BajaNomad - Best insurance

Best insurance

hombre66 - 10-13-2015 at 10:21 PM

Driving my own vehicle down to Loreto 11/1, for the first time in years.Am I wiser to purchase insurance online and get a better deal? Used to be lazy and just go to the San Ysidro Sanborn out of convenience. Will be passing into Baja at Mexicali. I should know this stuff... as I mentioned its been awhile and the memory, well , ahem thanks for help

tjsue - 10-13-2015 at 10:51 PM

BajaBound is the best.

David K - 10-14-2015 at 06:35 AM

They support this website, are very nice people, and sell the top rated insurance! All on-line and easy.

There is also a club you can join called Discover Baja, with discounts and services for Mexico travelers, very nice people, and they also sell the same top rated insurance.

See what will work best for you, both offer on-line quotes.

rocmoc - 10-14-2015 at 08:13 AM

There is only a couple of Insurance Companies that are sold by Insurance Agents so it is the Agent that is most important. The best IMHO is Lewis & Lewis. Have used them of YEARS!

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

Bajabound

bajaguy - 10-14-2015 at 08:34 AM

Bajabound for sure.

I needed them and Geoff was there to take care of things.

sancho - 10-14-2015 at 08:55 AM

The 2 Mex Ins Co's that bajabound, discover baja sell, HDI, ACE, both have
A, A+ ratings, qualitis sold by L&L has a B-

[Edited on 10-14-2015 by sancho]

David K - 10-14-2015 at 08:58 AM

Anyone in California that sells insurance is a licensed insurance agent... this is true of Baja Bound and Discover Baja Travel Club.

bajagrouper - 10-14-2015 at 09:41 AM

BAJABOUND

xolotl_tj - 10-14-2015 at 10:25 AM

Rocmoc makes a good point. What we see on the Internet are only US agents, they are not the actual insurers.

BajaBound gives money to anyone who will say something nice about them and the guy I knew there doesn't work for them anymore so I am suspicious. Already looking for another insurance agent for two clients of mine.

What you don't need is a smiling salesman. What you do need is someone who will go to bat for you. That's what I'm looking for and so far I'd say that BajaBound has failed.

Martyman - 10-14-2015 at 10:28 AM

I just stop at one of those drive thru places right before the border. Depending on how long you stay...sometimes it is cheaper to get an annual policy.

bajaguy - 10-14-2015 at 10:40 AM

Where do you dig up this crap???

I have used Bajabound for years and when I had a serious accident, Geoff of Bajabound came through and provided claims assistance and continuing support while my truck was being repaired.

After the repairs he and the insurance adjuster contacted me regarding my satisfaction on the repairs and to see if they could do anything else.

I have not been paid by Bajabound to support their business and resent your implications........and Geoff "went to bat for me"

I speak from first hand experience, what do you speak from???

Quote: Originally posted by xolotl_tj

Rocmoc makes a good point. What we see on the Internet are only US agents, they are not the actual insurers.

BajaBound gives money to anyone who will say something nice about them and the guy I knew there doesn't work for them anymore so I am suspicious. Already looking for another insurance agent for two clients of mine.

What you don't need is a smiling salesman. What you do need is someone who will go to bat for you. That's what I'm looking for and so far I'd say that BajaBound has failed.

xolotl_tj - 10-14-2015 at 10:47 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Martyman

I just stop at one of those drive thru places right before the border.

Nowadays, stopping at one of those kiosks is the LAST thing you want to do. It made sense in the latter half of the twentieth century because Mexican laws used to prohibit cross-border insurance -- the owners of those kiosks are now powerful politicians in Baja because of those profits and US laws allow these kiosks to charge sales fees on top of the insurance premiums -- so you wind up paying two or three times as much as you would on the internet or through your own US insurer.

Seriously, start with your own insurer. Many now offer Mexican riders.

BajaGeoff - 10-14-2015 at 11:41 AM

Hello xolotl_tj,

We always "go to bat" for our clients and it's been that way ever since I started here in 2001. We have worked directly with HDI Seguros since 2003, ACE Seguros since 2005 and have longstanding working relationships with both companies and their claims management teams.

And yes....we do advertise all over the internet and sponsor a ton of events and fundraisers in Baja. Marketing, branding and being involved in the region that we love is how we have been able to successfully grow this business over the years.

So feel free to call me a "smiling salesman" because I do get to travel in Baja all the time for work...and that does in fact make me smile. But when our clients have a claim and need assistance, we will always "go to bat" for them and help in any way we can.

¡Viva Baja!

Ateo - 10-14-2015 at 11:49 AM

Bajabound. Do it online. It keeps your vehicle history so you don't have to re-enter everything in every time.

Do it!

Martyman - 10-14-2015 at 01:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by xolotl_tj

Quote: Originally posted by Martyman

I just stop at one of those drive thru places right before the border.

That has not been my experience. If prices were too high at the first kiosk I would go next door. I found it to be cheaper then internet prices. 2-3 times higher?? no way.
I will check out Bajabound next time.
I have never filed a claim so I have no experience with that.

xolotl_tj - 10-14-2015 at 04:56 PM

BB Code has been making a mess of this answer, it keeps giving me nested quotations, so I'll just have to do it the old way. You will have to infer the respective citation.

bajaguy:
We are in a public forum, so I would hope that you might moderate your language as much as I have moderated my own.
What I said is what I know. I try very hard not to speak crap. I heartily recommend that you follow suit.

Martyman:
That's not what I said. I said to start with your own insurer. Most gringo insurance companies now offer Mexican riders.

BajaGeoff
Here on the Internet, there are more stakeholders than just customers. If you are part of Baja Bound, you are currently supporting a violation of Mexican constitutional rights. I will be happy to deal with this privately so as to avoid unnecessary "hothead" comments.

Bajahowodd - 10-14-2015 at 04:59 PM

Before I joined Nomad, I did business with a very reputable broker located in Santa Cruz that can be accessed at mexadventure.com.

Bottom line, as has been mentioned in this thread, anyone you do business with on line is a California licensed broker who does what is called surplus lines. They are located in California, and worked with Mexican insurance companies, although in most cases they are multinational companies that are licensed to conduct insurance activities in Mexico. Geez, for example, ACE is domiciled in Bermuda.

Bajabound is a fine brokerage, as is Mexadventure. I actually found that Mexadventure offered quotes from more companies than did Bajabound. But, after being in business for all those years, I would have to think that Bajabound has determined that the few carriers they represent are the best.

Just really, really do not patronize those kiosks by the border.

micah202 - 10-14-2015 at 05:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Martyman

I just stop at one of those drive thru places right before the border. Depending on how long you stay...sometimes it is cheaper to get an annual policy.

...be careful about that. If you've got an older vehicle, you have to make a special arrangement for full coverage....something that BajaBound offered,,,but something that I couldn't get 'at the border'.
...this became very sad news once my rig was stolen in TJ

carlosg - 10-14-2015 at 08:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by hombre66

Driving my own vehicle down to Loreto 11/1, for the first time in years.Am I wiser to purchase insurance online and get a better deal? Used to be lazy and just go to the San Ysidro Sanborn out of convenience. Will be passing into Baja at Mexicali. I should know this stuff... as I mentioned its been awhile and the memory, well , ahem thanks for help

For the past five years I have bought insurance from "Adventure" (https://secure.mexadventure.com/app2/quoteform.cfm?CFID=3897...), in the past I never had any need for it until this year: I hit a cow while driving in the night, not bad just an encounter with its nose from the front fender all the way to the back of my truck, I reported the accident and the following day a had an agent at my door taking care of business, very polite and professional. Yesterday I got a call from Mexico City (ACE Insurance) asking where and when I would take the truck for repair: where? I asked, you mean Tijuana of course, the lady responded: NO wherever you want it done, if in Tijuana take it to one of our preselected shops and have it repaired or in the US just get an estimate and send it over to us. I always get full coverage with the top limits on every item on the list, under 300 dlls. for two weeks... because... YOU NEVER NEED INSURANCE UNTIL YOU NEED IT...!!!

xolotl_tj - 10-14-2015 at 09:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by xolotl_tj

If you are part of Baja Bound, you are currently supporting a violation of Mexican constitutional rights.

Now THAT piques my interest, but I can't figure out what you're alluding to here. Please explain. :?:

[Edited on 10-15-2015 by lencho]

That would be Article 6 of our federal constitution, http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/htm/1.htm specifically the "derecho a la réplica". As I said previously, however, I would deal with this with the appropriate people first, privately, so as not to distract the public conversation.

At the moment, I cannot recommend any US agent of Mexican insurance. Ever since the presidency of Salinas de Gortari, auto insurance has been easier to sell and harder to claim. We call that "privatization".

BajaGeoff - 10-15-2015 at 11:38 AM

I would say the public conversation has already been distracted xolotl_tj.....and those reading this deserve some clarification from you.

The facts are as follows:

Baja Bound is a California corporation governed by the laws of the state of California and the United States of America. We are permitted to sell foreign insurance products through our California surplus lines license #0D25373. We are regulated by the California Department of Insurance and all of our agents hold individual property/casualty licenses.

Baja Bound is a broker for HDI Seguros and ACE Seguros, both of whom are domiciled in Mexico and governed by their respective state and federal laws. HDI and ACE are regulated by the Comisión Nacional de Seguros y Fianzas and both companies are authorized to sell their lines of tourist auto insurance through US based insurance brokers such as Baja Bound.

So exactly how is Baja Bound violating Mexican Constitutional rights???

xolotl_tj - 10-15-2015 at 11:44 AM

There is a fine line between discretion and coyness on Internet forums and it seems we've crossed it by now. So as not to leave David K and Lencho in the dark…

Baja Bound sponsors a Facebook community, "Talk Baja", in which its owner has libeled a local business with false claims of theft and fraud. It was a lengthy thread full of angry villagers out to lynch Dr Frankenstein. When the business investigated those claims, "Talk Baja" removed the entire thread. When the business reported its findings, the owner of "Talk Baja" screamed "Liar!", removed the findings, and banned the business from the community.

Baja Bound is not the actor in this little drama, they are merely the sponsor of it. What they sponsor, in this particular case, was libelous on its face and continues to violate the constitutional right of this business to defend itself.

The great danger in sponsoring every known Gringo-in-Baja community is that they all have short fuses, easy to take offense where none was intended and quick to give offense where none is warranted. Many of them are run as self-styled benevolent dictatorships that treat their public irresponsibly: by giving money to people like that, sponsors become complicit in their unethical behavior.

I cannot say whether Baja Bound are indeed good, solid businessfolk or not. My experiences with them have not been consistent enough for me to hazard an opinion. I can say that I would feel more comfortable with a brokerage that is not so involved with the GiB soap opera.

Now, if I might take this opportunity to say something about auto insurance…

The most critical phase of an accident in Mexico is from the accident itself to the arrival of the police. Having an attorney on the other end of your cell phone during this time is invaluable. This is usually called "legal coverage". Most policies now offer it but it's worth your while to make sure your policy includes a twenty-four-hour attorney.

David K - 10-15-2015 at 08:26 PM

xolotl_tj: Because you don't like a Facebook page, you need to badmouth an obviously very popular and successful insurance agency (who we depend on if we get in trouble)?

Seriously, a Facebook page?

Come on and let's have some fun, splash around in that rising sea, and enjoy life... it really that short!

philodog - 10-16-2015 at 04:28 PM

FWIW I did a quote on Bajabound based on this thread and it came out to over twice what I pay thru Vagabundos. Am I missng something? Is Vag insurance inferior?

hombre66 - 10-16-2015 at 09:44 PM

Whew... Quite the wild ride here in the mex insurance world. Bajabound has straightened all this out for me. What annoyed me in particular was going to websites offering up choices, processing my info and then giving these outlandish quotes. Just want 500k liability. (My old T100 rig isn't worth squat) Got a very acceptable quote of 70 bucks from BB for 12 days.

Jack Swords - 10-17-2015 at 07:08 AM

Just looked at my annual car insurance that we have through Vagabundos....it is written with ABA Seguros which I believe was just acquired by ACE. Both are top notch companies.
https://www.mexpro.com/mexico/aba-seguros.html
Our sailboat insurance in Mexico is carried by ACE. Paid out fully when boat was severely damaged by hurricane Marty. We have had one claim in 20 years with Vagabundos. Adjuster was on scene in an hour, took photos, took me to police station (La Paz) for reports, AND vehicle was repaired in the US in my home town and paid by insurance company. We do carry the full legal aid attachment on the insurance as suggested by others. Have heard stories of problems with claims on other companies and that is really the essence of carrying auto insurance, hopefully you will never need it.

xolotl_tj - 10-18-2015 at 02:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

You expected to just leave it as a hit and run?

No, I really meant to leave an adjectival comment because I hadn’t yet formed a more substantive one – when commenting about a sponsor, however, anything short of adulation is likely to come across as drive-by mudslinging. It is unfortunate, then, that I find myself liking Baja Bound less the more I learn about them as that means we’ll also be getting more subsidized Pollyannaism as well.

At the time I found this thread, I had spent three days investigating its very question … pretty disorienting … three days of dealing with insurance salesmen is like three days eating nothing but cotton candy. It caught me off-guard to read such heartfelt testimonials for one brokerage that I was already pretty sure I didn’t like especially since there are so many others to choose from. Listed in no particular order, these are some of the online brokers that I came across:

www.sanbornsinsurance.com
www.mexicaninsurance.com (Oscar Padilla)
www.esurance.com/insurance/international/mexico
www.MexPro.com
www.MexicanAutoInsurance.com
www.AssureMex.com
www.amigomexinsurance.com
www.motormexico.com
www.baja-mex.com
www.drivemex.com
www.vagabundos.com (annual membership $35)
www.discoverbaja.com (annual membership $39)
…and most likely your own U.S. insurance agent

They all do the same thing: they sell auto policies on behalf of a handful of Mexican underwriters. They then distribute their commissions as they see fit. Most buy some sort of advertising. The two membership groups give up much of their commission in exchange for their annual fee. One broker gives you 30% commission when you sign up as his “sub-agent” to issue policies from your own website.

How might we objectively conclude that one is better than another? Is there a qualitative measurement we might apply? They are all retailers offering the very same mass-market products. Unlike State Farm and Farmers, these brokers do not act as the insured’s good neighbor or professorial adviser. They just sell. The insured doesn’t even file a claim with the broker in the event of a loss – that has to be done with the Mexican company while the insured is still in Mexico, otherwise the insured loses his claim.

It’s the Mexican underwriter, not the U.S. broker, that determines the success of a claim. You can’t judge customer satisfaction by the rating that A. M. Best assigns to each underwriter (which is only a measure of the company’s prospective liquidity) and they all have a lot of unhappy customers. Anecdotal evidence suggests that there are still many more satisfied customers than not, but if you were to become a “not” your first recourse would most likely be with Secture (in-state: 078, international: +52-664-682-3367 ext. 113, email: assistance@baja.gob.mx).

On-site claims adjusters are a recent development. Quálitas agents have told me their company “invented” this, and I’ve seen their adjusters on the street; other companies have been reported to be using them as well. They’re not necessarily the insured’s friend: they are paid by the company to keep costs down and they tend to control the accident scene even if the police are also there. If you get one, it will be in your best interest to treat him as deferentially as possible. Let’s end with a story.

About a year ago, a Gringo-in-Baja backed his urban-assault vehicle out of his driveway in southern Rosarito and ran straight into a local who was insured by Quálitas. The claims adjuster showed up, took pictures of the vehicles, established that the GiB wasn’t insured, and asked about the smell of alcohol on his breath. He then set the estimated repair cost at five hundred dollars (an odd figure considering that the car would go to a body-shop that works in pesos) and told the GiB about the police procedure for demonstrating uninsured financial responsibility by making a cash deposit at the comandancia, “but if you can indemnify my insured for the damage right now, we will have no need to call the police.” The money was produced and the three went on their separate ways. The GiB told me this story, so we can’t know how the adjuster and the local divvied up the loot.

Bajahowodd - 10-18-2015 at 04:47 PM

First, I have no idea how you can drag Ron Hof's Talk Baja in to this. I'm fairly certain that he doesn't give a flying crap as to what California surplus lines broker you do business with.

It has been previously posted that there are a finite number of carriers that do business in Mexico. And there are several California surplus lines brokers that do business with them.

Buying insurance for a Baja trip is just all about how well the broker will go to bat for you, should you need to make a claim.