Online insurance: how it works, how to take out it

What is online insurance, what tools exist (comparators, IVASS online estimate), how to choose the most suitable one. 


Taking out insurance online has long been one of the most convenient solutions to be in compliance with the insurance coverage of your vehicle. The advantages of insurance taken out through the PC or smartphone are many: savings first of all, but also a more streamlined process, the possibility of choosing all the options proposed by the insurance company with a simple "click" of the mouse, accessibility 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Lastly (in order of time) an additional service for the benefit of those who stipulate an online TPL contract: the opening of “physical” offices to which they can turn in case of need.

In this guide we analyze the whole question concerning the world of online insurance : what they are, how they work, how to choose the most convenient policy. 

Online car insurance comparators: how they work

If it is a question of choosing the most convenient online insurance policy, the Web comparators allow you to compare the prices of the various companies quickly and easily. Clearly, this is a commercial service that does not provide for the stipulation of insurance coverage policies: online comparators help motorists in choosing the best prices according to their needs.

Online comparators generally have an easy and intuitive operating mechanism: fill in some personal data, those of the car you intend to insure (make, model, age) and enter your class of merit , to view the estimates of various companies insurance companies , from which a contractual and economic comparison can be made. The user, in turn, can request further information by clicking on the quote itself or by contacting (directly or via the website) with the identified Company.

Mechanism of the Ivass online estimator

A further tool for comparing car insurance prices consists of the online estimator developed by the Institute for Insurance Supervision , which came into full operation in May 2021. Its operation is just as simple as the comparators already present on the Net for some time. : it is sufficient, without registering, to enter your tax code, the vehicle data (make, model, equipment), other personal data and the certificate of risk. In a few seconds, the Motor TPL estimates available at that time among all the insurance companies are displayed.

Compared to commercial comparators , the IVASS public estimator does not receive any commission when signing a policy, it displays the proposals of all the insurance companies present in Italy (and not only those for which the commercial comparators act as intermediaries), and allows compare the quotes that refer to the new TPL basic contract. For this reason, the IVASS online estimator does not calculate any estimate if the motorist, when buying a new car to replace an already insured one, wants to keep an insurance contract already stipulated. In this case, you must contact your Company to have the coverage conditions changed and to calculate any difference to be added to the premium.

Online insurance: how much you save

A first question that many users ask themselves, when choosing whether to take out insurance according to the "traditional" method (i.e. by contacting a physical agency and starting the practice from there with the assistance of the agent) or online, concerns the price difference. In a nutshell: is online insurance actually cheaper?

In general , it can be rightly said that one of the points in favor of online insurance concerns their cheapness compared to the agency. The reasons are essentially practical: insurance companies that work exclusively online (or by phone) can in this way keep brokerage costs under control. Here is therefore explained the main "item" that allows online TPL policies to cost less.

Cheapest online insurance: is it always like this?

The amounts - sometimes super discounted - that the insurance companies advertise on their web portals should be read carefully. Frequently, the prices indicated are for the best conditions and with very low risk profiles. That is: only the Motor TPL insurance coverage (which is the only compulsory car insurance, however it does not always manage to offer complete coverage), class of merit 1, adulthood of the policyholder, residence in an area with few road accidents.

It is clear that these are "limit conditions" : that is, there are not very many users who can fully adhere to them. Each motorist (but also motorcyclist and hauler) has in fact an "insurance career" in its own right. It is therefore necessary to carefully check any offers , adapting them to your current situation. Therefore: based on the merit class, the province of residence, the date of birth and driving license seniority, and the vehicle (age, average annual mileage). Any more interesting clauses and ancillary guarantees must then be added.

What is the best online insurance?

The best online insurance does not necessarily have to be the cheapest one. On the contrary: relying solely on the price of the policy may not be the best choice. The best car insurance , rather than being the cheapest one, is the one that offers the user the conditions of coverage that best meet his needs.

For this reason , when you buy a new factory car it is not advisable to limit , “naked and raw” TPL insurance, but to add the Theft-fire policy the one for vandalism and for atmospheric agents . These are additional policies that are necessary in the case of new or recent cars, and which, however, can increase the premium.

Online car insurance: how to choose it

In addition to the various comparators available on the market and the IVASS online estimator, to get a precise picture of how much you could spend for the stipulation of an insurance contract on the Net , it is also possible to make a quote directly with the identified insurance company . Many companies present online have their own policy estimation tool, the operation of which is similar to comparators and the IVASS estimator.

How to save on online car insurance

When choosing which online car insurance to take out, the user should make use of the services and clauses that help the consumer limit the amount of the car insurance policy. These are conditions to be carefully evaluated before signing the contract, because in some cases they can change the coverage, the possibilities to choose freely and the user's privacy. 

  • Expert guide or exclusive guide;
  • In the event of an accident, repairs at affiliated body shops;
  • Adoption of the “ black box ” and / or the AlcoLock for the detection of the alcohol level by the driver;
  • Any deductibles or overdrafts.

Among the accessory clauses that extend the insurance coverage (and which, however, can increase the amount of the premium ) there are, for example:

  • Additional guarantees on Motor TPL;
  • Half-yearly splitting of the contract;
  • Increase of the legal ceilings;
  • Limitation of exclusions and redress.
Pay for insurance online, but it's a scam

Yet another online scam, in San Lazzaro. In the last six months, more than fifty have occurred to the detriment of local citizens. The victim of this episode was a 50-year-old who had seen an advantageous offer for an insurance policy on a website. Satisfied with what the operator had heard on the phone, the woman paid 314 euros, based on the estimate that had been made to her by this insurance company, which later turned out to be fictitious. To pay the Sanlazzarese, she made a transfer from her current account to the Iban indicated by the fake insurer. The Iban, in fact, neither corresponded nor belonged to an insurance agency, but belonged to a 62-year-old Neapolitan who was later reported for fraud. The 62-year-old, with various police records for similar crimes, had sent counterfeit documents to Sanlazzarese and had therefore pocketed the money from the transfer into his current account. Then, as usual, disappear. The woman has never seen any confirmation of her policy arrive and she has contacted the local carabinieri to which she has also filed a complaint. The military, through the Iban on which the money had been paid, traced the 62-year-old and reported him for fraud. 

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