The internet is slowly taking over our lives. It's capable of satisfying all of our consumer desires; with a simple click of the mouse you can book yourself a holiday, organise your stag weekend, purchase some new shoes etc, etc. There are seemingly no limits to the things you can purchase and arrange online.
The purchasing of
car insurance is just one financial product to feel the benefits of the 'ecommerce' revolution.
Being able to compare insurance quotes with multiple insurance providers has proven to be extremely popular. So much so, that a host of price comparison websites have emerged to tap into what's turned out to be a very lucrative market.
However, before the arrival of the internet, people had no other choice but to purchase their
car insurance from else where. And it would be a shame not to highlight these other options, for one final time.
So here they are, for old time's sakes…
Insurance Brokers – Insurance brokers don’t provide the actual insurance product. Instead, they act as middlemen who seek out the best
car insurance deal for their client. They do all the leg work for you. They chase down the most appropriate insurance arrangement and they do all the negotiating to get you the best price. They also occasionally have access to special rates that are not normally available to members of the public.
The insurance broker earns a commission from the insurance they sell, so you don't pay them any money directly. The downside is, that the insurance they provide is probably not the cheapest available.
Insurance brokers are most suited to people who have a high-performance or classic car. They are also useful if you have a poor driving record with penalty points or convictions and you are struggling to find an insurance company who will provide you with cover.
Direct Insurers – Here, you go to an individual insurance company and you buy insurance directly from them. This is a perfectly acceptable way of purchasing your insurance, especially when it comes to speed and efficiency. But, the down side is that you don’t get to see what other competitors are offering. So you will most likely pay more than you should have to for you cover.
Comparison websites have revolutionised the way we go about shopping. Buyers now have a lot more power to analyse the market so they are able to make a more informed decision before they part with their hard earned cash.
