[sjjn]

I just got a vin from MINI for my S.
I have a few insurance quotes and will probably go with Geico. This is my first car since I was in college(NYC=Mass Transit). When should I call Geico with the VIN to set everything up? Now or when it's on it's way from VPC?
I figure on a late October delivery...

thanks for any help

[LuckyRVA]

Go ahead and call now and set up everything with the ins. company you want now, get your rate and all that. Then when you take delivery of the car, call from the dealership to activate your account and make you first payment.
Hope this helps.

[S Warren]

I don't know how it is in the states but here you need to tell the insurance company your number plate first. Has you dealer advised you of this yet?

I can't remember, do you guys have a registrartion number on the back and whatever you like on the front?

Good luck with your S!

[stellablade]

I just rang my insurance company a couple of weeks in advance, provided them with the Cooper's registration number, and asked them to insure the car from the date I picked it up from the dealers. This is also my first car and I was pleasantly surprised by how efficient my insurance company were.

[jmardy]

Quote:

Originally posted by sjjn
I just got a vin from MINI for my S.
I have a few insurance quotes and will probably go with Geico. This is my first car since I was in college(NYC=Mass Transit). When should I call Geico with the VIN to set everything up? Now or when it's on it's way from VPC?
I figure on a late October delivery...

thanks for any help

I was asked by the MINI dealer to provide proof of insurance before they delivered the car to me even though I was not financing the car through them. I thought it was kind of strange.
All it took was a call from my insurance agent with my account number (which I already had from my current car). I would set up the account and pay the first payment now, then activate the policy with a phone call. You can not be charged for insurance before you start using it.

[stryder]

Two things: (Relevant since registering and insurance vary greatly by State, and I got/registered my car in NY). Assuming you're purchasing from a dealer in NY, they'll handle the temp registration and getting plates for your car. They also generally contact your insurance agent/company to arrange any details for that. They generally automatically charge a small ($25?) handling fee for the paperwork and such involved, but you don't need to stand in line at DMV and deal with other such hassels.

With that in mind, since you lack insurance, you'll need to tell the dealer this, and arrange beforehand with some company. (I fully imagine your dealer will be experienced with people who are getting new insurance, check with your salesman).

Secondly: Geico isn't the best insurance company to support in my opinion, they're cheap, but its been shown they have nasty tendancies (similar to progressive) like giving out radar detectors to police, under the guise of 'improving safety' when logically, its just to catch people and raise premiums. That's of course my opinion. I personally have Amica insurance, which is mutal (not supporting Warren Buffet and his shareholders like Geico) and incredibly well rated by everyone who uses them, as well as offering good prices, just not very well know. They only like good drivers though, so it may be difficult to get them to insure you If you haven't had insurance since college. Whatever you decide, don't spend forever agonizing over it based on my opinion especially, just look forward to your car and having fun.

-Alan

[sjjn]

Quote:

Originally posted by stryder
They only like good drivers though, so it may be difficult to get them to insure you If you haven't had insurance since college.
-Alan

THAT is why I am going with GEICO. Most other agencies were charging ridiculous sums because I haven't actually had insurance for about 10 years....never mind that I am 33 with a perfectly clean driving record.

[olddad]

Since I am buying out of state, I bought the insurance with a guess on the active date ( what's a week or two ) and faxed the letter of proof and card to my dealer so the paperwork can get done in advance. Look for the other threads on US insurance as others have posted the best deals they could find. Mine is AARP old fart insurance at $366 per year.

[chiph]

Quote:

Originally posted by stryder
<snip>Secondly: Geico isn't the best insurance company to support in my opinion, they're cheap, but its been shown they have nasty tendancies (similar to progressive) like giving out radar detectors to police, under the guise of 'improving safety' when logically, its just to catch people and raise premiums. That's of course my opinion. I personally have Amica insurance, which is mutal (not supporting Warren Buffet and his shareholders like Geico) and incredibly well rated by everyone who uses them, as well as offering good prices, just not very well know. They only like good drivers though, so it may be difficult to get them to insure you If you haven't had insurance since college. Whatever you decide, don't spend forever agonizing over it based on my opinion especially, just look forward to your car and having fun.
-Alan

I agree with both your points. Geico is slimy, having partially funded the development of laser speed guns (which they then essentially *gave* away to the cops, who then wrote large numbers of tickets against their policyholders, which allowed Geico to raise their rates by an obscene amount, thus padding their bottom line).

I too have been with Amica for many years, and they've always taken care of me. No fuss about painting the entire hood of my Mercedes when I had some stone hits that rusted. You can't always judge their policy amounts - sure, they may be higher than other firms initially. But at the end of the year, if it's been a good one for them, you get a refund check (depending on your state). This is because they're a *mutual* insurance company, meaning that policyholders are helping other policyholders when bad stuff happens. They always gotten the highest marks in customer satisfaction. Their quote for me (39 year old, no accidents, full coverage no-deductable w/higher limits than most people carry, and also having homeowners coverage through them) was only $761 for my forthcoming MCS.

Their only bad mark is that they had the MINI listed under BMW.

Chip H.

[greyhoundmini]

If you've ever been in the Armed Services or Public Health Service, you should check out USAA.

Also, IMO, "mutual" or "reciprocal" insurance companies are better to do business with. This is because those companies are not publicly traded. With a non-traded company, you never have to worry about whether or not the company is more concerned about its shareholders profit or doing what's right by their policyholders. Publicly traded insurance companies almost always place short-term profit at a higher priority than policyholder service.