Vern Fonk Insurance Review & Complaints: Home, Auto & Commercial Insurance (2023)

Flashy, funny, and taking a lighthearted approach to insurance, Vern Fonk offers SR-22 and other high-risk car insurance to drivers in Washington and Oregon, where they have 25 different locations. They are an independent agency brokering insurance through a number of different companies to provide a variety of other coverage in addition to auto insurance.

What is Vern Fonk Insurance?

Vern Fonk Insurance was founded in 1952 in Everett, Washington by the company’s namesake, Vern Fonk. The company’s goal is to provide insurance choices for both drivers with clean records as well as those who have troubled records including multiple tickets, accidents, and SR-22 insurance.

The company operates as an independent agency representing more than 20 different companies in both Oregon and Washington. Most of the auto insurance companies are smaller insurers specializing in high-risk drivers, made up of licensed agents that are dedicated to helping those who may struggle to get affordable auto insurance quotes from a typical insurance agency. The company also provides access to homeowners coverage to protect you in case of property damage. you can get an insurance policy for your motorcycle, and you can roll all that together and save with a multi-policy discount, too.

The company’s headquarters remain in Everett, WA, but Vern Fonk Insurance now has offices all over the two states that they serve. They provide online quoting to match each driver up with the insurance company that will provide them quality service that best fits their needs at the lowest rates, although as an agent they are not a direct sales insurer.

The company is best known for off-the-wall television advertising that uses humor and satire to get attention.

What types of insurance products are offered?

The Vern Fonk Insurance company offers a range of different insurance products through several different companies.

Auto Insurance

Vern Fonk specializes in high-risk auto insurance coverage, therefore they offer a lot of liability-only policies that cater to those who want the most affordable rates that they can find, especially because these types of coverage tend to be the most expensive.

They also write full coverage policies through a variety of different insurance companies; because the companies differ, the policy offerings and details of each available auto policy will also differ.

The company also specializes in affordable SR-22 insurance policies, which provide coverage for high-risk insurance customers who are required to provide special documentation of financial responsibility, usually due to a major violation on their driving record, or having been convicted of previously driving without insurance.

Vern Fonk writes both liability-only full coverage motorcycle insurance as well.

Finally, they also offer Broad Form Named Operator insurance that covers drivers of non-owned vehicles.

Home Insurance

The agency offers the following various different types of home insurance. Again, these options are available through a variety of insurance companies.

• Standard Homeowners Insurance
• Mobile Home/RV
• Renters Insurance
• Condo/Co-Op Insurance
• Landlord Insurance
• Vacant Property
• Farm and Ranch

Each individual insurance company determines what coverage they will offer, and so policies may differ from company to company.

Commercial Insurance

The company provides quotes for a variety of commercial insurance policies through several insurance companies.

Commercial products include:

• Business Insurance
• General Liability
• Commercial Auto
• Contractor’s Insurance
• Surety Bonds
• Umbrella Insurance

Are the company’s insurance rates competitive?

Vern Fonk does offer online quoting, however, because they represent many insurance companies, there is no one clear premium that we can use to compare Vern Fonk’s rates. That being said, it’s very likely that they will be able to offer some of the most competitive rates since they pull from a variety of underlying insurance companies.

Overall, people looking for high-risk insurance will probably see decent rates in that specific market when using this provider to look for auto insurance quotes. Good drivers, however, will best be served with a standard auto insurance carrier; they will be offered more affordable auto insurance rates from a standard carrier and will have access to a broader variety of discounts and coverage options.

Is the claims process simple?

The company does not actually write or administer any of the policies they sell and thus has no part in the handling of claims.

They have a claims page on the website that simply directs the driver to the website of the company that handles their coverage policy, providing a list of the companies for which Vern Fonk sells policies.

Claims are handled entirely through the individual companies, although VF representatives can point drivers in the right direction and may be able to assist with the initial filing to help out customers. They have do not have a say in how claims are processed or settled.

Is consumer feedback positive?

Vern Fonk has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau for their home office in Everett, WA. There is only one complaint against them in the past three years, the complaint is from 2015, and details are not provided.

These numbers and ratings only reflect the home office, and as they have agencies across two states it’s important to note that customer service experiences can vary greatly from agent to agent.

With a mix of satisfied customers and people who have had issues with service, overall the impression is that the company does make an effort towards a good customer service experience. This is in part evidenced by the fact that they take the time to respond to Yelp reviews, which shows that they are concerned about what people are saying in regards to the company.

What’s the company’s financial strength rating?

Rating Company	Grade	Financial Outlook
AM Best	N/A	N/A
Fitch	N/A	N/A
S&P	N/A	N/A

What’s the bottom line?

Vern Fonk is not an insurance company, but rather an insurance agency whose main business is in finding insurance for people who may have trouble qualifying for standard coverage insurance. High-risk drivers may find them to be one of their few choices for finding insurance coverage.

As an insurance agent specializing in non-standard insurance coverage, the agency is unlikely to find a competitive rate for a driver with a clean record – the companies they work with simply aren’t positioned that way. If you’re in need of SR-22 insurance or have been turned down elsewhere, Vern Fonk is well worth a shot; however, do not expect the best rates due to the nature of this type of insurance coverage.