You see it all the time. Fill out one form, get a dozen cheap online car insurance quotes. It does save you time, but there may be some drawbacks you should consider before you commit. I am not advocating for or against the car insurance supermarket concept. I am interested in helping you become more informed. Knowledge is power. With the litigious nature of accidents, you need all the help you can get.

Check the Record

When you receive the car insurance supermarket list, you’ll most likely receive quotes from some highly recognized brand name companies. You’ll probably also get quotes from companies you’ve never heard about, like Cheap-R-Us Insurance. Most states have a way to research records on how the different companies respond to their policy holders. Just go to the Google search box and type in your state and the words “insurance commissioner”. That’s a good place to start.  If there have been complaints filed in your state, stay away from companies that don’t have excellent records.

The Devil is in the details

Now that you’ve gotten some car insurance quotes, compare them side by side.  There may be differing deductibles.  Uninsured motorist coverage may vary from policy to policy, depending on state minimums.  Start by laying several car insurance policies side by side and compare them. You may find more questions about car insurance supermarket coverage than you thought possible. What’s not in a quote is often more important than what is. You may have filled out the form completely and still not gotten back the same information, from company to company. Remember, what’s important is often buried in the fine print or not available at all.

Make sure you disclose EVERYTHING!

You remember that “little” speeding ticket you got 2 years ago. Aw heck, the cop said to just pay the “little” fine to him, and you wouldn’t even have to show up in court. You may think, because you didn’t make a court appearance, all is forgiven and forgotten after you paid the fine. This “little” non-disclosure could cost you some big bucks! The car insurance supermarket companies usually hit all law enforcement data bases. Just because your ticket was a “little” misdemeanor, doesn’t mean they won’t find it.  In fact, you better hope they do find it and charge you the correct premium from day one. If the car insurance supermarket company doesn’t, and you have an accident, all bets are off on your coverage. You are guilty of non-disclosure of a material fact and they don’t have to pay off!

Visit with an agent

If, after reading this article, you don’t feel comfortable with your knowledge, maybe the car insurance supermarket concept is not for you.  Your car is usually your second largest investment. A face to face meeting with a car insurance agent may be more appropriate for you  than the brave new world of shopping for car insurance on-line.