Earlier this month, J.D. Power and Associates reported that property claims satisfaction is holding steady, despite a year of record natural catastrophes. According to the same firm, however, the auto insurance sector is not faring as well, at least in the chilly months.

When releasing the results of its “2013 Auto Claims Satisfaction Study—Wave 2” report yesterday, J.D. Power and Associates said overall customer satisfaction declined 11 points to 850 on a 1,000-point scale, when compared to the Wave 1 survey. Claimants are generally less satisfied with their auto repair experience because of higher out-of-pocket expenses, the firm says. For example, the average deductible and vehicle rental have increased about $30, from an average of $469 in Wave 1 of the study to $499 in early 2013.

See related article: A Crash Course In 2013 Automotive Trends

Additionally, appraisal and claims settlement are taking longer. On average, auto claimants wait 3.3 days for an insurance appraisal. This represents a clear uptick from the 2.9 days reported in Wave 1. Meanwhile, it is taking long not only to reach a settlement but also for settlement checks to arrive. J.D. Power cited that settlement is reached in an average of 6.6 days, compared to 5.8 days in Wave 1. The settlement payments themselves require an extra day to typically reach claimants, as the average time was 14.9 days in Wave 2 and 13.9 days in Wave 1.

Time and expenses aside, external factors may very well attribute to the dip in satisfaction in early 2013, as Jeremy Bowler, senior director of the insurance practice at J.D. Power and Associates, explains:

“There is a seasonal trend in claimant satisfaction, which declines significantly during the winter months,” he says. “When consumers have an accident and need to repair a vehicle around the holidays, it is an inconvenience, and road conditions tend to batch accidents, causing volume peaks for the repair industry.”

Bowler adds that claimants who incur personal out-of-pocket expenses during winter months may have to dip into holiday savings to pay for repairs, further compounding frustration.

Special Reports /

J.D. Power: Auto Claims Satisfaction Cools During Winter Months

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