In the U.S, about six million automobiles are purchased every year. Most of these car owners opt to insure their vehicles in case of damage or accidents.
The car insurance industry is currently worth nearly 310 billion dollars. Choosing a car insurance company is not an easy task. You have to consider the cost and type of policy. The best option is to hire a professional and reliable company.
However, knowing the right insurance center to sign on to needs a lot of research and critical thinking. To help you make the right decision, top insurance agents compiled a checklist of factors and tips to consider.
1. Recommendation from Local Body Shops
Visit a body shop you trust and ask for their opinion and recommendations. Managers in this sector often interact with insurance agents and adjusters. Therefore, they can give you first-hand advice.
The managers know what insurance center offers the best policies, competitive rates and use genuine OEMs. Additionally, body shop staff will help you identify companies or agents that have a swift claim process.
2. Check Financial Strength
The worst-case for people who own classic cars and unique vehicles is a difficult claim process. Finding out that your insurance agency can’t handle the claim because of a poor financial status is a major setback.
There are rating agencies that assess the status of all insurance companies. Compare two or three ratings to shortlist insurance agents.
3. Ease of Business Transactions
Never work with an agent that you don’t get along with. The best insurance centers make it easy for clients to access information or contact them. First, check their customer service. If you are unsatisfied with how the agents treat prospective clients, then it is not worth it.
Also, visit their site and social media platforms. Do you see any complaints? Do you find the company professional enough? Screen every bit of their online presence to garner enough info about their reputation.
Lastly, confirm if you can pay bills and file claims online. This would be great if you live far from the company’s offices. At the end of the day, you should feel a hundred percent comfortable hiring the insurance agency.
Check the Department of Insurance Website
After shortlisting prospect companies, give the final list a once-over. Every state has a Department of Insurance, and most have a website. The last step before contacting your ideal insurance center would be to do your research on the site. Here, you will find all consumer complaints that will help you vet potential companies.
Compare the merits with the complaints ratio. If an insurance company has complaints from your state or others, it is best not to go in that direction.
Car Insurance, Tigard, Portland, and Beaverton
Are you in Oregon and own classic cars, unique vehicles, or any other automobile? Do you want motorcycle insurance, rental insurance, business insurance, or home insurance? Trust your number one family-owned insurance agency.
AOA West Tigard insurance agents will help you select the best policy and file successful claims. Connect with the agents today and request a quote!