Surex Insurance Review

When choosing an insurance provider, I was overwhelmed with the variety of options. Some companies are well-established names, while others I had never heard of. While it’s good to be cautious of low rates and bold claims of each company, I turned to an insurance broker, Surex, to better my chances of getting the best policy.

Surex Insurance is a relatively new online insurance broker that currently operates across Canada, excluding Quebec. Here is my in-depth Surex Insurance review to help you decide if this provider is right for you.

How does Surex Insurance work?

Surex Insurance is an insurance broker, also known as an insurance agency. It’s important to note the difference between insurance brokers and insurance companies. Insurance brokers work with insurance companies to sell their products. However, the insurance company will determine your eligibility and pay you in the case of a claim. 

Surex Insurance sells products from various insurance companies. When Surex sells a product, its partner providers pay them a commission. Surex Insurance has partnered with 14 Canadian insurance providers, including Aviva, Pembridge, Economical, and Intact, to name a few.

How I got a quote from Surex Insurance

When I got a quote for my car insurance using Surex’s online quote tool, I was asked some standard questions. For example, I had to provide my location, driving habits, the make of my car, etc.

Questions also included where I would park the car at night. They also want to know about the price I had paid for the car, if it’s leased, how many kilometers per year I drive, etc. If you’ve recently made a claim, you should disclose it. It was not my case. All this information factor in to calculate insurance costs.

The application process actually helped me find new ways to save on car insurance. For instance, I decided I was willing to download an app, as suggested by the application tool. To see the details of the quotes, I had to enter my contact information. There really was a great bunch of offers to choose from.

Working with a Surex Insurance advisor

After I provided my personal information through the online quote tool, Surex Insurance matched me with a Licensed Insurance Advisor, which the agency calls a “dedicated assistant”. I could call or email my assistant to help me understand some complicated insurance lingo I couldn’t figure out on my own!

Your assistant will go through the results from the online tool and personalize offers for you to compare. Your Surex Insurance assistant will be available to guide you through your decision and answer any questions you may have. They will also remain with you throughout your entire time as a Surex Insurance customer. If your dedicated assistant happens not to be working, another person will be covering their phone and email.

The only contact option that Surex doesn’t offer is an in-person meeting. As Surex Insurance is an entirely online agency, you will not have the option to meet with an advisor face-to-face.

What types of insurance does Surex offer?

Surex Insurance sells multiple types of insurance. In addition to home and car insurance, Surex also offers condo, tenant/renters, motorcycle, ATV, RV, trailer, travel, boat, farm, and business insurance. Auto insurance is only available for customers in Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

The availability of other types of insurance will vary, and you may have to contact Surex to find out if your province is covered. Below, I take a closer look at auto insurance and home insurance because they are the two types of insurance I got quotes for.

Surex car insurance

Beyond mandatory liability insurance, which protects others from damages that you cause, insurance providers will offer additional types of coverage to protect you in other scenarios, such as theft, natural disasters, accidents, and injured family members. Surex Insurance provides various kinds of additional coverage, including collision, comprehensive, rental car, and third-party liability coverage. 

The more coverage options you add, the higher your insurance rate will get. There are lots of other factors that influence your rate, and many of them are out of your control. So the important question is – what kinds of discounts does Surex offer?

Surex Insurance offers discounts for all different types of drivers. Some of the discounts that may be available to you include: experienced driver discounts, short commute discounts, mature citizen discounts, hybrid vehicle discounts, claim-free discounts, multi-vehicle discounts, CAA member discounts, student discounts, and more.

Surex home insurance

Surex Insurance offers both types of Canadian home insurance – broad insurance and comprehensive insurance. Additional coverage options from Surex include liability coverage, which protects you in the case of a property-related lawsuit, coverage for damage such as flooding and sewer backup, and coverage for valuable items like jewelry or art.

As for available savings, Surex advertises a comprehensive list of home insurance discounts, including car insurance bundle discounts, alarm discounts, claims-free discounts, and smoke-free discounts. 

It’s good to be aware of the different coverage types and discounts available to Canadian drivers and homeowners. You can compare different home insurance policies as you’re shopping around and before you make your final purchase. A Licensed Insurance Advisor from Surex can also help you compare your options.

What makes Surex Insurance unique?

Online insurance providers have become increasingly common in the past few years, but Surex Insurance was early to catch on. By forgoing brick-and-mortar locations, Surex has been able to offer its services to more regions across Canada. Surex’s online business model also means that customers can compare rates and purchase insurance without leaving the house or even picking up the phone. 

Surex’s Licensed Insurance Advisors, or dedicated assistants, are one of the agency’s main advertising draws. Once paired with a dedicated assistant, that person will be your constant point of contact throughout your time with Surex. Surex claims it will never tell you to “wait for the next available representative” when calling. The few times I did call them, they picked up the phone pretty quickly.

Like other insurance brokers, Surex Insurance also offers customers the advantage of choice. When you deal with a direct insurance company, you are limited to its price range and product offerings. With Surex Insurance, you can compare multiple insurance companies and find the one with the best rate for you. Surex also points out that in the case of an accident or insurance claim against you, it will compare multiple providers to ensure your new car insurance rate is the cheapest possible. 

Surex Insurance reviews from other customers

Online Surex Insurance reviews are a mixed bag. Starting with the positive, Surex has 4.7-4.8/5 ratings on Trustpilot and Google reviews based on thousands of reviews. Customers have complemented Surex’s friendly Advisors, easy process, and good savings.

Surex does have a handful of negative reviews, although the good reviews outnumber the bad. The agency has a 1.67/5 on Better Business Bureau, but that rating only comes from 6 reviews. Of course, no insurance company is without a few negative reviews. Insurance can be complicated, and customers are bound to get frustrated sometimes. All I can say is I’m a happy customer!