Do’s and Dont’s while buying/renewing car insurance online
There was a time when cars used to be a luxury, but that’s not true anymore – Now, a car is a necessity. But Indian roads are prone to accidents and traffic congestion. So, better be safe than sorry and buy insurance for your car.
To add on to this, according to the Indian Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, a car owner must hold a valid insurance cover before taking out their cars on the road! You have to buy the bare minimum – third-party liability only covers their car before using it.
There is no cover provided for your vehicle. You still bear the cost of all your repair expenses. But the bare minimum coverage is not enough – it only takes care of your legal liabilities towards the third party involved.
Thus, it is not only correct but the wise thing to be done is buy your car insurance. However, don’t forget that it is important to buy car insurance online – it is equally important to renew it. Expired car insurance will be of no use at the time of need. But is it safe to buy/renew it online?
Is it safe to buy/renew car insurance online?
Yes. It is safe to buy/renew your car insurance online – only if you do so from an authentic source whivh you rely on.
The alternative to buying it online is to go through the long and tedious offline document-driven process. You can avoid this by simply buying your car insurance online. You can take some measures to make sure you are buying it from the right place.
Do’s and Don’ts of Buying/Renewing Car Insurance Online
Here is a short version of what to do and not to do while renewing a car insurance policy online.
Do’s
- Buy it yourself
- Compare online – as much as you can
- Assess the required add on
- Read all the exclusions and inclusions carefully
Don’ts
- Leave blanks
- Accept deals/offers without cross-checking
- Hide information
- Buy without reading all the details involved
Do’s of Buying Car Insurance Online
When buying a car insurance policy, make sure you keep all of this in mind:
Compare Online
Always Compare! This is an essential step in buying anything. Do you buy anything without comparing it with other similar products in the market? Do you like to look at something and buy it? So, don’t do that here also.
It is best to compare your choice with all the options available in the market. Perform a side-by-side evaluation for all the key points – features, benefits, premiums, and other value-added services.
Buy it Yourself
Never let another person buy your car insurance policy for you. The first reason being, of course, it can be a fraud. The second reason – they don’t know you or your requirements. What they choose might not be the right fit for you. The information provided by the said person might be incomplete or incorrect. This lapse can prove to be possibly fatal for you in the long run.
Also, while claiming your insurance, if the insurer finds that your information is false, they can reject your insurance claim. This will lead you to have double expenses – the expenses of your car’s damage and the premium paid by you will be null and void.
Read all the exclusions and inclusions carefully.
After you have zeroed down a care insurance policy you like, make sure to go through their product brochure thoroughly. Be properly aware of what the product offers, what it demands, and all the other conditions.
In the inclusions section, check the IDV offered by the insurer, which natural disasters are covered, the events covered, which forms of accidents are covered. In the exclusions section, check the plan limits, which items are not covered, the co-payment clause, sub-limits, and other things.
Assess the required add-ons
Car insurance policies come with multiple add ons like – zero depreciation, engine protector, etc. It also includes roadside assistance, NCB protector, return to invoice cover, consumables cover, Key replacement cover, and accessories cover.
It is also important to remember that every add-on attached to your policy increases your premium payable. So, make sure to assess your requirements and then buy these add-ons.
Don’ts of Buying/Renewing Car Insurance Online
There are multiple benefits of four-wheeler insurance, but make sure that you avoid these mistakes when buying/renewing it:
Leave Blanks
Never leave blank spaces in your online application form. If you think the particular question does not pertain to you, write not applicable but don’t leave it blank.
Accept deals/offers without cross-checking.
Never accept any car insurance policy offered by your car dealer. There are high chances that it will come with multiple add-ons attached to it. The car dealer wants to earn the maximum commission and does not have your best interests in mind.
This is not to say that your car dealer might not look at all and offer you a good deal, but better compare it before buying it blindly.
Hide Information
Insurance’s base principle is – honesty is the best policy. If you lie, make a false declaration or withhold any information knowingly to save some amount on your premium, it can backfire on you during an insurance claim!
The insurance company can directly reject your claim, stating that you have been dishonest while buying the policy. They can also null and void your policy, impose fines on you, or even take legal action.
Conclusion
Renewing a car insurance policy online is one of the best and easiest ways to purchase a plan that fits correctly in your requirements criteria. Make sure to follow all the do’s and don’ts which are given in this article, and you will be golden! It will be best to compare all the available plans, your shortlisted ones, and then buy them.
If you feel we missed any of the do’s and don’ts, please comment below!
