Online Insurance Shopping Definitely the Way to Go

Posted & filed under Car Insurance.

A visit to the site Top Ten Links seems frivolous, but it can also net some useful information – or at least interesting blog fodder. For example, did you know that the top ten ranked insurance companies in the United States (at least per that site) all have one thing in common: a serious web presence. Even more, they all give consumers an option for online quotes. Every insurer in that list, from mainstream companies like Progressive and GEICO to specialty insurers like Hagerty’s wants their customers to know how to buy car insurance online, and this isn’t a trend limited to American soil, either.

Canadian insurance companies, some of which are their own entities, and some of which are northern branches of American firms have been pushing online shopping nearly as long as U.S. companies, and even on the other side of the pond, in the UK online insurance shopping is the way to go. Infact, in the Glasgow (Scotland) Daily Record reporter Alex Morgan urged consumers to hit the internet for a variety of financial reasons, including banking, bill-paying, and, getting the best deal on insurance rates.

According to Morgan, even though a fifth of Britons don’t use the Internet at all, it’s an “…essential tool for anyone who is serious about saving money.” Morgan’s article goes on to tout general consumer comparison sites like MoneySupermarket.com, which site claims to have saved users over 400 million pounds in 2009 alone (on all products, not just on insurance), and then provides a case study of a typical consumer in the internet age:

Michelle banks on the home front

CARE assistant Michelle King is a big fan of internet banking and price comparison sites.

The 36-year-old, from Ayrshire, said: “I work long hours and I don’t live near a branch of my bank, so the online service is great.

“I check my balance and pay bills whenever I like. It’s really quick.”

Michelle also buys her car insurance online. She said: “I know the sites show different ones, so I always look at Confused.com and Moneysupermarket.

“It doesn’t take long and it gets me a good range.

“I also check a couple that aren’t listed – this year I went to Direct Line and Aviva’s own websites.

“In the end, I decided to go with Aviva, but I wouldn’t have known they were the best if I hadn’t looked at the comparison websites.”

American consumers: take a lesson from this! 80% of Brits can’t be wrong! Go online to shop and compare before you spend too much on a policy that doesn’t really meet your needs!