6 Discounts Oceanside Consumers Miss when Quoting Auto Insurance Online
Have you fallen victim to overpriced auto insurance? Trust us when we tell you there are a lot of people in Oceanside just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy. Big companies like State Farm and GEICO continually bombard you with ad campaigns and it is difficult to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and find the best price available.
Smart consumers take time to do rate comparisons once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance rates trend upward over time. If you had the lowest price on your last policy other companies may now be cheaper. Ignore everything you know about auto insurance because I’m going to let you in on the secrets to the proper way to find better coverage at a better price.
If you have a policy now or need a new policy, you can use this information to shop for the lowest rates while maintaining coverages. Finding the best rates in Oceanside is not that difficult. California drivers only need to know the most effective way to compare rates over the internet.
Discounts are great for lower rates
Companies don’t always list all their discounts very well, so we researched some of the best known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you are throwing money away.
- Drive Less and Save – Fewer annual miles can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
- Student in College – Youth drivers who live away from home and don’t have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
- Accident Forgiveness – A few companies will allow you to have one accident before your rates go up so long as you haven’t had any claims for a certain period of time.
- Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
- Accident Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially when compared to drivers who are more careless.
- Paperwork-free – Some insurance companies will give a small break for buying your policy over the internet.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.
To see a list of insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts in California, click here to view.
Where Can I Get Cheap Oceanside Auto Insurance?
Lowering your auto insurance rates isn’t really that difficult. The only thing you need to do is take time to get quotes online with multiple companies. This is very easy and can be done in just a few minutes using one of these methods.
The single most time-saving way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This type of form eliminates the need for a different quote for each company. One form gets you coverage quotes from auto insurance companies with the best prices.
A more difficult way to compare prices requires visiting each company’s website and fill out their own quote form. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want to compare rates from Nationwide, Farmers and Travelers. To find out each rate you need to visit each site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.
For a handy list of car insurance company links in Oceanside, click here.
The hardest way to compare rates is to drive around to insurance agents’ offices. The ability to buy insurance online eliminates the need for an insurance agent unless you prefer the personal advice only provided by licensed agents. You can, however, obtain prices from the web and get advice from an agent in your area.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but be sure to compare apples-to-apples deductibles and coverage limits on every quote you get. If the quotes have different deductibles you can’t possibly truly determine the lowest rate in Oceanside.
Your insurance agent down the street
Some people prefer to buy from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. Educated insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and give you someone to call. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you can get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, your insurance coverage information is submitted to agents in your area who will battle for your business. There is no reason to even leave your home due to the fact that quote results will go straight to your inbox.
Deciding on an insurance company requires more thought than just a low price. Agents should be asked these questions:
- Who are their largest clients?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in California?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- How are they compensated?
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
What type of Oceanside car insurance agent is right for you?
When researching a good Oceanside insurance agent, there are two types of insurance agents to choose from. Agencies in Oceanside are classified as either independent or captive. Both insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn how they are different because it can influence your selection of an agent.
Captive Agents
These agents are contracted to one company and some examples include State Farm or Allstate. They are unable to place coverage with different providers so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agents are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents.
Below are Oceanside captive insurance agencies that are able to give price quotes.
Farmers Insurance Group – 2110 S Coast Hwy # N – Oceanside, CA 92054 – (760) 439-9196
Allstate Insurance – 2204 S El Camino Real # 12 – Oceanside, CA 92054 – (760) 721-7030
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency. When comparison shopping, you should always get quotes from at a minimum one independent agency for maximum quote selection.
Shown below are Oceanside independent insurance agents that can give you price quotes.
Gary Meeker Agency – 2110 S Coast Hwy # N – Oceanside, CA 92054 – (760) 439-9191
Marcus O’Bannon Agency – 2110 S Coast Hwy # N – Oceanside, CA 92054 – (760) 722-7400
First Preferred Insurance – 514 N Coast Hwy – Oceanside, CA 92054 – (760) 754-7000
Gateway Insurance – 923 S Coast Hwy – Oceanside, CA 92054 – (760) 439-1323
For a complete listing of auto insurance agents in Oceanside, visit this site.
Upon getting reasonable responses to these questions as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that meets your needs to properly service your auto insurance policy. Just keep in mind you can always terminate coverage at any time so don’t feel you’re contractually obligated to your new company for the full term.
Auto insurance coverages 101
Knowing the specifics of auto insurance aids in choosing which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are typical coverages available from auto insurance companies.
Medical expense coverage
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses such as doctor visits, pain medications and chiropractic care. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you lack health insurance entirely. It covers all vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage
Auto liability
Liability coverage protects you from damage that occurs to other’s property or people in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, $300,000 for the entire accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage pays for things like emergency aid, repair costs for stationary objects and court costs. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but buy higher limits if possible. California requires minimum liability limits of 15,000/30,000/5,000 but you should consider buying better liability coverage.
Collision protection
Collision insurance pays for damage to your vehicle from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision insurance covers claims such as crashing into a building, backing into a parked car and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.
Comprehensive protection
This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like fire damage, rock chips in glass, a broken windshield and hitting a deer. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other motorists when they do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your vehicle.
Due to the fact that many California drivers carry very low liability coverage limits (which is 15/30/5), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.
A tidy conclusion
Cost effective auto insurance is definitely available on the web in addition to many Oceanside insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers do not provide online price quotes and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
While you’re price shopping online, never reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, drivers have reduced collision coverage and discovered at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
More tips and info about auto insurance is located at the California Department of Insurance website. California drivers can read enforcement actions against agents and companies, get help finding coverage, find disaster information, and file complaints about a company.
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