Progressive Drives Into Massachusetts

Progressive is now driving into Massachusetts as it begins offering policies to Bay State drivers online at progressive.com.

“We’ve wanted to offer car insurance to Massachusetts drivers for a long time and we’re so excited to finally be able to do it,” said Cathy Wilton-Bransch, Progressive’s Massachusetts product manager. Wilton-Bransch said Progressive decided to enter the Massachusetts private passenger auto market because of recent regulatory reforms that allow companies to compete for customers with their own products and prices.

Visitors to progressive.com can take advantage of its unique comparison rating feature which offers individual drivers accurate rates from Progressive and up to three top competitors. Consumers can simply enter information about their vehicles and driving history, as well as the coverage they’d like to purchase, and Progressive can provide its rate and the rates of up to three other companies including Commerce, Arbella and Liberty Mutual. Because the competitor rates are based on actual rate filings submitted to the Division of Insurance and are generated based on the consumer’s specific information, the rates are not samples, but actual rates consumers can expect to get from the competitors. The quoting process only takes a few minutes.

“We want to make comparison shopping as easy as possible. That’s why we show our rates right alongside the rates of other top carriers,” said Wilton-Bransch. “For some drivers, our rate may be the lowest, but other drivers will get a better rate somewhere else. Our goal is to give shoppers the information they need to make the insurance decision that’s right for them. Of course, we hope many shoppers will find that Progressive is their best choice.”

For shoppers who have questions while getting a quote, progressive.com has a feature called “Talk to Me.” The person clicks on the Talk to Me icon and can be instantly connected to a licensed insurance representative who can answer any questions they may have.

Progressive is phasing in its buying options for Massachusetts drivers over time; starting today, policies are available only online, but eventually consumers will also be able to shop by phone and through independent agents. Progressive has been offering commercial auto insurance, which operates under a different regulatory system, to Massachusetts business owners through independent agents for more than a year.