Is Your Greer, SC Auto Insurance Too High?

Nobody I know looks forward to paying for auto insurance, especially when the cost is way too high.

There are many auto insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s a good thing to have a choice, it can be more challenging to find a good deal.

Buying car insurance in Greer is quite easy. Just about every driver who buys auto insurance stands a good chance to be able to lower their premiums. But South Carolina vehicle owners need to learn how big insurance companies sell insurance online because it can help you find the best coverage.

How to Get Greer Auto Insurance Comparison Quotes

Shopping for lower auto insurance rates can take time and effort if you don’t utilize the most efficient way. You can waste a lot of time driving to agents in Greer, or you can utilize the web to accomplish the same thing much quicker.

All the larger companies belong to an insurance system that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and each participating company returns a rated price for coverage. This eliminates the need for form submissions to each company.

To enter your information into the quoting system, click to open in new window.

The only drawback to getting quotes like this is you don’t know exactly the providers to receive prices from. If you wish to select specific providers to compare, we have a page of low cost auto insurance companies in South Carolina. View list of South Carolina insurance companies. Greer auto insurance

However you get your quotes, double check that you are using identical information for every quote you compare. If you enter higher or lower deductibles it’s impossible to find the best deal in Greer. Slightly different limits may result in large price differences. Just remember that quoting more provides better odds of finding lower pricing.

Save money by taking advantage of these discounts

Auto insurance companies do not advertise every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so the following is a list of some of the best known and the more hidden savings tricks you should be using.

Drivers Ed for Students – Require your teen driver to successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
Accident Forgiveness – Some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a certain period of time.
Senior Citizens – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may qualify for reduced rates.
Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may save up to 20% off your total premium.
Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
Discount for Good Grades – Getting good grades can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
New Vehicle Savings – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can save up to 30% because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.

Drivers should understand that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it doesn’t quite work that way.

To see a list of companies with discount auto insurance rates in South Carolina, click here to view.

Tips to Get Lower Greer Rates

Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that go into determining the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Traffic violations increase rates – Your driving citation history impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Just one ticket can bump up the cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who don’t get tickets tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations such as DUI or reckless driving may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
Rural vs Urban Areas – Living in less populated areas can be a good thing when insuring your vehicles. Fewer drivers means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Urban drivers regularly have much more traffic to deal with and longer commute times. Higher commute times can result in more accidents.
Pay less after the wedding – Getting married can get you a discount when buying auto insurance. It translates into being more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.
Higher deductibles cost less – Physical damage coverage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, damage caused by hail, or theft. The deductibles are how much you are required to spend in the event of a claim. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive.
Don’t let your coverage lapse – Not having insurance is a misdemeanor and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance may earn you a steep fine or even jail time.You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with the South Carolina DMV.
Liability coverage is peace of mind – The liability section of your policy is the coverage that protects you when a court rules you are at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not skimp.
Is your vehicle built for speed? – The make and model of the car you are buying insurance for makes a substantial difference in your rates. Small economy passenger cars usually have the lowest rates, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors.
Special features that cut premiums – Purchasing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.

Advertising myths

Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. All the companies make the same claim of big savings after switching your coverage to them. But how can every company make the same claim?

Insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver that is profitable for them. An example of a profitable customer could be over the age of 40, insures multiple vehicles, and has a short commute. Any driver who matches those parameters receives the best rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Drivers who don’t qualify for these standards must pay a higher premium which usually ends up with the customer not buying. The ads say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers must get as many quotes as possible. It’s not possible to predict which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Keep this in mind

When shopping online for auto insurance, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. Your strategy should be to get the best coverage possible at the best price, not the least amount of coverage.

In this article, we covered some good ideas how you can compare auto insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest premiums are with some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm and Allstate.

Additional South Carolina consumer information

Even more information can be found at the South Carolina Department of Insurance website. South Carolina drivers can file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, discover disciplinary actions, find a variety of consumer forms, and get help finding coverage.