If you’re trying to find an insurance agent in Durham, North Carolina, we recommend you start your search by comparing prices online to save time. For this article’s sake, it’s assumed you want a good agent that listens to you, but you also want to find the lowest possible price.
With American Family, Allstate, State Farm and Farmers all competing for your business, it’s hard to tell which will provide you with the best service and rates. To begin, it’s easy to use insurance quotes online to get a list of agents to choose from.
Quote online but still have a local agent
Good agents can point out coverage gaps and help file insurance claims. One of the best bonuses of getting online price quotes is you can get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. Supporting small agencies is especially important in Durham.
By using this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information gets sent to insurance agents in Durham who will return price quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to leave your computer since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. Now that’s easy!
What type of Durham car insurance agent is right for you?
When finding a local agent, there are two types of agencies from which to choose. Agencies in Durham can either be captive or independent (non-captive). While both can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s worth mentioning how they differ because it can impact your selection of an agent.
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with multiple insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To move your coverage to a new company, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to find a new agent. When comparing rates, you should always contact at a minimum one independent agency for the best price selection. They often place coverage with smaller companies which can save you money.
Listed below are independent agencies in Durham who may be able to give you price quote information.
- Farm Bureau Insurance – 4516 N Roxboro St – Durham, NC 27704 – (919) 477-9861
- Nationwide Insurance – 1906 E NC Highway 54 # 100b – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 544-0346
- Michael E Okoli Agency Inc – 6224 Fayetteville Rd # 106a – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 544-8484
- Andrew Jones Agency – 1005 Broad St – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 286-0702
- Protective Agency – 1418 Avondale Dr # 11 – Durham, NC 27701 – (919) 688-8289
Captive Agents
Captive agencies work for only one company and examples are Liberty Mutual, Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Captives cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. They are very knowledgeable on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage. Consumers sometimes buy insurance from these agents primarily because of high brand loyalty and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
The following is a list of captive insurance agencies in Durham willing to provide comparison quotes.
- Allstate Insurance – 4810 Hope Valley Rd – Durham, NC 27707 – (919) 493-7822
- Farm Bureau Insurance – 2945 S Miami Blvd # 103 – Durham, NC 27703 – (919) 544-4953
- State Farm Insurance – 105 W NC Highway 54 # 255 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 544-8101
To view a full list of car insurance agents in Durham, go to this page.
Choosing an insurance agent requires more thought than just a low price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Is vehicle damage repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- How long has their agency been open in Durham?
- Do they review policy coverages at every renewal?
- Can they provide you with a list of referrals?
Upon receiving positive feedback for all questions you ask as well as a affordable price, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that can adequately provide car insurance.
Aren’t online-only companies cheaper?
Licensed agents are a valuable resource, but you can also buy North Carolina car insurance from companies direct over the internet. Some specific companies, such as Farmers Insurance and State Farm, that sell primarily through agents also allow you to quote and buy online, so keep that in mind if you’re trying to lower your rates.
If you’re worried about not having someone to ask questions, that is quite common when buying online the first time. Auto insurance companies provide phone numbers and online resources for getting questions answered. Consumers also can use online education and live help anytime to help you answer questions.
The best way to determine if the best rates are online or from local agents is to compare price quotes from both. It’s possible to get different rates from the same insurance company when they get quotes from both.
Is pricing better online? It’s hard to say exactly because there are many factors that impact your final bill. It’s a common assumption that a shopper who purchases direct prevents the agent from taking a cut. But the reality is marketing expenses are significant so there may not be significant savings.
North Carolina car insurance information
More information is located on the North Carolina Department of Insurance website found here. Visitors are able to view a list of available companies, view agent and company licensing information, file complaints about a company, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.
Shop smart and save
Consumers switch companies for any number of reasons including policy cancellation, high rates after DUI convictions, questionable increases in premium or even delays in responding to claim requests. It doesn’t matter what your reason, finding the right car insurance provider is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
When shopping online for car insurance, it’s a bad idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where an insured cut physical damage coverage only to find out that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.
