Unfair Practices: Why It Pays to Know Who You Are Insuring With
Who of us doesn’t love a bargain? In times when money is tight you may be thinking of shopping around your services like phone, cable, and insurance, to see if you can get a better deal. Before you sign up with that online insurance company that is giving you a super low price, here is something you should know about insurance quotes.
The state of Massachusetts has a standard driving record points system. All insurance companies use it while they are calculating your rate. If you call Bright Insurance for a quote one of our sales people will usually take your information and call you back with a quote after running your information through the states record system.
Not all companies do the checking before writing the policy though. The Massachusetts Insurance Association (MAIA) says that many direct writer companies (companies who write policies with just their company), will often review the customers driving history after the insurance has been granted, leading to a rate increase after the policy is already in place.
When you get a quote for your auto insurance be sure to read the contract and make sure that it says the premium is based on your driving record and not just the information that you provided online. And here is why:
If you go online to fill out a quote with a national online company they will ask you to upload all of your driver and vehicle information. They will probably ask you if you are a good or bad driver. Most of us think we are good drivers, and yet few of us knows our official driving score that the state goes by. If you are not 100% accurate with your assessment you may get a quote that is low, but will increase after your policy is already in place when the company officially runs your driving record. By that point you will have already cancelled your old insurance and you will be stuck with the higher rate.
If you have questions about your policy, or are looking to save money on your policy, contact your customer service representatives and we’ll do our best to help find a solution that meets your needs.