Many consumers are looking for ways to save money, including when it comes to car insurance. Is the current policy still the best choice or can you save by switching? Comparison portals on the Internet can help here. However, the search does not deliver tariffs at the best price everywhere, as a test shows.
The comparison portals can point the way to the cheapest car insurance, but the price analysis by the German Institute for Service Quality also reveals differences between the supposed "best price tariffs".
An example: In a test scenario with identical framework data, the cheapest offer for a Mercedes C-Class is around 606 euros per year, with two other portals the cheapest fully comprehensive car insurance is 775 euros each - a difference of around 170 Euro.
Always depending on the user profile and the vehicle, the portal with the best price in the test is on average a good ten percent cheaper than the best offer from the competitor with the lowest price. In general, the savings opportunities in the higher vehicle classes and in the electric car examined are greater than, for example, in small cars and cars in the compact class.
The comparison portals prove their customer orientation in particular where their domain is: on the Internet. Here the providers achieve a good service result. The tariff comparison is simple and transparent everywhere - even individually selected tariffs and their services can be compared comfortably and without obligation. Entering personal data is only necessary if you want to complete an online transaction, with the visible SSL encryption ensuring security.
It is different on the phone and with inquiries by e-mail: long waiting and processing times are only one weak point here. Although the information provided by the employees is friendly, it is often superficial and not very individual. Markus Hamer, Managing Director of the German Institute for Service Quality, advises: "Anyone who is thinking about changing car insurance and wants to exploit the savings potential should not just consult a single provider. The almost intuitive process means that the comparison is limited to two or three portals without spending a lot of time."
Test winner is Verivox with the quality rating "very good". In terms of online service, the portal distinguishes itself with a very high information value of the website and positive user ratings, for example with regard to user-friendliness. The provider answers e-mail inquiries in a friendly and understandable manner. On the phone, Verivox scores with very short waiting times of just nine seconds on average. In the analysis of the cheapest tariff offers, the portal comes off second best.
Check24 took second place, also with the quality rating "very good". The comparison portal offers the cheapest tariffs overall; For eight of the 15 scenarios, the calculator provides the most attractive offer. When they sign up, consumers save an average of nine percent of the costs (compared to the recommended tariff for the "most expensive" portal), and in individual cases the savings potential is even around 22 percent. In terms of service, Check24 is second best with a good result.
Geld.de is in third place (quality rating: "good"). The portal is the third-best provider in terms of both the services and the cheapest tariffs. Geld.de provides attractive tariff offers, especially for families: For three of the five corresponding profiles, the comparison here leads to the most attractive tariff in the test.
