Last Updated on August 12, 2023 by asifa
Auto insurance policies are contracts between insurers and policyholders. These contracts can be ended in certain terms. A policyholder does not have to stay until the end in most cases. If they want to switch to an alternative insurer or do not need coverage anymore, they can cancel the current policy. Most companies would not have any problem with this and they would cooperate fully.
If you are considering leaving the current insurer because of unsatisfactory service or lower premium offers the best time to switch car insurance companies is at renewal. During the renewal period you will be offered new terms from your current provider. They normally send this notice at least two weeks in advance. Then, you should always check your alternatives and see which coverage and insurer will serve you better. This is the time you can leave without any cancellation hassle. If the renewal is near and you can wait it may be a better option than trying to end a policy.
Why Would People Want to Switch Insurers before Renewal?
Most policyholders stay with their current insurers for years without caring to get alternative car insurance quotes. Then, something happens and changes it all. They may hear something bad about the company, a claim may be turned down or suddenly they realize they can save a lot of money with another company. Many people start getting quotes out of curiosity and they get surprised to see that the rates can really be low.
Changes in circumstances may force policyholders to switch. For many reasons people’s circumstances change. They may move to a new state where their current insurer is not licensed or not competitive. Auto insurance laws and liability requirements are different in each state. When you move to a new state permanently, you’d better follow the new rules. Besides, vehicle insurance costs may be lower in the new state and you would want to take advantage of it as soon as possible.
Adding a new driver onto an existing policy is another tricky issue. Usually, a younger person would be added to parents’ policy as soon as they pass their driving test. Your current insurer may not like this teen driver to be added on to a policy owned by a nice middle-aged couple with brilliant records. You would not like the fact that they do not like to add your child as it would be evident from the high premiums they demand. It is understandable that you would not want to put up with it and switch the moment you find a reasonable quote somewhere else.
Changing the vehicle insured from a nice family car to a sports one can create issues as well. Some companies do not like risky business. When they can quote very competitive rates for safe cars, drivers or locations they may be freaked out with a sports car or a teen driver. Then, you would have two options; either pay the very high additional premiums demanded or switch.
Cancellation of Automobile Insurance Policies
All the above circumstances would require a policyholder to cancel the existing policy when moving to a new insurer or when it is not needed any longer. Cancellation terms are normally mentioned in the policy documents but you can call the company and find out. Usually, there may be a small cancellation charge and occasionally you may be able to avoid this charge if you give sufficient notice.
Generally, the fees and charges for cancelling a policy is not a prohibitive amount. It is just a reasonable administration charge. Even if you paid the full premium unused portion of it would be calculated pro rata and returned to you shortly. If you are paying monthly, cancelling the monthly payment option would cancel your policy normally. However, you should contact your insurer and tell them your intentions. You may be due some refunds or need to pay a little bit more premium. If the payments you made so far are short the company will chase after you in any case.
You must have a policy in place to replace the cancelled one the moment it is done. Otherwise, you cannot drive or keep your vehicle on a public road. Also, you do not want the DMV to start chasing you since you have no insurance anymore. One thing you should not do if you can avoid it is to cancel a policy when you have an unsettled claim in place. This may delay the payment or make things complicated.
Apart from that, if you are interested to know about Avail the Different Types of Auto Insurance Discounts then visit our business category.
