There are many reasons why a consumer might consider switching car insurance. The premiums are rising instead of falling, perhaps the customer service leaves a lot to be desired, maybe the claims process is a nightmare with your current insurer. Sometimes our driving situations change and that may call for a change in your insurance provider at the same time.
The goal is to find Williamsburg cheap car insurance but not so cheap that you insurer is nowhere to be found when the time comes to file a claim or, worse, doesn’t cover certain perils and conditions up to a certain limit and now you’re left paying out of pocket for some or all the costs associated with your accident.
Whatever the reason may be, you’re ready to switch but you’re not too sure how to do that, what it might entail, and you’re worried you won’t be able to drive your automobile for any length of time.
We’re here to clear up any confusion by explaining how to switch car insurance companies. These are simple, straightforward steps that you already took when you bought your first policy, just be careful about losing your coverage during this transition.
Review Your Existing Coverage
Now that you’ve decided to change insurance companies, you need to break out your current policy and review your coverage. Chances are you haven’t read your car insurance policy in quite awhile and it will be very helpful to familiarize yourself with all of the important components that the policy contains.
What are your limits? What is covered? What kind of coverage do you presently own? You will find all of these things on the declarations page of the policy. Everything about your coverage is spelled out in black and white. You will need this information handy when you start on the next step of this process. If you don’t have a copy of this page at your disposal, you can request it from your insurance provider or you might be able to find it in your online account.
Get Those Quotes
You did this the first time you bought insurance, so this step should be somewhat familiar to you. Even if it’s been awhile since you’ve had to compare quotes, you will need to perform the same personal information submissions and have your vehicle’s VIN number handy as well as your driver’s license.
You’ll want to get online and start hitting up all of the major insurers for quotes. Just about all of them offer free car insurance quotes to prospective buyers and you should never pay even a small fee to get a quote from any provider. Not only is this an unnecessary cost but it’s a red flag that the company charging you for a quote may not be on the up and up and that’s not someone you want to do business with, especially when it comes to automobile coverage.
That declarations page for your current policy will be helpful when you’re filling out all of those insurance quote applications because it contains all of your current insurance limits and coverages. You will need to make sure the quote you’re receiving will be for a similar policy, unless you want to make changes to your current coverage.
It’s possible you could now be eligible for more coverage at a lower rate due to changes in your driving record or other life changes that affect your current driving situation.
Don’t Allow A Lapse In Coverage
As you shop around for a new insurer, be sure you’re not allowing your current coverage to run out. Many consumers will decide to make a much-needed change in their insurance company towards the end of their existing coverage. Instead of renewing they may opt instead to switch providers.
This is perfectly fine, but just be sure that you have your new policy in place before your current policy expires. It’s even better to have two policies overlapping for a very brief period of time instead of having a lapse in coverage on your record. Automobile insurance providers will check for lapses in coverage with new potential customers and if they find such a lapse on your record, it could drastically affect your premiums, driving them higher than if you had maintained constant coverage.
Do Your Due Diligence
Now that you’ve gathered all of your free insurance quotes, it’s time to compare and contrast the companies that gave them to you. This is where you need to start searching online to get the lowdown on these providers. You can bet you’ll find all of the good, bad, and ugly when it comes to insurance companies online.
Check out the social media pages of these insurance companies. Read the reviews and responses from customers who are either happy or not so much with these providers. Be sure to take reactions with a grain of salt, positive and negative. See what kind of response the company offers to problems on social media and check out any consumer websites that review the services of insurance providers.
You can also check out a company’s track record by looking them up at the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. If the NAIC doesn’t back the company, you may want to steer clear.
Once you’ve done all of your research into the solvency, integrity, and track record of all your insurance providers, it’s time to start comparing prices and coverage options. You want to pay as little as possible, but don’t skimp on coverage limits and options of your policy. Paying less each month on your premiums could actually cost you a whole lot more when it comes time to file a claim.
Inform Your Current Provider
You’ve chosen another company to provide you with automobile coverage. But before you pull the trigger, call your current company and let them know you’ve found similar or increased levels of coverage at a lower rate. Chances are your company may try to match it by reviewing your policy and identifying any redundancies, out of date limits, or simply offering to lower your rate based on your driving record.
If you still aren’t satisfied with their offer for coverage, purchase your coverage from the new insurance company and inform your present provider you will not be renewing your policy when it expires.