Having to pay for expensive auto insurance in San Francisco can draw down your checking account and force you to cut corners elsewhere. Comparing cost estimates can save money and help to lower your monthly bill.
It’s an obvious statement that auto insurance companies don’t want policyholders to compare prices from other companies. Consumers who shop around for cheaper price quotes are inclined to switch companies because of the good chance of finding a cheaper policy. A study discovered that people who regularly shopped around saved over $865 a year compared to policyholders who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding the lowest price on insurance is the reason you’re here, then having some insight into how to quote and compare car insurance can make it easier to find better rates.
Steps to finding affordable Mitsubishi i-MiEV insurance in San Francisco
The best way we recommend to get low-cost car insurance rates in San Francisco is to regularly compare price quotes from different companies who provide car insurance in California.
Step 1: Spend some time learning about how auto insurance works and the changes you can make to keep rates low. Many policy risk factors that increase rates such as accidents, careless driving, and a negative credit history can be improved by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
Step 2: Request price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can quote rates from many different companies.
Step 3: Compare the quotes to the price on your current policy to see if cheaper i-MiEV coverage is available. If you find a lower rate, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
Step 4: Notify your company or agent to cancel your current coverage and submit the signed application along with the required initial payment for your new policy. When you receive it, safely store the proof of insurance certificate with the vehicle registration.
An important note is to use the same coverage limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to analyze as many different companies as possible. This ensures a fair price comparison and the best price selection.
With so many choices for buying lower-cost insurance for a Mitsubishi i-MiEV in San Francisco, it can be hard to find the lowest cost insurance company.
Shopping around for the lowest-priced insurance coverage in San Francisco is not as hard as you think. Practically every car owner who is shopping for insurance will most likely buy a cheaper policy. Although California vehicle owners can benefit from knowing the way companies compete online and apply this information to your search.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Auto insurance companies don’t always advertise every policy discount in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list some of the best known and the harder-to-find credits that you can use to lower your rates.
- Early Switch Discount – Some larger companies provide a discount for switching to them prior to your current i-MiEV insurance policy expiring. This discount can save up to 10%.
- Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down on your Mitsubishi could earn better premium rates on cars that stay parked.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being on active deployment in the military may qualify for rate reductions.
- Theft Prevention System – Cars with anti-theft systems help deter theft and will qualify for a discount on a San Francisco car insurance quote.
- One Accident Forgiven – This one is not really a discount per se, but companies like State Farm and GEICO will let one accident slide without raising rates so long as you are claim-free before the accident.
- Telematics Data Discounts – San Francisco drivers who agree to allow driving data collection to track when and where they use their vehicle by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive might see lower rates as long as they are good drivers.
- Driver Safety – Passing a driver safety class could cut 5% off your bill and easily recoup the cost of the course.
- Discount for Passive Restraints – Cars that have air bags can receive discounts of more than 20%.
It’s important to note that most discount credits are not given to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Larger insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are detailed below.
- AAA has discounts for education and occupation, multi-car, good student, multi-policy, good driver, pay-in-full, and anti-theft.
- Progressive offers discounts including homeowner, online quote discount, online signing, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and good student.
- State Farm may have discounts that include anti-theft, defensive driving training, multiple autos, passive restraint, driver’s education, multiple policy, and Drive Safe & Save.
- Esurance may include discounts for Pac-12 alumni, online quote, claim free, online shopper, paid-in-full, and anti-theft.
- Nationwide offers premium reductions for easy pay, Farm Bureau membership, business or organization, accident-free, family plan, multi-policy, and anti-theft.
Before buying, ask each insurance company which discounts they offer. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply everywhere. To see a list of insurance companies that offer many of these discounts in San Francisco, click this link.
When price shopping your coverage, obtaining a wide range of quotes increases the chance that you will find a lower rate. Some regional insurers cannot provide rate quotes online, so you need to compare price estimates from them, too.
The providers in the list below provide quotes in San Francisco, CA. If multiple providers are shown, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.
When to get advice from a local insurance agent
A lot of people would rather talk to a local agent and that is a personal choice. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is you can get the best rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying insurance from neighborhood insurance agencies is definitely important in San Francisco.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), your information is transmitted to participating agents in San Francisco that can give you free San Francisco car insurance quotes for your business. You don’t have to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to you. You can find lower rates and an insurance agent to talk to. If you want to get a price quote for a specific company, don’t hesitate to go to their quote page and submit a quote form there.
Multiple types of car insurance agents in San Francisco
If you want a local insurance agency, there are two different types of agents to choose from. Insurance agencies can be classified as either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).
Independent Insurance Agents (or Brokers)
These type of agents do not sell for just one brand and that is an advantage because they can write policies with an assortment of companies and get you the best rates possible. If prices rise, the business is moved internally which makes it simple for you.
If you need cheaper insurance rates, it’s recommended you compare quotes from multiple independent agents to maximize your price options.
Below is a partial list of independent agencies in San Francisco that may be able to provide competitive price quotes.
Steven Cresci Insurance Agency
544 Golden Gate Ave – San Francisco, CA 94102 – (415) 212-8190 – View Map
Nationwide Insurance: Anita Daisy Lo Agency
6037 Geary Blvd – San Francisco, CA 94121 – (415) 592-8388 – View Map
Robert E. Kennedy Insurance Agency
Flood Building, 870 Market St #740 – San Francisco, CA 94102 – (415) 951-0738 – View Map
View more San Francisco agents
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Exclusive agencies can usually just insure with one company like American Family, State Farm, and AAA. These agents are unable to compare rates from other companies so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. Exclusive agencies are highly trained on their company’s products which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive agencies in San Francisco willing to provide price quote information.
Sandy Lee – State Farm Insurance Agent
188 S Park St #4 – San Francisco, CA 94107 – (415) 227-9833 – View Map
State Farm: Michael Woo
2166 Market St – San Francisco, CA 94114 – (415) 565-6777 – View Map
Rich Machado – State Farm Insurance Agent
5108 Geary Blvd – San Francisco, CA 94118 – (415) 292-3380 – View Map
View more San Francisco agents
Picking a insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Here are some questions you should ask.
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Will they give you a referral list?
- Are all drivers listed on the coverage quote?
- Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
If you feel you receive positive feedback for all questions you ask as well as an affordable premium quote, you have narrowed it down to an auto insurance agent that can be trusted to adequately provide insurance. It’s important to know that policyholders can cancel your coverage whenever you want so never assume that you’re stuck with any specific agency for the full term.
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
Cheaper Mitsubishi i-MiEV insurance in San Francisco is definitely available from both online companies as well as from independent agents in San Francisco, so get free San Francisco car insurance quotes from both of them to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers may not offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these smaller providers provide coverage only through independent agents.
As you shop your coverage around, don’t be tempted to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many cases, someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at the best price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
We just covered many tips how you can save on Mitsubishi i-MiEV insurance in San Francisco. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get premium rates for, the better likelihood of getting affordable San Francisco car insurance quotes. You may even find the lowest car insurance rates are with an unexpected company. Some small companies may only write in your state and offer lower premium rates compared to the large companies like Progressive and GEICO.
Steps to finding cheaper Mitsubishi i-MiEV insurance in San Francisco
The easiest way to get more affordable Mitsubishi i-MiEV insurance in San Francisco is to start doing an annual price comparison from insurance carriers that insure vehicles in California. This can be done by completing these steps.
- Spend a few minutes and learn about how insurance works and the steps you can take to prevent rate increases. Many factors that cause rate increases like your driving record and a not-so-good credit history can be remedied by making minor changes in your lifestyle.
- Request price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agencies can quote prices from multiple insurance companies. Start a quote
- Compare the quotes to your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate. If you find a better price and buy the policy, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
A good piece of advice is to try to compare similar coverage information on each quote request and and to get rate quotes from as many companies as possible. Doing this enables a fair price comparison and the best rate selection.
To learn more, feel free to browse the following helpful articles:
- Help Your Teen Be a Better Driver (State Farm)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Single Moms in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for Seniors in San Francisco? (FAQ)
- Car Insurance for Teen Drivers with Divorced Parents (Allstate)
- How Can I Save Money on Auto Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)
- What to do at the Scene of an Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
- Where can I buy Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)