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sancho
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A Few Mex Insurance Fine Print Items to be Aware Of
There has been a discussion or 2 recently regarding
fine print on Mexican Auto Insurance Policies.
Not to be boring,
I know many of us are aware of them, some may not.
Some may never read the policy.
I'm a believer in never knowingly giving an insurance co.
any reason to invalidate a policy, based on me not respecting
their requirements. Not that in the past I haven't
violated numerous times those requirements.
Looking at my annual policy, a couple items stick out.
'Policy can be invalid if vehicle in off pavement',
if taken at face value, that would give them a reason
to not honor a policy if one was on the Gonzaga road,
or a road from the Hwy into the Campos.
'policy can be invalid if alcohol was a contributing
factor', does not state intoxicated, just involved.
another is needing an fmt tourist card anywhere
in Mex over the 72 hr limit rule. I imagine I take this stuff
a little too seriously, I guess I'm getting older and
much more cautious
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by sancho
another is needing an fmt tourist card anywhere
in Mex over the 72 hr limit rule. |
Now one week. Rule changed.
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Udo
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The FMT is no problema,
but the "off-road"... whoa!
Alcohol...whoa!
I'l need to read a little closer, now.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by udowinkler
but the "off-road"... whoa!
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I suppose they need to say that, otherwise they might be writing policys for the Baja Mil racers. 
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toneart
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
| Quote: | Originally posted by udowinkler
but the "off-road"... whoa!
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I suppose they need to say that, otherwise they might be writing policys for the Baja Mil racers. |
...or us!
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bajabound2005
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well, given the lack of pavement on MOST Baja roads, I'd say we've got a problem, Houston!
Friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel.
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Bajahowodd
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Dennis- I'm curious as to your post about the 72 hours v one week. Can you refer me to just where that might be found? reason I ask is that if Sancho
has a policy in front of him, I would shudder to think that the insurance company would not have contractual privilege to enforce their language.
Gracias.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Dennis- I'm curious as to your post about the 72 hours v one week. Can you refer me to just where that might be found? reason I ask is that if Sancho
has a policy in front of him, I would shudder to think that the insurance company would not have contractual privilege to enforce their language.
Gracias. |
Not in my hands. It's been posted her more than once. My info comes from the horses **** mouth...an inmigracion agent.
Somebody else here will give it up.
It's not surprising that the policy would say something which, in it's age old format, wouldn't reflect todays policy.
[Edited on 8-3-2009 by BajaNomad]
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David K
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Two points...
Off pavement: I would think the odds of you needing insurance protection driving to Gonzaga are nil compared to driving through downtown Tijuana. Who
is going to sideswipe you or steal your car on the Gonzaga Bay road?
72 hrs. vs. 7 days: The Baja (norte) state tourism people are the only ones I have heard say that Baja Norte is a free zone and good for 7 days
without an FM-T.
The problem is immigration law is FEDERAL, and I have yet to see a federal document say different than 72 hours in the border zone or any time south
of Maneadero.
I think it would be GOOD to have all Baja be the border zone and FM-T free for 7 days.
The only new thing (a couple years old now) is FREE FM-T good for up to 7 DAYS. Perhaps that is where the confusion lays... free 7 day FM-T, not
'FM-T Free' for 7 days...???
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Pescador
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Some of you are starting to sound like the guys who are complaining about health care and want the government to take over all health care. (Like that
is a really brilliant solution to what problems we might have).
Please read your policy or ask for a sample policy before you sign up. All insurance policies are written so that a 4th grader can understand them
and if you have any questions, I would think it would be a good time to talk to the agent beforehand and not afterwards. "But I thought I covered
Grandma when she was up on the roof of the family station wagon, in downtown Tijuana, for getting shot by the cartel because they thought she was
smuggling some wacky-tobaccy".
A policy is a contract that is easy to understand and is spelled out so that both parties know exactly what is covered and under what conditions.
For example, if you are pulling a boat, that is covered, it is not covered when you are not pulling the boat. That means the insurance company was
trying to cover you for the liability of pulling a boat and they were not expecting to cover the boat when it was parked at your house while you went
to town.
Insurance companies, for the most part, do not try to avoid paying claims, since those are adjusted by people who have no vested financial interest
in whether or not claims are paid. Normally, they would prefer to pay you, get you out of their office, and get on to the next claim. So do not
project that it is some great theory of conspiracy to avoid paying claims that are truly covered claims as stated in your POLICY.
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msawin
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Hey guys.. I had posted this a couple of weeks back before our trip to Loreto.
I was concerned about insurance coverage and at what point, location I got our
FMT .
I have LEWIS AND LEWIS as our broker and called and asked the question.. I
was told if in any way I was breaking the law of Mexico I had no coverage for our auto..
Went the Tecate route and waited for the stop in Guerrero Negro to our FMT.
marty
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by msawin
...
Went the Tecate route and waited for the stop in Guerrero Negro to our FMT.
marty |
What are you saying here? Is the word 'get' missing? (to 'get' our FMT).
If you didn't get the FM-T until Guerrero Negro, you were in violation of the migra law as soon as you drove more than 10 miles south of Ensenada. You
could have at least gotten the free FM-T at Tecate... since they are available anywhere you enter Mexico at any time the border is open. It is the
bank hours at some borders (for paying the 180 day FMT) that is variable.
I am only saying this because you wanted to follow the law so carefully... yet (unless newer federal rules can be shown) you waited until you were
400+ miles into Mexico for documentation. What if Guerrero Negro migra was closed when you got there?
Just stuff to consider if you want to play by their rules (which often are variable, lol)!
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sancho
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With all due respect to folks who believe 'no' fmt is
required for a 7 day stay, in my opinion are
incorrect. Back when the fmt's stopped being
free, somewhere around 10-12 yrs ago,
they then began the fmt fee. At which time the
border Mex businesses began were complaining
about the fee having a negative impact on
their business, this is where the confusion began.
Mex Imm then said a no charge 7 day fmt
would be made available. That idea morphed
into the 'mistaken belief' that an fmt was not required
for 7 days stay, the fmt is still required for more than 72 hrs,
it's just that the 7 day fmt's are free, as David clearly
states the obivious, the chance of an accident on the
Gonzaga road is minimal at best, that is not the point,
point being is that one could very well be uninsured
when violating the conditions on the policy,
logic tells me that Mex Federal Imm Laws
supercede some Baja Tourism Board who are
trying to drum up business
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David K
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There you have it!
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Bajahowodd
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Don't wish to pile on here, but for the life of me, why would anyone wait until Guerrero Negro to get the FM-T? As David pointed out, their hours and
coverage are a little sketchy there. That being said, even if Marty was able to complete his trip in seven days (often, I am not), the $21 fee for 180
days means you don't have to stop every time you go to Mexico. There have been stories posted on other threads about the migra in Ensenada charging a
fine to people seeking to get their FM-T there, saying it was supposed to be obtained at the border. So what's to stop the guy in GN from doing the
same? Basically, as was pointed out, without a stamped FM-T, either free or fee, you were illegal from Maneadero on down.
And I'm thinking that what sancho, 72 hours v 7 days, says sounds right.
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Hook
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'policy can be invalid if alcohol was a contributing
factor'.
What if the other driver was drinking? Wouldnt alcohol be a contributing factor?
Despite the contention that insurance companies are actually just dying to pay you off as quick as possible so they can get on to paying off the next
guy in line as quickly as possible, the recent case of the couple from Canada whose towed vehicle was run into by a motorcycle bears reviewing. They
had FULL coverage (not just liability) and were still delayed a week and suffered significant out of pocket expenses.
Sometimes your liability in Mexico is irrespective of your Mexican insurance policy. Sometimes the adjuster in Mexico also tries to insert himself
into the equation, as in the above story. They can very easily have a vested interest in whether the claim is paid or not; usually in direct
proportion to the anxiousness of the insured to be paid.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by sancho
With all due respect to folks who believe 'no' fmt is
required for a 7 day stay, in my opinion are
incorrect. |
That's in the Free Zone, Sancho. Seven days, for instance, in Tijuana or Ensenada. No time break below that.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
, the recent case of the couple from Canada whose towed vehicle was run into by a motorcycle bears reviewing. They had FULL coverage (not just
liability) and were still delayed a week and suffered significant out of pocket expenses.
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Was it established that they had a seperate policy for each vehicle? Trailers, for instance, are not an extension of the car as they are in the
states. They need their own policy.
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msawin
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insurance
Yep. No coverage from Ensenada to Guerreo Negro.
I knew it going down. That is not the point. I've done it to many times.
The point is, be aware of this.
There is no road sign saying "from this point on"
marty
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Hook
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
, the recent case of the couple from Canada whose towed vehicle was run into by a motorcycle bears reviewing. They had FULL coverage (not just
liability) and were still delayed a week and suffered significant out of pocket expenses.
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Was it established that they had a seperate policy for each vehicle? Trailers, for instance, are not an extension of the car as they are in the
states. They need their own policy. |
I cant imagine they had full coverage and decided to omit the vehicle they would be running around in towns in. It never was considered an issue in
the story. The adjuster, the police and the courts were.
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