The Different Types Of Online Auto Insurance Quotes Online Auto Insurance Quotes
Getting insurance quotes online is very convenient, but just how accurate can it be?
To answer this question, you have to first understand what you are dealing with. There are two types of auto insurance quote websites, let’s take a look at them:
The first type of quoting system is provided by individual insurance companies and allows you to compare multiple policies from that same, single provider. (Some of these companies will also provide their competitor’s quotes as well, to let you know how much better their prices are.) The advantage of using these types of insurance quote providers (direct quotes from that provider) is that you get the most up to date, accurate quotes as you will not be going through a 3rd party. Sites like Geico and Progressive fall into this category of insurance quoting systems.
Other quote providers will allow your to compare insurance rates from multiple different insurance providers nationally and locally. After entering details pertaining to your vehicle and driving history, you will get matched with companies who fit your bill. Using this type of service, you can quickly narrow down your search to companies that provide what you are looking for. Sites like this one, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.com, provide this type of service.
Think of the first type of insurance provider as an agent and the second type as a broker. The agent will try to sell you an insurance policy from the specific company that they work with. The broker sells many insurance brands and will be able to help you shop around for the best rate.
But just how accurate can these insurance quotes really be?
Well, they will be about as accurate as you let them. If you provide them with honest, up-to-date, detailed information about yourself and your vehicle, you will get very accurate quotes. If you rush through the quote form and don’t fill it out carefully, you will get inaccurate quotes. Like the old adage says, “garbage in, garbage out.” This applies perfectly to auto insurance quotes.
It’s probably best to remember some things about these quote services:
Short quote forms will probably provide you with the least accurate auto insurance quote. If the insurance quote form only asks for 5 pieces of information…let’s say name, address, birth date, car model, and year, they will obviously not be able to provide you with accurate prices. Another provider who makes you fill out a long, in depth survey about your vehicle history, driving history, use of the vehicle, credit history, etc., will give you a much more accurate quote.The down side of the longer quote forms is that although they will provide you with the most accuracy, they are also going to be a bigger hassle to fill out. Short quote forms, while convenient, fast, and easy to use, will often times be very inaccurate.
All insurance providers are not the time. And good price does not always equate to good quality. Once you compare your quotes and get a rate and policy that fits your needs, you need to read reviews of the company to make sure they are trustworthy. If a auto insurance company is very cheap, yet also has very poor consumer reviews, you should probably opt for the more expensive, reliable company. The cheaper provider might save you a few dollars to begin with, but in the long run, you might waste even more money paying for repairs yourself due to their poor claim handling.
To give you an idea of how accurate these quote providers can be, let me give you a personal example. I am a 30 year old single male. I have been in one accident when I was 18 and haven’t had any accidents or traffic violations since then. I drive a 2003 BMW X5. I live in a very densely populated area that is known for high insurance rates (Boston, MA). I was quoted by this website, 4AutoInsuranceQuote.com, to pay $80/month for insurance through MetLife. After talking to the agent after getting this quote, I was able to get some discounts to bring my rate down to $69/month.
In conclusion, online insurance quotes can be very accurate. You just need to know where to look.
How to get an accurate quote
Getting a quote for your auto insurance rate is a great way to save both time and money. Quality quoting services can speed up the process of comparing quotes for you and your family. However, just like any type of automated service, they have their limitations. The only way to know how accurate they will be is to, well, get quotes.
To begin, a quick Google search for “auto insurance quotes” will be your best bet. Alternatively, you can use the insurance quote tool provided by us. To begin, enter your zip code at the top of this page. From there, you will be asked to fill out a brief three page questionaire. You will then receive quotes from multiple insurance providers both locally and nationally. Accuracy is guaranteed.
