BELAIRdirect goes online

BELAIRdirect, a division of ING Canada, has raised the stakes in direct insurance by going to the Internet as a means of distribution. The direct writer launched its online car insurance quotation system in December.

The first of its kind in North America, BELAIRdirect’s web-site prompts visitors to answer a step-by-step questionnaire and provides an insurance quote in roughly 10 seconds (not withstanding the fact that it takes about ten minutes to fill out the questionnaire). Consumers are then prompted to purchase the policy directly over the Internet.

BELAIRdirect senior vice president David Lincoln says the service is valuable for consumers shopping for cars and car insurance. “With instant online quoting, consumers can now compare the insurance cost of different [car] models. The result is a more informed consumer, able to make an educated decision about the final car purchase,” he says.