Ocean Harbor Auto Insurance Review

Company Background Information

Ocean Harbor Casualty Insurance Company was founded in 1994 and began selling auto insurance in the state of Florida with basic limits. The company sells its insurance exclusively through its insurance agents, and Pearl Holdings underwrites the company’s insurance policies. Pearl Holdings and its subsidiary companies were acquired by Great Northwest Insurance in 2010. Ocean Harbor Casualty Insurance Company was downgraded to a B (Fair) financial strength rating from a B+ in 2012. The company currently still sells insurance exclusively in Florida.

Pros of Ocean Harbor Auto Insurance

• Generous roadside assistance program with unlimited uses and a unique smartphone app
• May offer affordable liability coverage for Florida drivers

Cons of Ocean Harbor Auto Insurance

• Several negative experiences with claims handling
• A recently downgraded financial strength rating from A.M. Best

Ocean Harbor does not have a website of its own, but Pearl Holdings has a website with very minimal information on the types of coverage offered by Ocean Harbor.

Types of Insurance Offered

The following types of coverage are mentioned on the Pearl Holdings website:

• Liability coverage – Ocean Harbor offers the minimum required by the state of Florida and covers the driver’s legal liability for injury to other people or their property.
• Personal injury protection – Ocean Harbor also offers the minimum for personal injury protection which covers a driver and his or her family members for bodily injuries regardless of who is at fault.
• Uninsured motorist coverage – covers bodily injuries resulting from other uninsured motorists or motorists with inadequate liability insurance to cover damages. This insurance also covers damages from hit and run drivers.
• Comprehensive – covers any damages to a vehicle outside of collision damages such as fire, weather related damage, theft and others types. Damage to electronics, sound equipment, radar detectors and other types of equipment are excluded.
• Collision – covers damage to the policy holder’s vehicle that results from a collision with another vehicle or other object.

Ocean Harbor also offers $20 per day for rental car reimbursement as well as theft hit and run protection. The theft hit and run protection offers a $500 reward for the arrest and conviction of a hit a run driver who damages an Ocean Harbor insured vehicle.

24 Hour Roadside Assistance

Ocean Harbor has a 24 hour roadside assistance program that can be added to any of the company’s policies for $50 per year or $25 per 6 months. The roadside assistance program comes with unlimited dispatches per policy period but has a one service limit per every 72 hour rule. The program includes: flat tire replacement, battery booster, locksmith service, fuel, oil or water delivery, and towing services. If a locksmith cannot be dispatched to the driver’s location the driver is eligible for up to a $25 reimbursement for using the closest locksmith. The towing service has a mileage limit of 25 miles. Ocean Harbor also offers a roadside assistance app that can be used to contact roadside assistance faster in the event of a breakdown.

Customer Reviews

Customer reviews of Ocean Harbor online are mostly negative, with the majority of the complaints stemming from issues with claims processing and difficulties with reaching their customer support. There are a number of BBB complaints with a few that were not resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Recommendations

With multiple negative reviews of Ocean Harbor online and questionable financial strength, the company may not be the best choice for Florida drivers except for those who are looking for the most affordable minimum liability coverage. Discount insurance shoppers in Florida may be better off getting insurance quotes from other providers, and if you happen to be looking for low cost insurance you can get quotes from several companies now by entering your zip code on this page.

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