Getting car insurance before arrival

do you still have your stateside insurance? i kept mine until i got here and got new insurance.

i know when i first got here i could not even get a quote from any insurer over the phone

Thanks for the feedback. I was hoping to get things lined up before arrival, but I'm gathering it may not work that way!

lol, things dont work the way we expect a lot of the time.

haha, thanks. I just have so many details to focus on, that I was hoping the critical step of insurance could be lined up before I leave. They need the effective date and bill of lading information, so the application apparently can't be started until the car is there. I hope it is a smooth process once the car arrives because it feels like there is no room for error in getting insurance lined up, and I don't want it to delay getting access to my car!

Has anyone used Leeward or Guardian Insurance on STX? They both came up in the Google search when I was looking for Marshall Sterling info.

oleander, you may already have read it but there's a whole section on moving a car and getting it cleared, registered etc, under the "Relocating" drop down menu top of the page.

Thanks - yes, I did see that! I'm hiring Ferrol Trucking to handle all the processing once the car reaches port. Hopefully that will make life easier!

(tu)

people i know who have used guardian, they were not too happy with them

Guardian is sold through Masters Insurance Agency in Sunny Isle. I've used them for several years and never had an issue. Mind you, I've never had a claim either.

oh, the people i have talked to did have claims. but maybe it was just them

oh, the people i have talked to did have claims. but maybe it was just them

Gotcha! I guess I'll stick with Marshall Sterling

Thanks - yes, I did see that! I'm hiring Ferrol Trucking to handle all the processing once the car reaches port. Hopefully that will make life easier!

Just be sure that you review all docs before you walk out of Ferrol's office. They misstated the mileage on our title (by adding about 90k miles), and neglected to add my husband. Then they told me, I had to go to the BMV to have it corrected, before I reminded them that that was what I was paying them for. Even with that burp, it was easier, and worth the extra $$ to us. Oh, and take a screwdriver. They don't put the plates on for you (or didn't for us, anyway).

M&S asked for the Bill of Lading that showed the car had been shipped, with the expected shipping arrival date. I remember that they gave me a policy binder a day or two before the car actually got here, with an effective date equal to the arrival date on the B of L. We already had a policy with them for our other car, so don't know if the procedure is different for you.

Your old policy, unless it's unusual, stops covering your car once it's loaded on the ship.

Don't sweat it. It's the VI, so things don't always work out as efficiently as they should, no matter how carefully you plan. But it all WILL work out. Good Luck!

Thanks a lot for the tips!! So how does it work exactly with Ferrol? I guess you have to go by their office and drop off title and license so that they can use them for a few days?? And then where do you actually get your car and those items back?

Thanks a lot for the tips!! So how does it work exactly with Ferrol? I guess you have to go by their office and drop off title and license so that they can use them for a few days?? And then where do you actually get your car and those items back?

Ferrol sent me a packet online which I completed and emailed back to them. They also sent a list of documents they needed which I also sent to them via email. I have an address on the island through a place that operates similar to a UPS store so I was able to get insurance in advance of arriving in island so all of my paperwork was able to be provided in advance of my vehicle's arrival.

Thanks a lot for the tips!! So how does it work exactly with Ferrol? I guess you have to go by their office and drop off title and license so that they can use them for a few days?? And then where do you actually get your car and those items back?

Ferrol sent me a packet online which I completed and emailed back to them. They also sent a list of documents they needed which I also sent to them via email. I have an address on the island through a place that operates similar to a UPS store so I was able to get insurance in advance of arriving in island so all of my paperwork was able to be provided in advance of my vehicle's arrival.

Right. Everything was done with copies sent via email for me too. When all was ready, I went to their office and picked up the docs, plates and car.

i'm not saying dont use them. just that people i know who had claims did not have fun. maybe others can share better experiences?