The sensible way to get
car
insurance is via a price comparison site or is it?
Where you're expecting a
very high premium, using a price comparison site is indeed sensible.
This is because the challenge of finding a cheaper price merits
deploying the most powerful means of finding it. Under such
circumstances, accepting a more basic policy - as is easily indentifed
via a price comparison site - is justifed on economic grounds.
Groups that would meet this criterion include drivers under 25, new
drivers, those without any no claims discount, those with previous
driving convictions, those that own vehicles with a high car insurance
group rating, and those - however misguidedly - that are tightly yoked
to the idea of saving money on their renewal quote and who are willing
to 'chance it' with a very basic policy.
Some may argue that just because you use a price comparison site,
doesn't mean that you're required to buy the cheapest policy that they
present to you. They list lots of other quotes too. They even offer
policy information to help you choose.
And, indeed, the above is true. But it's also true to say that price
comparison sites are at their most useful when your only concern is to
save money. Once you start trying to figure out exactly what cover
you're getting and you try to compare quotes, especially if you're not
interested in the very paired-down policies, they are only partially
able to meet your needs. To make an informed choice, as regards the
associated cover, if even possible, is certainly quite a challenge.
Which is why it's worth considering direct car insurance providers here
too. If you compare
car
insurance policies from leading companies, it becomes clear
that
their standard cover is generally the kind of thing that most people
are looking for in an accident. Simply by going direct to a household
name you are more or less guaranteed a good degree of quality control.
That's without even putting a lot of effort into scrutising the policy
for yourself. In our view, this is a very useful safeguard that does
not occur when you use a price comparison system.
There is, of course, the big issue of price that tends to put people
off going direct to single car insurance company. After all, how can
you get the best price if you only go to a single insurer? And here's
the answer, which although valid, will be treated with disbelief by
many: In any competitive market - and car insurance is one of the most
competitive - like products from the biggest providers are
closely-priced, this being a pre-requisite for the market share that
these big players are able to command.
In other words, in a crowded market, with hundreds of service
providers, to be big, you have to be competitive; so you watch your
rivals' pricing closely then match or beat it. While there are some
market factors that act against this reductionist model - for example,
prominent TV advertising of certain brands may drive sales of less
competitive products - it remains a reasonable assertion to state that
pricing, for like policies, is generally close enough for it to not
need to feature as the most important determinant of choice (given the
importance of getting the right cover) in you final choice of car
insurance policy. More..
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