Cheap Car Insurance Tip #23: Double check your car’s VIN.

The majority of drivers who own vehicles today are not even aware of what a VIN is, let alone how it can help them save money on their auto insurance premium. But making sure that your insurance agent has this information correct really can lower your auto insurance premium.

The VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) is unique to your car, and can be thought of as kind of like a serial number for your vehicle. Before 1980 there was no standard format for these numbers, so VINs from this timeframe vary greatly. Vehicles made after this time commonly have VINs consisting of 17 letters and numbers, though some newer models have shorter VINs.

But many times, your VIN will not be listed correctly, and this can result in a variety of problems. Firstly, without the proper VIN, you may be missing out on some valuable discounts that can save you a lot of money. And secondly, you may even have an insurance claim denied if the VIN on your vehicle doesn’t match the one on their policy.

Furthermore, if the insurance agent has a VIN that is incorrectly listed, your car may be incorrectly “rated” i.e. a work vehicle being listed as a recreational vehicle, or vice versa. This is why it is so important to take the time and make sure that your agent has this number listed correctly on the insurance policy, if you want to be sure you are getting cheap car insurance.