Use Online Quotes to Find an Auto Insurance Agent in Charleston, SC

When searching for a good Charleston agent, it’s recommended you begin your search on the web instead of making phone calls. For this article’s sake, it’s assumed you want a highly trained agent, but also the best rates possible.

With insurance companies like Farmers, Allstate, and independent agents having local Charleston offices, it can be hard to know which one will have the lowest rates and best service. Fortunately, you can use online quoting to assemble a group of insurance agencies and price estimates.

How much car insurance do I need?

When buying coverage for your vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so this has to be addressed. These are some specific questions could help you determine if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

Are my friends covered when driving my vehicle?
What if I total my vehicle and owe more than it’s worth?
Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
Can I drive in Mexico and have coverage?
Are rental cars covered under my policy?
Am I covered when driving a rental car?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent.

Charleston agents and online quotes

Agents can answer important questions and give you peace of mind. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for local businesses is definitely important in Charleston.

Once you complete this simple form, the coverage information gets sent to local insurance agents in Charleston who will return price quotes for your insurance coverage. There is no reason to even leave your home due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. How’s that for easy!

Two types of insurance agents

If you’re trying to find a good insurance agency, there are a couple of types of insurance agents from which to choose. Insurance agencies in Charleston can either be independent or captive. While both can insure your vehicles, but it’s worth learning the differences because it can impact your selection of an agent.

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Independent insurance agents do not work for one specific company but rather can write business with any number of different companies depending on which coverage is best. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the business is moved internally and that require little work on your part.

When searching for an agent, it’s a good idea to contact multiple independent agents for the best price selection.

The following are Charleston independent insurance agencies who can help you get comparison quotes.

Taylor Agency Of Charleston – 147 Wappoo Creek Dr # 502 – Charleston, SC 29412 – (843) 762-1805
Van Robinson Insurance Inc – 3353 Rivers Ave – Charleston, SC 29405 – (843) 554-8180
Direct General Ins Agency – 1300 Savannah Hwy # 7 – Charleston, SC 29407 – (843) 571-5486
R A Wright Agency – 661 Saint Andrews Blvd – Charleston, SC 29407 – (843) 766-5300
Affordable Insurance – – Charleston, SC 29403 – (843) 991-2713

Captive Agents

Captive agencies are contracted to one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm and AAA. These agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Captive agencies receive extensive training on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums.

Shown below is a short list of captive agents in Charleston willing to provide comparison quotes.

Allstate Insurance – 1655 Savannah Hwy # B – Charleston, SC 29407 – (843) 766-1221
State Farm Insurance – 291 E Bay St – Charleston, SC 29401 – (843) 723-5555
Farm Bureau Insurance – 60 Markfield Dr # 6a – Charleston, SC 29407 – (843) 766-3794

For a complete listing of Charleston captive insurance agencies, click here to link.

Selecting a car insurance agent requires more thought than just a low price. Agents should be asked these questions:

What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
How much can you save by raising your physical damage deductibles?
Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?

Upon receiving acceptable answers to these questions and a low price estimate, chances are good that you have found a car insurance agent that meets your needs to properly insure your vehicles.

Isn’t it cheaper to buy from online companies like GEICO?

Local insurance agents are indespensible for some people, but you also have the option of buying South Carolina car insurance from online companies direct. Some car insurance companies who sell through agents in Charleston also permit you to buy direct online, so that should be considered as an alternative to contacting agents.

If you’re concerned about having to choose coverages yourself when buying direct, this really isn’t an issue. Insurance companies all have client service departments for customer questions.

Will auto insurance cost less online? That question is hard to answer since there may be dozens of rate factors that influence your rates. It’s a logical assumption that buying online lowers rates due to not having any agent compensation. But the fact is, it’s expensive to advertise so rates may not be all that different from traditional agents.

Learn more today

More information is located on the website for the South Carolina Department of Insurance through this link. South Carolina drivers can find out industry alerts, find out which companies have the most complaints, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and file complaints about a company.

One last thing about your coverage

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many cases where someone dropped full coverage only to regret at claim time that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your strategy should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price.

Lower-priced car insurance is definitely available both online and with local Charleston insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these smaller companies sell through independent agents.