In general my opinion of Accuquote, the online life insurance agency, is very high…but having known several agents that have worked there, my Accuquote review won’t be entirely positive.
Accuquote was one of the first companies to offer quick, free online term life insurance comparisons. Their president and CEO has been quoted in multiple insurance publications and many of his employees agree that he is passionate about helping people with their life insurance needs and a great employer.
Accuquote is an independent agency that employs hundreds of licensed life insurance representatives. There are many advantages to using a large agency like Accuquote, but by far the most significant is the fact that they can choose the company who is most likely to offer you the best price.
Sometimes when you run a term life insurance comparison, the most suitable company for you is not always the company who shows up as #1 on the price list. If you have any medical conditions, family history of disease, a poor driving record or any other risk that would affect an your mortality, each life insurance company will treat those factors differently. Accuquote’s representatives are well equipped to help individuals find the best life insurance policy for them.
Another advantage you should be aware of, is the exceptional training their life insurance agents receive when hired. I’ve been in the industry for 7 years, and can tell you that there really are a lot of ins and outs you’ve got to know about to provide quality service for your clients in order to steer them away from danger. This might come in the form of recommending a different carrier because you have diabetes, and this company will treat you more favorably or it could come in the form of your agent explaining the benefits of backdating a policy to save age (and money).
II. The Disadvantages – Accuquote Sales Style
Really the only negative feedback I have about Accuquote has to do with their sales tactics.
I’ve personally known many agents who work or have worked there and they all tell me that while the work environment is casual and supportive, make no mistake, the agents are there to sell, sell, sell. I have no problem with a business trying to be profitable and salespeople trying to sell, but I do have a problem when I feel the consumer is disserviced in the process.
When I hear Accuquote agents speaking about the pressure to make as many sales as possible, that tells me that they don’t spend the necessary amount of time with the client explaining the difference between term and whole life insurance and helping them determine how much coverage they need. Instead, they have an internal clock in their head reminding them to close the sale as quickly as possible and move on to the next!
This sales first attitude affects the relationship with your agent after the sale. Do you really expect to ever speak to your Accuquote agent again after they sell you a life insurance policy? Forget about it. They’re on to the next deal and have a minimum production level to meet every month.
This is not to say you won’t get an annual review, because one of the differences with Accuquote that I like, compared to the other big agencies, is they do have a customer service department that offers annual reviews. Just don’t expect that call to come from the original agent who sold you the policy.
The bottom line is I really do like and respect Accuquote as a whole. They are in no way a scam, as some websites report…but I do believe that you will only obtain superior quality service through an independent agent like myself, who works for a smaller agency. At Huntley Wealth we have time to review your case. In contrast to Accuquote, we also keep in touch with all our clients, so you also get great service after the sale as well.
III. Accuquote Prices
Some people may think it’s a scam to purchase life insurance online, but it’s really the way to go. The companies that Accuquote represents are solid, reputable companies such as Met Life and Prudential. A simple Google search for “product reviews Accuquote” will give you the entire list of carriers they offer. You are almost always going to save money purchasing term life insurance through an online agency over going to your local State Farm or Farmers agent. Their life insurance products are a rip off!
As for Accuquote’s pricing compared to other online agencies, there actually is no difference, since life insurance premiums are standardized across the industry.
So whether you buy a policy through Select Quote, Intelliquote or my agency, all of us will have the same quote for a 20 year term policy through Met Life, for example. The difference presents itself in sales and service.
IV. Accuquote Employee Reviews
A few employees have provided Accuquote reviews at Jobitorial:
“This has been a great place to work. The people who excel at their jobs are rewarded, and the people who can’t get the job done (despite training and lots of opportunities) are let go. That’s how it should be! This formula has made it possible for those of us that do a good job to have jobs here and remain profitable during the bad economy this year. The CEO is very visible and approachable.”
***
“This has been a great experience, at least for me. I get to to spend my time doing what I enjoy…SELLING! The company treats people fairly. If you perform, you are rewarded. The work environment is casual and the owner is very passionate about what we do here.”
However, it appears to be very difficult to become an employee at Accuquote, as one interviewee reported to Jobitorial:
“There seems to be confusion between HR and the hiring department. Questions about relocation, remote work, salary, etc were always answered with “it depends.” I had 2 rounds of phone interviews with the recruiter, and was asked the same basic questions about my background, salary requirements, and career goals both calls. For my writing test, there were no specific details provided about the assignment… and questions weren’t answered with anything other than “we want to give you a blank slate to write whatever you want.” However, I was later critiqued for not writing for the correct target audience… even though that information or requirement wasn’t provided even though I specifically requested it.
During the phone panel interview, 3 people were on the call… but only one asked questions. While the questions were relevant to the position, it wasn’t an open or comfortable dialog. It felt a little more like an interrogation with people watching behind a two-way mirror.”
V. Accuquote Customer Testimonials
The company also provides customer testimonials. Below I’ve listed a few of them.
“Great people, very friendly. It is so good, that I thought they were too good to be true! Excellent job, we need service like this every place.”
***
“Wow…you deliver! Great customer service, follow-through and results! I will spread the word to reward you for a flawless process that will prove to be mutually rewarding for years to come!”
***
“Excellent service and an outstanding experience! Great customer service in all respects. It made my transition from switching from my old insurance company toWest Coast Life a smooth and easy one. I highly recommend AccuQuote to all my family and friends!”
***
“We chose AccuQuote based on reviews from Money magazine. The online quoting went smoothly and we were pleasantly surprised by the relatively low cost to increase our insurance coverage by a factor of four. The follow up with AQ staff was very helpful and every step since then has been smooth. AQ made it very easy from my wife and I to get the coverage we need to protect the security of our family. Thanks to the entire staff!”
VI. AccuQuote Services
Overall, they are an experienced, top notch agency and I would recommend them to anyone. My only concern is with the level of service given to their existing clients, as many websites, as well as agents I personally know, have attested to the fact that their ongoing service is not top notch.One thing that makes Accuquote unique, is they are much more than a life insurance agency. They also offer financial services, disability insurance and long term care insurance.
VII. Accuquote Term Life Cost Comparison
If you’d like to compare quotes received at Accuquote to what my independent agency can provide, please use our instant term life quote form on the right or call us at 877-443-9467. Take any other Accuquote life insurance reviews you see online with a grain of salt, as they’re mostly written by consumers who have no idea what they’re talking about.
*While we make every effort to keep our site updated, please be aware that "timely" information on this page, such as quote estimates, or pertinent details about companies, may only be accurate as of its last edit day. Huntley Wealth & Insurance Services and its representatives do not give legal or tax advice. Please consult your own legal or tax adviser.
All Comments
Matt Loftis on February 28, 2012, 3:47 am
Just wanted to say that you are dead on. I was employed by AQ for 3+years. Most of the time as an agent. For me, I wanted guaranteed business. Many people looking for life insurance were really looking for advice on what the best policy would be for them, and many times, it was a low benefit amount. The pressure to up sell higher amounts, riders, or additional policies was too great. Plus, accidental plans were pushed to those that couldn’t qualify for regular term, whole life, or universal plans.
I will however say that some agents kept in touch with their clients aside of the letters we send. With the amount of policies written per agent at AQ, and the high amount of sales they require, there would be no way to keep in touch with everyone. Having worked there, AccuQuote is definitely not a scam. I believe that everyone should obtain a policy, and start one as soon as possible, as young as possible, and to plan a policy to cover for the future. Not just right now.
My wife called Accuquote to get an updated policy for me as mine has expired. AFter getting what we needed. we were called twice daily afterwards. My wife told them we were taken care of. About a week later, they started calling again, twice daily. We just let the machine get it until it was getting old. I answered the phone and there was a long delay so I kept saying hello until some guy started telling me his goal was to schedule me a health assessment before he got off the phone. When he asked if I consent to this coversation to proceed, I said no and started to explain why, he just hung up on me!! REALLY??!!!
The unsubscribe function in emails from accuquote is a joke. You must answer series of questions which gives you a quote followed by a phone call to discuss your inquary for the quote you requested.
My Rating – 1/2 Star AccuQuote provided me with one of the worst experiences of my life in terms of customer service. I applied with them in October 2012, and its March 19 and I am still without any coverage. 5 different agents have changed and no updates are provided…I have to follow up with them as I no longer know who is responsible and right person to speak to.
Finally, I wrote to them today to withdraw my application. I will apply with either a local insurance vendor or may be selectquote.com. Such a waste of time to go with AccuQuote.
I had already decided not to work with AQ after filling out one online form and getting deluged with phone calls from unbelievably high-pressure agents who seemed willing to say anything to make the sale. Furthermore, the company that they pushed hard as a great, well-rated company actually turned out to have a D rating from Weiss Ratings and made Weiss’s list of 10 weakest life insurers not long ago–not exactly a trust builder. But what takes the cake was the email I got today. Despite my absolutely unmistakable refusal to begin the application process or to schedule a medical exam when the agent called me, I got an email from a lab company who was contacting me to schedule the exam–at AccuQuote’s request! Put simply, I’ve lost all trust and respect for AQ, and I can’t recommend them to anyone.
Hey D, thanks for sharing. Yep, those are 2 major issues with the big shops… 1. high pressure sales can always be a problem as their agents must sell, sell, sell, and 2. Sometimes the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.
Geez, what a horrible experiece. Hope you haven’t lost all faith in insurance agencies. If you still need help with your insurance needs, give us a call at 877-443-9467.
Just wanted to say that you are dead on. I was employed by AQ for 3+years. Most of the time as an agent. For me, I wanted guaranteed business. Many people looking for life insurance were really looking for advice on what the best policy would be for them, and many times, it was a low benefit amount. The pressure to up sell higher amounts, riders, or additional policies was too great. Plus, accidental plans were pushed to those that couldn’t qualify for regular term, whole life, or universal plans.
I will however say that some agents kept in touch with their clients aside of the letters we send. With the amount of policies written per agent at AQ, and the high amount of sales they require, there would be no way to keep in touch with everyone. Having worked there, AccuQuote is definitely not a scam. I believe that everyone should obtain a policy, and start one as soon as possible, as young as possible, and to plan a policy to cover for the future. Not just right now.
Good review.
I thank these people are a scam, the wanted my bank act info and
said it was mandatory.
Shouldn’t be mandatory until you are approved. But you will need to submit that with most companies if you want to pay monthly.
My wife called Accuquote to get an updated policy for me as mine has expired. AFter getting what we needed. we were called twice daily afterwards. My wife told them we were taken care of. About a week later, they started calling again, twice daily. We just let the machine get it until it was getting old. I answered the phone and there was a long delay so I kept saying hello until some guy started telling me his goal was to schedule me a health assessment before he got off the phone. When he asked if I consent to this coversation to proceed, I said no and started to explain why, he just hung up on me!! REALLY??!!!
The unsubscribe function in emails from accuquote is a joke.
You must answer series of questions which gives you a quote followed by a phone call to discuss your inquary for the quote you requested.
My Rating – 1/2 Star
AccuQuote provided me with one of the worst experiences of my life in terms of customer service. I applied with them in October 2012, and its March 19 and I am still without any coverage. 5 different agents have changed and no updates are provided…I have to follow up with them as I no longer know who is responsible and right person to speak to.
Finally, I wrote to them today to withdraw my application. I will apply with either a local insurance vendor or may be selectquote.com. Such a waste of time to go with AccuQuote.
Thanks for sharing. That’s too bad to hear about your experience with Accuquote.
I had already decided not to work with AQ after filling out one online form and getting deluged with phone calls from unbelievably high-pressure agents who seemed willing to say anything to make the sale. Furthermore, the company that they pushed hard as a great, well-rated company actually turned out to have a D rating from Weiss Ratings and made Weiss’s list of 10 weakest life insurers not long ago–not exactly a trust builder. But what takes the cake was the email I got today. Despite my absolutely unmistakable refusal to begin the application process or to schedule a medical exam when the agent called me, I got an email from a lab company who was contacting me to schedule the exam–at AccuQuote’s request! Put simply, I’ve lost all trust and respect for AQ, and I can’t recommend them to anyone.
Hey D, thanks for sharing. Yep, those are 2 major issues with the big shops… 1. high pressure sales can always be a problem as their agents must sell, sell, sell, and 2. Sometimes the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.
Geez, what a horrible experiece. Hope you haven’t lost all faith in insurance agencies. If you still need help with your insurance needs, give us a call at 877-443-9467.