When shopping for car insurance, finding the best California auto insurance agent is harder than just using the same car insurance agent as your neighbor. The chances are good you’re not only searching for an excellent agent, but also the best rates possible.
With companies like Allstate, Farmers, State Farm and many independent agents having local Oceanside offices, it can be hard to know which will provide you with the best rates, service and coverage. To begin, you can use insurance quotes online to assemble a group of insurance agencies to choose from.
Local Oceanside car insurance agents
Professional agents can help determine the best coverages and help in the event of a claim. One of the great benefits of comparing insurance prices online is you may find the best rates but still work with a licensed agent. And supporting local insurance agencies is definitely important in Oceanside.
To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, your information is transmitted to local insurance agents who will give you bids for your coverage. There is no need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. How’s that for easy!
The difference between Oceanside insurance agencies
If you’re trying to find a good Oceanside insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Oceanside agents are categorized either captive or independent. Both write coverage properly, but it’s worth learning how they are different because it can influence your agent selection.
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not employed by any specific company so they have the ability to put coverage amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. If you are not satisfied with one company, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency. When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to get quotes from several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from.
Below are Oceanside independent agencies who may be able to give you competitive price quotes.
Lighthouse Pacific Insurance – 4324 Deer Valley Way – Oceanside, CA 92057 – (760) 433-2323
Marcus O’Bannon Agency – 2110 S Coast Hwy # N – Oceanside, CA 92054 – (760) 722-7400
Labarre and Oksnee Insurance – 475 Sleeping Indian Rd – Oceanside, CA 92057 – (760) 560-0800
Gary Meeker Agency – 2110 S Coast Hwy # N – Oceanside, CA 92054 – (760) 439-9191
Captive Insurance Agents
Captive insurance agents are contracted to one company and some examples include AAA, Allstate, State Farm, Farmers Insurance or Liberty Mutual. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so keep that in mind. Captive agencies are very knowledgeable on their products and sales techniques which can be an advantage.
The following are Oceanside captive agencies willing to provide price quote information.
Farmers Insurance Group – 3520 College Blvd # 204 – Oceanside, CA 92056 – (760) 639-0029
Allstate Insurance – 2204 S El Camino Real # 12 – Oceanside, CA 92054 – (760) 721-7030
For a complete listing of Oceanside captive agents, visit this site.
Selecting an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just a cheap price. Any agent should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
Once you have received satisfactory answers to any questions you have as well as a affordable price, you may have just found an auto insurance agent that can adequately provide car insurance.
But what about online car insurance?
Insurance agents are indespensible for some people, but you can also buy California car insurance directly from online companies. Even companies, such as State Farm, Allstate and Farmers, who sell through agents in Oceanside also give you the option to quote and buy online, and that can save time if you prefer to buy online.
If you’re uneasy about not getting advice from an agent when shopping online, this is expected but don’t let that bother you. Auto insurance companies that require consumers to choose their own coverages provide customer service to answer any questions you may have. Most companies also provide a frequently asked questions page to help you answer questions.
Will you save money buying auto insurance online? That question is hard to answer since there are so many factors which can adversely affect your policy premium. Common sense would say that buying directly from the company cuts out the middleman. But the fact is, getting their brand in front of customers is expensive and that can quickly cost more than paying an agent.
If you’re not set on any one company, the best way to find out whether online companies or local agents have lower rates is to get price quotes for both. Even though it sounds odd, people frequently get different pricing from exactly the same company from their online quote form as compared to an agent. You won’t discover if the lower rates are from agents or online without getting separate quotes utilizing both methods.
Additional California car insurance resources
Much more information about car insurance in California is available on the website for the California Department of Insurance through this link. Visitors are able to learn about insurance regulations, file complaints about a company, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and report car insurance fraud.
More comparisons equals lower rates
While you’re price shopping online, it’s not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to find out they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price.
Insureds change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including policy non-renewal, unfair underwriting practices, an unsatisfactory settlement offer and delays in paying claims. Regardless of your reason, switching companies is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
