Searching for the cheapest insurance for a Mercedes-Benz 300SE could be a painful process, but you can learn a few tricks to make it easier.
There are more efficient ways to shop for auto insurance so we’re going to tell you the proper way to price shop coverage for a new or used Mercedes-Benz and obtain the cheapest rates from both online companies and local agents.
Smart consumers take time to check auto insurance prices periodically since rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Even if you got the best deal for 300SE coverage a couple years back you may be paying too much now. There is too much inaccurate information about auto insurance on the web, but with this article, you’re going to get some excellent ideas to buy auto insurance cheaper.
Be sure to get all your discounts
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you can get discounts to reduce the price significantly. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you complete an application, but a few need to be asked for prior to receiving the credit. If you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% for 300SE coverage with certain companies.
- Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt can save up to 15% off your PIP or medical payments premium.
- Accident Free – Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially as compared to bad drivers.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being on active duty in the military could mean lower rates.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Insuring multiple cars or trucks with the same company may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.
- Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you’re out of luck. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your overall premium however.
To choose companies with the best auto insurance discounts, click here.
Buying auto insurance from a local agent
Certain consumers would rather visit with an insurance agent. Good agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and help file insurance claims. The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the best rates but also keep your business local. Buying from local insurance agencies is especially important in small towns and cities.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your insurance data is instantly submitted to local insurance agents who will battle for your business. There is no reason to leave your computer because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. How cool is that?!
Different types of insurance agencies
When researching a reputable insurance agent or broker, there are a couple of different agency structures that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies are categorized either captive or independent. While both can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s good to learn how they differ because it can impact the type of agent you choose
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent insurance agents are not locked into one company but instead can place your coverage with multiple insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To transfer your coverage to a different company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency.
When searching for an agent, we recommend you get quotes from several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection. They often place coverage with smaller companies which can save you money.
Captive Agents
Captive agencies write business for a single company and examples are Liberty Mutual, State Farm, Allstate and AAA. These agents are not able to provide prices from multiple companies so they have to upsell other benefits. Captive agents are usually quite knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers sometimes choose to use a captive agent partially due to the brand legacy and strong financial ratings.
To view a complete directory of insurance agents, visit this page.
Picking an auto insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. Some important questions to ask are:
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- Which insurance companies are they affiliated with?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
- Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
After receiving positive responses to these questions and locked in a price quote, you have narrowed it down to an insurance agency that can properly insure your vehicles.
Advertising myths
Consumers get pounded daily by advertisements that promise big savings by State Farm and Allstate. All the ads have a common claim about savings if you move to their company.
How does each company make the same claim?
Insurance companies are able to cherry pick for the type of customer that is profitable for them. An example of a profitable customer could be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and has a high credit rating. A propective insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get the preferred rates and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.
Potential customers who are not a match for this ideal profile will be charged higher rates and ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state “customers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much. This is how insurance companies can make the claims of big savings.
That is why you need to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s not possible to predict which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
One last thing
Drivers who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as high prices, unfair underwriting practices, being labeled a high risk driver or even extreme rates for teen drivers. Regardless of your reason, switching companies is not as hard as you think.
As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. In too many instances, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your goal should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
You just read quite a bit of information on how to lower your Mercedes-Benz 300SE insurance rates. It’s most important to understand that the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may be surprised to find that the best price on auto insurance is with a lesser-known regional company.
