When Buying Auto Insurance

When Buying Auto Insurance

• Be wary of insurance offers from door-to-door salespeople, telephone callers or unsolicited Internet advertisements
• Be suspicious if the price of insurance seems much lower than the competition's. It could be a scam, or the coverage might be full of exclusions that are only discovered when you need the coverage
• Contact your state's insurance department to make sure the agent and company are licensed
• Contact your state's insurance department to make sure the agent and company are licensed
• Ask if the insurance company has purchased or invested in vehicle repair shops; this is a red flag. You are not required to use them, and they will not give you better service or prices — in fact, they could be worse
• Guard your insurance identification number the same way you would your social security number, because once it's stolen, criminals can use it in a scam.