Your Guide on How to Compare Car Insurance Quotes

You’re ready to insure your car, so you go online and visit half a dozen websites to request a few car insurance quotes. However, once you compare the information in front of you, you realise that you’re being presented with more information than you know what to do with. Each insurer seems to offer you a range of prices and value-added services — but there’s also lots of jargon, as well as terms and conditions to wade through. You are looking for the best car insurance for you, not one that doesn’t meet your needs and that won’t cover you in the event of a claim — and this can take time — but you also can’t afford to take forever to insure your car. What you need is a guide that shows you how to compare car insurance quotes. And this is where Dialdirect can help you.

The benefits of comparing car insurance quotes

According to the Automobile Association, of the roughly 11 million cars currently on South Africa’s roads, approximately 70%[1] are uninsured. This means that you’re sharing your daily commute with dozens of drivers who can’t afford a car accident or major repair to their own vehicle — let alone pay expenses towards yours or anyone else’s. What that means is that car insurance is now a necessity to protect yourself from a major financial loss. 

Even if you’re happy with your current car insurance, it might not be the best option for your needs and budget. Over time, your driving patterns, choice of vehicle, commuting distance and lifestyle will evolve. You might have started your driving career as a freewheeling student, happy to drive your parent’s second-hand hatchback — but that doesn’t mean you’ll remain a student for the rest of your life! Just a few short years later you could be a parent commuting to work each day in a brand new, freshly financed sedan.

Keeping your coverage updated by regularly comparing car insurance quotes will ensure it meets your needs and grows with them. It can also ensure you won’t be left with an unexpected bill should you need to make a car insurance claim and find that your cover is insufficient.

What information do you need for a car insurance

quote?

You can easily request a car insurance quote by asking for an online obligation-free quote from an insurer's website or by reading about their range of car insurance plans and prices. These quotes will give you a benchmark of what you can expect to pay monthly but they won't be 100% accurate. For complete accuracy, you’ll probably need to speak to an insurance broker face-to-face or via a phone conversation. To get the most accurate quote as quickly as possible, it helps to have the following details on hand:

●  Your current car insurance, including who you’re insured with, how long you've been insured with them, how much you're paying every month for your insurance and any special benefits that come with your insurance.

●  The make, model, VIN number and licence plate number of your car.

●  The financing details, including where you purchased it, when you purchased it, who financed it, how long the finance period is and the total value of the financing with interest.

●  The ownership history of your car (including the most recent previous owner).

●  Your vehicle’s history (including any additions/improvements made to it, any accidents or repairs, and the service and maintenance history).

Selecting the type of car insurance cover you need

Once you have the relevant information for getting an accurate car insurance quote, you can draft a list of what you need from your insurance versus what you would like, but could live without. To help determine this, you can ask yourself the following questions:

●  Would I be happy to pay more or less than the benchmark insurance price I’ve determined from my research?

●  Would I be happy to have a high premium and low excess or vice versa?

●  Do I need comprehensive insurance or something covering the bare minimum?

●  Am I required by law to select a certain type of coverage as my car is partially or completely financed?

●  Is my car going to be used to run my business or purely for personal use?

●  How much would not having a car (even temporarily) impact my life?

●  If I had to replace my car tomorrow, would I mind driving something completely different or possibly cheaper, with fewer features?

●  Are there any unique lifestyle factors that might mean I need additional or extended insurance coverage? For example, do I frequently travel long distances over unpaved or pothole-filled roads which could wear out my tyres sooner than predicted? 

These questions can give you an idea of what features and benefits, as well as the level of coverage, you’ll be happy with. It will also give you a realistic indication of what you’ll need to spend.

How to make your final car insurance quote comparison

You might find that several car insurance quotes offer you similar levels of coverage for similar prices. If this is the case, you should examine what benefits you’ll enjoy from each insurer that will make the insurance process easier. These benefits will differ from insurer to insurer. For example, Dialdirect can offer the following benefits:

●      Cashback for driving safely

●  DIY car inspections — no need to visit an official centre

●  Express claim submissions via a smartphone app

●  24/7 assistance line where you can request fuel, a tow truck, a ride home and more.

 For more information, take a look at Dialdirect’s How to insure a car: beginner’s guide to getting car insurance. 

Compare car insurance with Dialdirect

Now that you know what to look for when seeking out car insurance quotes to insure a car, you can finalise your search and make a decision. We suggest that you start by looking at the options offered by Dialdirect using our online insurance application portal — or you can request that someone from our team contact you with a car insurance quote today.

Sources: [1] Automobile Association of South Africa: Don’t take the insurance bait: cheaper is not always better

Disclaimer: Dialdirect Insurance is a licensed non-life insurer and financial services provider. Terms and Conditions online.