Here's a redundant phrase: wherever you go looking for something, people will always tell you to go online and find what you're looking for. Car insurance is no different. The best place to find car insurance would be the internet. There are numerous advantages to why this is so, and convenience is merely one of them.
You may have heard of how easy it is to find insurance quotes online. You simply find a few websites, enter your zip code, enter a few pieces of additional information, and you're good to go. Most websites would be linked to multiple car insurance companies, so they actually act as a hub where you only enter your information once instead of doing it over and over again for each car insurance company website you come across.
Another advantage of going online to find car insurance is that you can find tons of companies that you didn't know existed – that's because they don't. There are insurance providers that exist solely online. They do not have brick and mortar offices, but they are legit insurance providers. However, there are some "online only" insurance companies that may seem shady to you. If your gut tells you that it's a scam, do a background check.
Since you're already online, you can simply Google the name of the insurance company that you're doing a background check on. There should be consumer advocates and forums where you can read about the companies, whether they're good or not, and whether they're legit or not. You should actually do this for any type of company, as reviews of car insurance companies will serve you well in the future.
Once indication that the website you're looking at is fraudulent is the fact that they ask for too sensitive information. Information such as address and last four digits of your social is usually unnecessary until you sign a contract. This is what the zip code is for. You'll be asked to enter your zip code first, because it narrows the search down. From there, the quotes can be calculated based on the theft and accident rates on your zip code.
Anything related to credit card numbers should not be asked for until you seal the deal. Besides identity theft, there are also blatant scamming on the internet, so be careful. Your best defense is the power of the internet as well. Research about the companies.
Going online may seem easy, but it's not THAT easy. You still have to be patient and diligent enough to get the best quotes. The fact remains that you do get a higher chance of getting cheaper car insurance if you go online.
