Automobile liability insurance is mandatory for every owner of a vehicle, whether they drive it or keep it in the garage. Before choosing an offer, it is recommended to analyze and compare several criteria. Price, guarantees, deductible, services, location: discover the 10 criteria to take into account to choose the car insurance contract best suited to your needs.
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The price of the car insurance
The price is one of the main criteria to take into consideration when choosing a car insurance. It generally varies according to the level of coverage you want. The more extensive the coverage, the higher the insurance premium.
The easiest way to get a clear idea of the rates offered is to request a quote online, by phone or in an agency.
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The level of coverage of the car insurance
When choosing your car insurance, you can opt for several levels of coverage:
- Third party insurance
- Third-party insurance is the basic insurance for compulsory civil liability. Only damage caused accidentally to a third party is covered. Most often, insurers offer a minimum third-party insurance package that allows you to complete this mandatory coverage with a few essential guarantees such as the driver’s guarantee.
- Intermediate insurance
- This is the basic insurance policy supplemented, among other things, by vehicle damage guarantees. Theft, glass breakage, fire, natural disasters: depending on the insurer, many guarantees can be offered.
- All risks insurance
- This is the most protective level of coverage, including coverage for most material damage to the insured vehicle, including in the event of an accident without a responsible third party.
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Exclusions of guarantees
When choosing a car insurance policy, it is imperative to be aware of the damages and situations that are not covered under the accident, breakdown and accidental events insured under the contract.
The exclusion clauses must be precise and clearly written in the contracts. Use of the vehicle in the context of car races, loan of the vehicle: the exclusions can be of different natures.
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The deductible of the car insurance
After an accident, it happens that the insurance company does not pay for all the damage. In this case, the insured person retains a sum of money to pay, called the deductible.
The amount of the deductible can vary from one type of claim to another and also from one insurance company to another (except for the legal deductible for natural disasters). The deductible is therefore one of the important criteria to take into account when choosing your car insurance.
It should be noted that the pricing of a contract takes into account the amount of the contractual deductibles. A high deductible amount may allow the insurer to claim a lower premium in return.
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Additional insurance coverage
Depending on the guarantees offered by the insurer, the subscriber of a car insurance contract can, if necessary, add additional guarantees adapted to his needs to the basic insurance offer chosen.
Driver’s bodily injury coverage, protection of personal belongings, 0 km breakdown assistance, mechanical breakdown, replacement vehicle… The chosen insurer must offer a certain flexibility in order to allow you to benefit from a tailor-made insurance.
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Discounts offered
Insurance companies frequently offer discounts to their policyholders. They can be offered to new subscribers and/or to loyal customers. Each discount is available under certain conditions.
Do not hesitate to ask for information to find out if you can reduce your insurance premium in the short or medium term.
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Benefits in the event of a claim
In the event of a claim, it is important to be able to count on the reactivity of your insurance company. 24/7 assistance, replacement vehicle, breakdown service from the first kilometer, time for a tow truck to intervene: carefully study all the guarantees offered before choosing your car insurance.
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Online services offered by the insurance company
The development of new communication technologies facilitates relations between insurance companies and their policyholders. The insurance companies offer customer areas and applications with more and more features. It is possible to find information about your contract but also to carry out various formalities.
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The location of the agencies
The possibility of finding an agency near your home is not to be neglected. It allows you to meet with advisors and ask them any questions you may have.
This is especially important for some people, especially those who wish to have a human contact or have particular needs.
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Partnerships with service providers
Partnerships formed by insurance companies are also worth your attention. These partnerships generally take the form of discounts and preferential rates. It is generally possible to benefit from these offers via a dedicated promo code. In other cases, you just need to contact the partner directly and indicate your status as a customer of the insurer concerned. The type of offer varies from one insurer to another. Vacations, car purchase, car repair, intervention of building professionals, promotions at car rental companies: the offers often cover several areas.