Consumer Information for Researching a Richmond Car Insurance Agent

If you’re looking to buy auto insurance, choosing the right Richmond insurance agent is more difficult than just randomly choosing from the yellow pages. There is a good chance you’re wanting a friendly agent, but you also need the lowest possible price.

With companies like State Farm, Allstate and Farmers Insurance all competing for your business, it can be hard to know which car insurance agent will have the best rates, service and coverage. To help decide, consumers can use online quoting to assemble a group of agents from which to choose.

Best way to find Richmond agents

Educated insurance agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and give you someone to call. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance prices online is that you can obtain the best rates but still work with a licensed agent. Buying from local insurance agencies is definitely important in Richmond.

Once you complete this short form, the coverage information gets sent to agents in your area who will compete for your business. You don’t have to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent straight to your inbox. Now that’s easy!

The different types of insurance agents

When finding local Richmond agents, you must know there are a couple types of insurance agents to choose from. Agents are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive. While both can write coverage properly, but it’s good to learn the differences because it can influence your agent selection.

Independent Agents

These agents are not required to write business for one company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part. When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to contact multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection. Many write coverage with smaller companies which can save you money.

The following are Richmond independent insurance agents that are able to give rate quotes.

Monticello Service Agency Inc – 1802 Bayberry Ct – Richmond, VA 23226 – (804) 678-0100
Stewart Pillow Agency – 10501 Chalkley Rd – Richmond, VA 23237 – (804) 748-5397
Service Insurance Inc – 6850 Catawba Ln – Richmond, VA 23226 – (804) 288-6993
Aaron Advantage Agency – 7204 Glen Forest Dr # 202 – Richmond, VA 23226 – (804) 282-0480
Pryor Hayden Insurance – 2200 Pump Rd # 227 – Richmond, VA 23233 – (804) 740-7400

Captive Insurance Agents

Captive agents work for only one company and some examples include Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They usually cannot compare other company’s rates so keep that in mind. They are well schooled on their products and sales techniques which helps them compete with independent agents. Some people will only buy insurance from these agents primarily because of the brand legacy and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.

Below is a list of captive insurance agencies in Richmond that are able to give comparison quotes.

Farmers Insurance Group – 9201 Arboretum Pkwy # 190 – Richmond, VA 23236 – (804) 272-8044
Liberty Mutual Insurance – 3228 W Cary St – Richmond, VA 23221 – (804) 359-5372
Virginia Farm Bureau Ins – 12580 W Creek Pkwy – Richmond, VA 23238 – (804) 290-1000
State Farm Insurance – 2050 John Rolfe Pkwy – Richmond, VA 23238 – (804) 741-2040
Allstate Insurance – 8801 Park Central Dr # 500 – Richmond, VA 23227 – (804) 627-5800

To view a full list of Richmond captive agents, visit this site.

Choosing an insurance agency requires more thought than just the premium amount. Agents should be asked these questions:

Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
What insurance company do they write the most business with?
Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?

Once you have received acceptable answers to your questions as well as a affordable price, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles.

Purchasing car insurance direct online is an option

Insurance agents are indespensible for some people, but you can also find affordable Virginia auto insurance direct over the internet. Even companies, such as Farmers Insurance and State Farm, that sell primarily through agents also allow consumers to buy direct on their websites, so keep that in mind.

If you’re worried about not having an agent to talk to when buying online, that should not be a issue. Companies provide toll-free numbers for getting advice on proper coverages.

If you just want to find lower premiums, the most effective way to determine if the cheapest policy comes from an agent or online is to get free quotes from both and compare them. You could possible even receive different price quotes from the same company when they use both methods.

Is it cheaper to buy online? The answer is complex because there are many factors that can increase policy rates. You may think that a customer who purchases direcly from an online company saves money because there is no commission. But the reality is online and traditional media advertising are expensive so the rates may be similar to buying from an agent.

Buy online or local, you save

While you’re price shopping online, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, someone dropped liability coverage limits to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your strategy should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford.

Consumers switch companies for a number of reasons such as unfair underwriting practices, lack of trust in their agent, poor customer service or even delays in paying claims. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new company is less work than it seems.

Much more information about auto insurance in Virginia is located on the Virginia Bureau of Insurance website found here. Visitors are able to find a variety of consumer forms, learn about specific coverages, file complaints about a company, and find disaster information.

The following articles may also be useful.