Hippo Insurance Company Review
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Christine Lacagnina has written thousands of insurance-based articles for TrustedChoice.com by authoring consumable, understandable content.
Trusted Choice's Hippo Insurance Score
Younger carrier, but high volume of customer satisfaction and several discounts offered.
3 Stars
We award Hippo Insurance an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars. The insurance company is one of the younger carriers on the market today, but they are BBB-accredited. Coverage is available in most states.
Most customer feedback about Hippo is positive. While there are some complaints filed against them through the BBB, the vast majority of customers seem to be satisfied with their coverage and customer service experiences. The carrier offers 24/7 claims reporting and fast online quotes.
Overall, we do recommend looking into Hippo Insurance with the help of your independent insurance agent as an option to be your next trusted carrier.
Hippo Insurance Pros and Cons:
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Founded in 2015, Hippo Insurance is one of the younger insurance companies on the market today. The carrier offers homeowners insurance as well as landlord insurance, fire insurance, and HOA and HO3 insurance. Coverage is available in 37 states currently.
The carrier is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. Hippo's LinkedIn profile states that they have 537 employees. The insurance company's original mission was to provide homeowners with better insurance products than those that were previously available.
Hippo's Home Insurance Products by Type
Hippo offers a few types of coverage, most of which relate to the home. Their home insurance products include:
| Coverage Type: | HO3 Insurance | Fire Insurance |
|---|---|---|
| Coverages included | Dwelling, contents, liability, loss of use | Fire coverage for all elements of the home |
| Coverage areas | Dwelling, personal property/contents, personal liability, additional living expenses | Dwelling, personal property/contents, additional structures |
| Online quotes available | Yes | Yes |
Hippo Insurance HO3 (Homeowners) Insurance
Hippo Insurance offers HO3 policies because they provide a broader spectrum of coverage for your home than other types of home insurance carriers do. The list of perils covered by HO3 policies far exceeds those of HO2s. Hippo's HO3 policies provide coverage for all aspects of the home.
Other coverage features and benefits:
Dwelling coverage
Hippo's HO3 dwelling coverage provides protection for your home's structure as well as additional/detached structures like sheds and garages against many perils like fire, vandalism, etc.
Contents/personal property coverage
Hippo's HO3 contents coverage provides protection for your personal property like electronics, clothing, etc. against many perils like theft, fire, and more. You may need to purchase additional coverage for particularly valuable items like jewelry.
Liability coverage
Hippo's HO3 personal liability coverage covers medical expenses, lost wages, legal fees, and death benefits if an incident involving a third party on your property results in bodily injury or personal property damage.
Hippo Insurance Fire Insurance
Hippo Insurance offers fire insurance coverage for your home in several categories. This type of coverage is intended solely to provide reimbursement for fire damage. Policies are ideal for customers who have to purchase additional fire coverage for their homes if their property is older or considered higher risk.
Other coverage features and benefits:
Dwelling and other structures coverage
Hippo's dwelling and other structures fire coverage can reimburse for repairs to your home's structure as well as additional structures like sheds, fences, and garages if they get damaged by fire or smoke.
Personal property/contents coverage
Hippo's personal property fire coverage can reimburse for the repair or replacement of personal property like clothing, furniture, and technology if it gets damaged or destroyed by fire or smoke.
Additional living expenses coverage
Hippo's additional living expenses fire coverage can reimburse for extra costs if you must live somewhere else while your home is being repaired for fire or smoke damage. Coverage can pay for things like hotel visits, takeout meals, etc.
Other Coverages Offered by Hippo Insurance
Hippo Insurance also offers two other types of coverage:
- Landlord insurance
- HOA insurance
Your independent insurance agent can help you find more information about the additional coverages offered by Hippo Insurance, and help you decide if this insurance company is right for you.
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What Discounts Does Hippo Offer?
Hippo advertises the following discounts on their homeowners insurance policies.
- Early signing discount: Offered to customers who sign up for coverage at least eight days in advance of its intended start date.
- No-mortgage discount: Offered to customers who paid for their home up front.
- HOA discount: Offered to customers who are part of an HOA.
- Fire extinguisher discount: Offered to customers who keep fire extinguishers in their home.
- Gated community discount: Offered to customers who live in a gated community.
For more information about these discounts or others available through Hippo, work with an independent insurance agent. These agents work hard to get you the most affordable coverage.
Hippo Insurance Customer Service
Here's a breakdown of Hippo's customer service options and availability:
- Phone
- 24/7 claims reporting via phone
- Customer service department has the following hours:
| Day | Hours (CT) | ||
| Monday-Friday | 6:30 am - 7 pm | ||
| Saturday | CLOSED | ||
| Sunday | CLOSED |
To ensure a great customer service experience, work together with an independent insurance agent. They can help handle claims and other matters for you, so you can relax and enjoy your coverage.
Hippo Insurance Customer Reviews
Hippo Insurance is not currently rated by AM Best, the leading global credit organization monitoring the insurance industry. They're also not currently rated by the BBB. But while Hippo is BBB-accredited, they've also had a somewhat high volume of complaints filed against them in the past few years already.
| Better Business Bureau |
"Best insurance company I have worked with. Very responsive and extremely helpful. Best part, create a quote online in a few minutes without having to talk to an agent who won't listen and stop talking. Keep it up!" |
| Better Business Bureau |
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"I've been with Hippo for a long time now and to this point they've been exceptional prompt to my needs..an excellent company to have insurance with." |
| Better Business Bureau |
"The price was increased 2 times over quote. Now company wants proof of ownership of residence. WHY WOULD I INSURE SOMEONE ELSE'S HOME. Terrible customer service. Beware !!!" |
| Better Business Bureau |
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"Absolutely horrible insurance if you have a claim. I have been trying to speak to someone about my claim for two months. I cannot get the "desk adjuster" to even answer my calls. Don't go with them, especially if you live in Texas!" |
| Better Business Bureau |
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"I loved the rate and the built-in Home Warranty. Ease of transaction." |
Hippo Insurance FAQs
Hippo states that they must acknowledge receipt of your claim within 10-15 calendar days. If your claim is approved, they must pay out your settlement within five business days.
Hippo is available at extended hours by phone during the week, and also allows customers to contact them by email.
Hippo outlines its claims process as follows:
- Concierge assignment: Hippo assigns a claims concierge to assist you in filing your claim and gather further details about your loss.
- Official documentation: Hippo creates a "Fire Notice of Loss Acknowledgment" to officially report the start of your claims process.
- Adjuster assignment: Hippo's claims concierge assigns an adjuster to further assist you with your claim.
- Inspection scheduled: Hippo schedules an insurance adjuster visit to your home to review your loss and make an assessment.
- Follow-up: Hippo will follow up for any additional information needed.
- Review: Hippo reviews the adjuster's assessment and all other claim documents and advises the customer on the next steps.
- Approval or denial issued: Hippo notifies the customer of the official decision of if their claim has been approved or denied.
- Payout issued: Hippo then awards a claims payout to the customer ASAP.
Hippo's website is easy to navigate, but not all pages are well fleshed out to provide all the coverage details customers may be searching for. They have fewer contact options for customers than most modern carriers do. Their social media presence is also more limited than many other modern carriers. But the insurance company does offer 24/7 claims reporting by phone.
Hippo is one of the younger carriers on the market today and is not rated by AM Best or the BBB. Most customer feedback seems to be positive, though, so it can be argued that Hippo Insurance is a good carrier.
Hippo's home insurance products are right for customers who want the assurance that their property will be covered against the most perils possible. Their fire insurance is a great match for customers who require extra coverage due to owning an older home or one considered at high risk by their main home insurance carrier.
Ask your independent insurance agent for specific quotes for homeowners insurance sold by Hippo Insurance. You can also use their convenient 60-second quote tool on the official website. Home insurance rates vary based on your location and other factors.
hippo.com
https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/palo-alto/profile/insurance-companies/hippo-insurance-services-1216-901822/customer-reviews