If you’re looking for a good Sanford agent, you can do the preliminary legwork by getting online comparison quotes rather than picking up the phone. Consumers require a highly trained agent, but also need cheap rates.
Lots of auto insurance agents contend for your insurance dollar, so it can be very hard to choose a car insurance agent and get the best coverage at the best rates possible.
Local Sanford car insurance agents
Agents can answer important questions and help you file claims. One of the great benefits of comparing rates online is you may find the best rates but also keep your business local.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this simple form, the quote information gets sent to participating agents in Sanford who will give you bids to get your business. There is no reason to leave your computer since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier!
Deciding on a car insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in Maine?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Does the agent have professional designations like CIC, CPCU or AIC?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
Choose an insurance agent wisely
When searching for a good insurance agency, you must know there are a couple different agency structures to choose from. Agencies in Sanford are categorized either captive or independent. While both can insure your vehicles, but it’s worth learning how they are different since it may influence your selection of an agent.
Captive Insurance Agents
These agents write business for a single company and some examples include State Farm or Allstate. They generally cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captive agents are very knowledgeable in insurance sales which can be an advantage.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
These agents are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies and potentially find a lower price. If your agent finds better pricing, an independent agent can move your coverage without you having to go to a different agency.
When comparison shopping, we recommend you get quotes from several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection.
Listed below are Sanford independent agents that are able to give rate quotes.
Garnsey Brothers Insurance – 909 Main St # C – Sanford, ME 04073 – (207) 324-5000
Brandis Insurance – 320 Main St – Sanford, ME 04073 – (207) 324-6986
Batal Agency – 985 Main St – Sanford, ME 04073 – (207) 324-8326
To view a full list of Sanford insurance agents, click here to link.
Once you have positive feedback to any questions you have and locked in a price quote, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that meets your needs to properly service your car insurance policy.
Online companies can help you save
Local insurance agents are a valuable resource, but Maine consumers also have the option to buy from online companies direct. Certain companies who employ agents additionally provide the ability to buy direct on their websites, and consumers should do that to possibly find a better rate.
If you’re apprehensive about not getting advice from an agent when buying direct, don’t be too concerned. All companies all provide contact methods you can use to get advice on coverages. In addition, they usually offer live help and 24/7 access that you can use if you have questions.
Will buying online save you money? That question is hard to answer because there are so many things that impact your rate calculation. It’s often assumed that going direct lowers rates due to not having any agent compensation. In many cases, online and traditional media advertising are expensive and this tends to eat up any savings.
For price-conscious consumers, the only way of knowing if the best rates are online or from local agents is making fair comparisons of each of their rates. You can actually get different rates from the same insurance company when using both online and agent quotes. But you can’t find out which has the best rates without quoting coverages utilizing both methods.
Keep this in mind
Drivers leave their current company for a variety of reasons including being labeled a high risk driver, delays in paying claims, poor customer service or even extreme rates for teen drivers. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new company can be easier than you think.
When buying insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are too many instances where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.
More information about car insurance
More detailed Maine car insurance information is available at the Maine Bureau of Insurance website. Maine consumers can report car insurance fraud, find out which companies have the most complaints, and read enforcement actions against agents and companies.
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