How Long Does It Take To Get Car Insurance?

Procrastination is a funny thing. It seems as if one minute Valentine’s Day is five weeks out – but the next time you look at the calendar it’s tomorrow. And you haven’t gotten any gifts yet. Time to hit up the gas station for some chocolate.

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Car insurance can pose a similar problem (gas station chocolate excepted, of course). Wading through a quagmire of options for a product many people view as a commodity can be intimidating, which can lead to making a rushed decision at the last minute for an item which could literally save your bacon during a very stressful time. What to do?

Fortunately, it doesn’t take very long to get car insurance – at least if you are dealing with a team of professionals like those at Toyota Insurance. In fact, it’s likely to only take about 15 minutes for an expert to ask pertinent questions relating to coverage options, permitting them to select an insurance policy which fits your driving habits. This is far preferable to an off-the-shelf, generic policy which may not have the protections you require when making claims after a crash.

It helps to have some details on hand prior to calling or messaging an insurance company, as it will help speed up the process of getting a quote for coverage. Make sure to have the VIN of your vehicle handy; this is the 17-character vehicle identification number which is unique and specific to your car, just like a fingerprint. Since a VIN includes details about a car’s make, model, and even engine size, it is an important part of information for acquiring insurance. Vehicles built before 1981 may have a different type of VIN, but all modern cars employ this standardized 17-character type.

There’s nothing wrong with having the year, make, and model of your car on hand in addition to the VIN, plus its trim level. If you’re new to cars and unfamiliar with those terms, here’s a good example: if your vehicle is a 2017 Toyota Corolla LE, know that 2017 is the year (obvs), Toyota is the make, Corolla is the model, and LE is the trim level. The VIN will provide just about all this detail on its own except possibly the trim – and yes, a small distinction such as trim can have a major impact on insurance pricing. A base Corolla may cost less to insure than a top-of-the-line trim, for example. Sporty variants may be even more expensive, as an example.

Other helpful information to have with you when contacting Toyota Insurance for coverage include details about your own driving history. Be sure to tell them how many years you’ve held a valid driver’s license, any driving instruction you’ve taken, and past incidents. Don’t sleep on the financial benefits of holding a graduate certificate to a driving school; many insurers look favourably on such tutelage and reward it with a rate discount. If you happen to have your precise driving violation and accident history, you might as well go ahead and provide these details, as you will be quoted a more accurate price. If you omit this information, you will find later in the process once you agree to buy the policy that the insurance company will have run your motor vehicle report, found out about your driving history, and raised the price of your quote

Your insurer will also ask questions about your driving habits, if you plan to use the car for business purposes, and approximately how many miles you intend to drive per day or per week. Answer these questions to the best of your ability with the information you have, knowing that changes to one’s insurance can often be made at any time. Having these details ready to go when contacting the insurance company will make quick work of the conversation, reducing the amount of time it takes to move from initial inquiry to being covered and ready to hit the road.

The insurance landscape can be difficult and intimidating to navigate, filled with technical jargon and questions to which one may not immediately know the answer (like the VIN of your car). However, with a few details at the ready, getting insurance needn’t be a drawn-out process fraught with exasperated sighs and procrastination. And with the help of experts at a company like Toyota Insurance, it won’t even require any gas station chocolate.