Auto Insurance Agencies and Auto Theft: Can They Handle It?

When it comes to auto insurance, most people try to obtain the lowest price possible, whether that be a charge per month, quarterly or per year. That is certainly understandable, for auto insurance can be a very costly necessity for adults over age sixteen, these days. However, individuals should realize that sometimes you get what you pay for when it comes to this type of insurance. If an auto insurance quote is extremely low, it is very wise for consumers to examine the details of the plan closely before purchasing. For spending a little extra on your insurance for a better contract sometimes far outweighs paying a very low amount for a raw deal. One needs to look at the benefits he or she will receive from the auto insurance in the long run.

One major inclusion that some auto insurance agencies offer is management in the incidence of theft. While it would be nice to believe that we are excluded from the possibility of being a grand theft auto victim, due to our place of residence or area of employment, or simply due to extra precautions we may take to protect ourselves from such a crisis, auto theft can happen to anyone. Even people who properly secure their autos in a garage at night or who have the most top notch, high class security locks. People need to be aware that they could be an auto theft victim at any time and thus, select an auto insurance carrier accordingly.

So what does one look for in a potential auto insurance carrier in terms of theft management? Each auto insurance company offers varying agreements but here are some questions to ask the sales agent when inquiring about the particular auto insurance quotes:

1) Find out how serious the auto insurance company takes car theft.
Ask the sales representative the general policy of his or her auto insurance agency when it comes to handling a policy holder’s stolen car. The goal here is to guage how much emphasis and dedication the auto insurance company places in regards to one of these dire situations. When your auto is stolen, you want to know you have the most devoted experts on the case. You also want to know that the auto insurance employees take great concern in your situation. All auto insurance companies offer different services but pry a little into the happenings behind the scene of your auto agency. You may hear that auto agency A assigns individual case managers to each theft file; you may learn that Agency B has an entire department strictly devoted to auto theft; or you may be disappointed to find out that your once favorite Company C has a very vague procedure for dealing with the theft of your auto and therefore, seems likely to leave your paperwork in the dust and/or leave your voicemails unreturned in the crucial moments following your auto disaster. Basically, the rule in finding the proper information out about auto theft and your auto insurance agency is just to not be afraid to bombard the representative with questions and use your intuition depending on how well they are able to answer this concern to ascertain whether or not auto theft is an important matter to the agency.

2) Determine the auto agency’s policy on rental cars in case of auto theft.
If your car gets stolen, you are obviously going to need a new form of transportation right away. Be sure before choosing auto insurance agencies that you are fully aware of how long it would take to receive a rental car that is covered by your auto insurance policy in case of theft and any requirements that exist around the ability to be eligible for one. Car rentals are expensive and some auto insurance agencies only cover a few days. Consider the length of time it might take to buy another auto while you explore this factor.

3) How much?
This is an obvious one, but definitely something not to be neglected. How much money will your auto insurance company give you toward a new car? Be sure to inquire thoroughly about this ahead of time. Ask your agent detailed scenarios such as “What if I left my doors unlocked?” or “What if I opted out of the security alarm function?” Auto insurance agencies try to reduce their own payouts as much as possible so things like consumer mistakes very often cause them to happily withhold money. Make sure you are fully aware of these contingencies.

These are only a few of the factors to consider when it comes to choosing an auto insurance agency according to the way they deal with auto theft, but they are crucial points. Overall, individuals should simply use common sense and do extensive research with many questions to a auto insurance representative before making an auto insurance agency commitment. Just as individual humans have their own specialty and niche areas of expertise, so do all companies and auto insurance agencies are no different. Don’t be afraid to investigate each and every option until you find the right auto agency for you.