• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

Auto Insurance quote

 
Greenhorn
Posts: 12
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hello having searched extensively on Google without much help I have decided to post under the "advanced" section hoping to get help from the Java experts. I am building this web application which requires to get auto quotes based on a form filled by user. I was told (and haven't been able to confirm on this) that major insurance companies sell access to their quote system. My question
1) If I can bypass having to go though insurance companies that would be the best route. So can I some how access the quotes either thru http query or some free web service?? Has anyone done something like this?
2) If I have to go though major insurance companies, how do I start. For ex: who do I have to contact in Allstate to get info on accessing their quote system? Cost, etc.
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Rancher
Posts: 4803
7
Mac OS X VI Editor Linux
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I don't understand how you can get quotes on insurance without communicating with an Insurance Company.

I would not recommend programming a screen scraping program. They are not that hard, but would surely violate the terms of use of the insurance company's website.

For each company you want, go to their website and wander arround until you find out how they expose their system. Typically a web based API, XML, REST or something.

This quickly becomes a legal issue, not a programming one.
 
Bartender
Posts: 10336
Hibernate Eclipse IDE Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
This isn't really a technical question more a legal one. In the UK for example it would be possible to write software to screen scrape information from other sites, but very few of those site would honour quotes found in this way.
 
Rohit David
Greenhorn
Posts: 12
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Guys thanks for your quick responses.
I definielty don't want to get tied into a legal issue over a small web application.
Well I shall try to seek for my info thru their website.
However if you or anyone else reading this has any other idea please do not hestiate to share.

Thank you,
 
Consider Paul's rocket mass heater.
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic