Would you like to save money by finding more affordable insurance rates in San Francisco, CA? San Francisco shoppers have options when shopping for affordable Chevy Captiva Sport insurance. They can either spend hours struggling with agents trying to get quotes or leverage the internet to compare rates. There is a right way and a wrong way to compare insurance rates and we’ll show you the best way to get price quotes on a Chevy and get the lowest price.
Compare San Francisco Chevy Captiva Sport insurance price quotes
Finding cheaper San Francisco car insurance prices is a great way to save money. Just spend a few minutes to get quotes from some recommended companies.
The following companies provide price comparisons in San Francisco, CA. If the list has multiple companies, it’s a good idea that you click on several of them to find the most affordable car insurance rates.
Cheaper rates by taking advantage of these six discounts
Some insurers don’t always list the complete list of policy discounts very well, so the list below details a few of the more well known as well as the least known credits that you can use to lower your rates.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Simply owning a home can earn you a little savings since owning and maintaining a home shows financial diligence.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Taking time to complete a driver safety course can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
- Drive Safe and Save – Drivers without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% than their less cautious counterparts.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
- Professional Organizations – Joining a qualifying organization could qualify you for a break on your policy.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Keeping the miles down on your Chevy may enable drivers to earn better prices on cars that stay parked.
Don’t be surprised that some credits don’t apply to all coverage premiums. Some only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the fact that it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
The best insurance companies and their offered discounts are included below.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for Drive Safe & Save, good driver, safe vehicle, good student, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and student away at school.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts including alternative fuel, electronic funds transfer, distant student, teen driver, and business and professional.
- Progressive includes discounts for homeowner, good student, online quote discount, multi-vehicle, and online signing.
- GEICO has savings for military active duty, good student, multi-vehicle, air bags, five-year accident-free, and emergency military deployment.
- Auto-Owners Insurance discounts include anti-theft, paid in full, good student, group or association, and mature driver.
- The Hartford offers discounts for air bag, driver training, anti-theft, defensive driver, vehicle fuel type, bundle, and good student.
- Farm Bureau may include discounts for good student, multi-policy, 55 and retired, renewal discount, safe driver, and driver training.
- USAA policyholders can earn discounts including safe driver, military installation, vehicle storage, multi-policy, good student, and driver training.
When comparing rates, check with each company to give you their best rates. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply to policyholders in every state.
Local insurance agents
Some consumers just want to talk to an insurance agent and doing that can be a smart decision Professional insurance agents can help you build your policy and give you someone to call. The best thing about comparing car insurance online is that you can obtain lower auto insurance rates and also buy local.
After completing this short form, the coverage information is immediately sent to companies in San Francisco who will give you bids and help you find cheaper coverage. There is no need to contact an agency as quotes are delivered to you instantly. If for some reason you want to compare rates from a specific car insurance provider, you would need to search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
Finding a good insurer requires you to look at more than just the price. Here are some questions you might want to ask.
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
- How long has their agency been open in San Francisco?
- Do they regularly work with personal auto policies in San Francisco?
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- What is the financial rating for the quoted company?
- How are they compensated?
- How are claims handled?
- What insurance companies do they work with in San Francisco?
Choose an insurance agent wisely
If you’re trying to find a reliable agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Car insurance agents are considered either independent agents or exclusive agents. Either one can write policy coverage, but it’s worth mentioning the difference in how they write coverage because it can influence which type of agent you select.
Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies
These type of agents write business for a single company such as Farmers Insurance, State Farm, Allstate, and AAA. Exclusive agencies are unable to shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. These agents are usually well trained on what they offer which can be an advantage. Consumers frequently buy from exclusive agents partially due to the brand rather than low rates.
The following are San Francisco exclusive insurance agents that can give you comparison quotes.
- Walter Li – State Farm Insurance Agent
1329 Chestnut St – San Francisco, CA 94123 – (415) 346-1000 – View Map - Jake Ng – State Farm Insurance Agent
1643 Noriega St – San Francisco, CA 94122 – (415) 564-0333 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Elbert Taylor
386 29th St – San Francisco, CA 94131 – (415) 285-4800 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Agents of this type are not employed by any specific company so they can write business with any number of different companies and find the cheapest car insurance rates. If you are not satisfied with one company, your agent can switch companies and that require little work on your part.
When shopping rates, we recommend you get quotes from independent agents in order to compare the most rates. Most have the option of insuring with companies that do not advertise much which can be an advantage.
Shown below are San Francisco independent agents willing to provide price quotes.
- CAL Insurance and Associates
2311 Taraval St – San Francisco, CA 94116 – (415) 661-6500 – View Map - Al Zeidler Insurance Agency
1714 Stockton St #417 – San Francisco, CA 94133 – (415) 753-1936 – View Map - Sam and Associates Insurance Agency
2225 Taraval St – San Francisco, CA 94116 – (415) 665-0181 – View Map
If you get good feedback to all your questions and locked in a price quote, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agent that is professional and can adequately provide car insurance.
When do I need an agent’s advice?
When it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really isn’t a single plan that fits everyone. Each situation is unique so this has to be addressed.
Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Do I have ACV or replacement cost coverage?
- If I drive on a suspended license am I covered?
- Which companies are cheaper for teen drivers?
- Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
- Are rock-chip repairs free?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
- What are good deductibles for a Chevy Captiva Sport?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It’s fast, free and may give you better protection.
Why you need car insurance
Despite the fact that car insurance is not cheap in San Francisco, buying car insurance is required for several reasons.
First, the majority of states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a specific minimum amount of liability protection if you want to drive legally. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if your Captiva Sport has a loan, almost every bank will make it a condition of the loan that you buy insurance to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the lender may insure your Chevy for a much higher rate and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, car insurance protects both your car and your assets. It also can pay for medical bills for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. Liability insurance also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you cause an accident and are sued. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of insuring your car definitely exceed the price paid, especially when you need to use it. But the average driver in California is overpaying more than $855 a year so compare quotes from several companies every year to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Car insurance coverages 101
Knowing the specifics of car insurance can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are the normal coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Comprehensive protection
Comprehensive insurance covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive can pay for claims such as fire damage, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, rock chips in glass, damage from flooding and falling objects. The most your car insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Medical expense coverage
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for short-term medical expenses for things like surgery, rehabilitation expenses, X-ray expenses and dental work. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Liability insurance
This coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property. This coverage protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.
Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see limits of 15/30/5 that translate to a limit of $15,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $30,000, and property damage coverage for $5,000.
Liability coverage pays for things such as pain and suffering, repair costs for stationary objects, attorney fees, medical expenses and medical services. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but buy higher limits if possible. California state law requires minimum liability limits of 15/30/5 but you should consider buying more liability than the minimum.
The chart below shows why the minimum limit may not provide adequate coverage.
Collision coverage
Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage pays for things like damaging your car on a curb, hitting a mailbox, scraping a guard rail and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible on your Captiva Sport to bring the cost down.
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
There are still a few companies who do not offer online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies only sell through independent insurance agents. Lower-priced Chevy Captiva Sport insurance in San Francisco can be bought from both online companies and from local insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.
In this article, we presented some good ideas how to compare Chevy Captiva Sport insurance rates in San Francisco. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the better likelihood of getting affordable Chevrolet Captiva Sport insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the lowest rates come from a lesser-known regional company. These smaller insurers may only write in your state and offer lower car insurance rates as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate and Progressive.
How to find affordable quotes for Chevy Captiva Sport insurance in San Francisco
The recommended way to get budget Chevy Captiva Sport insurance is to compare prices annually from insurers who sell insurance in San Francisco. You can compare prices by following these guidelines.
- Learn about how insurance companies determine prices and the steps you can take to keep rates low. Many things that increase rates like speeding and bad credit can be amended by making minor changes to your lifestyle.
- Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote prices for many different companies.
- Compare the new quotes to the premium of your current policy and determine if there is any savings. If you find better rates and decide to switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
One bit of advice is to make sure you enter the same liability limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to get rate quotes from as many carriers as you can. This ensures an accurate price comparison and the best price selection.
Additional insurance information is available below:
- What is Covered by an Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Police Officers in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for 19 Year Olds in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest San Francisco Car Insurance Rates for a Nissan Sentra? (FAQ)
- Determining Auto Insurance Rates (GEICO)
- Booster Seat Ratings (iihs.org)