Is OTTO Insurance accredited by the BBB?

The BBB has not accredited OTTO. While this doesn’t mean OTTO isn’t trustworthy, reviews shared by consumers through the BBB website can also offer insight into a particular business’s offerings and services. OTTO is currently updating its BBB page, but previous user reviews on the BBB website were largely negative.

Is OTTO Insurance legit?

OTTO seems to be a legitimate lead-generation company, though information about it is fairly scarce. The company’s About page offers little insight into its operations or history, and its online footprint is fairly small.

How does OTTO Insurance make money?

As a lead-generation business, OTTO likely makes money by matching customers with other companies. For example, if someone submits a quote request through OTTO and purchases coverage through a partner insurer, OTTO may receive a commission, similar to how insurance agents receive commissions for policies they sell.

OTTO’s platform is relatively straightforward. Users answer a handful of questions about their vehicle, driving history, and personal details in a brief questionnaire. However, finding a policy with OTTO isn’t as simple, with many user reviews mentioning they either didn’t receive car insurance quotes or were bombarded with calls after submitting their information.

The OTTO insurance website is free to use. Rather than charging users, lead-generation websites typically make a commission from each lead they secure. Many of OTTO’s third-party marketing partners, including Alarm Services LLC, Alderson Tile, Kawa Media, and LoanMart, don’t provide insurance products. When you use OTTO, you pay with your personal information.

OTTO Insurance Reviews: Quotes, Ratings (2023)

OTTO insurance
How it works
OTTO reviews
OTTO vs. Insurify
OTTO vs. Jerry
Is OTTO spam?
FAQs

OTTO insurance
How it works
OTTO reviews
OTTO vs. Insurify
OTTO vs. Jerry
Is OTTO spam?
FAQs

When you’re searching for a new car insurance policy, comparing multiple quotes can help you find the best possible rate. OTTO is one of many sites that promise to help customers navigate the insurance industry and save people money through quote comparison.

OTTO partners with auto, home, pet, commercial, and life insurance companies. As a lead-generation website, OTTO doesn’t sell insurance directly. Instead, the company sends your personal information to third-party partners that offer insurance products you may need. OTTO might redirect you to its partner Provide Insurance for quotes, though not every shopper will receive one.

OTTO at a glance

OTTO is a lead-generation site connecting customers seeking auto, pet, home, life, or commercial insurance with its partners. Joshua Keller founded the company, and it’s a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Agora, a venture capital firm.^[1]

Limited information about OTTO is available online. The OTTO website also doesn’t share its company history, and its “About” page offers very limited information on its team or offerings.

OTTO Insurance pros and cons

Pros

Option to receive quotes from many insurers
Process to request quotes is quick

Cons

No option to view quotes on the site
OTTO shares personal information with third parties, which could result in unwanted calls or emails

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4.8/5

How does OTTO Insurance work?

Unlike other insurance marketplaces, OTTO doesn’t let you view car insurance rates once you enter your personal information. Instead, it acts as a lead generator, sharing your information with more than 1,000 partners.^[2] While some of its partners are major auto insurance companies, many partners seemingly have little to do with insurance. OTTO’s partners include mortgage lenders, solar panel companies, and energy providers.

When you share your personal information with OTTO, it will try to match you with partners based on your needs. If it finds a successful match, OTTO may receive compensation from its partners.

When you begin the quote process with OTTO, the site will ask for the following personal details:

ZIP code
Vehicle year, make, model, and trim
Number of cars (OTTO suggests you can save up to 20% if you have more than one)
Current insurance status
Credit score
Homeowner or renter status, and if you want to bundle insurance policies
Birthdate
Number of drivers
Marital status
Military service status

OTTO will then ask for your first and last name, home address, email address, and phone number to “get your free quote.” When you click to get quotes, OTTO will direct you to Provide Insurance, an online marketplace that partners with insurance companies that are looking for new policyholders.

If you have any, you can view your estimated insurance rates, but Provide Insurance and OTTO won’t write a policy for you. Instead, third-party insurance companies receive your information and call, text, or email you with quotes. You can’t select which partner companies have access to your information.

When you sign up with OTTO, you agree to the fine print that says you may receive emails, text messages, and telephone calls, including automated artificial voice or pre-recorded messages. Even if your number is on a Do Not Call registry, clicking the “Get Your Free Quote” button gives OTTO’s partners the right to contact you. Based on customer reviews, expect them to do so frequently.

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OTTO reviews: What real customers are saying

OTTO has 2.1 stars on Trustpilot, with 1-star reviews making up 89% of the total ratings. Multiple customers called OTTO a “scam” and “misleading” and complained they received zero quotes but got bombarded with emails and phone calls from partners.

Three-star ratings, OTTO’s highest on Trustpilot, are 11% of the company’s total reviews. One reviewer found a low quote but mentioned OTTO redirected them to more than a dozen comparison websites to get three quotes.

OTTO Insurance is currently updating its Better Business Bureau (BBB) page. Most customer reviews are hidden as of September 2023 until updates are complete. However, a preview of OTTO’s most recent BBB review reveals the same pattern from other review sites.

OTTO vs. Insurify

Insurify is a quote-comparison website that provides users with real-time insurance quotes from top insurers, including household names like Progressive, Liberty Mutual, and Travelers. It’s a licensed agency in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Insurify’s company’s information is readily available, and feedback from its customers is excellent. Insurify has a Trustpilot rating of 4.4.

While OTTO does allow you to get quotes from its partners, you’ll receive few, if any, on its website after entering your information. Instead, insurance companies will contact you directly to provide quotes, which could lead to unwanted or irrelevant phone calls and emails.

OTTO vs. Jerry

Jerry is an app that lets you compare auto refinancing loans and insurance quotes from top insurers. Like Insurify, it’s a licensed insurance agency in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and customer reviews are generally positive. Jerry has an A- rating from the BBB. You can download the Jerry app and put in your info to get a quote, and Jerry indicates you won’t receive unwanted phone calls after sharing your information.

With OTTO, you may receive unwanted phone calls and email solicitations. Its partners include service providers across several categories, including home repair professionals, solar panel companies, and more.

Is OTTO a spammy site?

OTTO insurance is a legitimate company, but several customer reviews on Trustpilot mention the site spammed them with calls and emails after requesting quotes. Unlike true quote-comparison sites, where you decide which insurance companies to contact based on your quotes, OTTO is a lead generator that gives your personal information to partner companies.

Though OTTO works with several major insurers, it also has many partners that aren’t insurance companies. As a result, you could receive calls and emails from companies that don’t offer insurance if you share your information with OTTO.

10 Best and Worst Sites to Compare Car Insurance

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4.8/5

Otto Insurance FAQs

Customers hoping to buy an insurance policy through OTTO may not understand what the company offers and how to access quotes. Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about the site.

Is OTTO Insurance accredited by the BBB?
The BBB has not accredited OTTO. While this doesn’t mean OTTO isn’t trustworthy, reviews shared by consumers through the BBB website can also offer insight into a particular business’s offerings and services. OTTO is currently updating its BBB page, but previous user reviews on the BBB website were largely negative.
Is OTTO Insurance legit?
OTTO seems to be a legitimate lead-generation company, though information about it is fairly scarce. The company’s About page offers little insight into its operations or history, and its online footprint is fairly small.
How does OTTO Insurance make money?
As a lead-generation business, OTTO likely makes money by matching customers with other companies. For example, if someone submits a quote request through OTTO and purchases coverage through a partner insurer, OTTO may receive a commission, similar to how insurance agents receive commissions for policies they sell.
Is OTTO easy to use?
OTTO’s platform is relatively straightforward. Users answer a handful of questions about their vehicle, driving history, and personal details in a brief questionnaire. However, finding a policy with OTTO isn’t as simple, with many user reviews mentioning they either didn’t receive car insurance quotes or were bombarded with calls after submitting their information.
Is OTTO free?
The OTTO insurance website is free to use. Rather than charging users, lead-generation websites typically make a commission from each lead they secure. Many of OTTO’s third-party marketing partners, including Alarm Services LLC, Alderson Tile, Kawa Media, and LoanMart, don’t provide insurance products. When you use OTTO, you pay with your personal information.

Methodology

Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.

Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).

Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:

Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
No additional coverage

Full-coverage premium averages correspond to the same bodily injury and property damage limits in addition to: