5 Discounts Alviso Consumers Forget when Buying Car Insurance

Are you overwhelmed by the dozens of car insurance companies in Alviso? Many other drivers are as well. Consumers have so many companies to choose from that it can turn into a big hassle to find the best price.

It's important to do rate comparisons at least once a year since rates are constantly changing. If you had the lowest price a few years ago you will most likely find a better rate today. Don't believe everything you read about car insurance on the web, but I'm going to show you some great ways to put money back in your pocket.

Don't pay full price with these 5 discounts

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but you may find discounts to help offset the cost. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you purchase, but a few must be manually applied before being credited.

  • Life Insurance Discount - Companies who offer life insurance give a discount if you purchase life insurance.
  • Drive Less and Save - Keeping the miles down could be rewarded with a substantially lower rate.
  • Pay Upfront and Save - By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can actually save on your bill.
  • Bundle and Save - If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may save at least 10% off all policies.
  • Defensive Driving Course - Successfully completing a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. The majority will only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, car insurance companies aren't that generous. Any amount of discount will bring down your premiums.

California car insurance quotes

The car insurance bait and switch

Car insurance companies such as GEICO, State Farm and Progressive regularly use ads in print and on television. They all seem to have a common claim about savings if you move to them. How does each company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that earns them a profit. For instance, a desirable insured might be a mature driver, has no tickets, and has a short commute. Any new insured that hits that "sweet spot" gets the lowest rates and therefore will save when switching.

Consumers who don't measure up to these standards will have to pay higher prices and this can result in the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "customers that switch" not "everyone that quotes" save money. That's the way companies can truthfully make the claims of big savings.

Because of the profiling, you should get a wide range of price quotes. It's just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Find out more about car insurance

Additional information is located on the California Department of Insurance website located here. Visitors are able to file complaints about an insurance agent or broker, find disaster information, and view a list of available companies.

Also read more on Auto Insurance 101 and this page where you can research Alviso insurance agents.

car insurance in Alviso

Do the work, save more money

As you shop your coverage around, make sure you don't buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, an insured dropped collision coverage and learned later that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at a price you can afford.

Cheap car insurance is possible both online and with local Alviso insurance agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent agents.

Drivers who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as delays in paying claims, delays in responding to claim requests, unfair underwriting practices and even policy non-renewal. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new insurance company is less work than it seems.