BajaNomad

short-term US car insurance

Mulegena - 3-23-2012 at 09:15 AM

Did the Search and checked my personal Bookmarks but didn't find any threads/links to buying short-term US car insurance.

To clarify, this is for a car that is in Baja fulltime, is registered and street-legal and will be transporting its owner, me, into the states for a limited period of time. Don't want an annual policy, but one sold by day, week, month.

Anybody? Thanks.

[Edited on 3-23-2012 by Mulegena]

Bajajorge - 3-23-2012 at 09:23 AM

Sounds like separate Emails to lots of American insurance companies.:light::?:

Udo - 3-23-2012 at 09:34 AM

Don't fret about the US car insurance, and where to buy it!

When crossing the Mexico border into the US, there are several vendors that are in the waiting line area selling US daily car insurance policies. This is common practice for many Mexican and US citizens.
The sellers have yellow vests and their wares are advertised on their clothing.

Mulegena - 3-23-2012 at 09:53 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Udo

When crossing the Mexico border into the US, there are several vendors that are in the waiting line area selling US daily car insurance policies. This is common practice for many Mexican and US citizens.
The sellers have yellow vests and their wares are advertised on their clothing.
Have never seen them in the Tecate lineup which is where I always choose to cross.

I'm rather certain there's a phone contact to purchase in advance.

Thanks.

Hook - 3-23-2012 at 09:59 AM

You didnt say WHERE your car is registered and street legal. That makes all the difference in the world.

Udo's observations are most certainly the outfits set up to sell US insurance to MEXICAN PLATED vehicles driven by MEXICANS WITH MEXICAN DRIVERS LICENSES. Lots of those.

US plated are very different animals. I'll step aside and see what comes up here. Many different avenues that people take on this. It's NOT as simple as just getting it at an insurance stop.

Mula - 3-23-2012 at 10:04 AM

Also in California, the plates are made in-active if you do not have insurance coverage. The Insurance Companies notify the Cal. DMV when you purchase ins. or when your ins. is no longer active and they - the DMV in-activate your plates or re-activate.

[Edited on 3-23-2012 by Mula]

DENNIS - 3-23-2012 at 10:21 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mula
Also in California, the plates are made in-active if you do not have insurance coverage.


Could be, although I've never heard it put just like that....anyway, that's the idea. To cross with insurance.

Hook is right. Those policy hawkers are for Mex plated cars only.

If it's a US plated car with live registration, call Elena Bretts in Ensenada. I buy one, two or more days of coverage [US underwriter] from her all the time.

646 1785715

elenabretts@yahoo.com

I've tried email in the past with no reply. She's really busy.

Udo - 3-23-2012 at 10:22 AM

You are correct, Mulegena, about Tecate. However, on the mail boulevard, near the plaza, I saw a building with auto insurance signs on it.
Perhaps Hook & Mula are correct in their assessments, and there is a difference between US and Mexican plated vehicles.
However...
I don't think that the DMV will be notified if insurance is issued on a daily basis for a specific vehicle, and in particular if the vehicle WAS registered at one time or another. A daily rate is a daily rate.

Short term US car insurance

Brinloor - 3-23-2012 at 12:22 PM

Maria try Lynda Bilyeu, an insurance agent in San Felipe. She researched every permutation for me, although she never could find short term US insurance for Canadian plated vehicles with Mexican insurance. I'm sure she has the information you need.

lyndasinsurance@yahoo.com

DianaT - 3-23-2012 at 02:21 PM

A while back, as US citizens we could not buy daily insurance in the US with a car with plates from Guatemala and driver's licenses from Honduras.

We quickly renewed our US driver's licenses and then bought regular US insurance for a year as it turned out to be cheaper.

You might google the names of insurance agents of all sorts based in San Ysidro.

Good Luck!

South Dakota registered car fulltime in Baja

Mulegena - 3-23-2012 at 03:16 PM

Have email into Lynda with request. Thanks, Brinloor.

Called and spoke with Elena Bretts who will reluctantly sell me a one-month policy for $40 US.
I say reluctantly because she wished to sell me home or auto insurance for Baja before writing a short-term US auto policy.

What do other South Dakotans who maintain a car in Baja do?
I only need insurance by the day for a short business trip.

I really don't want to cross NOB without coverage!

DENNIS - 3-23-2012 at 04:40 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mulegena
Called and spoke with Elena Bretts who will reluctantly sell me a one-month policy for $40 US.
I say reluctantly because she wished to sell me home or auto insurance for Baja before writing a short-term US auto policy.

What do other South Dakotans who maintain a car in Baja do?
I only need insurance by the day for a short business trip.

I really don't want to cross NOB without coverage!



Really?? I have SD plates and she never ever tried to load me up with anything.




.

BajaBlanca - 3-23-2012 at 08:10 PM

I do not know the details at the moment and Les is not here BUT I know that we have Mexican plates and our Mexican insurance covers us here and in the States as well. I think a friend of ours in town got us into this company. NO extra chrage, you are covered in both countries.

J.P. - 3-23-2012 at 08:26 PM

If you have a car that is already insured in the U S you can get a Ryder on the policy to cover say your baja beater for temporary use.

oladulce - 3-24-2012 at 11:37 AM

We have SD plates and no US insurance nowadays- only a Mexico "full-time resident" policy.

I signed up for a monthly Geico policy online, and cancelled it when we returned from CA. Before trying this method, I called Geico to make sure that if I used this method again for a future US trip, I wouldn't be penalized for early cancellation or something else in the fine print and she said not a problem. If you make another trip North within 6 months of cancelling the policy, they reinstate the previous policy and info. I was reimbursed for the portion of the policy term that wasn't used.

It worked out well and I had the policy in hand before crossing the border. Haven't found any snafu's yet in using this technique for short term US insurance.

choyero - 3-24-2012 at 12:49 PM

great thread...I've always had a problem with this too.

About using Gieco/state farm/farmers...etc for short term use. The 1st time or 2 they let you, the 3rd time they say. "Sorry Can't Help, it looks like you've bought/canceled a few times before" been there done that on the following companys Gieco/state farm/farmers. I used allstate last trip, no issues on the 1st cancelation, will see if there is a #2, 3, 4...

BajaBlanca - 3-24-2012 at 01:16 PM

time for US insurance companies to wake up and smell the coffee...there are enough of us to make a big difference. money-wise, I mean. yu would think they would come up with a better system. Like I said before - you can get excellent coverage through Mexican banks which cover you in the States.

oladulce - 3-24-2012 at 03:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by choyero
great thread...I've always had a problem with this too.

About using Gieco/state farm/farmers...etc for short term use. The 1st time or 2 they let you, the 3rd time they say. "Sorry Can't Help, it looks like you've bought/canceled a few times before" been there done that on the following companys Gieco/state farm/farmers. I used allstate last trip, no issues on the 1st cancelation, will see if there is a #2, 3, 4...


Bummer- I thought it was too good to be true with Geico. At what point did they say "sorry...", etc? Were you denied online when you tried to buy a policy the 3rd time, or did they give you grief when you tried to get a refund of your unused portion?

Since the online applications usually include the question "do you currently have a US auto policy" I was wondering if that would be a red flag for insurance companies to deny coverage. I applied for the 1st Geico policy a few weeks before our annual policy expired so I was able to answer "yes, I have a current auto policy".

Since we don't maintain annual US insurance anymore, I'll have to respond "no, no current US coverage" in a few weeks when I try to renew Geico for an upcoming trip. I'll post the results to keep the flow of information going on this topic.

Even if I have to do as choyero and make the rounds thru the various insurers, it sounds like I can get at least 6-7 trips NOB using the stop and start method which will carry us through for 2 or 3 years. Even that would save about $1600 by not having to maintain an annual policy for those years on a vehicle that's in Mexico 95+% of the time.

choyero - 3-24-2012 at 03:39 PM

I was denied over the phone each time when I tried to purchase a policy. What usually happens is i fly up and buy a new "used but maintained baja car" and then need insurance to get it back down. I always got the refund back when I did get a policy and canceled.

I used a old high school friend who has a state farm company for several yrs, it was their idea to begin with. I must of gotten away with it 5 times before they said sorry. All the other companies have been at or before the 3rd time.

$40/month is a bargain, It usually ends up costing a couple hundred.

As far as showing previous insurance, show them your mexico policy and your visa and explain that you reside in baja and do have non-required car insurance...it has met their requirement every time for me.

Anyone have a sure fire person to get short term insurance. I want to head north soon and pick up a new dirtbike.

DENNIS - 3-24-2012 at 03:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by choyero
Anyone have a sure fire person to get short term insurance. I want to head north soon and pick up a new dirtbike.


I posted one up above.

Mulegena - 3-24-2012 at 04:37 PM

The US-based carrier shell game:

I had a Geico policy for years, but when I called them to add another car to my policy I mentioned that both US-plated cars were being kept in Mexico fulltime but I needed them insured so I could come north on a very rare occasion.

The agent would not add my new pickup to my policy. She said the company would not insure a car that was not in the United States fulltime and actually chastised me for deceiving them all these years. She then canceled my policy right then and there on the phone and sent me a check for the remainder of my pre-paid policy! I was gob-smacked! I wanted to give them more money and they wouldn't take it!

I have a spotless record, never put in a claim and paid spot-on time.

I had to drive around California without insurance until I crossed into Mexico.
Luckily I had no problems.

I need to go north again for a few days and can't drive my car without risk because I can't insure it.

Options so far (3):
-Dennis referenced Elena Brett in Ensenada.
Thanks, Dennis. Glad you've had good service there.

-Brinloor referred Lynda from San Felipe. I've emailed her without a response.

-I've heard there's another agent in San Quintin who will provide insurance for US-plated cars
by the day or week for when we want to cross over to go shopping for the day. Anyone know who?

Cheaper???

bajaguy - 3-24-2012 at 06:33 PM

Er, I mean less expensive????........might be better to rent a car in the US than buy a one or two day policy

oladulce - 3-29-2012 at 03:34 AM

Please post the outcome of your insurance search when you return Mulegana.

meme - 3-29-2012 at 08:48 AM

State Farm alo will not insure you if they find out your vehicles are not garaged in the U.S. Just an FYI!!

choyero - 3-29-2012 at 09:42 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by choyero
Anyone have a sure fire person to get short term insurance. I want to head north soon and pick up a new dirtbike.


I posted one up above.


I emailed her on the day you provided the email and still no response. Thinking we need someone else.

BajaBlanca - 3-29-2012 at 05:40 PM

I used to have state farm (for over 20 years) and nope, they will not insure a car part of the time, nor will they cover it if it is SOB. I find this bizarre in my opinion, they are losing so much money. time to get them to change this policy.

:light:

Jeepers07 - 4-5-2012 at 08:08 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mulegena
Did the Search and checked my personal Bookmarks but didn't find any threads/links to buying short-term US car insurance.

To clarify, this is for a car that is in Baja fulltime, is registered and street-legal and will be transporting its owner, me, into the states for a limited period of time. Don't want an annual policy, but one sold by day, week, month.

Anybody? Thanks.

[Edited on 3-23-2012 by Mulegena]


I've tried mine before for short-term car insurance with Travelers. It will be more practical than the full pledge insurance. It will vary per state though if they have that option for you. You can check http://www.quotes-center.com/ to compare prices and companies that can provide that for you. Goodluck!

[Edited on 4-5-2012 by Jeepers07]

Mula - 7-12-2012 at 07:24 AM

http://www.quotes-center.com/

this is not a valid link - - - today anyway.

Anything else anyone knows about for short term insurance?

Also, it is my understanding that the California DMV and the insurance companies are linked and if your insurance lapses on your California plated vehicle, the registration and plates are suspended - so that's a problem.

Which is why we have switched to SD plates.

Don't know this for sure, just what I was told.