5 Ways to Check Reliable Auto Insurance Companies

Since everyone is looking for the best deals on New York auto insurance these days a lot of companies have sprung up claiming to offer discount auto insurance. It sounds great to save a lot of money on your New York auto insurance but how can you be sure that you are dealing with a reliable company?

Having good New York auto insurance is about more than just the cost of the insurance. Sure, you want a low price but you also want to know that when you need to file a claim or when you need an insurance agent the company will be there for you and will pay your claims without a hassle. So how can you tell if a New York auto insurance company is reliable or not? Here are 5 ways to check:

1. Talk to your mechanic - No one knows insurance companies better than the body shops that work with them. And because body shops work with so many different insurance companies they can tell you which companies pay claims easily and which ones don't. They can also tell you which companies treat their customer well and which ones don't. Talk to your favorite mechanic or body manager to find out the dirt on insurance companies.
2. Look up insurance company ratings on the J.D. Power website- J.D. Power is a well-respected name when it comes to consumer confidence, and each year J.D. Power publishes a ranking of the best insurance companies. Search the J.D. Power website to find out where your insurance company ranks and which insurance company is considered the best in customer satisfaction.
3. Consider reputation - sometimes you will pay for a New York auto insurance policy from a major insurance carrier but sometimes it's worth paying more to have the power of a name that you can trust. Most of the larger insurance companies have in business for decades, whereas some of the insurance companies that offer low rates right now haven't even been in business a year. When in doubt, go with a name you know.
4. Check with the Better Business Bureau - you can always look at the Better Business Bureau's website to see if any claims have been filed against a particular insurance company and what the nature of the complaint is.
5. Call customer service - if you want to see how an insurance company treats its customers call their customer service line and talk to a customer service rep about the New York auto insurance the company offers. You can tell a lot about a company when you talk to an employee directly.