When you have a car, the one thing that’s essential to have is car insurance. In this digital world, where more and more individuals and companies are turning to work online, one great thing you can do online is to get your car insurance.
But before you dive straight into buying your car insurance online, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of making that choice, instead of going through an insurance agent.
Cheaper by Skipping the Middleman
The middleman (the insurance agent) is the person who works as the go-between for the insurance company and the policyholder. When you work with an agent, it comes at an extra charge, whether you are aware of it or not. By getting your car insurance online, you get to skip the middleman, and in theory, it should work out cheaper for you in the long run. But, as car insurance is quite complex and there are many different considerations that go into making up your final quote, it’s not always going to be cheaper. Either way, you should check it out.
More Transparent – Price Comparison is Easier
When you buy insurance from an agent, you don’t get to see all of the different options available to you. You just have to trust that they have your best interest in mind when giving you a quote, as opposed to their commission. By shopping online, you can get multiple quotes in a matter of minutes, and you don't need to wait for someone to get back to you. You can then view all of the different options within each policy and choose the best package for you based on price and requirements. It’s not always best to go with the cheapest option. By going online, you can check out the reviews for the different companies, as what appears to be too good to be true generally is.
Purchase Insurance Anytime
We all lead very busy lives, so it’s not always convenient to wait till office hours to get your car insurance taken care of. By shopping online, you get to do it from the comfort of your own home or office and at any time of day or night that’s most convenient for you.
Instant Access to Insurance Documents
When you go through an agent to purchase your car insurance, you have to wait for them to send your documents in the mail. They can sometimes send you a copy by email, but that can also take time. When you purchase your car insurance online, you get immediate access to your documents and are able to print them out and have them with you right away. This is very useful when you buy a new car and need to show proof of insurance before you’re allowed to drive it off the lot.
Ask Insurance Questions Online
One of the great features that online car insurance companies have is a question and answer section. Here, you’re likely to find the answer to any questions you may have, with the added option of being able to ask any questions that you can’t find the answer to on their site.
Difficult to Speak with a Person
One of the disadvantages of going with an online car insurance company is that you don't always have the choice of talking to a person. Sometimes, there are things that require being able to speak to someone in person; if you want to check certain details on a policy or you have requirements that aren’t available online. When you deal with an agent, you get personal attention, unlike when you call the helpline for an online company. With an online company, you don’t get service from a dedicated agent; you’ll most likely speak to a different person each time.
Prior Insurance Knowledge Required
When you fill out the form online to get your insurance quote, you need to fill in a lot of information, much of which you won’t have immediate knowledge of or access to. It can be very time consuming, as opposed to when you go through an agent, and they do most of the leg work.
Lack of Help Filing a Claim
It’s very stressful being in an accident or needing to make a claim, and when you go through an online insurance company, you have to file the claim by yourself. That can just add to your stress. When you go through an agent, they take care of it on your behalf and therefore take a lot of the stress from you.
Computer Knowledge Needed
If you don’t have the knowledge needed to apply for insurance online or are not computer literate, it can be very hard and extremely stressful. It would not be advised to try and get your insurance this way.
Cheap Online Insurance Requires a Relatively Clean Insurance Background
In order to get cheap insurance online, the cheaper options tend to be for those with clean insurance histories. Without the personal touch of an agent, the insurance companies can’t take different variables into consideration. So, if your background is not as straightforward, it probably won’t work out cheaper for you online.
Bottom Line
Whether you decide to get your car insurance through an agent or online, make sure you don’t just go with the first option available. Shop around in order to make the best decision for you.