Get your car insurance online

Today sees the official launch of dotsure.co.za, South Africa’s first full-blown e-commerce portal for comprehensive car insurance.
On dotsure.co.za, consumers can quote, buy and manage car insurance online – easily, quickly and conveniently.

In countries such as the US, UK and Australia, approximately 80% of car insurance is done online. By contrast, while there are some local aggregators which provide quoting and premium comparison facilities, until now South Africans have not enjoyed the benefits of a complete end-to-end e-commerce offering.

Dave Roache, Managing Director of dotsure.co.za, says: “We believe that a similar trend is emerging in South Africa and that our value proposition of quote, buy and manage car insurance online will satisfy market demand.”

Using the expertise gained in the short-term insurance industry over the past 15 years from its parent company – an authorised financial services provider, dotsure.co.za has partnered with leading, reputable insurance providers to give its customers the flexibility of choice.

dotsure.co.za’s primary target market consists of consumers known as ‘digital natives’ – people born in the digital age who choose to ‘live their lives’ online, including shopping online. The company is also targeting the ‘digital immigrants’ segment, individuals who were not born in the digital age but embrace the convenience of technology.

In South Africa, these two target markets are estimated to consist of about 2,5-million people. dotsure.co.za anticipates that this market will double in the next three years due to improved Internet access and infrastructure in South Africa as well as the increase in popularity of smart phones and .mobitechnology.

With dotsure.co.za’s Do It Yourself (DIY) business model, consumers can handle the entire process online, from quote through to claim. The online process includes advice and FAQs and further guidance is available, either via online chat or telephonically from the company’s trained, accredited consultants.

“It’s simple: people when you need them, technology when you don’t,” Roache points out.

“Intrinsic in dotsure.co.za’s DNA is ‘shortcuts are good’, and that’s why our online quote and buy process only takes an average of 10 minutes. Traditionally, this would have taken 30 minutes on the telephone.

In addition, dotsure.co.za’s DIY self-service business model cuts out significant costs, and this saving is passed on to customers. The portal also provides 24/7 access so that consumers can manage their insurance online at their own convenience.

“We live in a digital age, so why should people wait for call centre office hours to manage their insurance or track the status of a claim? People want to be in control of their insurance affairs and, with dotsure.co.za, they are,” Roache says.

“As we understand that data security is fundamentally important to our customers, we have deployed the necessary online security protocols to ensure that their information is protected.”

At the launch, dotsure.co.za announced a teleportation competition which showcases the optimum fun use of technology. As indicated by YouTube stats, members of the digital generation are content creators who enjoy interacting with brands online. The competition invites people to create DIY videos for uploading onto dotsure.co.za. Competition entrants stand a chance of winning R250 000. Full details are available at dotsure.co.za.

“Here’s a hint: Shortcuts are good, and the zaniest entry stands the best chance,” Roache says.

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