NU Online News Service, Aug. 3, 3:26 p.m. EDT

Auto insurance buyers are less happy with their insurers in thelatest satisfaction survey released by J.D. Power and Associates asprice increases take a toll on carriers.

The survey of 25,000 auto insurance policyholders, conducted duringFebruary and March of this year, measured five factors for consumersatisfaction: interaction, policy offerings, billing and payment,price, and claims.

J.D. Power said price was the main driver in declining customersatisfaction, with the industry satisfaction average moving from ahigh of 801 last year to 777 this year.

Satisfaction with price declined 30 points over last year, theWestlake Village, Calif.-based marketing information services firmsaid.

"Now that the market has stabilized, consumers are feeling morein control of their finances and have become more aware of andsensitive to the rate increases that have started to occur sincethe recent recessionary period," said Jeremy Bowler, seniordirector of the insurance practice at J.D. Power, in astatement.

"As a result, customers are considerably less satisfied withtheir insurer and their rates, and have begun shopping for newinsurers at unprecedented high levels not seen since prior to therecession," he added.

For the 11^th consecutive year, Amica Mutual rankedhighest in the satisfaction survey with a score of 849, two pointsoff of last year's scale where 1,000 is the highest.

According to Highline Data, part of Summit Business MediaCompany, which also owns National Underwriter, theLincoln, R.I.-based company had net written premiums of $1.4billion in 2009 and net income of $122 million. The company'sprimary business is auto and homeowners insurance on the propertyand casualty side.

The next top five companies, in order of index ranking in theJ.D. Power survey, were Erie Insurance, Auto-Owners Insurance,Shelter, State Farm and GEICO.

Last year, the top five, in order of index ranking, were StateFarm, Shelter, Auto-Owners, Erie Insurance and COUNTRY.

While GEICO moved up in the overall rankings, its index scorefell from 806 in 2009 to 793 this year.

State Farm, which was at 831 last year, fell to 795.

Erie, the number-two carrier this year, saw its index score gofrom 823 in 2009 to 815.

Auto Owners went from 825 to 813, and Shelter dropped from 828to 807.

J.D. Power said the number of customers that said theyexperienced an increase in premiums increased from 17 percent lastyear to 22 percent this year. One in 10 policyholders whoexperienced a premium increase said they received no advance noticefrom their carrier.

Two other insurers, USAA and New Jersey Manufacturers, were alsorated high on the J.D. Power customer satisfaction list but werenot included in the ranking because the companies are not open tothe general public.

USAA, which is limited to U.S. military personnel and families,came in with a score of 899. NJM, which is limited to members ofthe New Jersey Business & Industry Association and stateemployees, scored 849.

However, both scores were off from last year. In 2009, USAAscore was 900 and NJM scored 869.