Noyes, Hall & Allen Blog

Adventures in Car Insurance Shopping

April 28th, 2009

Let’s face it. No one shops for car insurance for fun. You’re getting your first car, moving off of someone else’s policy, combining coverage, moving to a new area, trying to improve your coverage – or save money.

Not only can it be a pain, but it can be confusing, too:

The Fallacy of The Caveman
Technology brings all sorts of information and power to the consumer quickly and easily. TV ads stress how fast and easy it is to get a quote. This is a great way to gather information before making a decision – and many consumers use it precisely this way. It’s not such a great way to buy insurance.

The danger is that getting your own quote turns you into your own insurance advisor. The computer will quote whatever you ask it to. Maybe you’ve entered all the information correctly; maybe not. Maybe your coverage is appropriate for your situation; maybe not.

Add to this the fact that not every company offers comparable limits and coverage, and it’s no wonder that shopping is confusing, and why some people report results like this:


Does anyone really believe that they’re getting the same coverage if they pay 10% of what they were before? For that matter, what does $162.00 insurance even cover?

Part of what you get when you consult an insurance agent (like us, for example) is advice on what to buy, and help comparing one company to another.

Check out this guy:

Just because you CAN get a car insurance quote in 15 minutes doesn’t mean you have to make your decision in that time frame! This guy couldn’t even wait for the company’s web site to come back up. Apparently price was his only consideration. But what did he buy? Does he really know that he got a good deal?
Insurance: Just a Promise
When you’re shopping, don’t forget that insurance is only a promise to pay in the event of a loss. Consulting a good local agent usually costs no more than doing it yourself – and an agent can help you decide what to buy, compare different proposals, and evaluate the insurance company behind the quote.
Our recommendation: Use the power and speed of the internet to do your research, but take your time, talk to others and choose wisely.


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good comments, but overwhelmed by article's context. Ins. agents must serve clients best we can in challenging environment.

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