UPC Insurance Review

UPC Insurance vows to help property owners restore their homes or businesses to its original state following a disaster. They do this by offering a variety of insurance policies that matches the regional needs of their customers.

UPC Insurance offers homeowners, landlord/seasonal, flood, renters, commercial residential, and condominium products. This makes them a great choice for homeowners and businesses of all sizes and types. In addition to UPC home insurance products, they have a home systems protection plan, service line coverage, and identity theft protection.

What’s more UPC home insurance earned an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, indicating the provider’s ability to provide prompt service, which is something that’s also noted by customers in recent reviews.

UPC Home Insurance at a glance

• UPC offers specialty policies such as flood insurance in coastal states.
• They service 12 states including Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Rhode Island and Texas.
• UPC Insurance’s Home Systems Protection can help homeowners repair breakdowns to their home’s critical equipment without the high repair costs.
• They also offer Identity Theft Solutions to help their customers restore their identities following identity theft.

The specs?

Price: Varies by location and the items covered

Best for: Homeowners who don’t want high repair bills when things break down
Not for: People who want to choose repair technicians instead of having the insurance company provide choices
Covered systems: Chair lifts and elevators, washers and dryers, computer equipment, dishwashers, electrical panels, electrical garage doors, emergency generators, heating and A/C systems, home security systems, lighting and environment monitoring, ovens and microwaves, pool, spa, exercise equipment, surround sound systems, TVs, refrigerators, well-water pumps and water heaters.
Service fee: Varies by each state.
States servicing: They write in 12 states and have licensing in 18
In business since: 1999
Standout features: Covers a wide variety of items including TVs and computers and promises expedited expenses to make the claims process run smoother.

The Claim

UPC Insurance uses the Keep the Promise mantra, which reflects everything they do. From providing responsive service to processing claims in an expedient fashion, their goal is to ensure their customers have the financial backing they require when they need it the most.

To achieve this, they base their business on five foundations. These include financial stability, where they claim they have $520 million in equity capital. They also abide by their principals of fair pricing, ease of doing business, superior claims service and products that work.

When it comes time to file claims, UPC Insurance is similar to other providers in that their claims team will handle a customer’s issue. And in the case of its home system protection plans, they’ll send a contractor out to remedy the breakdown. All the customer has to do is pay the service fee, which varies by state.

Is it True?

Customers’ experiences have varied with UPC Insurance. While many of the recent reviews take note of the friendly and responsive service, there has been a recurring theme as it relates to complaints
Of note is customers stating the response time from claims is inefficient, with some declaring they’ve gone months without any resolution of their issues. Moreover, when it comes time to settle claims, some homeowners state their estimates for claims payments were among the lowest they received.

Additionally, the level of complaints against UPC Insurance in the state of Florida is high. In the first quarter of 2019, there were 283 consumer complaints out of 640,420 policies, meaning one customer out of every 2,263 had an issue with the provider.

However, most of the complaints related to homeowner’s insurance claims. Meanwhile, its home system protection plan is one of the most comprehensive available. By covering electronics and medical items such as an elevator or electric chair lift, the plan appeals to a wider base of needs and serves customers in ways other home warranties wouldn’t do so.

Our Deep Dive

• Homeowners insurance: Includes flexible offerings such as personal property, loss of use, liability, and dwelling. Along with this, UPC Home Insurance offers homeowners a convenient, state-of-the-art home inspection program. Instead of having to be home to wait on an inspector, homeowners can do the inspection through their smartphone or tablet, saving them ample time.
• Water Loss Prevention Credit: Homeowners receive a credit on their policy if they’re willing to supply certification from a licensed plumber that their home’s plumbing system is free from defects.
• Service Line Coverage: This helps homeowners defray the costs of repairs due to service lines requiring repairs or replacement.
• UPC’s Vacancy Extensions: This is perfect for property owners who only use one of their properties as a seasonal or secondary home. With coverage of up to three months, which includes protection against perils such as fire, wind or lightning, property owners have peace of mind their investment is protected even when they don’t live in it.
• Getting a Quote: Unlike other providers who’ll provide a quote online, with UPC Insurance, prospective policyholders can visit UPC’s website to fill out information for a quote. From there, they will contact you via email. A word of warning: when I did this is took days to receive any feedback, so if you want a quote quickly it’s best to contact them via phone.
• Filing a Claim: UPC makes it simple for its policyholders to file a claim online or by contacting its claims department at 1-888-256-3378.

Cost Rundown

There are a variety of factors that influence costs of UPC Home Insurance including the location of the building, its proximity to first responders and the type of home or business it is.

Meanwhile, for its home systems protection plan, service fees can vary depending on your state. One difference between this plan and ones offered by other providers is the fact that UPC has only one plan whereas other providers offer tiered plans. The more comprehensive the coverage is, the more expensive the premium is. Therefore, with UPC, you’ll receive excellent coverage without the pressure of upgrading.

On average, home warranty plans cost between $350 and $600 annually with service fees ranging from $50 to $125 per call. That might seem expensive on the surface, but consider this: what happens if you need to repair your home’s AC unit?

That repair cost alone could make the coverage worth it, as you’ll pay the service fee and have one of UPC’s contractors complete the job. Not to mention, you don’t have to go through the process alone. As UPC will act as an advocate on your behalf to ensure the job completes satisfactorily. All of this demonstrates the home systems protection plan offered by UPC is worth the investment from a peace of mind and convenience standpoint.

Inexpensive Alternatives

As noted previously, UPC Insurance isn’t the only carrier with home warranty plans. American Home Shield offers multiple plans that cover your home’s appliances, major systems or a tailored option that allows you to choose which items you want insured.

American Home Shield is also unique in they give you the option to choose your plan based on the service fee you want to pay per call. The service fees range from $75 to $125. When I received a quote from American Home Shield, I could get their combo plan, which included appliances and systems with the $125 service fee for $44.99 per month. If I decided to go with the less expensive service call fee of $75, I would pay $59.99 monthly.

Now it’s important to note prices fluctuate based on where you live, the coverages you want and the service fee you’re willing to pay.

Another alternative would be to set aside money each month in a savings account to prepare for repairs. Some homeowners use the one-percent rule as a guide. This rule states you’ll want to save one percent of your home’s total purchase price annually for repairs. Using this guideline, if you have a home worth $250,000, you’ll want to save a little more than $208 monthly to meet your annual savings goal of $2,500.

The Competition

Many companies are seizing on the needs of homeowners by offering warranties. Unfortunately for homeowners, not all plans are alike nor is the service quality. If you want to consider other options to compare to UPC Insurance, these are some of the comparable providers.

• America’s 1st Choice Home Club: You’ll have your choice of four plans which include many of the same components covered with UPC’s offering. The Platinum Plan is AFC’s most comprehensive and includes coverage for everything from a built-in microwave to plumbing stoppages. You can include optional coverages for a standalone freezer, pool and spa, sump pump, septic system and a tankless water heater.
• First American Home Warranty: Similar to UPC Insurance, First American Home Warranty offers one plan that offers blanket coverage of some of your home’s most critical components such as its plumbing, electrical and water heater. They also have optional coverages for central air conditioning, well pump, first-class upgrades and pool or spa components.
• Choice Home Warranty They feature two plans. With the Basic Plan, you’ll receive coverage for your home’s heating, electrical and plumbing systems. Meanwhile, the Total Plan runs the gamut of items covered such as your home’s whirlpool, oven, air conditioning, garbage disposal, ceiling fans, ductwork and more. They also provide optional coverages for pool. Septic tank, sump pump, stand-alone freezer and limited roof leak.

What Others Are Saying

Wink News featured a story about Melissa Gonzalez, who like many incurred home damages during Hurricane Irma. When she filed a claim with UPC Insurance, thethe initial estimate she received was $11,000, which was far short of the money required to fix the roof damage and remove mold. After filing a complaint with the Department of Financial Services, UPC Insurance adjusted her amount to $70,000.

The Bottom Line

UPC Insurance offers a good mix of commercial and residential insurance policies to appeal to a wide base of customers. And its home systems protection plan is one of the most comprehensive available. Yet it’s ideal that you compare offerings by several providers, read the fine print to understand the services you’re receiving and decide if it’s worth the investment on your end.

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