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June 17th, 2010, 07:23 PM
http://www.carsforgirls.com/index.php/avoiding-car-insurance-scams/
Avoiding Car Insurance Scams
Posted on June 16th, 2010 by Keri DeVrieze
Unfortunately, there are many ways consumers can fall victim to car insurance fraud, including accident scams, insurer tricks and referral fraud. Whether you’re just beginning to shop for car insurance or have been on the road for years, it’s important to know how to protect yourself from potential scams. Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering purchasing 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 quotes. 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.
•Make sure “free services” aren’t actually hidden in your insurance bill.
•Ask if the insurance company has purchased or invested in vehicle repair shops. If they have, then this is a huge 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 could potentially use it in a scam.
If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Always review the terms and conditions of your potential insurance policy, ask as many questions as you’d like so that you’re comfortable and make sure you fully understand what you’re about to sign and purchase.
Avoiding Car Insurance Scams
Posted on June 16th, 2010 by Keri DeVrieze
Unfortunately, there are many ways consumers can fall victim to car insurance fraud, including accident scams, insurer tricks and referral fraud. Whether you’re just beginning to shop for car insurance or have been on the road for years, it’s important to know how to protect yourself from potential scams. Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering purchasing 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 quotes. 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.
•Make sure “free services” aren’t actually hidden in your insurance bill.
•Ask if the insurance company has purchased or invested in vehicle repair shops. If they have, then this is a huge 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 could potentially use it in a scam.
If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. Always review the terms and conditions of your potential insurance policy, ask as many questions as you’d like so that you’re comfortable and make sure you fully understand what you’re about to sign and purchase.