Auto Insurance for Mexican Tourists – Tips on how to buy insurance for Mexico
Congratulations, you are embarking on an exciting road trip adventure to Mexico. You’ve got your vehicle tuned up and all your gear packed, and now is the time to buy your Mexico tourist auto insurance. Your Mexico auto insurance coverage decision could be the most important decision you make, but unfortunately it is often one of the most hasty and least researched decisions many travelers to Mexico make. Do not make the mistake of assuming that all Mexican insurance is the same, because differences in insurance coverage and benefits can vary greatly between insurance companies in Mexico. Although researching insurance coverage isn’t very exciting for most people, this article will show you how 5-10 minutes of research on the internet could save you thousands of dollars and many frustrating hours if you really need to use your Mexico insurance to pay. for a loss.
Use the internet to quote and buy auto insurance for Mexican tourists
The vast majority of Mexican auto insurance is now purchased directly from the Internet. There are several websites that sell insurance in Mexico, and buying your insurance online makes a lot of sense for the customer. Would you rather wait until the last minute to purchase your insurance at the border, or would you prefer to purchase your insurance from the comfort of your own computer before leaving on your trip to Mexico? Most customers prefer to have their insurance taken care of in advance.
The best websites to buy your Mexico insurance are the ones that offer multiple Mexico insurance companies. This allows you to comparison shop through one website instead of filling out multiple quote forms on multiple websites. A good Mexican insurance website with an insurance comparison rater will save you a lot of time and confusion.
What websites can be trusted?
Before you get your insurance quote, be sure to look up a valid insurance license and contact information. Also, you may want to look up a ‘Surplus Lines Broker’ license number. A surplus lines broker is an insurance broker who contracts directly with Mexican insurance companies and is licensed to sell foreign insurance coverage within the United States. A surplus lines broker license is a good sign that the website is run by a company that specializes in Mexico insurance. If the insurance license is not a surplus lines broker license, this means that the website is most likely run by an insurance agent who sells through a surplus lines broker. This does not mean that the products on the website are invalid, but you may not receive the same level of customer service that you would receive from a surplus lines broker that specializes entirely in Mexican insurance. You can also look for a Better Business Bureau listing and some type of Internet security approval, such as Hacker Safe or McAfee Secure, to make sure your information is safe during your Internet transaction.
Mexico insurance coverage to search
Once you have selected a website that sells auto insurance for tourists in Mexico, you will need to complete the quick insurance quote form. Within a minute, you should be able to get a firm quote and start researching the benefits of the insurance products offered. Remember, this will be a much faster and more streamlined process if you use a website that offers multiple competing insurance companies all under one pricing system (a comparative quoter).
Look for a table below or above the insurance prices that clearly explains what exactly the Mexico insurance limits are and what is actually covered. On this graph, you’ll want to see the following categories:
Deductible: The best Mexican insurance policies will offer fixed deductibles, which means that the deductibles will be set at a fixed amount, regardless of the value of your vehicle. Some of the less expensive policies will base deductibles on a percentage of the vehicle’s value. If the value of the vehicle is less than $20,000, percentage-based deductibles may be fine, but when the value of the vehicle goes up in the range of $30,000 or more, percentage-based deductibles can be very high. If the website doesn’t specifically list deductibles, you shouldn’t use that website!
US hourly labor rates for repairs performed in the US or Canada: In the old days, most Mexican auto insurance companies tried to get customers to repair their vehicles in Mexico. Repairs done in Mexico instead of the US were often much less expensive for Mexican insurance companies, and many customers were unwilling to leave their car in Mexico, thus saving the company from paying these claims. . Today, many of the best insurance programs in Mexico allow you to have your vehicle repaired in the US or Canada if you wish. The problem is that some of the less expensive Mexican insurance programs will only pay a limited hourly labor rate for repairs done in the US (some as low as $20 per hour). This means that the customer would have to pay the difference in hourly labor rates out of pocket. The best Mexican insurance programs will either pay very high US labor rates, such as $70 per hour, or state that they will pay whatever the current US hourly labor rate is. These policies could significantly minimize expenses out of pocket in the event of a claim. If the Mexico insurance website does not specify if repairs are allowed in the US or what the hourly labor rate is, do not use that website to purchase your Mexican insurance!
Vandalism and Partial Theft Coverage: Vandalism and partial theft (meaning only part of the car is stolen, such as the tires, door panels, etc.) are generally not covered by standard Mexico auto insurance. In recent years, the higher quality Mexican insurance programs have begun to offer this coverage in their enhanced coverage programs. If you want to protect yourself against as many types of losses as possible, you should look into this coverage.
Limits of Liability: This is the portion of the Mexican insurance policy that pays for damages that you cause to third parties. This coverage is essential when traveling in Mexico City. Most people in the industry feel that $50,000 in liability insurance is probably the minimum you should consider. Some of the best Mexican insurance programs will increase the combined single limit up to $300,000 (a lump sum for property damage or bodily injury), but will also increase the insurance premium. Some customers want these higher limits to work in conjunction with their US general liability policies. You may want to ask your US insurance provider if their general insurance will recognize your Mexico auto insurance as main coverage.
Medical Payments: This is the portion of the Mexico insurance policy that pays for medical costs for you and your passengers (people inside your vehicle). $2,000 per person with a total of $10,000 per accident is the lowest limit to consider, but many policies offer much higher limits. Some of the best policies will also increase this amount if you are hit by an at-fault uninsured motorist. You may want to check with your US or Canadian health insurance provider to make sure they will cover any medical costs incurred while traveling in Mexico. If not, you may also want to look into an international health insurance plan, but that’s a different topic.
Legal department: Make sure your Mexico insurance includes legal service or legal assistance. This coverage will pay court costs, attorney fees, or bail payments that are the result of a traffic accident in Mexico. The service will also send a legal representative to assist you in any legal proceedings. This coverage is absolutely essential, so don’t buy any auto insurance in Mexico that doesn’t include this coverage!
Roadside assistance: Most of the best insurance companies in Mexico will include some level of roadside assistance that will cover towing, flat tires, locksmith and other services. This is great coverage, so make sure it’s included in your Mexico insurance policy.
Medical evacuation: As the Mexican insurance market becomes more competitive, many Mexican companies are now bundling additional specialty coverages to make their products stand out. When medical evacuation is automatically included with your auto insurance in Mexico, it’s incredible value and convenience. This coverage will coordinate and pay for air or ground ambulance services in the event of ‘serious illness or injury’. This means life-threatening or very serious illnesses or injuries. Purchasing a medical evacuation program on your own will often cost hundreds of dollars per year and can often have many limitations. Quality auto insurance programs in Mexico that include medical evacuation coverage will typically automatically cover multiple people in your travel party up to four or more people. Be sure to look up how many people are covered by the medical evacuation. If the number of people covered is not listed in the insurance quote details, you can assume that the medical evacuation can only cover the driver. There are other websites that specifically cover 4 or more people in your travel party, so it is highly recommended that you look for websites that offer this more extensive medical evacuation coverage.
Airline tickets home: Another great benefit that many of the best Mexico insurance websites offer is plane tickets home in case your car is stolen or becomes undriveable. This can save you thousands of dollars and alleviate the nightmare of having to arrange your transportation back home from Mexico. If this benefit is offered, be sure to look at how many people the policy will provide plane tickets home for. If the plane tickets home are not listed, or the website does not specify how many people are covered, you should check a different website. Some websites offer coverage for four people or more in your travel group.
If in doubt, call the website’s customer service line for help.
Reputable Mexico insurance websites will encourage you to call their customer service departments if you have questions about Mexico insurance. If no one answers the phone, or doesn’t call you back within a few minutes (during normal business hours), you may not want to buy your insurance on that website! Most of the insurance websites in Mexico are like ATMs. The website is there for your convenience if you want to write the policy yourself, but you can also call the website’s customer service insurance agents and have the agents write the policy for you over the phone.
If you check each of these insurance coverages and website features while shopping for Mexican auto insurance online, you are guaranteed to buy the best insurance for your situation. Five to ten minutes of research could save you thousands of dollars and hours, if not weeks, of headaches should you ever need to file a Mexican insurance claim. Take care and have fun in Mexico!