage: Also required in some states, personal injury protection (PIP) coverage covers certain medical bills and medical care costs after an accident, regardless of fault. This insurance is also known as no-fault coverage.

Gap Insurance: Some major insurers provide gap insurance, while others do not. Connect offers gap insurance to cover the “gap” between the value of your vehicle and the amount remaining on your loan or lease. It’s also known as guaranteed asset protection (GAP) insurance on the official Connect website.

New Car Replacement Insurance: Similar to gap insurance, new car replacement insurance makes it easier to purchase a new vehicle after a collision. If you drive a new vehicle and want added protection, Connect’s new car replacement could be the right choice.

Roadside Assistance & Towing Coverage: You can add roadside assistance and towing coverage to your Connect policy. You could receive free towing, flat tire replacement, vehicle lockout, and other services.

Rental Car Insurance: If you can’t drive your vehicle because it’s in the shop for repairs, then Connect’s rental car insurance can cover the cost of renting a vehicle.

CONNECT by American Family Auto Insurance Features

You have plenty of options for car insurance. Why choose Connect by American Family Insurance? What are some of the unique features offered by Connect?

Here are some of the unique features you get when working with Connect by American Family Insurance today:

Online Policy Management: Most insurers let you manage your policy online. However, Connect’s online management platform is particularly useful. You can change payment methods, add and remove vehicles, add and remove drivers, change your address, update your driver’s license number, update your VIN, and change payment information, among other tasks. You can adjust your policy online instead of contacting Connect for every policy change.

Windshield Repair: Connect includes a glass repair deductible waiver with all car insurance policies for no additional cost. The company waives your policy deductible if a technician can repair your vehicle instead of replacing it.

Stolen Key Coverage: Connect’s comprehensive coverage policies include stolen key coverage at no additional cost. If you have comprehensive coverage with Connect and your keys are stolen, the company will help you replace the locks. You don’t pay a deductible if the replacement costs less than $250.

Accident Travel Expense Coverage: Connect includes accident travel expense coverage in its auto insurance policies. If you’re involved in an accident more than 100 miles from home, and your car is disabled, then the company can partially cover certain travel and accommodation expenses.

Powered by American Family Insurance: Connect is also known as CONNECT, powered by American Family Insurance. That’s because Connect policies are underwritten by American Family Insurance’s wholly-owned subsidiaries. Your Connect insurance policy has the convenience of a smaller firm with the backing of a larger firm.

Popular with Costco & Ameriprise Customers: A significant amount of Connect business comes through strategic partnerships with Costco Wholesale and Ameriprise. If you’re a customer of either, then you may save money and get other perks by buying car insurance through Connect.

CONNECT by American Family Auto Insurance Discounts

Connect is known for a wide range of discounts. The company offers standard discounts like other insurers, including safe driving and vehicle safety feature discounts. However, there are also unique discounts like premier safety discounts.

Available discounts through American Family include:

Good Driver Discount: Connect offers good driver discounts throughout the country. If you drive safely, you can pay less for your Connect policy. This discount is specifically known as the CONNECT Good Driver discount in California.

Premier Safety Discount: Connect’s Premier Safety discount is available when all insured drivers have spotless records, including zero traffic violations, accidents, and claims in the past four years.

Defensive Driver Discount: If you take a “refresher” defensive driving course with your local DMV, you can qualify for a defensive driver discount with Connect.

Vehicle Safety Features: Connect, like most insurers, offer discounts for anti-lock brakes, airbags, automatic seatbelts, and anti-theft devices.

Garaging Discounts: Do you park your car in a garage overnight? You may receive a discount through Connect.

Good Student Discount: Full-time students who meet certain grade requirements qualify for a good student discount.

Student Away Discount: Connect offers discounts to students living more than 100 miles from home.

Multi-Car & Multi-Product Discounts: If you insure multiple vehicles or have multiple cars with Connect, you qualify for bundling discounts. Connect offers auto/home, auto/umbrella, and auto/home/umbrella bundling discounts.

Tenure Discount: Once you reach a certain time-related milestone with Connect, you qualify for a tenure discount, enjoying lower rates than Connect charges new customers.

Is CONNECT by American Family Auto Insurance Legit? CONNECT by American Family Auto Insurance Reviews

Connect and its parent company, American Family Insurance, have strong reviews and solid positions of financial strength. Generally, most customers are happy with their experience with American Family Insurance and subsidiaries like Connect. Connect should have no trouble covering policyholder liabilities in the near future.

Here are some of the reviews and ratings for Connect and American Family Insurance you should know about:

• AM Best recently affirmed American Family Insurance’s A (Excellent) financial strength rating. This is the third highest out of 15 ratings. AM Best assesses the liabilities and assets of insurance companies to determine their financial strength. As the parent company of Connect, American Family Insurance has a strong financial position and should have no trouble covering liabilities or paying out claims in the near future.
• AM Best also issued American Family Insurance an outlook of “stable,” giving the company a credit rating of “a+” for the fifth year in a row.
• WalletHub has relatively poor reviews for Connect based on 100+ customer experiences. The website collects customer reviews and assigns a general rating. Based on the results of just over 100 reviews, Connect has an average rating of 1.5 stars. Some customers have had a positive claim experience with Connect, although many have not.
• Review aggregator website NerdWallet has a better overall rating for the company, providing it with 3.5 stars out of 5 based on their analysis. NerdWallet praised Connect for having great discounts and an easy user interface. However, they cautioned Connect had more than expected complaints based on the NAIC rating compared to other companies of its size.
• Some customers complain about unforeseen policy cancellations for home and auto insurance, for example, while others complain about insurance issues. Many Costco customers complain they were pushed into the insurance company for savings, only to be disappointed by the service and overall experience.
• Connect has an average score of 1.38 stars out of 5 on the Better Business Bureau website, with 60+ reviews. Although some customers have had a positive experience with Connect for claims and customer service, many complain about claims handling, customer satisfaction, and the overall insurance experience.  Connect is a BBB-accredited business with an A+ BBB rating.

Overall, Connect has mixed to poor reviews online from many policyholders. Although the company has a successful track record of insuring thousands of vehicles across the United States, the company also has a higher-than-average number of complaints relative to other companies of its size.

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Information for CONNECT

To learn more about Connect or to request an estimate from Connect today, contact them or visit the official website.

Address:
CONNECT, by American Family Insurance
3500 Packerland Drive
De Pere, WI 54115-9070

Phone: 888.239.9953 (Sales) or 800.872.5246 (Claims)

Email: customersfirst@connectbyamfam.com (Sales) or csc@connectbyamfam.com (Claims)

URL: https://www.connectbyamfam.com/