Here’s our idea of what a typically Walmart shopping list looks like: bread, butter, milk, eggs, toothpaste, shampoo, and auto insurance. That is not a typo, Walmart has officially entered every facet of our lives with the launch of their new auto insurance comparison service.

The super-store teamed up with AutoInsurance.com to begin a comparison service that aims to help drivers buy and save on their auto insurance policies, the company announced Wednesday.

Because, you know, you’re already making money transfers and trading in video games for cash at Walmart, why not buy auto insurance there, too?

“Providing our customers with access to a broad assortment – from groceries to tires – at low prices and in one location is what we’re known for. We’re bringing the same one-stop shopping mentality to the insurance industry with AutoInsurance.com,” Daniel Eckert, senior vice president of services for Walmart, says in a news release.

The service provides customers with multiple quotes from insurance carriers such as Progressive, Esurance, Safeco, The General and others. So far, the service is available in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas, but the company plans to offer it nationwide in the coming months.

The idea for the auto insurance comparison service was born out of the realization by Walmart officials that customers “too often have to settle for auto insurance policies that aren’t the best fit and cost more than they want to spend.”

Walmart first experimented with the service last year in Pennsylvania. Customers who used the service reported their annual insurance savings to be an average of about $1,168.

As the exclusive retailer and marketing partner of AutoInsurance.com, Walmart customers will be able to access the service directly from its website.

The company detailed just how the service works in its announcement:

• When customers log on to the website, all they have to do is provide their name, address, date of birth and contact information.
• They can then opt-in to have the site retrieve their current auto insurance policy. This allows AutoInsurance.com to automatically fill in most of the necessary coverage information and provide a direct apples-to-apples comparison.
• In just minutes, the customer is provided multiple quotes from leading carriers. They can customize their coverage, including deductibles, and see those choices immediately reflected in the quotes.
• They can choose to either purchase the policy online immediately, speak with a licensed agent at 800-700-7500, or save their information and make the purchase later. There is absolutely no cost or commitment to use the service.
• Customers will only be contacted in the future by AutoInsurance.com or the carrier of the policy they purchase.

Walmart Works with AutoInsurance.com to bring Customers First-of-its-Kind Comparison Service [Walmart]

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