You understand that it’s important to shop around for auto insurance to get a competitive rate. However, you want to limit who has your personal information. What if you could have the best of both worlds?
Enter: The anonymous auto insurance quote.
Unfortunately, anonymous car insurance quotes aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. You could receive an erroneous quote or an estimate that might not help you make a good comparison between your current policy.
How do anonymous car insurance quotes work?
Some websites and services offer anonymous auto insurance quotes or coverage calculators. They claim to be able to provide you a quote without any personal information.
Typically, anonymous quote calculators and websites use factors, such as your ZIP code or state and basic information about your driving record. Then, they might provide auto insurance price averages for your ZIP code or state or offer a range of prices for the rates you might receive.
What information do you need to get an auto insurance quote?
Most auto insurance companies personalize the price you pay.
You should avoid using a cartoon character’s name or a fake name like Joe Blow or John Doe, as the quote you receive may be “fictional,” too.
You’ll typically need to provide personal information to get an accurate quote, including:
- Full name
- Address where you park your vehicle at night
- Date of birth
- Drivers license number and when you received your first drivers license
- Driving history, such as whether you’ve had any recent accidents or traffic violations
- Make, model, and year of any vehicles on the policy
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of any vehicles on the policy
- Insurance history, such as whether you’ve had coverage before
Providing valid information about yourself means an insurance company can give you an accurate auto insurance quote. This way, you can make meaningful comparisons of your current coverages and limits and make a more informed decision before you switch insurers.
How can I get an accurate car insurance quote online?
The personal information you provide when you receive your quote helps an insurance company understand your driving and whether you might be a risky driver. The insurer uses this information to rate you as a driver, provide insurance discounts or offers, and ensure you’re eligible for coverage.
The quotes or ranges anonymous quote calculators and websites provide generally aren’t binding, which means there is no guarantee an insurance company will sell you an auto insurance policy at these prices.
To get an insurance quote you can purchase, you will generally need to fill out a complete application and provide information about yourself, your vehicle, and your driving and insurance histories.
Now, you can see how your actual driving can affect the price you pay for car insurance.
Metromile lets you know if you’re a low-mileage driver that could save with pay-as-you-go insurance. Download the Metromile app and start a free Ride Along™ trial before you buy.
You can get a free auto insurance quote with Ride Along.
We’ll ask you to drive as you typically would for about two weeks (you should keep your current insurance policy to keep coverage during your trial). You can earn up to an extra 15% off your quote, depending on your state, as a reward for demonstrating safe driving habits during your Ride Along.
The bottom line
It might seem extra savvy to get an auto insurance quote online without providing your personal information, but anonymous quotes could cost you. You might find out the quoted price is just an estimate and pay a higher price later or get stuck with a policy with coverage and limits you don’t want.
Auto insurance rates are personalized heavily by insurance companies. Providing your actual and up-to-date personal information and selecting the coverages and limits you want is a good way to make an informed decision before you make a significant purchase.