When shopping for car insurance, you have many choices and selecting the best Melissa insurance agency for your needs takes more work than just picking up the phone. It’s highly likely you not only want an excellent agent, but you also need great rates as well.
With State Farm, Allstate, Farmers and independent agents all competing for your business, it’s hard to tell which provider will provide you with the best rates, service and coverage. To help decide, consumers can get insurance quotes online in order to build a list of agents and thier coverage prices.
How to compare Melissa car insurance rates
Professional agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help you file claims. The best thing about comparing insurance prices online is you may find better rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local insurance agencies is important particularly in Melissa.
Upon completion of this simple form, your insurance data is emailed to local insurance agents in Melissa who will compete for your business. You won’t need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to your email. How cool is that?! You can find better rates without the usual hassles of price shopping.
Choose an insurance agent wisely
When finding a good insurance agency, there are two different agency structures that you can select. Insurance agencies in Melissa are either captive or independent.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents are not locked into one company but rather can write business with multiple insurance companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency.
When comparison shopping, we recommend you include price quotes from at a minimum one independent agency for maximum quote selection.
Below are Melissa independent agencies that may be able to provide comparison quotes.
John Costa Insurance – 8 Meadowbrook Cir – Melissa, TX 75454 – (972) 699-1100
Captive Insurance Agents
These agents are contracted to one company and examples are American Family, State Farm and Allstate. They are unable to give you multiple price quotes so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Captives are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.
Picking an auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the price. Some important questions to ask are:
- How long has their agency been in business in Melissa?
- Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
Once you have received satisfactory answers to your questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have just found an insurance agent that can service your policy.
What about online companies that don’t have local agents?
Local insurance agents are a valuable resource, but you can also buy Texas car insurance direct online. Some car insurance companies who have local agents in Melissa also permit you to buy direct on their websites. This is something to consider and can also potentially find you lower rates.
If you’re uncomfortable with not having an agent to talk to when buying online, this is normal but is quickly overcome. Online car insurance companies that require consumers to choose their own coverages provide phone numbers and online resources to answer your questions. They also offer help pages and frequently asked questions that can help answer basic questions.
Is car insurance cheaper online? It’s difficult to provide an answer since there are so many factors that impact your rate calculation. Common logic is that purchasing direct online cuts out the agent as a middleman. For the majority of companies, however, the cost of constant advertising is expensive and those expenses can offset most of the savings by selling direct.
Shop smart and save
As you restructure your insurance plan, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are a lot of situations where drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits and found out when filing a claim that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. The aim is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate.
Affordable car insurance is attainable both online and with local Melissa insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
For more reading
More information can be found on the website for the Texas Department of Insurance found here. Texas consumers can read industry bulletins, read consumer alerts, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and find out industry alerts.