(CONSUMER REPORTS) — Every now and again, it’s a good idea to shop around for car insurance, but it can be tedious and time-consuming. Quote comparison sites might seem like the perfect solution: enter all your info just once and get many quotes in a matter of minutes.
Simple, right? Well, maybe not. As Consumer Reports Editor Margot Gilman explains, “Some of these sites, while yes, will save you time, and that’s great – there are some out there that will take your personal information and sell it – so you need to be careful.”
First, check to see if the quote comparison site is licensed to sell insurance in your state and offer you real quotes. To find out, contact your state’s insurance commissioner’s office.
To ensure your information doesn’t get sold to a marketing company or data broker, check the company’s terms of service and privacy policy. Reading all the legalese on these pages can make your head spin, so Consumer Reports recommends a word search on the page. Look for terms like “sell” and “share.”
Also, be prepared for lots of emails, calls and texts from the insurance companies that provided quotes. You can usually opt out, but often, the companies don’t make it easy to do so.
Finally, since not all major insurance carriers will show up on quote comparison sites, it’s also a good idea to get some direct quotes from them. Consumer Reports car insurance ratings can help identify insurers with the best customer service, coverage, and the lowest premiums.
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Based in New York, Stephen Freeman is a Senior Editor at Trending Insurance News. Previously he has worked for Forbes and The Huffington Post. Steven is a graduate of Risk Management at the University of New York.