Metromile Insurance Review & Complaints: Car Insurance (2023)

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Metromile is a San Francisco-based newcomer to the auto insurance market that offers pay-per-mile car insurance and a highly technological system — just what you’d expect from Silicon Valley. The startup offers a revolutionary approach to car insurance rating and is currently available in a handful of states. Metromile has plans for expansion in the near future, thanks to investors and growing popularity.

If you’re wondering how Metromile works, how the auto rates are calculated, and whether it’s right for you, read on. Our Metromile review has all the details.

If you’re looking at usage based insurance coverage options like what is offered by Metromile, you should compare it to the rates offered by other companies.

Enter your ZIP code above to see car insurance quotes from multiple companies at once. Keep reading to learn about Metromile insurance.

What is Metromile car insurance?

Metromile was founded in 2011 in Redwood City, CA, with the goal of making car insurance more affordable to those who do not spend a lot of time on the road but may take the occasional road trip. Two years later, the company moved to San Francisco, where the headquarters is located today. The Metromile phone number is 1-888-242-5204.

In 2015, locations were opened in Boston, as well as in Tempe, Arizona. While Arizona is one of the states they cover, Massachusetts is not currently covered, despite opening the Boston office. Currently, Metromile coverage is available in Oregon, California, Washington, Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. They are looking to expand to other states in the near future.

In July of 2018, the company secured Series E funding with investments from the Japanese company Tokio Marine and the Canadian company Intact Financial. These new investments were expected to lead to the expansion of Metromile’s market.

Metromile has a modern and unusual approach to car policies compared to others in the insurance industry, rating vehicles based on the actual number of miles they are driven, blended with the traditional approach. While traditional auto insurance companies take annual mileage into account, they do not rate based on actual mileage. Monitoring systems offered by traditional insurance companies can offer rate reductions based on driving behavior, but it’s not true pay-per-mile. How does Metromile’s setup compare to the best usage based car insurance?

Metromile uses a device that plugs into the car’s onboard diagnostic port, called Pulse. It transmits information back to the company to determine how many miles the car is driven. Through the Metromile app, the device can also provide the car’s owner with current alerts and information about the car’s “health” by reading mechanical codes. It can also be used to help locate a stolen car via GPS.

Plans for even more technological advances in the future include the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Metromile claims process.

Previously underwritten by American General Insurance company, Metromile began underwriting its own policies in 2016 — although they note that some (older) policies are still underwritten by American General. All new policies are underwritten directly.

The company currently employs nearly 250 people, and it is growing quickly. Policies are sold directly online, as well as over the phone.

How do Metromile and Metromile Pulse work?

Although they operate a little differently from other insurance companies in terms of rating, this insurance company offers the same type of coverage options. We will take a look at the coverage options as well as break down the rating system Metromile uses to determine how much each driver pays.

Currently, Metromile does not handle SR-22 or FR-44 insurance filings in any state except California — and then only under specific circumstances. Drivers who require a filing will need to obtain coverage elsewhere.

Coverage

As an insurance provider, Metromile offers multiple levels of liability insurance, with the low end starting at the state legal minimum. Personal injury protection, medical payments, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage are all available in compliance with state laws or as optional coverage.

Comprehensive coverage and collision coverage can be added, with deductible options at $250, $500, or $1,000. All policies with both of these coverages include $1,000 in pet injury coverage at no extra charge, a benefit only offered by a handful of car insurance companies.

Additional add-on options are similar to those at other insurance companies, including rental reimbursement and roadside assistance. Metromile keeps things relatively simple as part of their approach to car insurance. They do not have any of the trendier add-ons we see at other car insurance companies, like accident forgiveness or disappearing deductibles.

Pricing

It is in the pricing department that Metromile really stands out. At first glance, it might seem they have competitive auto insurance rates, but how they compute your monthly insurance premium is different from that of a traditional insurer. They start with a base rate that is calculated more traditionally — your driving history, where you live, the type of car you drive, and your years of experience all impact this rate, just as with any other car insurance company.

The base rate is calculated on a per-day basis so that in shorter months, the bill will be smaller, and in longer months, a little more.

On top of this base rate is the per-mile rate. This is based on the information transmitted by the Metromile Pulse device, and it will differ each month, which means theirs is a usage based insurance policy.

Each bill will, therefore, include next month’s base monthly rate, calculated based on the number of days and the per-mile charge for the previous month. If you are paying a bill at the end of June, you will be charged a base rate for the 31 days in July, as well as the total miles driven in June. What this means is since billing is for the miles per month, no two bills will be the same, which may be a bit frustrating to policyholders who like to keep a tightly planned budget.

The rating amounts (the base rate and the per-mile rate) are guaranteed not to change during the 6-month policy duration unless you make a policy change. They may increase on policy renewal, however, based on several factors.

To allow for occasional longer drives — like road trips — Metromile caps the number of miles per day charged at 250 (150 in New Jersey) so that even if you drive 1000 miles in a day, you will only be charged the daily limit.

This system is likely to mean much lower auto insurance rates overall for those who do not drive a lot of miles, but it will probably prove more expensive if you have a long commute or drive long distances on a daily basis.

What car insurance savings can I get with Metromile?

Since Metromile handles things differently from other insurance companies, they do not have the same type of discounts we see from other companies.

They do offer a multi-car discount for insuring more than one vehicle with the company as traditional insurers do, but we were unable to find any sign of other discounts. Their pricing system encourages the infrequent driver to earn their own discount by driving less whenever possible.

The Pulse device is the heart of the Metromile auto insurance system. It works similarly to the telemetric devices used by other insurance companies to monitor driving habits for a safe driver discount, but unlike most others, it isn’t keeping tabs on your driving habits other than the miles you drive.

In addition to submitting your monthly mileage to the insurance company, Pulse also transmits information to the app, which customers can use to keep tabs on their vehicle. It is not necessary to use the app, but it’s offered as an added bonus.

The Pulse device plugs into the same system that monitors your car and sends up what are known as “codes” when something is wrong — otherwise known as the check engine light. The Metromile app receives these codes and can decode them for you — telling you what is going on with your car.

Additionally, Pulse is a GPS device. That means it can help you find your car, whether it has been stolen or you just forgot where you parked. It will even notify you of impending street sweeping so you can move your car and help you track your own driving habits. These features can be disabled if desired, although the mile tracking cannot since it is necessary for rating your auto policy.

How are Metromile claims filed?

In keeping with its modern approach, the company offers more than one electronic option for claims filing.

Claims can be filed online on the Metromile website. They can also be filed on the app. Their app filing system does not just start the claim but it also allows the customer to complete the entire process.

Claims can also be filed over the phone at 888-595-5485.

There is an email address, [email protected], but it appears to be for inquiries on an existing insurance claim rather than to file.

Roadside assistance has a different phone number to call for claims, 800-983-3400.

Glass repair claims can be handled without a deductible, which is a common feature offered by most insurance companies. We were unable to find a different phone number listed for glass-only claims, however, so these appear to be filed through the main claims system.

Metromile does have a network of recommended repair shops, but the customer can choose any shop they prefer for repairs. The status of a claim can be monitored using the app, by calling the claims center, or by using the email address listed above.

Are Metromile car insurance reviews positive?

Metromile car insurance ratings include an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). They have been accredited since 2013, and there are only 38 customer service complaints on file in the past three years, 12 of which were closed in the past 12 months.

Google has 213 reviews of Metromile, with an overall 3.8-star customer satisfaction rating. The main consumer complaints appear to be about rate increases every 6 months, but there are also some complaints about claims service. There are also plenty of positive reviews, with a lot of comments regarding a good customer service experience. While the complaints talk about rate increases, the positive reviews talk about how much money was saved by occasional and low-mileage drivers.

Metromile responds to each review, whether positive or negative, which we always like to see in an insurance company. The complaint volume isn’t particularly high for the size of the company, and the positive reviews offer a good balance.

The California Department of Insurance conducts consumer complaint studies on all admitted carriers. Their study not only counts complaints but also examines them to determine which are justified and which are without merit. Of the 17 complaints they found for Metromile in 2017, only three were found to be justified. Seven complaints were found to be without merit, while the rest were closed either with company correction or other methods.

The justified complaints examination gives a different view from the complaints found online, and it is often more helpful. This is because negative reviews may be a result of many causes, including the customer’s lack of understanding in regards to how the insurance policy actually works or what is covered and not covered.

Metromile Car Insurance: The Bottom Line

This insurance carrier is well worth a closer look if you drive infrequently. If you work from home, are retired, or often use public transportation instead of driving, they may offer you a much lower rate auto insurance option than you can find anywhere else. For those who do a lot of driving, Metromile is likely to be more expensive than a traditionally rated insurance policy.

Metromile’s reputation appears to be solid, and they are growing. We would not be surprised if, a few years from now, they are covering all 50 states. This company, and its approach to providing insurance rates to drivers, will be one to watch in the future.

Hopefully, you’ve learned what you need to know about Metromile car insurance. Enter your ZIP code below to get fast, free car insurance rates from top companies.