AIS Auto Insurance Review (2024)

Most smaller companies are specialty insurance companies, limiting your auto insurance options to bigger companies. Auto Insurance Specialists, otherwise known as AIS auto insurance offers a variety of insurance services including auto insurance.

AIS insurance reviews can be harder to find due to the company’s size, and you don’t have time to do the research. Read this AIS Auto Insurance Review to decide if AIS is the best auto insurance company for you.

We’ve got you covered. If you’re searching for how to save money on auto insurance through AIS, read this guide. We’ll go over the coverage options, ratings, AIS Auto Insurance reviews, and more for AIS.

Start comparing auto insurance quotes right now for free by entering your ZIP code in the box above.

What You Should Know About AIS

There isn’t any information available about Auto Insurance Specialists from financial rating organizations like A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, or Moody’s.

However, the company does have a profile with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). AIS’s current rating from the BBB is an “A+.” There have been 10 complaints lodged with the BBB against AIS in the past three years.

What’s AIS Auto Insurance History?

Auto Insurance Specialists was founded in 1968 as a provider of California auto insurance. It later expanded to add homeowners, renter’s, motorcycle, earthquake, classic car insurance, life, business insurance, and other types of insurance policies.

They have been underwriting policies in all 50 states since 2014. AIS serves more than 400,000 customers in California.

Mercury General purchased Auto Insurance Specialists in 2009. It remains an independently operated subsidiary.

AIS Insurance Coverage Options

Most auto insurance companies, even companies with specialty lines of insurance, offer basic auto insurance coverage. These are:

• Liability Auto Insurance Coverage
• Collision Auto Insurance Coverage
• Comprehensive Auto Insurance Coverage
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Coverage
• Medical Payments (Med Pay)

AIS auto insurance also has a deductible system. An auto insurance deductible is the amount of money the insured is required to pay to the auto insurance provider before they are liable for any damages. Deductibles are meant to reduce the expenses of processing small claims.

AIS customers may also be eligible for rental car reimbursement coverage, roadside assistance, and Gap insurance. Since some motorists earn money driving for rideshare companies, AIS provides rideshare insurance, also.

What are AIS’s auto insurance bundling options?

AIS doesn’t just offer auto insurance. If you own a home, AIS may offer an option to save money by bundling insurance policies where you can combine your AIS auto insurance with an AIS home insurance policy.

Do you have a motorcycle? AIS motorcycle insurance coverage can be bundled into your auto insurance policy as well.

But do you really save money when you bundle your auto insurance with other insurance policies like motorcycle, renter’s, or homeowners insurance? Learn about the pros and the cons of bundling your auto insurance with other insurance policies.

Between the advice from the video and the discounts available from AIS, you can definitely save money, but it won’t hurt to shop around to see if you can find a cheaper rate for other insurance coverages.

How is AIS’s online presence?

AIS’s website provides information about different types of insurance coverage and allows potential customers to get a quote for an auto insurance policy. Current AIS customers can log into their account to file a claim or pay their insurance premiums.

AIS has a YouTube channel where you can see all of their advertising videos and general information about their company.

Does AIS have commercials?

AIS has a few commercials that you can view on its YouTube channel. You may have seen some of these commercials on TV if you live in California, Oklahoma, or Texas.

AIS commercials are less than two minutes long and provide some basic information, including the AIS insurance phone number. The central message is that AIS can save you money on your auto insurance policy.

You might also hear radio stations like 92.3 play car insurance ads for AIS as well in California.

Is AIS involved in the community?

We searched the AIS website, but there is no mention of any involvement in nonprofit work or community volunteering. However, the company may have events or programs that aren’t posted online.

Most auto insurance companies, regardless of size, get involved in community outreach. AIS is likely no different.

For Auto Insurance Specialists Reviews from employees, check out the section below.

What do AIS employees have to say?

AIS has managed to keep a moderate rating among employees. Glassdoor reported that Auto Insurance Specialists has a rating of 3.4 stars.

Sixty-four percent of AIS employees said they would recommend AIS insurance careers to a friend, and 100 percent of employees reported approving of the CEO, Mark Risibi. There are about 1,000 employees that work for AIS.

Design of AIS Auto Insurance Website

The AIS car website is set up so you can easily navigate to different pages. Click on each link in the navigation banner on the top to access other parts of the website.

The website is designed to fit well on the screen of any device, such as a smartphone, computer screen, or tablet.

AIS Insurance Rates Breakdown

AIS is an auto insurance agency, which means they work with a variety of companies. That means the rates can vary quite a bit. Since AIS doesn’t underwrite their own policies, there are no specific rates available.

AIS can help you to compare rates from the companies they work with and help you to find the best price for you.

For the rest of this section, we’ll show you the average auto insurance cost per month from all 50 states. This will give you an idea of what to expect, although your rates may be higher or lower.

What is AIS’s availability by state?

According to the AIS website, AIS auto insurance policies are available in all 50 states. There are AIS insurance locations across the U.S., but they have a significant presence in Oklahoma, Texas, New Jersey, Florida, and Virginia.

Since AIS offers auto insurance in every state, we’ll provide you with the average annual rate of every state.

Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates by State

These auto insurance rates are provided by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The averages are calculated based on the combined auto insurance rates from insurance providers in that particular state.

What if the AIS auto insurance policy is a six-month car insurance policy? We can find the auto insurance rate for a six-month policy by dividing the average annual rate of each state by two. Let’s look at the estimated auto insurance rates for six-month policies.

Average Six-Month Auto Insurance Rates by State

As you can see, Virginia auto insurance is the cheapest, while Michigan auto insurance is the most expensive.

These averages are usually calculated to include all auto insurance coverages, which is why most average annual rates are $1,200 or more.

Does your income affect AIS auto insurance rates?

Your income doesn’t necessarily affect your auto insurance rates. However, auto insurance can obviously have an impact on your income. If you’ve seen our previous guides, you probably noticed that we calculate auto insurance rates as a percentage of income.

We use average auto insurance rates and factor them into annual incomes (salaries) in data summaries to give you an idea of how much auto insurance can affect an annual income.

Let’s look at the average annual rates by state, average annual income by state, and auto insurance as a percentage of income.

Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates as a Percent of Income by State

How much of your income is going toward car insurance? Simply divide your annual rate for auto insurance into your annual income. For example, divide a $3,200 auto insurance policy into an annual income of $35,000. It should look like this: 3,200 / 35,000.

This will give you a decimal answer of 0.0914. Move the decimal to the right two places and that will be the percentage (9.14 percent) of your income you pay for car insurance.

Do you think you’re paying too much for auto insurance? Compare auto insurance rates from different companies with our free comparison tool below.

AIS Discounts Available

We’ve seen how auto insurance can impact a person’s finances. The less money you earn, the more auto insurance can affect your income and hard-earned savings.

Auto insurance discounts are the tread and rubber that protect your money on the road to cost-efficiency. AIS lists a few discounts its customers can take advantage of to lower their rates.

Auto Insurance Discounts Offered by AIS

It’s important to know that car insurance discounts don’t compound in percentage but in dollar amounts. When your auto insurance quote is reviewed, you’ll see different amounts being deducted from the total amount of the insurance policy.

Let’s look at how much discounts can deduct from annual auto insurance rates.

AIS Discounts Applied to Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates

Take California for example. The average cost for auto insurance in California is $3,689. If you’re a mature driver (55 years or older) and have a clean driving record, you can save up to $922 on your auto insurance.

Young drivers can also save money through discounts with a good student discount or a discount for taking U.S. General Services driving safety courses. An AIS agent can tell you more about other discounts they have. Contacting an agent is also a great way to get an AIS Insurance quote.

What programs are available from AIS?

AIS doesn’t appear to have any programs except for the AIS Referral Program. The AIS Referral Program works when a new customer signs up for AIS auto insurance or another AIS service after the recommendation of a current AIS customer.

Here are the eligibility requirements for the AIS Referral Program:

• The Referral Reward is available to the insured customers of AIS.
• Current customers who receive referral rewards are limited to $500 per calendar year.
• The current customer or referred party must have a valid email address to receive an electronic Referral Reward.

When new customers are settled in, they will be able to refer their friends, colleagues, or others to AIS.

What is the Process of Cancelling Your AIS Auto Insurance Policy?

Although the company doesn’t provide explicit instructions on how you can cancel your AIS auto insurance policy, we can give you some information on how you cancel your auto insurance policy to give you some idea of the process.

This section will go cover some common questions about insurance policy cancellation, such as whether you’ll have a cancellation fee, when you can cancel your auto insurance, and whether you’re eligible for a refund.

Does AIS have a cancellation fee?

When you want to cancel your auto insurance policy, the auto insurance agent may mention that there’s a fee. Fees will vary. Some auto insurance providers may charge you a $25 fee or a percentage of your monthly rate or six-month auto insurance rate.

AIS doesn’t go into detail on any potential auto insurance cancellation fee, so the best way to find out if there’s a fee when you cancel your auto insurance policy is to contact an AIS auto insurance agent.

Can you get a refund after canceling an auto insurance policy?

Refunds are common among auto insurance customers who have paid their policies in full and then wish to cancel. Some customers prepay for their auto insurance policies after the quote process. Many insurance companies offer a discount to customers who choose to pay in full.

If you’ve paid in full and you need to cancel your policy, you may be entitled to a refund on car insurance. The auto insurance company will refund you for the auto insurance that you didn’t use.

How the refund is processed is different for each company. And states, such as California, may have legislation governing how refunds are handled.

How do you cancel an AIS auto insurance policy?

Always give any auto insurance provider proper notice that you want to cancel your auto insurance policy. Your first step will be to contact an AIS insurance agent.

You can contact AIS agents through their toll-free customer service number at 1-888-772-4247, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. PST, or 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. You can also fax the AIS customer service team toll-free at 1-877-852-3580.

This will help you learn how to cancel your AIS auto insurance.

Explain to the AIS agent that you want to cancel your auto insurance policy. They will walk you through what you need to do next. Be sure to have your policy number and other personal information when you call.

After you cancel your auto insurance policy, you must notify the DMV when you’re not insured. Sometimes, your next auto insurance policy won’t start right away.

Can you cancel your AIS auto insurance policy at any time?

Any auto insurance customer can cancel their auto insurance policy at any time. Some states in the U.S. recommend that insurance customers give their auto insurance providers at least 15-30 days notice when they want to cancel their auto insurance policy.

Most auto insurance companies will accept a customer’s request for canceling their auto insurance policy when they give the company proper notice.  Note that AIS may be issuing premium reductions to all auto insurance customers due to Covid-19.

How to make an AIS Auto Insurance Claim

If you need to file an auto insurance claim with Auto Insurance Specialists, you may have to jump through a few more hoops to do so. This is because AIS is an auto insurance mediator between the auto insurance company and the customer.

AIS helps you find policies in your local area. Therefore, you would have to file a claim with one of AIS’s affiliates. There is no AIS insurance login to file a claim online.

Learn how you can file a claim with AIS or your auto insurance provider.

Smartphones have features that allow you to take photos of the damage after an incident to send to your insurance provider. Remember to snap a few pictures of the damage and the scene of the accident, and get a copy of the police report if you can.

To learn about receiving AIS car insurance quotes, read on.

How to Get AIS Auto Insurance Quotes Online?

AIS has a different approach to providing auto insurance. AIS gives quotes from other companies in your area outside of California. In other words, AIS auto insurance policies are actually auto insurance quotes from other insurance companies in your area.

If you’d like to compare auto insurance quotes, you can do so right here. Just enter your ZIP code in the free comparison tool to get started.