Auto Insurance in Mexico: How to pick the best option

There are hundreds of options out there for auto insurance; some really good, some not so much, and prices are pretty much the same. Banks, dealerships and insurance agents and agencies are among the main providers of auto insurance policies in Mexico.

With so many options available, is very easy for Expats to buy insurance from the any provider, expecting the quality and service to be the same among all of them. But is that true?

When you purchase insurance through a bank, dealership or any service provider that is not an insurance agent specialized in expats, your experience will lack the service you need as a foreigner living in Mexico, especially during a claim.

Here’s why:

Banks and dealerships are only insurance providers at the time of the purchase of the policy, but they don’t have the experience nor the knowledge an insurance agent does. They won’t translate the policy documents for you, so you know what you’re buying, and they won’t provide assistance during a claim because it’s simply not part of their job as insurance sellers. When you have questions about your policy or a claim, you’ll be put in contact with the claims department of the insurance company that only speaks Spanish, making the claims experience very challenging and frustrating for you.

On the other hand, if you buy insurance through an agent or agency specialized in the Expat community, you will gain additional very important benefits at no extra cost. Here’s some of them:

The broker will offer a translation of the policy documents prior to the purchase of the policy, so you know what you’re covered for and what not, and can make the right adjustments to your policy and make sure it matches your needs
An agency specialized in Expats has bilingual team members that will be able to address any questions and concerns that you have, without having to worry about the “lost in translation” common issue
And the most important service: their In-House Claims Department. Police officers, adjusters, other drivers and any other parties involved will in most cases speak only Spanish, and even if your level of Spanish is good, insurance terminology is a whole different language itself. All of this may and will the experience of a claim very frustrating for you, not to mention the risk exposure of being taken advantage of by one of the other parties involved. The in-house claims department of your insurance agency will avoid all of that, walking you through the process of your claim step by step, protecting your interests and battle for you to guarantee the best possible outcome.

Make sure the agent you buy insurance from can offer all these things, otherwise your experience will be just like buying insurance from the bank or dealership.

The team of Guardian Insurance MX understands how important your peace of mind is, especially during a claim, and we’ll be happy to help you explore the options available for you.