The benefits and drawbacks of buying your auto insurance online

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 29th, 2010

With the Internet providing great shopping experience to most online buyers, people are now willing to buy more than just books and gifts on the net. The shopping list now includes financial products like insurance and mortgages.

An auto loan is one such product that you can purchase on the net with some great advantages. Instead of approaching several different automobile dealers or banks and credit unions, one only needs to fill in one simple form to get multiple quotes from several auto insurance providers. The quotes are free and receiving them does not subject you to any prior commitment. This allows the prospective buyer to browse, consider and compare all the possible options available to him and choose and change insurance companies according to his requirement.

Most online auto insurance companies offer very competitive rates that are made possible by the low overhead costs of their virtual offices. In addition, the cutthroat competition in the segment adds to a price war that works in favor of the customers as it has virtually eliminated application fees and made costs cutting a company priority for insurers.

Online shopping for auto insurance includes not only finding the lowest rate of interest but also exploring the various discounts that are available on different policies. You may qualify for a discount if you fulfill certain requirements like installing a vehicle safety alarm system or taking a certified driving course or already carrying multiple insurance policies from a particular auto insurance company.

The biggest advantage of buying online is the convenience it gives. One can connect to the net at one?s own convenience and complete all the necessary steps right from inquiry, to comparing the quotes to actually applying for the insurance policy. One need not schedule a meeting with any auto insurance agent or endure his sales gimmicks.

The facility of payment calculator available on auto insurance sites gives a precise knowledge of what impact a particular payment rate, (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually etc.) has on the total payment due on the policy. Shoppers can work on the calculator to work out which policy suits him the best.

Though there are certain disadvantages to purchasing auto insurance online, most them get outweighed by the benefits. When purchasing online, one has to be very careful about submitting the accurate personal and credit information. Any error can rob you of the best possible quotes. Check for any non-disclosure agreements on the site of the insurance company and internal security measures taken by the company so that you know that any sensitive information about your credit doesn?t get circulated on the net.

Another common error is to value flash over substance. Don?t get fooled by impressive looking web sites and quotes that look too good to be true. Before making any final decision, ensure that the company has a physical address, a good customer support system and that someone from the company has actually bothered to get in touch with you personally. Overall, a little caution can do away with the risks of buying online and get you a good auto insurance policy