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Wawanesa Review

Wawanesa
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Hollie Shuttlewood
Apr. 16, 2021
3 min read
Hollie Shuttlewood
Wawanesa Summary
Wawanesa is a Canadian auto and home insurer with an American division that serves residents of California and Oregon. It has been active in California since 1975 and Oregon in 2000, ranking it among the more experienced insurers in both those states. In California, Wawanesa only serves “good drivers”, classified as a person who has been licensed to drive for at least 3 years and has no more than 1 violation point or at-fault accident.

Wawanesa at a glance

2.4
Editorial score

Insurance Features

This category measures the overall quality of the product
2.4

Discounts Available

This category measures the overall quality of the product
2.4

Customer Service

This category measures the overall quality of the product
2.4

Online Experience

This category measures the overall quality of the product
2.4

Direct Insurer?

This category measures the overall quality of the product
2.4
Wawanesa Review

Pros and Cons

Depending where you live, Wawanesa’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness. For residents of California and Oregon, Wawanesa offers specialist car insurance with a focus on helping drivers get the right sort of coverage for their state. For residents of the other 48 states, we’re sorry to say but Wawanesa doesn’t offer its services in your area. California drivers who don’t meet Wawanesa’s good driver classification also don’t qualify for vehicle coverage.

The other major benefit here is the opportunity for discounts and rewards. Firstly, Wawanesa promises to slash your auto insurance premiums by up to 20% when bundling together car and home insurance. It offers a number of other saving opportunities, including good driver discounts and multi-vehicle discounts.

Types of Auto Insurance

Wawanesa specializes in helping California drivers and Oregon drivers meet the minimum insurance requirements in their respective states.

Bodily Injury Liability. Covers injury-related liabilities when you are at fault in an accident. Minimum $15,000 limit per person and $30,000 limit per accident in California, and at least a $25,000 limit per person and $50,000 limit per accident in Oregon.

Property Damage Liability. Covers damage to property when you are at fault in an accident. Minimum $5,000 limit in California and minimum $20,000 limit in Oregon.

Collision and Comprehensive. Optional forms of insurance that cover you if your vehicle is damaged in a collision with another vehicle or object or in a non-collision incident such as vandalism, theft, or weather-related incidents.

Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist. Covers liability when you’re involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver. Voluntary in California and required in Oregon with a minimum $25,000 limit.

Personal Injury Protection (PIP). Covers medical costs if you or your passengers are injured in an accident, regardless of which driver was at fault. Voluntary in California and required in Oregon with minimum $15,000 limit.

Additional Features

In addition to standard vehicle coverage, Wawanesa offers a number of useful add-ons and rewards.

Roadside Assistance. Paid add-on with two options: Sign and Drive or Outside Services. With Sign and Drive, you call a toll-free number to have a service provider dispatched to your location. With Outside Services, you can get assistance from a provider of your choice and file a reimbursement claim.

Rental Expense Coverage. Paid add-on that guarantees replacement car when yours is in the shop as a result of a Comprehensive or Collision-covered accident.

Vehicle Manufacturer Replacement Parts. Paid add-on that covers stolen parts that were part of the vehicle when you purchased it.

Rental Car Coverage. Customers who rent a private passenger car, light van or pick-up anywhere in the U.S., Canada, or their territories are covered under their Wawanesa policy.

Discounts and Rewards. 20% discount for bundling home and auto, plus good driver discount, mature driver improvement course discount, multi-car discount, driver training discount, and loyalty discount.

How to Apply

Anyone can apply for car insurance in Oregon but only good drivers may open a policy with Wawanesa in California. A good driver is classified as a person who has held a driver’s license for the previous three years and has no more than one violation point or at-fault accident resulting in anything other than property damage in the last year. An at-fault accident involving bodily injured is considered two points by Californian law and would disqualify a driver from purchasing car insurance from Wawanesa.

If you’re eligible to purchase vehicle insurance from Wawanesa, you may complete the online application process in just a few easy steps.

Enter vehicle information, including year, make, model, body type, engine type, primary use, and annual mileage.

Select level of coverage for liability, uninsured underinsured motorist, collision, and comprehensive coverage. Indicate whether you wish to purchase add-ons such as rental expense and roadside assistance.

Personal details for the main policy holder and any other policy holders, including name and contact details, date of birth, marital status, and the amount of time you and any other policy holders have been licensed. Includes requirement to disclose any violations or suspensions that might affect your application.

Within a few seconds of completing the form, a new screen will load with your Wawanesa auto quote. If you like what you see, follow the prompts to purchase vehicle coverage.

Filing a Claim

Wawanesa operates a 24/7 claims service, allowing policy holders to reach them no matter what time they or their vehicle gets into trouble. Claims can be submitted online or by toll-free number at 877-929-2637.

Contact Details

Wawanesa offers friendly customer service during regular business hours. Note that it operates separate phone lines for California drivers and Oregon drivers.

  • Phone: 800-640-2920 in California | 800-438-4300 in Oregon
  • Address: 9050 Friars Road, San Diego, CA 92108

Summary

If you’re a California or Oregon resident with a good driving record, it’s definitely worth requesting a rates quote from Wawanesa. With almost 45 years’ experience in California and 20 years’ experience in Oregon, Wawanesa’s customer support staff know all there is to know about providing vehicle coverage in both states. Wawanesa offers competitive car insurance premiums in California and Oregon, and best of all it offers plenty of opportunities for earning discounts and rewards.

Hollie Shuttlewood
Written by
Hollie Shuttlewood
She writes for BestMoney and enjoys helping readers make sense of the options on the market.‎

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