A few years back, the only manner in which car insurance could have been bought was by visiting an insurer’s office or meeting with an insurance agent. But, the advent and the subsequent proliferation of the internet has changed this. Now, most insurance plans can be purchased online from the convenience of your home.
However, there is no denying that there could be advantages and disadvantages of both the offline and online modes of purchasing car insurance. Read on to understand which mode works better for you.
Access to a wide variety of options at one place
When choosing an insurance policy online, you can compare a wide range of policies by a mere click of a button online.
Unfortunately, this is not the case offline where you’d be introduced to the features of the policies of only one insurance provider at a time. In such a scenario, it will take much effort, resources, and time for you to compare the policies of various insurers.
Cost
Often, buy car insurance online can be a more lucrative option than purchasing one offline. The premiums are low online because the operating costs for the insurer are less. So, the insurer does not hesitate in passing the benefit to the customer rather than paying a commission to a broker.
Also, to lure customers to use their online service, many insurers provide heavy discounts and additional features. However, this might not be the case when purchasing a policy offline.
Ease of purchase
For a person that is adept at using the internet, buying car insurance online can be a blessing. It is convenient in terms of the time and effort. It is also a quick process, where one can be self-reliant and does not have to depend on a middle man or an agent.
Flexibility and convenience
When purchasing a car insurance offline, you might have to take some time off your work schedule, and visit an agent or call one to your home to discuss your requirements. Moreover, you might have to stand in long queues, submit various documents, and do much paperwork.
All these cumbersome activities are eliminated in the online mode.
Also, in case of emergencies such as last-minute renewals of policies, an online mode of insurance renewal may not only prove convenient but also a life saver, in case you are planning a trip and realise that your insurance is about to lapse.
Maintenance of documents
If you purchase a car insurance policy online, it is easy to maintain a record of all your documents online. You can store the policy documents and receipts of your payments digitally and can refer to it easily when needed.
However, when you save hard copies of the documents, there is always a chance that they will get misplaced, stolen, or damaged.
Further, setting up an annual reminder or at times auto-debit online will help you make payments at the right time without defaulting.
Security of transactions
Most insurers today use secure payment gateways for customers to help customers make payments online. Thus, there is no substantial risk in making payments online.
Unfortunately, there have been instances where insurance agents have duped hapless customers, leaving them in a lurch. And such instances can be avoided in the online mode as you are certain that, in the absence of a middleman, you are directly transacting with the insurer.
However, for customers that are uncomfortable using the internet, making a transaction online could seem overwhelming.
Access to customer feedback and reviews
When purchasing a car insurance policy offline, you might not have access to reviews and feedback from other users about how the policy met their requirements and how satisfied are other customers with the services of the insurance agent you may be dealing with. You might not be able to understand the experience of other customers and gauge how satisfied they are with the insurer or the agent.
All this information, however, is readily available online to help you make an informed decision about which policy to purchase.
Transparency
Because you would have access to all the policy documents and because there is no intermediate agent, purchasing car insurance online could mitigate any risk of being cheated or misled by the agent.
A personal touch
When purchasing a car insurance policy online, you are not in touch with any representative from the insurer. Hence, you might not be able to establish a personal connection with the brand. So, if you are someone who prefers to have human interactions and face to face contact, this might not be the right medium for you.
Moreover, some situations might demand that you create a personal rapport with the insurer. For instance, if you have purchased a luxury car, you might want the insurer to help you with a customized car insurance policy in UAE for your asset. You might not be able to avail such facilities in the offline mode of purchase.
Both the modes of purchasing car insurance can have their pros and cons. It is for you to understand them and see which mode works best for you.
