In Australia there are lots of car insurance companies and it seems like a new one pops up every six months or so – in fact, my last count was 83 companies offering car insurance. So how on earth do you filter through these companies to work out which one could be best for you or which ones you should get a quote for? Each quote takes time and you most likely don't have time to get 83 quotes in order to get the cheapest policy that meets your requirements. Here are a few tips to make it easier to you to choose the right car insurance company.

Getting good customer service is important

Good customer is service is something everyone wants, especially when making a claim which is the where most of the customer complaints come from. There are a few websites in Australia which provide users with the opportunity to rate each company and leave feedback. Scouring through a few of these websites will quickly give you an indication of whether a car insurance company has a good reputation for customer service and will let you avoid the companies with bad rating and reviews.

Another thing you should look out for in regards to a company's rating is who is providing that rating or feedback. There are insurance and financial rating companies but to be honest I don't think they always offer accurate ratings. The best way to get a better understanding is to read through the forums and websites for what real people think.

Price can vary by thousands for basically the same policy so ensure you shop around

That's right. The exact same quote can come out at more than $1000 difference which means if you don't shop around then you could pay way too much for your car insurance. The key to comparing insurance prices is making sure you get quotes from more than 1 underwriter. The underwriter is not always the brand or face of the insurance company. The underwriter is the company that determines the risk and thus the price of your insurance policy. So if you get a quote from two companies which are underwritten by the same insurer then you are not comparing at all. This is a common trick many comparison websites use – it appears you are getting 5-7 different insurance quotes but in fact all are underwritten and often owned by the same insurer so just double check the underwriter of each policy before you take it as a given you are doing a proper comparison and getting the cheapest car insurance out there.

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Dub Johnston is a respected authority on insurance topics in Australia. Visit OzInsure.com.au to compare car insurance companies and get car insurance quotes from a number of the largest and most respected companies in Australia.