Figure 1 in featured image, Comparison sites are a great way to potentially save money

Competition is fierce in just about all areas of business these days and rival providers and businesses will do anything they can to find customers. But even with the best marketing in the world, there will always be people who won’t be reached and will not know about the company or their deals. That is where price comparison sites come in.

Even the biggest and most well-known companies can be found on these comparison sites. Some will make a big deal of not being included – in another way of setting them apart from the pack. But these comparison sites are an excellent way of compiling as much information as possible to see where to get your best deal.

It may be that you like a particular company or are loyal to a name brand. However, using a price comparison site will alert you to other possibilities. You may want to stick with your insurance – or know that you get a good service from your MyBookie sportsbook. However, using a comparison site can give you a more rounded picture. But you should know how to use these sites properly – and what the limitations might be.

Compare the Comparisons

The first thing to realize when using price comparison sites is that the results you see are not the definitive answer for the price search. For this reason, you should be checking the prices on two or even three comparison sites to get a fuller picture of what is on offer.

Some comparison sites will have exclusive deals with certain businesses and be able to offer a different price, so checking another site is key. Not all providers will be covered on all sites either. So, if you want the most information possible, you should compare the comparisons and then be able to come to a more informed decision.

Check Directly With Provider

Even after you have compared the different comparison sites and found a good deal, you should always check by going to the provider directly. Comparison sites work by collating information from all the possible sites and presenting the information. But there could still be a better deal to be done.

You don’t have to be clandestine about your use of the comparison site either. You can tell them about the quote you have received and see if there is anything better that can be done. It may be that the quote is the definitive price but it is always worth checking, just in case.

Get the Right Product

When you use a price comparison site it will give you all the information it has collected, using the parameters that you have set. So, you should not just look for the cheapest price and apply. You should check carefully what that price is covering – and whether it is actually what you are after.

There is no point in getting what looks like a great deal, only for that deal not to be for a service that you requested. This is another reason why it is useful to contact the provider directly. By talking to them, you can ascertain whether the quote works for you and gives you what you want.

Check Check Boxes

You will have heard people saying that you always check the small print. That is, of course, very true. But with price comparison sites you need to check all the aspects of the deal you have been quoted. You should be particularly thorough when it comes to pre-ticked check boxes.

As with the piece of advice above, your comparison results will come from the information you originally provided. That could mean that some check boxes will be pre-ticked, even though you don’t actually want that particular service. You could even be missing out on better, hidden deals that would be apparent if the box was unchecked.

Use Accurate Information

This may seem like an obvious piece of advice but you should be as exact and detailed as possible when inputting information about what you are searching for. Using a price comparison site is not like talking to a store clerk who can figure out what you are after through conversation.

The comparison site will give you the results that you have pointed it to. So those details need to be as accurate as possible. You should be ready to check further anyway (as explained above) but getting the most accurate search results is vitally important to save time at the beginning.

Figure 2 Be as accurate as possible with your information

Filter Quotes

It is highly likely that if you are using a price comparison site, there is going to be a wide range of potential services laid out for you once you have completed inputting the details of your request. This means that you will still have a lot of information – and it might not just be the cheapest deal that is the right one.

Once you have your first batch of results on the comparison site, you should be able to figure out what kind of information you can then filter to refine the search and make it more appropriate to what you actually require. There will be plenty of filters to use, so go ahead and pinpoint your comparisons.

Check the Details

The aim of this guide has not been to put you off using price comparison sites. They are a great way of getting a lot of information in a more efficient way. They can be very useful in cutting the time you take to find the best deal. But they should not be used in isolation.

Make sure you double and triple-check all the details when you initially search – and when you have your results. Price comparison sites are great tools for a wide range of services, but they need to be used in the right way to get the best results.