Is Say Auto Insurance Good?

Last Updated on October 16, 2026

By James Shaffer Reviewed by Thomas Rockford, insurance industry executive and financial analyst, on October 16, 2026 How we fact-check

Say Insurance was Shelter Insurance’s own direct brand, and Shelter has closed it. The notice is on Say’s own homepage: “Shelter Insurance® is no longer selling policies through the Say Insurance brand.”

If you hold a Say policy, the company behind it is fine. Shelter Insurance is a going concern with more than 1,400 agents in 14 states, and in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Auto Insurance Study it ranked highest in the Central region. A retired brand is a marketing decision. It is not an insurer in trouble, and it does not touch your coverage, your limits or a claim you have open.

If you need a new policy, Shelter is the place to start, and you buy it through a Shelter agent rather than online. Shelter’s own published number is 1-800-SHELTER (1-800-743-5837).

This guide explains what Say Insurance was, what its policies included, what to do if you are a current customer, and how to shop for a replacement.

Say Auto Insurance at a Glance

Say was Shelter Insurance’s own digital-first brand. Shelter retired it and no longer sells policies under the Say name.

Quick facts

Status: no longer sells policies

Owned by: Shelter Insurance, which retired the brand

Existing Say policies: valid for the policy period on your declarations page

For new coverage: a Shelter agent (Shelter sells through agents)

Shelter sells in: 14 states

Summary

Bottom line: Say is not an option for new coverage, because Shelter retired the brand. Shelter itself is healthy and is where both existing Say customers and new shoppers should go.

Say Insurance was Shelter’s attempt at a modern, online-first way to buy and manage car insurance, with an emphasis on pricing transparency and self-service tools. Shelter has since closed it to business and says so on Say’s homepage. Say policies included the standard coverages — liability, collision, comprehensive, uninsured and underinsured motorist, and medical payments where available — with optional add-ons such as rental reimbursement and roadside assistance depending on the state and policy. Shelter is the company that stands behind those policies and it is in good shape: more than 1,400 agents in 14 states, and highest-ranked in the Central region in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. For replacement coverage, start with a Shelter agent and compare two or three other insurers on the same limits and deductibles.

Best for

Drivers who have, or recently had, a Say policy and need claims or document support
Shoppers who liked the Say idea and are willing to start with Shelter and compare
Anyone who needs to know who stands behind an old Say policy

Not ideal for

Anyone trying to buy a new Say policy — that is not possible
Drivers who want to buy online, since Shelter sells through agents
Drivers outside Shelter’s 14 states, who will need a different insurer entirely

Table Of Contents

Say Auto Insurance at a Glance
Quick Answer: Is Say Auto Insurance Good?
Say Auto Insurance Overview
What Coverage Did Say Policies Typically Offer?
How Rates Were Priced: “Insurance Scores” and Other Factors
Customer Service and Claims
Financial Strength: What to Know About Shelter
Discounts to Look For When You Shop
Pros and Cons of Say Insurance (Based on What It Was)
How to Replace a Say Policy (or Find an Alternative)
FAQs on Say Auto Insurance
Say Insurance Contact Information (For Current Customers)
Sources

Quick Answer: Is Say Auto Insurance Good?

Say is not selling, so the question splits in two: what should I do if I have a Say policy, and what should I buy instead. The first answer is short. The second one is Shelter, with a couple of comparison quotes beside it.

You can’t buy a new Say policy. Shelter closed the brand to business and publishes that on Say’s own site.
If you’re an existing customer, your coverage is unaffected and Shelter stands behind it. Say still gives existing customers a way to reach a service representative (see the contact section at the end of this article), and Shelter’s own line is 1-800-SHELTER (1-800-743-5837).
If you’re shopping for a new policy, compare quotes from multiple insurers and match the same limits/deductibles so the comparison is apples-to-apples.

Say Auto Insurance Overview

Say Insurance was Shelter Insurance’s own digital-first auto brand. The idea was to make buying car insurance easier online and to be more open about how the price was built than many other insurance companies were. The Say site describes Shelter as having “more than 75 years of insurance experience,” which was the point of the pairing: a new front end on an old insurer.

Older reviews of Say describe the experience while it was selling, so read them as history. For a shopper today the useful fact is where the business went, which is back to the parent. Shelter has more than 1,400 agents across 14 states — Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee, by its own footer — and it ranked highest in the Central region in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Auto Insurance Study with a score of 674. For a closer look, see our guide on Shelter Insurance.

What Coverage Did Say Policies Typically Offer?

When Say policies were available, coverage options generally looked similar to what most major auto insurers offer. Here are the core coverages and common add-ons you’ll want to understand—whether you’re reviewing an existing Say policy or shopping for a replacement:

Liability coverage: Pays for injuries and property damage you cause to others (and is required in nearly every state).
Collision coverage: Helps pay to repair or replace your car after a crash, regardless of who was at fault (subject to your deductible).
Comprehensive coverage: Helps cover non-collision damage like theft, vandalism, hail, falling objects, and animal impacts (also subject to your deductible).
Medical payments (MedPay): Helps pay medical bills for you and your passengers after an accident, regardless of fault (availability varies by state).
Uninsured/underinsured motorist: Helps protect you if you’re hit by a driver with no insurance or not enough insurance.
New car replacement: If your newer vehicle is totaled or stolen, this type of coverage may help you replace it with a similar new model (rules vary by insurer and vehicle age).
Rental reimbursement: Helps pay for a rental car while your vehicle is in the shop for a covered claim.
Roadside assistance: Can help cover services like towing, jump starts, lockouts, and flat tire changes (limits and service rules vary).

One to check on a replacement policy: gap insurance, which covers the difference between your loan balance and your car’s value, is not something every carrier sells. If you financed or leased the car and you need it, ask about it by name when you get a quote, and ask your lender or dealer what they offer if the insurer does not.

How Rates Were Priced: “Insurance Scores” and Other Factors

Auto insurance pricing is highly individualized. One reason people were interested in Say was its emphasis on transparency—especially around the “insurance score” concept used in many states.

An insurance score (often credit-based) uses parts of your credit history and other data to help predict risk. In many states, your credit history can affect car insurance pricing, which is why questions like whether your credit score affects your car insurance rates come up so often.

Even beyond credit-based factors, insurers typically price policies using details like:

The type of vehicle you drive (repair costs, safety tech, theft risk, and replacement value all matter)
Your driving history (tickets, accidents, claims, and lapses in coverage can raise rates)
Your age (and in some cases, your driving experience)
Your ZIP code (traffic density, claim frequency, theft rates, and weather patterns can all play a role)

If you’re replacing a Say policy, keep in mind that even small changes—like a new address, a different vehicle trim, a new driver in the household, or a different deductible—can change your quote dramatically.

Customer Service and Claims

Say’s appeal was convenience: online quoting, a modern site, self-service tools. With the brand closed, nobody comes to it as a new customer, and the service route is different from what it was. Shelter sells and services through local agents, so a replacement policy means talking to a person.

If you are dealing with a claim, need proof of insurance, or need documents for a Say policy, use the contact options at the end of this page. Worth knowing before you start: Say publishes no phone number of its own, so the route for a Say policy is by email or through Shelter’s main line. If you are shopping for a new policy, start with a Shelter agent and compare a couple of other insurers on the same coverage.

Financial Strength: What to Know About Shelter

This is the question behind most of the worry about a retired brand: can the company still pay a claim. Shelter is the company, not Say, and the signs are good — a 14-state agency force of more than 1,400, and a J.D. Power regional win in 2026. Financial strength ratings are the formal measure of claims-paying ability, and our guide to AM Best ratings explains how to read one. Look up the rating for the company named on your declarations page rather than for the brand.

Financial strength is only one piece of it. You will still want to review coverage options, the claims process, discounts and the total premium for the term rather than the monthly payment.

Discounts to Look For When You Shop

Discount availability varies by insurer and state, and not every discount will stack. Still, it’s worth asking about common savings opportunities. Here’s a good starting point: car insurance discounts that many drivers qualify for.

Advance purchase: Buying a policy before your current coverage expires may lower your rate with some companies.
Anti-theft device discount: You may get a discount if your car has qualifying theft-prevention equipment.
Continuous insurance: Many insurers reward drivers who keep coverage active with no lapses.
Defensive driving course discount: An approved course may earn a discount (and in some states can help with points/tickets).
Paperless billing discount: Opting into online documents and billing may reduce your bill.
Pay-in-full discount: Paying the full term upfront can reduce fees and sometimes earns a discount.

Pros and Cons of Say Insurance (Based on What It Was)

Pros

Designed to be simple and digital-first, which many drivers prefer for quotes, payments, and basic policy tasks.
Emphasized transparency around how auto insurance pricing works.
Backed by an established insurance group (Shelter), rather than being a brand-new carrier with no track record.

Cons

Not available for new customers: the Say brand is closed, so you can’t start a new policy today.
Coverage add-ons can vary, and some drivers may need options (like gap insurance) that aren’t offered by every insurer.
Even if you like the brand concept, the “best” insurer still comes down to your personal rating factors, coverage needs, and price.

How to Replace a Say Policy (or Find an Alternative)

If you need a new policy, start by gathering your current coverages (limits, deductibles, drivers, vehicles, and optional add-ons) and then:

Find a Shelter agent, since Shelter is the brand still selling and it sells through agents. Shelter’s own number is 1-800-SHELTER (1-800-743-5837), and its site has an agent locator by state.
Compare quotes with at least two or three other insurers, using the same coverages and deductibles. If you live outside Shelter’s 14 states, this step is the whole job.
Choose the policy with the best overall value, weighing coverage and claims experience alongside price rather than taking the lowest monthly payment.

FAQs on Say Auto Insurance

Is Say Auto Insurance still available?

No. Say’s own homepage says “Shelter Insurance® is no longer selling policies through the Say Insurance brand.” Shelter retired it. If you are shopping, start with Shelter, which is the insurer that was behind Say all along, and get a couple of comparison quotes beside it.

Who was behind Say Insurance, and are they still around?

Shelter Insurance, and yes. Say was Shelter’s own direct brand, which is why the closure notice on Say’s site is written in Shelter’s voice. Shelter is a going concern: more than 1,400 agents in 14 states by its own count, and highest-ranked in the Central region in the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. Retiring a sub-brand is a distribution decision and tells you nothing bad about the insurer.

I already have a Say policy. Who do I contact for help?

Say publishes no phone number, so the routes it gives are by email: one address for reaching a service representative about claims or documents, and a second for sending in claim documents with your claim number in the subject line. Both are listed in the contact section at the end of this page. You can also go straight to Shelter on 1-800-SHELTER (1-800-743-5837), since Shelter is the insurer. And your declarations page names the company that actually wrote the policy, which is the name to use when you call.

How do I file a claim related to a Say policy?

Use the contacts in the section at the end of this page: Say directs existing customers to email for claim help, and gives a separate address for claim documents, which must carry the claim number in the subject line. Shelter’s own line, 1-800-SHELTER (1-800-743-5837), is the backstop if email gets you nowhere. Keep a record of what you sent and when, because a retired brand means fewer people watching that inbox.

What coverages did Say Auto Insurance typically include?

When Say was selling policies, coverage options were generally similar to most major insurers—liability, collision, comprehensive, uninsured/underinsured motorist, and medical payments (where available). Optional add-ons like rental reimbursement, roadside assistance, and new car replacement may have been available depending on the policy and state.

Does credit affect my car insurance quote with Say or Shelter?

In many states, insurers can use a credit-based insurance score (built from elements of your credit history) as one factor in pricing. However, rules vary by state, and some states restrict or prohibit the use of credit for auto insurance rating. If you’re concerned, ask the insurer or agent how they rate policies in your state.

What’s the best alternative if I wanted the convenience of Say?

There is no replacement for the Say experience as such, because the thing that made Say unusual was buying online from a traditional mutual, and Shelter sells through agents. So start with a Shelter agent, then compare a few other insurers on the same limits and deductibles, and weigh claims service, coverage details and discounts alongside the monthly price. If you are outside Shelter’s 14 states, you are shopping from scratch.

The Say brand closed. Is my old Say policy still valid?

Yes, for the policy period printed on your declarations page. Closing a brand to new business stops sales; it does not cancel policies in force and it is not an insolvency. Shelter Insurance is the company behind Say and it is trading normally. What you should do is read your renewal notice when it arrives, because a retired brand will not be renewing under the Say name, and make sure you know which company and which agent your coverage moves to. Keep the old declarations page either way.

Say Insurance Contact Information (For Current Customers)

These are the contacts Say and Shelter publish on their own sites, read October 5, 2026. Say prints no phone number anywhere, which is worth knowing before you go looking for one:

Say customer service, claims and documents: ask@sayinsurance.com. This address is printed on sayinsurance.com for existing customers who need a service representative.
Claim documents: ClaimsDocuments@ShelterInsurance.com, with your claim number in the subject line. Also printed on sayinsurance.com.
Shelter main phone line: 1-800-SHELTER (1-800-743-5837), printed in the header of shelterinsurance.com. Shelter’s address on the Say site is 1817 W. Broadway, Columbia, MO 65218.
A new policy: through a Shelter agent. Shelter’s site has an agent locator by state, and it publishes a footprint of more than 1,400 agents in 14 states.

Tip: if you are not sure which company name is on your paperwork, check your declarations page. It names the underwriting company and usually gives the number to call, and that company name is what you want to use rather than the brand.

My advice on a closed brand: send email, keep a copy, and give it a week. If nothing comes back, call Shelter’s main line and say the policy was written under the Say brand. A retired brand usually means a shared inbox rather than a team, and the parent company’s switchboard gets you to a person faster than a second email will.

Sources

Checked October 5, 2026

Stop Overpaying for Car Insurance