QuoteWizard Car Insurance Review: Spam Risk, Quotes, and More

QuoteWizard lets you compare insurance products such as car and home insurance. It’s a longstanding online insurance comparison site that’s now part of the LendingTree family.

But the site isn’t actually for comparing quotes. It’s actually a lead-generation site that builds partnerships with third-party agents, other lead-generation sites, and (potentially) insurance companies. In other words, you won’t get real quotes from QuoteWizard directly.

Instead, the company may pass you off to partner sites without giving you a quote — only for you to receive lots of phone calls and other communication from those partners. And while some people buy policies from those partners, the quote process isn’t as advertised. This leads to a lot of frustration on the customer side.

QuoteWizard: What to Know

QuoteWizard was founded in 2006 and purchased by LendingTree in 2018 for $370.2 million. Though it’s often described as an insurance comparison online marketplace that helps users find lower rates, the company is an “insurance leads, clicks, and calls generation platform,” according to its own “About” page.

QuoteWizard gives you “quotes” for auto, home, and health insurance products. But it’s actually acquiring “leads” (that include your personal information) for insurance agents. So, you can only buy a policy from a third-party agent. There’s no mobile app, but the website is simple to use, even if it’s a bit misleading. The site advertises “Cheapest Rates in 2 Minutes,” but that was far from what I experienced.

The company also places logos from top insurance companies on its homepage and within its quote form. A third-party agent may get you a quote from these companies, but you won’t get one directly from the QuoteWizard site.

This may be why some users have raised concerns about the platform potentially selling their information. Based on its privacy statement, the company doesn’t appear to engage in spam, but some of its partners (companies it passes your information to with your approval) might.

How to Compare Car Insurance Quotes on QuoteWizard

QuoteWizard’s form was clear and easy to complete. Below are the steps to start the quote process through QuoteWizard.

I began the quoting process by going to the QuoteWizard homepage and entering my ZIP code.

The first set of questions was about my vehicle. I also noticed that the page advertised that I could “discover quotes” from 80 companies.

Here, I entered my vehicle’s year, make, model, and trim level.

It also asked about my insurance history.

The next few questions were about my current insurance company and coverage lapses.

The following few screens asked for my gender, marital status, and homeownership status.

I was also offered a renters insurance quote.

Then, I was asked about my driving history (and if anyone on my policy has had any accidents).

I was also asked about my veteran status.

I entered my personal information on the final three screens, including age, contact information, and address.

Finally, I submitted my application to get my quotes.

But instead of quotes, I got a series of advertisements to use other quoting services. Some of these were well known to me — Otto, for example, is another lead-generation site known for spamming its customers. Others, like Best Auto Insurance, I hadn’t heard of.

I did some quick research to determine that every company on the list — except Compare.com — was a lead-generation company that didn’t provide actual live quotes.

So, no quotes. But I wanted to see how long it would take to get an actual quote, so I followed the recommended link to SmartFinancial. That sent me to InsuredNation, which sent me to Insurify, which sent me to Jerry. I filled out a form on Jerry and still received no quotes. Instead, I was invited to download an app to view the quotes.

I decided to call it quits at this point after entering my personal info multiple times on multiple sites. Overall, I was disappointed in the “quoting” process. You’d be much better off going directly to a real comparison platform, like Compare.com or Insurify.

QuoteWizard Reviews: What Real Customers Are Saying

QuoteWizard earns one out of five stars at the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and 1.8 stars on Trustpilot. The reviews skew negative, but there were admittedly few positive reviews.

Notably, some didn’t align with my experience and claimed to have received quotes they could compare on the site. What seemed to be trustworthy were the positive reviews of working with agents to purchase a policy. It’s unclear if the agents are from a third party or QuoteWizard.

In any case, a few customers had a positive experience, including this review below.

But most customers provided negative reviews of the service, even calling it a “scam,” as in this review below.

In the next review, the customer frustratingly never gets a quote online. This was very similar to my experience with the company.

QuoteWizard vs. Compare.com

Both QuoteWizard and Compare.com advertise as car insurance comparison platforms that can get you the best rates but differ greatly in business model and quoting capabilities.

QuoteWizard has an easy-to-use website and can get you to an insurance agent. Agents ultimately help people compare insurance options and purchase a new policy. It can also pass your information to other quote-comparison or lead-generation websites and will share your information within the LendingTree family.

Compare.com, on the other hand, focuses on getting you real, live quotes right away. It puts the comparing process in your hands: You compare quotes with the website, not an agent.

The website provides information about your quotes, but you typically don’t have to talk to anyone to buy your policy.

Finally, few customers report Compare.com as a “spammy” site, while QuoteWizard has a fair number of customer reviews and complaints detailing spam-like practices.

Here’s how the two sites stack up:

*The number of real-time quotes generated is for a 30-year-old female living in Austin, Texas, driving a 2018 Toyota RAV4, with an at-fault accident in the last three years. The number of quotes you receive from each platform may vary based on your driver profile.

QuoteWizard vs. NerdWallet

NerdWallet and QuoteWizard are fairly similar when it comes to insurance comparison. Both companies function as lead-generation websites to primarily source customers (you) for third parties. The companies have received a fair number of customer reviews that claim they were spammed after using the services.

Both companies can connect you with insurance agents for several insurance products, including auto and homeowners insurance. But NerdWallet offers additional financial services, such as credit monitoring, lending solutions (mortgages, personal loans, credit cards, etc.), and more.

So, while NerdWallet spreads its attention across the personal financial services world, QuoteWizard focuses more closely on insurance products. But you can work with QuoteWizard’s parent company, LendingTree, for help with lending and other financial needs.

QuoteWizard vs. The Zebra

The Zebra and Compare.com have more in common than either with QuoteWizard. Similar to Compare.com, The Zebra provides real, live quotes to customers at the end of the quote flow. It has a simple form that you fill out to get your quotes.

The Zebra quoting form is a little more in-depth with its questionnaire, which means the quote it generates will be fairly accurate. If you buy from one of its partners, your information is usually transferred seamlessly to the partner for purchase. Still, most customers receive ad-heavy results with fewer rates than you might see with Compare.com.

QuoteWizard operates as a lead generator for agents and agencies, so its main purpose is to get your information to insurance agents or an agency that helps you complete your purchase.

Despite filling out QuoteWizard’s initial form, its partners may ask for your information more than once, including your driving history, vehicle, location, and other information pertinent to getting you an accurate quote.

Is QuoteWizard a Spammy Site?

QuoteWizard isn’t an especially spammy site. While it may use various marketing strategies to attract users, it doesn’t engage in the specific deceptive practices typically associated with spam.

Still, you should expect to receive follow-up emails after submitting your form and possible contact from LendingTree and its affiliates if it believes you’d be interested in other products (according to its privacy statement). If you leave the site to get a quote from one of its partners, you can expect follow-up emails (and possibly phone calls) from those companies, which can be somewhat annoying.

Depending on the privacy rules of those partners, you may receive spam. For example, Otto is particularly known for its spammy practices based on customer feedback. Some customers report receiving telemarketing calls.

Keep in mind that you won’t receive any actual quotes after submitting your form with QuoteWizard. Not getting what’s promised can certainly make things seem spammy, even without getting thousands of emails.

QuoteWizard FAQs

Customers have had a lot of questions about the QuoteWizard car insurance quoting service. Below are some quick answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Is QuoteWizard easy to use?

Yes. QuoteWizard is user-friendly, providing a seamless quote form. Users often find its interface intuitive and easy to navigate. But the site doesn’t return any live rates or estimated quotes. Instead, it directs you to one of its partners — typically other quote-generation or lead-generation sites.

Is QuoteWizard a trustworthy site?

It depends. The trustworthiness of QuoteWizard lies in its role as a connecting platform between users and insurance companies. It doesn’t sell insurance directly but facilitates the comparison process, relying on reputable insurers in its network. On the other hand, it advertises quotes from insurance companies but doesn’t actually provide them.

Does it cost money to use QuoteWizard?

No. Using QuoteWizard is generally free for users. The platform earns revenue through referral fees from its partners when users select policies through the site.

How does QuoteWizard make money?

QuoteWizard’s revenue model centers on receiving commissions from its partners for customer referrals. Insurers pay QuoteWizard when users choose their policies through the platform, making it a lead-generation company instead of an insurance broker or agency.

Methodology

Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance rates from more than 75 partner insurance providers to compile the quotes and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information. All the quotes listed in this article have been gathered from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide drivers with insight into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.

Sources

1. Crunchbase, “QuoteWizard,” Accessed January 22, 2024.
2. PR Newswrite, “LendingTree, Inc. Completes Acquisition of QuoteWizard.com, LLC; Announces Amendment of Revolving Credit Facility,” Accessed January 22, 2024.
3. BBB Business Profiles, “Customer Reviews for QuoteWizard.com LLC,” Accessed January 22, 2024.
4. Clearsurance, “QuoteWizard,” Accessed January 22, 2024.
5. Trustpilot, “QuoteWizard,” Accessed January 22, 2024.
6. Trustpilot, “NerdWallet: ‘Spam’ Search,” Accessed January 22, 2024.