State insurance departments adopt auto compare tool

Just one month after Hawaii launched an online comparison platform for auto insurance shoppers, California Commissioner Dave Jones has gotten in on the trend

Insurance News

By Lyle Adriano

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones announced March 15 that the Insurance Department’s online comparison tool is now ready for consumers to use.

The auto rate comparison tool allows users to compare the average premium rates among the various national and local auto insurance companies operating in California. With the tool , consumers can identify insurers with the lowest rates and even directly contact the insurer for a quote.

"Consumers know the insurers that advertise on television and radio, but they may not know about the companies that serve their neighborhood and may offer a lower price," Jones remarked. "The auto rate price comparison tool shows consumers all the insurers that write policies in the area and the average premium prices. Consumers can identify the lowest prices and contact the company for a quote. Often, it pays to shop around."

Notably, the price comparison tool does not account for a consumer’s available credits or discounts. On the other hand, the tool has a handy “discounts” tab which allows users to review any discounts the insurers are offering, based on the consumer’s specific profile.

For those looking for customer feedback, the tool features a complaint page that details customer complaints on insurers—complaints over the last three years are archived in this tab for easy viewing.

Although the tool does not actually provide exact premium quotes, each company’s average premium information is followed by the insurer’s toll-free contact number, allowing customers to contact an insurance agent for questions or an actual quote.
 

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