car insurance

Looking to renew my auto insurance. Maybe changing companies. Anyone use Lewis & Lewis (Qualitas)? Is their coverage and service good? Other thoughts?

Thanx

I prefer to have a local agent.

There only so much a local agent can do and Lewis and Lewis sell Qualitas and Qualitas just opened an office on the main street in Chapala so would be the only insurer with a Chapala local office

Intercasa wrote:There only so much a local agent can do and Lewis and Lewis sell Qualitas and Qualitas just opened an office on the main street in Chapala so would be the only insurer with a Chapala local office

So, you're saying there good and someone should go there?

What kinds of experiences have you had with different insurance companies in Mexico?

SunsetKid wrote:Looking to renew my auto insurance. Maybe changing companies. Anyone use Lewis & Lewis (Qualitas)? Is their coverage and service good? Other thoughts?

Thanx

I used them twice once for my Sentra SER and
once for my Frontier 4x4 that I used to move my
stuff down here. They are very easy to use and
the policy is written in English and Spanish and
it makes some sort of sense unlike some NOB
contracts in english. The price was very good.
The phone number is answered in English and
they explain everything very well so you know
what is going on. I think they are a great choice
for a newbie. All you have to do is read there site
for 10 minutes and read the contract in English
and you have an idea what to expect if you
get in an accident. Alas no accident so I can't
say how the underwriters do in the worst situation.
I would use them again especially for a Mexico
Newbie. Don't have a car now so don't have insurance.
I did own a car until May of this year so my experience
is recent.

Z

Lewis and Lewis AAA+++ on service

Qualitas F- on claims

Unfortunately, Qualitas is the only company that Lewis and Lewis uses.

cosalamx wrote:Lewis and Lewis AAA+++ on service

Qualitas F- on claims

Unfortunately, Qualitas is the only company that Lewis and Lewis uses.

Sounds exactly like my friends experience, but they were blaming Lewis & Lewis. Could be Lewis & Lewis was not keeping their bargain trying to help the customer. If the Agent is no good, you're screwed too. Never do business with an out of country company.

I am in the process of insuring the new car which I just bought.
Was given two quotes. One for Grupo Nacional, one for Qualitas.
The Qualitas quote was 30% lower.
It has always been my opinion that you get what you pay for, but after more than 40 years of driving with only a couple of minor fender benders, I don't know if I want to pay more for a service (claims) which I may not use.

Any opinions. What am I talking about. This is Insde Lakeside. Everyone has an opinion

Interesting - we had Lewis & Lewis and Qualitas when DH totaled our NOB plated car. The agent arrived within 30 minutes. It was a case of two tontos both going too fast and no one slowed down at the intersection. Qualitas paid my medical bills and the other guy's insurance paid for the car. No complaints.

Certainly not as bad as many insurance companies I dealt with NOB.

Not speaking as a resident but more so as a frequent traveler. We have used two companies when we were driving our minivan down:
http://www.mexadventure.com/
https://www.bonitawest.com/Costco/frm_Home.asp
Through the years we have had one claim when insured through http://www.mexadventure.com/ for towing and it was handled in an efficient manner. We always take the "Platinum Coverage" which generally offers some great add-on coverage.

Cosalamex writes:
"Lewis and Lewis AAA+++ on service

Qualitas F- on claims

Unfortunately, Qualitas is the only company that Lewis and Lewis uses."

John responds:

"Sounds exactly like my friends experience, but they were blaming Lewis & Lewis. Could be Lewis & Lewis was not keeping their bargain trying to help the customer. If the Agent is no good, you're screwed too. Never do business with an out of country company."

What service can an an agent or broker provide that warrants a rating of AAA+++ if the insurance company only achieves a claims grade of "F". This doesn´t make sense. Claims service is all that counts in one´s relationship with either an agent or an insurance company. An affable agent located remotely in a foreign land who always answers his/her phone and picks up the tab for free coffee when passing through town while providing discounted premiums for insurance coverage is as useless as tits on a boar hog when you are in need of help while stranded after an accident on some remote stretch of road in the middle of nowhere dealing with crooked local cops and in desperate need of help right then and there.

As John correctly states above, " Never do business with an out of country company (or agent/broker I might add)."

I have had occasion to make claims after an accident in a remote region on the Mexico/Guatemala border and thank God I had a Mexican agent out of Guadalajara and an insurance company with a major presence in this country and Guatemala as well for that matter. Otherwise I might still today be making small rocks out of big boulders with a sledge hammer on some remote quarry in the Lacandon Jungle singing, "Doo Dah, Doo Dah" with my chain gang associates.

In Mexico the insurer arriving on the scene fast is what matters. All of most insurance companies lag when it comes to paying claims and many expect fast service like NOB and that probably will not happen with any insurer. When I renewed my SUV insurance for my California plated vehicle there was some cheaper insurance but I read the fine print and didn't like it and Qualitas seemed to provide the best coverage and didn't have as many exclusions in the fine print.

I have not had to make a claim yet and have personally handled some accident matters for clients where the insurers were horrible and Qualitas was not one of the bad insurers

Flamingo wrote:Interesting - we had Lewis & Lewis and Qualitas when DH totaled our NOB plated car. The agent arrived within 30 minutes. It was a case of two tontos both going too fast and no one slowed down at the intersection. Qualitas paid my medical bills and the other guy's insurance paid for the car. No complaints.

Certainly not as bad as many insurance companies I dealt with NOB.

You're kidding about NOB insurance companies. They wouldn't dare do the crap that these companies pull. I ALWAYS had a check for damages NOB in one to two weeks and was paid what the actual damage was worth.

My experience with AIG was awful, 4 1/2 months to get paid 4200 pesos for an accident that was not my fault. Could have had something to do with the other company ANA. They both sucked.

Intercasa wrote:In Mexico the insurer arriving on the scene fast is what matters. All of most insurance companies lag when it comes to paying claims and many expect fast service like NOB and that probably will not happen with any insurer. When I renewed my SUV insurance for my California plated vehicle there was some cheaper insurance but I read the fine print and didn't like it and Qualitas seemed to provide the best coverage and didn't have as many exclusions in the fine print.

I have not had to make a claim yet and have personally handled some accident matters for clients where the insurers were horrible and Qualitas was not one of the bad insurers

Tell us, licenciado, how does someone with an FM2 or 3 with permission to work in this country get a car permit? As I have read on these forums that that is not allowed.

Seis, I think that rule applies to people who get residency status or citizenship,..

FM2 and work permit, no car permission (nor extensions so if you convert beware you will have no extension), FM3 with work permission no problem. It is a common misconception that FM2 people may not have foreign plated cars, under the FM2 only the rentista category may have a foreign plated car and enjoy the benefit of expired sticker but legal to drive with current immigration document.

hound dog wrote:[i]Cosalamx writes:
"Lewis and Lewis AAA+++ on service
Qualitas F- on claims
Unfortunately, Qualitas is the only company that Lewis and Lewis uses."

What service can an an agent or broker provide that warrants a rating of AAA+++ if the insurance company only achieves a claims grade of "F". This doesn´t make sense.

Let me try to explain, so you can understand. Two separate claims many years apart. First, in 2001, car totaled in accident in Mexico, insurance company (not Qualitas) goes into bankruptcy during the time claim is being processed. Lewis and Lewis steps in to make sure we get paid, cheque for car is actually issued by Lewis and Lewis. Second claim, in 2008, car stolen from secure valet parking lot at a resort. Qualitas first demands documents that are impossible and/or illegal (such as a copy of a stolen car report from Texas where the car was plated, notwithstanding that the theft occurred in Mexico, according to Texas police reporting a car stolen in Texas that wasn't stolen in Texas is a crime), and the original import permit which was in the car, and it proved impossible to obtain a replacement from Banjercito. After several months, Qualitas agreed to accept a copy of my credit card statement showing the charge for the import permit. By this time, seven months after the theft, the car is recovered, and Qualitas wants me to take it back, with no claim. I refused and after being paid for the car, and negotiating with Qualitas, it was agreed that I would drive the car out of Mexico for them, paying for insurance, tolls, and gas, provided Qualitas ensured the car was roadworthy. When I went to pick up the car at the agreed time, it hadn't even been washed (after 14 months), and no one had checked to ensure that it would run, but they wanted me to sign that it was in acceptable condition. I refused, drove it out of their lot, and it stalled 100 yds. away. The engine was damaged. Then Qualitas wanted me to pay to fix the car. Every time I hit a snag with Qualitas, I called Lewis and Lewis and they interceded on my behalf with Qualitas, to try to work out a solution. After about 2 years, 145 emails, and hiring a lawyer in Mexico City, Qualitas eventually transported the car to the border and arranged for the cancellation of the import permit. So, as far as I am concerned, Qualitas stinks, but Lewis and Lewis is worthy of a high rating because they did everything they could to assist me with the insurance company. Having been an independent general insurance agent in my youth, I know how valuable a good agent can be. The bill from the Mexican government for 90% of the value of the car, for import taxes, which Qualitas refused to pay, notwithstanding that the policy provided that any expenses incidental to the loss were included, convinced me that I would be better off with a Mexican plated car (this issue was resolved when the car was recovered, but the car still needed to be removed from Mexico). Earlier this year, a friend of mine, who was insured with Qualitas, had an accident and was taken to jail. Qualitas failed to have anyone go to the jail to talk to my friend, who was in overnight, and might have spent a second night in jail, had I not interceded with a lawyer. I suspect that any insurance company can handle a simple crash claim, but there is no way I would be relying on Qualitas based on my experience. Of course, this is just my opinion.

WOW!!! That's gotta be the worst story about an insurance company yet.

Now you have to ask yourself, why does Mexico allow a crooked company to operate in Mexico? They would be in jail in the US.

Well, who does that leave?

So if your car is totaled then the insurance co. is supposed to haul it to the border to have the sticker removed? And give you a document proving that they did that? Did qualitas just volunteer to do this or did Lewis & lewis help with this too/

Lewis & Lewis sounds awesome...

Ms.Thang wrote:Well, who does that leave?

So if your car is totaled then the insurance co. is supposed to haul it to the border to have the sticker removed? And give you a document proving that they did that? Did qualitas just volunteer to do this or did Lewis & lewis help with this too/

Lewis & Lewis sounds awesome...

As I understand it, if the car is totaled, then you can negotiate with the Aduana to deliver the car body to an Aduana office, and have the import permit cancelled. You cannot intentionally destroy the car, nor do mechanical defects allow the Aduana to accept the car and cancel the permit. Others may have their own opinions, and I have read many on various web boards, but my personal experience was that with any major claim, the insurer wanted evidence of current registration in the jurisdiction that issued the foreign plates plus proof of current insurance in that jurisdiction. Many argue neither is required, but both total loss claims required me to provide this proof. Since I had both, I did not question it, so perhaps these are simply other examples of demands that would be waived if not possible to provide. With the recovered stolen car, my concern was that I had to sign the title over to the insurance company, effectively selling it to the insurer, but, I had agreed when I imported the car, not to sell the car in Mexico, and, if I ever wanted to import another car, I could not do so, since the original car import permit had not been cancelled. It took me about 4 years with the first car, that was destroyed, to get the permit cancelled, since the insurer was bankrupt, and there was nobody to talk to about the problem. That one happened when we were fairly new in Mexico, and ignorant of the processes. There was no way that I was going to allow Qualitas to avoid their obligations. Since it was a foreign plated car, none of their Mexican employees could drive the car, nor could they sell it, even for parts, since they were subject to the same import rules as I was. They appeared to be ready to simply let the car sit in their lot forever, even though it was worth several thousand dollars, much more than the cost to repair the engine. Nobody seemed prepared to accept the risk of making a decision, so the easiest thing for the employees of the insurer was to do nothing.

John: "Now you have to ask yourself, why does Mexico allow a crooked company to operate in Mexico? They would be in jail in the US."

OH REALLY? How many of the insurance company, brokerage company, bank, mortgage company CROOKS are still walking the streets of the US today?

Imagine how many people just give up after a while ...especially if their agent bails on them and their language skills are limited...
Not only does the insurance company gain the premiums that you paid, they also save the cost cost of paying your claim and you can bet the milk money that they most certainly will sell your wrecked car and make money there too. The easiest thing for the insurance company is to NOT pay your claim . It is positively obscene.

CheenaGringo wrote:John: "Now you have to ask yourself, why does Mexico allow a crooked company to operate in Mexico? They would be in jail in the US."

OH REALLY? How many of the insurance company, brokerage company, bank, mortgage company CROOKS are still walking the streets of the US today?

Easier question: How many ARE in jail? Answer: 0

We obtained our insurance from www.LakeChapalaInsurance.com as they use A rated carriers. Easy to quote online and choose the coverage, purchase and print the policy from home. If any questions, they have a toll free number from Mexico and email, too.

Used Qualitas for over 6 years, one claim when someone ran into our parked car and they were fast, efficient and had our car back within two weeks from the body shop. We were happy with their service.