When trying to find a good Toledo agent, you can start your research for an agent online in order to save time. You require a highly trained agent, and also want to find competitive car insurance rates.
Numerous insurance agents battle for your hard-earned dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates and get the definite lowest rate
Price shop online but buy from a local Toledo agent
Licensed agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is you may find the lowest rates and still choose a local agent.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is immediately sent to companies in Toledo who will return price quotes to get your business. There is no need to leave your house as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier! You can find the lowest rates and work with a local agent.
Deciding on an insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. Any agent should have no problem answering these questions:
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Ommissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies?
- How many years of experience in personal lines insurance coverages do they have?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
How to choose the best insurance agent in Toledo
When researching a good insurance agency, there are a couple of types of agencies from which to choose. Agencies in Toledo are categorized either captive or independent.
Captive Insurance Agents
This type of agents have only one company to place business with like Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. These agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agencies are very knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers sometimes choose to use a captive agent mostly because of the prominence of the brand and solid financial strength.
The following is a short list of captive agencies in Toledo willing to provide rate quotes.
- American Family Insurance – 3303 N Holland Sylvania Rd # 1 – Toledo, OH 43615 – (419) 841-0080
- Farmers Insurance Group – 4351 Beverly Dr – Toledo, OH 43614 – (419) 861-1196
- State Farm Insurance – 4802 N Summit St – Toledo, OH 43611 – (419) 726-3741
- Allstate Insurance – 1900 Monroe St # 110 – Toledo, OH 43624 – (419) 241-8061
- Liberty Mutual Insurance – 3450 W Central Ave # 354 – Toledo, OH 43606 – (419) 578-2438
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents are not employed by any specific company but rather can write business with any number of different companies depending on which coverage is best. To move your coverage to a new company, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to find a new agent. When searching for an agent, we recommend you contact at a minimum one independent agency to have the most options to choose from. Most have the option of insuring with smaller regional carriers which can save you money.
Listed below are Toledo independent agents that can give you price quotes.
- Brandow Agency Inc – 2015 Scottwood Ave – Toledo, OH 43620 – (419) 255-3210
- Jack Walton Agency Inc – 3303 N Holland Sylvania Rd # 1 – Toledo, OH 43615 – (419) 841-0080
- Acceptance Insurance Agency – 4400 Heatherdowns Blvd # 3 – Toledo, OH 43614 – (419) 382-3899
- State Auto Insurance Co – 5810 Southwyck Blvd # 107 – Toledo, OH 43614 – (419) 866-5511
- Sea Way Insurance Svc – 3601 W Alexis Rd – Toledo, OH 43623 – (419) 472-6582
To view a complete directory of insurance agents in Toledo, please click here.
Once you have received good answers to these questions and an acceptable price quote, most likely you have located an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles.
Isn’t it cheaper to buy direct online without an agent?
Insurance agents are important to many people, but you also have the option of buying direct online. Some companies that are more known for using agents, also allow you to get a quote and buy online. This is something to consider if you’re trying to lower your rates.
If you’re apprehensive about not receiving proper advice, don’t let it bother you. Companies that require consumers to choose their own coverages provide toll-free numbers for customer questions. They also offer help pages and frequently asked questions you can access prior to buying.
Are online companies cheaper? It’s difficult to say for sure because there are many factors that impact your final bill. Many people think that going direct saves money by not requiring a commission. But that assumption is generally incorrect because marketing expenses are significant so the rates may be similar to buying from an agent.
And the best car insurance company is…
When you buy insurance online, it’s not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.
Low-cost car insurance can be bought online and with local Toledo insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
Additional Ohio consumer information
More detailed Ohio car insurance information is located at the Ohio Department of Insurance website. Consumers can find disaster information, find a variety of consumer forms, view a list of available companies, and report car insurance fraud.
