If you are a novice to online car insurance shopping, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of online companies offering insurance in Summerville.
If you have car insurance now, you should be able to save some money using this information. The purpose of this post is to help you learn how to get online quotes. Although South Carolina drivers can benefit by having an understanding of the way companies price online insurance and use this information to your advantage.
Comprehensive Car Insurance Comparison in Summerville
Most major insurance companies allow you to get prices for coverage on their websites. Getting online quotes is quite simple as you simply type in the coverages you want into a form. After you complete the form, the company’s rating system automatically orders your driving record and credit report and provides a quote.
Being able to quote online simplifies rate comparisons, but the time required to go to multiple sites and enter the same data into a form can get tiresome after awhile. But it is imperative to perform this step if you want to find better car insurance pricing.
The quickest way to get multiple rate quotes uses one simple form to return rates from a bunch of companies at once. The form is fast, helps eliminate reptitive entry, and makes quoting online much easier. After sending the form, it is quoted and you can select any or none of the price quotes you receive. If the quotes result in lower rates, you can simply submit the application and buy the new coverage. This process takes 15 minutes at the most and you’ll know if lower rates are available.
To save time and find out how much you’re overpaying now, simply click here to open in new window and enter your vehicle and coverage information. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you duplicate deductibles and limits identical to your current policy. Doing this assures you are getting a rate comparison based on the exact same insurance coverage.
Drivers who switch save $421 a year? Really?
Companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico constantly bombard you with ads on TV and radio. All the ads have a common claim of big savings if you switch to their company. How does each company say the same thing?
Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that makes them money. For example, a driver they prefer could be a mature driver, a clean driving record, and has a high credit rating. Any new insured who matches those parameters will qualify for the lowest rates and most likely will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.
Consumers who fall outside the requirements will have to pay higher premiums which leads to business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That is how companies can make the claims of big savings. Because of the profiling, you need to quote coverage with many companies. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
Take discounts and save
Car insurance companies do not advertise all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both well-publicized as well as the least known car insurance savings.
- Distant Student – Youth drivers who are attending college without a vehicle on campus can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may qualify you for a discount with a few car insurance companies.
- Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class in school.
- Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems can help prevent theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Multi-policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
- Seat Belt Usage – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts could cut 10% or more off your medical payments premium.
It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So even though it sounds like you could get a free car insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky.
Shop online but buy locally
A small number of people would prefer to talk to a local agent and that is OK! The best thing about getting online price quotes is you may find better rates but also keep your business local.
After filling out this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is immediately sent to participating agents in Summerville who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. You never need to drive around since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. It doesn’t get any easier! It’s the lowest rates AND an agent nearby.
Selecting an provider should depend on more than just a cheap price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
- Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- If they are an independent agency, which companies do they recommend?
Best auto insurance agent in Summerville
If you’re trying to find a good Summerville insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents that you can select. Summerville agents can either be captive or independent (non-captive).
Agency Captives
Captive insurance agents have only one company to place business with and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so they have no alternatives for high prices. These agents are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which can be an advantage. Some people will only choose to use a captive agent primarily because of loyalty to the company and strong financial ratings.
Below is a list of captive agencies in Summerville who may provide you with comparison quotes.
- Allstate Insurance – 75 Old Trolley Rd # 4 – Summerville, SC 29485 – (843) 821-4870
- Farm Bureau Insurance – 705 Old Trolley Rd # E – Summerville, SC 29485 – (843) 871-0914
- State Farm Insurance – 627 Trolley Rd # A – Summerville, SC 29485 – (843) 873-3915
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agencies are not required to write business for one company but instead can place your coverage amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.
When searching for an agent, it’s recommended you include price quotes from several independent insurance agents to get the best comparison. Many write coverage with smaller regional carriers which may provide better rates.
Shown below are Summerville independent insurance agents who can help you get price quote information.
- Metts Insurance – 705 Old Trolley Rd # C – Summerville, SC 29485 – (843) 832-9990
- John Morris Agency – 870 College Park Rd – Summerville, SC 29483 – (843) 821-7548
- Taylor Agency Inc – 100 S Main St # P – Summerville, SC 29483 – (843) 875-5449
- Plexico Insurance – 140 W Richardson Ave # B – Summerville, SC 29483 – (843) 769-0555
To view a full list of Summerville insurance agents, visit this link.
Once you have reasonable responses to your questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to provide car insurance coverage.
Even more information can be read at the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. South Carolina drivers can learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about a company, and discover disciplinary actions.
Other informative sites include BankRate.com’s Car Insurance: When not to Skimp and this resource to find Summerville, SC insurance agents.
More quotes mean more savings
Throughout this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to shop for car insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers could even find that the best prices are with some of the smallest insurance companies.
People who switch companies do it for many reasons like policy non-renewal, policy cancellation, extreme rates for teen drivers and being labeled a high risk driver. Whatever your reason, finding a great new company is actually quite simple.
Cheaper car insurance can be sourced both online in addition to many Summerville insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not provide the ability to get a quote online and these smaller companies work with independent agents.