Things You Must Know Before Purchasing Beckley West Virginia Car Insurance Online

Have you fallen victim to an overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us when we tell you there are a lot of people in Beckley just like you who feel imprisoned by their car insurance policy.

Online insurance companies like Allstate, Progressive and GEICO persitently shower you with advertising and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the flashy ads and do the work needed to find the best deal.

You should take the time to shop coverage around on a regular basis since insurance rates change regularly. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates a couple years back you will most likely find a better rate today. Block out anything you think you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the proper way to find great coverage at a great price.

If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to reduce your rates substantially using these tips. Finding the best rates in Beckley is quite easy. But West Virginia car owners must know the way companies price insurance differently and take advantage of how the system works.

Fast and Easy Beckley Car Insurance Quotes

When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways to compare rate quotes from different in Beckley, WVinsurance companies. The quickest method to find competitive insurance rates is to perform an online rate comparison. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

The single most time-saving way consumers can analyze rates is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This easy form prevents you from having to do separate quotes for each company. Just one form gets you price quotes from several companies.

A more time consuming way to find lower rates is to take the time to go to each company’s website to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, let’s say you want rates from Allstate, 21st Century and State Farm. To get rate quotes you would need to spend time on each company’s site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a list of links to companies insuring cars in Beckley, click here.

The most time-consuming way to compare rates is driving around to insurance agents’ offices. The ability to buy insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you have a need for the trained guidance that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, price shop online and still use a local agent and we’ll cover that in a bit.

Which method you use is up to you, but make sure you use the exact same quote information for each price quote. If the quotes have different liability limits it will be impossible to make an equal comparison in Beckley. Quoting even small variations in limits can make a big difference in price. And when price shopping your coverage, having more price comparisons will improve the odds of getting a better price.

Discounts can save BIG

The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there are discounts available to cut the cost considerably. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but a few must be inquired about prior to receiving the credit.

Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home can help you save on car insurance because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Military Rewards – Having a deployed family member can result in better rates.
No Claims – Drivers who don’t have accidents can save substantially as compared to accident-prone drivers.
Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than their less cautious counterparts.
Theft Prevention Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems are stolen less frequently and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
Government Employees – Active or retired federal employment can save as much as 8% depending on your company.

Consumers should know that most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

To see a list of companies with the best car insurance discounts in West Virginia, click this link.

Learn How to Lower your Rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that play a part in calculating car insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what determines base rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are some of the items used by your company to calculate your rates.

Higher deductibles cost less – Physical damage deductibles define the amount you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your car from damage. Some examples of claims that would be covered are running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. The higher the amount the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive.
Are you male or female? – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. Now that doesn’t mean women are better drivers. They both tend to get into accidents in similar numbers, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also have more aggressive citations like reckless driving and DUI.
Cautious drivers pay less – Whether or not you get tickets has a big impact on rates. Only having one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers get better rates than their less careful counterparts. Drivers with dangerous tickets such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence are required to file a SR-22 with their state DMV in order to prevent a license revocation.
Don’t sacrifice liability coverage – Your policy’s liability coverage provides coverage when you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide legal defense coverage up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not cut corners here.
Rates may be higher depending on your occupation – Jobs such as lawyers, architects and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates because of high stress levels and long work days. Conversely, professions such as pilots, engineers and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
One company can mean more discounts – The majority of car insurance companies give discounts to customers who carry more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, it’s in your best interest to shop around to verify if the discount is saving money.
More miles equals more premium – Driving more miles each year the higher your rates will be. Most companies apply a rate based on how the vehicle is used. Autos not used for work or commuting can get a lower rate compared to those used for work or business. Ask your agent if your car insurance coverage is showing the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money.
Pay less after the wedding – Being married helps lower the price on car insurance. Having a significant other is viewed as being more responsible it has been statistically shown that drivers who are married are more cautious.

Your local neighborhood insurance agent

A small number of people would rather visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. The best thing about getting online price quotes is you may find the best rates but still work with a licensed agent. Buying from local insurance agencies is definitely important in Beckley.

Once you complete this quick form, your insurance data is sent to participating agents in Beckley who will give you bids for your coverage. You won’t need to drive around since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. How cool is that?! You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent.

Compare rates from both independent and captive car insurance agents

When researching a good Beckley insurance agent, there are two types of agencies that you can select. Agents can either be captive or independent.

Independent Agents (or Brokers)

Independent agents are not employed by any specific company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When searching for an agent, we recommend you get quotes from several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection.

Below are Beckley independent agencies willing to provide competitive price quotes.

Woodmen Of The World Insurance – 430 Harper Park Dr – Beckley, WV 25801 – (304) 252-2810
West Virginia Insurance Svc – 798 N Eisenhower Dr – Beckley, WV 25801 – (304) 255-0005
Sam Baker Agency – 2919 Robert C Byrd Dr – Beckley, WV 25801 – (304) 253-7283

Captive Agents

These agents can only write with one company and examples are Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable on their company’s products which can be an advantage.

The following are captive insurance agents in Beckley that can give you price quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 255 Market Rd – Beckley, WV 25801 – (304) 252-8646
State Farm Insurance – 1100 N Eisenhower Dr – Beckley, WV 25801 – (304) 255-0481

To view a full list of captive insurance agents in Beckley, please go to this site.

Deciding on an auto insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a low price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
Do they assist clients in filing claims?
How long has their agency been open in Beckley?
Do they specialize in personal lines coverage?
Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in West Virginia?

Upon getting positive feedback for all questions you ask in addition to an acceptable price estimate, most likely you have located an insurance agent that can service your policy.

Additional information is located on the website for the West Virginia Insurance Commission found here. West Virginia consumers can view agent and company licensing information, get help finding coverage, and view a list of available companies.

Can you really save that much by switching?

Car insurance providers like State Farm, GEICO and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. They all say the same thing about savings after switching to their company. How does each company make the same claim?

All the different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver they prefer to insure. For example, a preferred risk could be between 25 and 40, is a homeowner, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. Any driver that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good rates and is almost guaranteed to save when they switch companies.

Potential insureds who fall outside the requirements will be charged more money which leads to business not being written. The ads state “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently advertise the way they do.

That is why drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Online plus local equals savings

Discount car insurance can be sourced on the web and with local Beckley insurance agents, and you should be comparing both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies do not offer you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

We just covered a lot of tips how to get a better price on car insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Drivers may discover the lowest rates come from a small local company. Regional companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.

When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don’t buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where an insured dropped liability coverage limits only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.