Searching for better insurance prices for a new or used Chevy Spark in California can be a painful process, but you can learn a few tricks and make it easy.
There are both good and bad ways to buy auto insurance so we’re going to tell you the quickest way to get price quotes for a new or used Chevy and locate the cheapest rates either online or from Stockton insurance agents.
It’s smart to check auto insurance prices occasionally since prices are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you got the best deal on Chevy Spark insurance in Stockton a couple years back you may be paying too much now. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because we’re going to show you the tricks you need to know to find lower rates on auto insurance.
If you are insured now or are looking for a new policy, follow these tips to reduce the price you pay and still get good coverage. Quoting affordable auto insurance coverage in Stockton is quite easy. Comparison shoppers only need to know the most time-saving way to compare insurance rates online.
Five Tips to Get Lower-cost Stockton Insurance Prices
Lots of things are used in the calculation when you get your auto insurance bill. Some factors are common sense such as your driving history, although others are less obvious such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating.
Additional coverages that may be costing you – There are many optional add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying when buying car insurance. Coverage for things like vanishing deductibles, towing coverage, and motor club memberships are probably not needed. The coverages may be enticing at first, but if you don’t need them eliminate them to save money.
Cars with good safety ratings save money – Cars with high safety ratings cost less to insure. Safer cars help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and fewer injuries means your insurance company pays less and more competitive rates for policyholders.
Urban areas may pay more – Living in smaller towns and rural areas of the country has it’s advantages when trying to find low car insurance rates. Drivers in populated areas have traffic congestion and more severe claims. Fewer people means a lower chance of having an accident and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.
Defend yourself with liability – The liability coverage on your policy is the coverage that protects you if you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Your liability coverage provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Liability insurance is pretty cheap compared to comp and collision, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
Decrease premiums by maintaining coverage – Driving with no insurance is not a good idea and companies may charge more for letting your insurance lapse for non-payment. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance can result in a fine, jail time, or a revoked license. Then you may be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the California department of motor vehicles.
Compare quotes for Stockton Chevy Spark insurance
The companies shown below are our best choices to provide free rate quotes in California. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you compare several of them to get the best price comparison.
Car insurance is an important decision
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Chevy in Stockton, insuring your vehicle is mandatory in California but it also protects more than you think.
First, most states have compulsory liability insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific minimum amounts of liability coverage if you drive a vehicle. 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 car has a lienholder, most banks will require you to have comprehensive coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank will be required to insure your Chevy at a much higher premium rate and force you to pay much more than you were paying before.
Third, car insurance protects both your assets and your Chevy. It will also provide coverage for medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also covers legal expenses if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of insuring your Spark outweigh the cost, especially if you ever need it. According to a recent study, the average American driver is currently overpaying as much as $865 each year so shop around once a year at a minimum to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Save a ton on Chevy Spark insurance in Stockton with these discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always list all discounts very well, so the list below contains both well-publicized and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Forcing all vehicle occupants to use their safety belts could save 15% off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- College Student – College-age children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have a car may be able to be covered for less.
- Paper-free Discount – Some of the larger companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks shop Stockton car insurance on their website.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if you qualify.
- One Accident Forgiven – This one is not really a discount per se, but certain companies allow you one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free prior to the accident.
- Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new Spark can save you some money because newer vehicles are generally safer.
- Professional Memberships – Having an affiliation with specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations can get you a small discount on car insurance.
- Government Employee Discount – Active or retired federal employment can earn a discount up to 10% with certain companies.
- Multiple Cars – Insuring multiple cars with the same company can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. If you do the math and it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way.
Companies and their offered discounts can be read below.
- Progressive offers discounts including continuous coverage, good student, multi-policy, homeowner, online quote discount, and multi-vehicle.
- AAA may offer discounts for multi-policy, good driver, multi-car, AAA membership discount, and anti-theft.
- Farmers Insurance has savings for mature driver, pay in full, good student, alternative fuel, multi-car, bundle discounts, and youthful driver.
- GEICO discounts include driver training, daytime running lights, anti-lock brakes, good student, multi-vehicle, military active duty, and seat belt use.
- Esurance has discounts for paid-in-full, Switch & Save, emergency road assistance, safety device, anti-lock brakes, and online quote.
- SAFECO includes discounts for multi-car, homeowner, drive less, anti-theft, teen safety rewards, and accident prevention training.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, driver’s education, and student away at school.
When getting free Stockton car insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to every company which discounts you qualify for. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not apply in Stockton. If you would like to choose from a list of providers that offer discounts in Stockton, click here.
Neighborhood insurance agents
Certain consumers would prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and that is a personal choice. Agents can answer important questions and help submit paperwork. A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is that you can find the best rates and still choose a local agent. Buying insurance from neighborhood insurance agencies is definitely important in Stockton.
Once you complete this simple form, your insurance coverage information is instantly submitted to participating agents in Stockton that can provide free Stockton car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to find an agent on your own since price quotes are sent to you directly. If you need to compare rates for a specific company, you would need to search and find their rate quote page and submit a quote form there.
When finding an insurance agent, it’s helpful to know the different types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Agencies in Stockton may be either independent or exclusive. Both types of agents can insure your vehicles, but it’s important to know the difference between them because it can influence the kind of agent you use.
Independent Auto Insurance Agencies or Brokers
Independent insurance agents are not employed by one company so as a result can place your coverage with lots of companies and get the cheapest rates. If premiums increase, your policy is moved internally which makes it simple for you.
When comparing auto insurance rates, you absolutely need to get some free quotes from multiple independent agents for maximum quote selection. Most can insure with less well-known companies that many times have cheaper rates.
Listed below is a small list of independent insurance agents in Stockton that may be able to provide competitive price quotes.
- Brookside General Insurance Services Inc
1231 W Robinhood Dr – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 476-8022 – View Map - Raj Insurance Services
1743 Grand Canal Blvd #12 – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 472-2060 – View Map - Evelyn Vega Insurance Agency
1108 Waterloo Rd #7 – Stockton, CA 95205 – (209) 405-2440 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents of this type normally can only provide a single company’s rates and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. Exclusive agents are unable to provide rate quotes from other companies so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. They are well schooled on their company’s products which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. A lot of people purchase coverage from exclusives mainly due to the brand rather than low price.
The following is a list of exclusive agents in Stockton that are able to give rate quotes.
- Kim Martinez – State Farm Insurance Agent
4255 Pacific Ave #5 – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 478-4010 – View Map - Farmers Insurance – Beatriz Salazar Perez
2111 W March Ln b201 – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 463-2302 – View Map - State Farm: Cheryl Bentley
1502 St Marks Plaza #2 – Stockton, CA 95207 – (209) 952-5065 – View Map
Deciding on an insurance agency needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price quote. Before buying a policy in Stockton, get answers to these questions.
- What companies can they write with?
- Do they specialize in personal lines auto insurance in Stockton?
- Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
- Where are claims handled?
- Are they properly licensed to sell insurance in California?
How to find a good California auto insurance company
Ending up with the highest-rated auto insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many companies there are in Stockton. The company information listed below could help you select which insurers to look at comparing price quotes from.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Esurance | 85 | 80 | 95 | 87% | A+ | 85.9 |
| Safeco | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
| Travelers | 80 | 87 | 87 | 83% | A++ | 85.2 |
| Farmers Insurance | 78 | 87 | 88 | 79% | A | 84.3 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Cheap auto insurance is out there
Discount Chevy Spark insurance in Stockton is available on the web and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies don’t offer rate quotes online and usually these regional carriers only sell through independent insurance agencies.
Insureds change insurance companies for many reasons like poor customer service, questionable increases in premium, extreme rates for teen drivers or even not issuing a premium refund. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new insurance company is not as difficult as it may seem.
We just covered a lot of techniques to find cheap Chevy Spark insurance in Stockton. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of getting affordable Stockton car insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the lowest rates are with a small local company.
How to find cheaper Chevy Spark insurance in Stockton
The preferred way to get budget car insurance rates in Stockton is to compare prices annually from insurers who provide auto insurance in California.
First, try to understand auto insurance and the factors you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating criteria that increase rates such as speeding tickets, accidents and a negative credit history can be eliminated by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
Second, compare price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give rate quotes from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide prices for many different companies. View rates
Third, compare the price quotes to your existing policy to determine if you can save on Spark insurance. If you find a lower rate quote, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
Fourth, notify your current company of your intention to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application to the newly selected company. Once the application is submitted, place the new proof of insurance paperwork in your vehicle.
An important part of this process is that you use the same level of coverage on each quote and and to look at every company you can. Doing this provides an apples-to-apples comparison and and a good selection of different prices.
More information is available below:
- Insuring a Leased Car (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance After a Speeding Ticket in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for a Nissan Sentra in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for 16 Year Olds in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for a Learners Permit in Stockton? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Low Credit Scores in Stockton? (FAQ)
- Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Institute)
- Pickups fall short in headlight tests (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Vehicle Size and Weight FAQ (iihs.org)