Island Insurance Company Review & Complaints: Auto, Home & Business Insurance (2023)

Island Insurance Company serves the insurance needs of Hawaiian individuals and businesses with a solid lineup of products. They are a local company and one of the top choices for insurance on the islands.

The best way to save on your coverage is to shop around. Enter your ZIP code into our free tool to get auto insurance quotes for your vehicle.

What is Island Insurance?

Island Insurance was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Honolulu. Island’s parent company is a holding company, Island Holdings, Inc., and they have two subsidiary companies. These are Tradewind Insurance and Island Premier Insurance Company.

The company caters only to Hawaiians and writes policies throughout the islands. They are the largest locally owned and operated insurance company in Hawaii. The company is rooted in the local community and provides internships as well as an award to top local educators.

Island products are sold through local independent agents. The casualty insurance company’s insurance professionals write auto insurance and home insurance as well as several specialty products for individuals. They also write a solid line of business insurance products.

What types of insurance products are offered?

Island offers personal auto insurance and a variety of home insurance options, as well as business coverage.

Auto Insurance

Island offers both a standard insurance policy and their GoLow basic plan.

The standard coverage starts with legal requirements – liability coverage and personal injury protection – and then offers a range of common options that can be added on. The site does not give much detail on either program.

GoLow is described as a basic auto policy for those just looking to get on the road legally. This means legal minimum insurance coverage that meets state laws.

Auto policies include towing and labor and transportation expenses at no additional charge, but only if the policy includes Other Than Collision (Comprehensive) coverage – thus the GoLow policy would not qualify.

Island offers several common auto insurance discounts, including multi-car and multi-policy, anti-theft system, and a discount for hybrid cars.

Home Insurance

Island writes home insurance for single-family homes as well as for condos, rental homes, and a renter’s insurance policy.

Homeowners is a package policy that covers the house as well as personal property, liability, and loss of use. The plan can also be customized with add-on endorsements.

Each of the other types of home insurance provides specific insurance coverage designed for the needs of that type of residence. The website does not provide much in the way of detail regarding these policies.

There are a handful of discounts offered with home policies, including for the age of the home and for carrying another policy with Island.

Flood insurance is also offered through the National Flood Insurance Program.

Business Insurance

Island insures a wide variety of businesses with both package and à la carte coverage available. Options for business coverage are:

• Commercial auto
• Commercial Crime
• Commercial General Liability
• Commercial Inland Marine
• Commercial Property
• Commercial Umbrella
• Fidelity
• Garage Liability
• Surety
• Truckers
• Worker’s Compensation
• Employment Practices Liability
• CoverChoice Blanket Limit policies

Island also offers services to businesses that include loss control.

Does the company offer competitive rates?

We ran a quick quote for a 30-year-old male driver with a 2010 Honda Accord on the Island online quoting system. We entered information for a driver with a clean driving record using the vehicle to commute to work and used the same zip code as the company headquarters.

The system returned a legal minimum rate quote at a rate of $63.90 a month. This is listed as the “Budget” level of coverage. We then checked the company’s Elite level of coverage and were surprised to see that while it adds comprehensive coverage and collision coverage at $250 deductibles along with a host of other coverage, the Elite program does not increase the liability limits on the policy at all. That rate came back at $143.55.

We kicked the limits up to 100/300/100, with $100,000 in personal injury protection, and this time returned a rate of $198.97 a month.

Since we do not normally run rate comparisons in Hawaii, we cannot speak to the value this company offers with these quotes. We found the quoting system to be quick and easy to use, and easy to customize quotes.

Can claims be filed online?

Claims can be filed by calling one of two toll-free numbers depending on the island on which the insured lives. The website also has claims forms for download, which can be filled out and returned via email or regular mail. There is not a true online claim filing option available.

Island has a list of certified repair shops with which they work directly to handle repairs. The insured can also always choose their own repair shop.

Island Insurance‘s claims staff is available 24 hours a day. You can file a claim over the phone or by printing the claim form on the company’s website and emailing or mailing the completed form in.

Further information on claims or on the claims process is not offered on the site. This is not unusual, but it is always nice to see a section when questions regarding claims can be quickly and easily answered.

Are the ratings and consumer reviews positive?

Island Insurance has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and they have been accredited since 1984. There have been only two complaints on file in the past three years and zero reviews.

The company’s Yelp page has 28 reviews for a middle-of-the-road 2.5 stars overall. Customer service issues seem to be the main complaint about this company. There are several positive reviews from customers that help to raise up the overall rating.

Complaint volume for this company is low overall, and we saw no major red flags in the reviews. They appear to have a fairly solid reputation.

What’s the bottom line?

Island Insurance is a good choice for anyone looking for a local company with a good reputation, and who is looking to work with an agent for their insurance needs. There is not a lot of detail on policies, nor can we compare them on rates, but they do appear to have a good program and are worth a closer look.

For more protection, Island offers auto policies with additional auto insurance coverage and increased limits. For even bigger savings, the Island Package Bundle combines your auto insurance with homeowners, condo or renters policy and qualifies you for additional discounts.

Whatever level of protection fits you best, from minimum requirements to maximum peace of mind, Island has an auto policy that’s just right for you.