The Pros and Cons of Buying Online Car Insurance

You’ve probably seen all the funny commercials with the alternately cute and annoying creatures that offer online insurance quotes, and guarantee they’ll put the premiums you’re paying with your current provider to shame. But just as you shouldn’t discount the possibility that these companies could offer superior service because they’re primarily based online, you also shouldn’t let yourself be fooled by promises of fabulous coverage at unbelievably low prices. Here are just a few of the pros and cons you face when shopping for online car insurance.

The Pros of Online Car Insurance
 

• Information at your speed, on your terms. Most people feel intimidated by having to meet an insurance agent in person to establish coverage, primarily because of the fact that many aren’t as versed in the mountain of considerations that should be made when picking insurance. Along with the ability to provide instant insurance quotes, online insurance providers appeal to the desire of some to make decisions on their own timetable without having to feel pressured.
• Self-serve car insurance. There used to be a time when the majority of people still preferred to deal with other human beings when making decisions as important as insurance coverage, but the popularity of online car insurance companies proves this is no longer the case. This is especially true with young driver car insurance, where online companies continue to appeal to and receive the lion’s share of the youth demographic. Online insurance is particularly popular with people who know exactly what they want and don’t want the hassle of having to deal with what they perceive as pushy insurance agents to get it.
• Convenience. With the increased scarcity of people who actually work regular nine-to-five schedules comes the need to be able to call on an insurance agent at any hour of the day. No other method provides the ability for someone with a busy schedule to look into online insurance quotes than the online method, which can be bookmarked and doesn’t require calls during business hours or holding for the next available agent.

The Cons of Online Car Insurance
Although there are people out there who’ll swear by the positive experiences they’ve had over the course of years dealing with online car insurance providers, the prevailing consensus is that online insurance companies are simple to deal with when signing up, but sometimes impossible to work with when it comes to filing timely claims. Add to that the fact that with an online insurance provider you don’t have the ability just swing by the local branch and have a face-to-face with a dedicated insurance agent, and you’ve got what many would call an undesirable situation.
 

• Difficulty building a relationship. When you sign up with an online auto insurance provider, you give up several things in trade for the convenience aspect. One of these is the ability to build a relationship with your insurance agent—something that’s been a mainstay of traditional insurance interactions for a long time. People represented by online insurance companies rarely ever speak to the same person twice, a fact that doesn’t sit well with the more old fashioned crowd used to the TLC of a single point of contact.
• Location restrictions. Not all online insurers are authorized to operate in your state, so depending on where you live you may not be eligible for some of the special rates you’ve heard about on radio ads and TV commercials.