Car Insurance Comparison
January 19th, 2011Car insurance comparison needn’t be a chore. To make it easy and even fun just follow the information in this site. You will soon know everything you need to think about when you are shopping around for your next auto insurance policy. Read the small print first, not when you are actually making a claim!
The important points we will be discussing include:
- No claims discounts
- Courtesy car provision
- Vandalism and malicious damage
- Windscreen cover
- Medical expenses
- Breakdown cover and vehicle recovery
- Guaranteed approved claims repairs
- Motor legal protection
- Additional driver insurance
- Keycare packages
- Cashback rewards
No Claims Discounts
If you have been accident and claim free for more than a couple of years then no claims discounts can be very important. A no claims discount can lower your costs by a large amount of money. It is often worthwhile to pay more for your insurance if it includes the option to lock-in your no claims bonus. Some providers offer up to nine years no-claims discount.
Some insurers offer “protected” no claims discounts. This means that you are allowed a predetermined number of claims each year and your discount will remain intact. With the high cost of insuring your car nowadays, a saving like this can mean you may pay up to less than half the full cost of your policy. If you are accident and claim free and have already got a couple of years of “no claims” then this is well worth considering.
Courtesy Cars
If your vehicle is off the road due to an accident it can be very inconvenient. After all, you still have to get to work, get the kids to school and often this is impossible to do using public transport. So ask yourself this question when comparing insurance quotes; does my policy include a courtesy car? If so, what car is provided? After all, a small runabout is little use if you have a large family or require a specially adapted vehicle.
Vandalism and malicious damage
If vandalism or malicious damage happen to your car, then getting it fixed can be costly. Modern car repairs can be very expensive. Just getting a wing mirror replaced on a low end model can run into several hundred dollars in repair bills. Sure, a small dent or scratch to a panel can be lived with, but it will affect the resale value of your car considerably. Getting a dent removed or a panel resprayed costs a lot of money at the paint shop. Make sure that you are covered for this when you are making a car insurance quote comparison.
Windscreen Cover
Windscreen or windshield? Which term you use to describe it doesn’t really matter. In either case, getting a smashed windscreen fixed could cost you plenty! Make sure that you have this covered in your car insurance policy. Check the small print. Will getting your windscreen fixed affect your excess? Does the repair have to be approved first by your insurer? Ask if they have a limit for non-approved repairs, this does vary amongst companies so it pays to find out.
Medical Expenses
Hopefully you won’t ever need this, but you should compare medical expenses coverage when getting an auto insurance quote. Is it included in your policy and if so, what are the limitations? This can vary from provider to provider. If you are ever unfortunate enough to need to make a medical expenses cover claim, you will be glad you read the small print first.
Breakdown Cover And Vehicle Recovery
Many firms include free breakdown cover and vehicle recovery in their auto insurance policies. After all, it’s a great selling point, as buying these services as stand alone products can be expensive. If you need a tow truck in the middle of the night or if you break down at the side of the road it’s great to know that you are covered. This may or may not include a “home start” service. Again, you need to check the fine print of the free car insurance quote company. Who is covered? Is it the driver that is covered or is it the car? Does it include recovering a trailer or utility vehicle or caravan? Are you covered if you are traveling in another state or if you are on vacation in another country?
Guaranteed Approved Claims Repairs
When you make a claim on your policy and get your car repaired you usually need to get the work assessed by an approved garage. “Guaranteed approved claims repairs” means that the work done by this approved garage is guaranteed by your insurer. When comparing these guarantees, ask yourself how long are these repairs guaranteed for? It’s usually for a period of three years, but again, it varies so check first. It’s also worth asking yourself if you need this coverage as most garages will guarantee their own work anyway.
Motor Legal Protection
Motor legal protection is usually included but may be an optional extra that you will have to pay for. Motor legal protection is for providing you with legal help and support in recovering costs and losses incurred from an accident caused by somebody else.
Additional Driver Insurance
It’s worth comparing the costs of adding an additional driver to your protection plan, especially if you are making a commercial car insurance comparison. You may be the only driver of the vehicle but if you want your partner or children covered then adding them as named drivers will be much less expensive than having an “any driver” clause added. This cost will vary from provider to provider. It is largely determined by the usual factors, their age and driving history.
Keycare Packages
Keycare packages cover you for the costs of new locks and keys should you lose or have them stolen. There is usually an emergency helpline that you can call. Check to see if the cost of having an immobilizer reprogrammed is included, as this can be prohibitively expensive. Making a claim on keycare usually doesn’t affect your no-claims discount, but check first.
Car Insurance Cashback Rewards
These days, everyone seems to offer cash back rewards as a way of getting you to sign up with them. Some of the leading insurers are no different, offering you cash-back when you take out a policy with them. These offers can seem attractive, but check first as you may be able to get a better deal by shopping around and pay lower rates in the first place.
Car Insurance Comparison In Review
In conclusion, car insurance comparison is easy if you consider the points we have talked about in this article; no claims discounts, courtesy cars, vandalism, windscreen cover, medical expenses, breakdown coverage, guaranteed approved claims repairs, motor legal protection additional driver insurance, keycare packages and cash-back rewards should all be compared before you make your final choice. If you can, use a car insurance comparison chart. Here is final tip I would like to give you if you want to save money. Pay a full years premium in one go rather than paying by installments. You will be able to save a lot of money this way.
