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Ten years ago, "online car insurance quotes" meant that the agents you called had email addresses, and sent quotes to prospective clients that way, rather than a bundle of paper sent through the post office. Still, though, the process started with at least a voice-to-voice telephone conversation if not a personal appointment.

In the past, it seemed ridiculous to assume that any agent would give up their secret weapon in the fight for new clients. Most of them would never even think about handing out a quote to a potential client if they didn't actually come to their office for a real meeting.

It's not like that anymore. These days, the agents of the past have given way to automated web sales which concentrate on price rather than the agent-customer relationship. Young urbanites find the shift to the Internet particularly handy, as it is their preferred form of media. Older, less tech-savvy customers will gradually have to look online too as more and more companies focus on web sales and agents have less to offer in comparison.

Recent trends have shown an increase in people getting their car insurance quotes online. Everyone's life is getting more hectic as new activities are filling their limited time and more purchases are made without ever meeting a salesperson. At the same time, potential clients are more aware of the various insurance terms and options and now expect better self-service for their dollar.

The result of all of this is that previously unknown car insurance providers have become household names almost overnight. Millions of customers seek out a free auto insurance quote and inexpensive insurance that the largest companies would not provide. The market leaders found that they had to play catch up because small companies had found a way to become major players.

Now that the huge market leaders have caught up, every insurance company in the US seems to offer online car insurance quotes. Only now, there seem to be more of them than ever before. This is, of course, not a bad thing. Competition is in the consumer's best interest.

The discount car insurance industry has been changed forever by technology. Ten years ago, before promises of free quotes and huge savings become the norm, it was far more difficult to get quotes and take the time to compare them properly. There are many new competitors in the car insurance business, all seeking to make their mark through lower prices and/or better service when you need them.

Giving car insurance quotes to prospective customers used to be a huge leverage tool for agents. Before the advent of the Internet, agents required an appointment or commitment before even giving out a quote. But times have changed. Websites have replaced many agents. People are now used to making purchases and doing all kinds of business over the Internet without dealing with salespeople, and they demanded self-service in seeking online car insurance quotes as well. Small insurance companies snatched the opportunity to give visitors a free auto insurance quote with no strings attached. To find discount car insurance, you only need to spend a few minutes comparing online.