sparklingwater
New member
- Nov 4, 2012
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Does anyoneknow where to get the cheapest garage keeepers insurance for detailing at home?
garage keepers insurance?
- Thread starter sparklingwater
- Start date
The only way I know is to get quotes from different companies through an independent agent that represents more than one company. You may have to pay a higher rate for 2 or 3 years because most of the preferred companies require you to have prior coverage. If you aren't keeping any vehicles over night or are driving the customers vehicle you don't have much liability exposure. If you damaged a customers vehicle by using the wrong product I don't think that is covered. Garage liability covers you if you are driving a non owned vehicle, a customers auto, and injure someone by being at fault in an accident. The garage keepers provides physical damage coverage to a customers vehicle if it is damaged or stolen while in your care. This is probably more than you wanted to know. Good luck.
rustytruck
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- Feb 20, 2012
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I have mine through RLI.
cardaddy
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- Nov 20, 2012
- 3,937
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There is no way to get quotes that I know of without going to a full line independent insurance agent. You need to find an agent that writes a lot of commercial transportation related policies. If he's never written a repair shop or towing service then you would be better to find someone that has.
"Garage keepers" & what's sometime called "Inland Marine/Cargo coverage" is pretty much the same thing as to it pays for damage to vehicles on your property. However one will allow you to drive the vehicles (ie test drives and such). It's not expensive if you are not driving cars and only need coverage while they are either "in your care" or "on your property". Driving them however is a different story and requires different/better coverage. Keep in mind that the same policy would apply if you were at your house, shop or at the clients work. And of course I'd think a standard $1 mill blanket umbrella policy would be in order if there is any chance of more than 1 vehicle at a time being "in your care".
"Garage keepers" & what's sometime called "Inland Marine/Cargo coverage" is pretty much the same thing as to it pays for damage to vehicles on your property. However one will allow you to drive the vehicles (ie test drives and such). It's not expensive if you are not driving cars and only need coverage while they are either "in your care" or "on your property". Driving them however is a different story and requires different/better coverage. Keep in mind that the same policy would apply if you were at your house, shop or at the clients work. And of course I'd think a standard $1 mill blanket umbrella policy would be in order if there is any chance of more than 1 vehicle at a time being "in your care".
Hey sparklingwater,
It depends on which state you are in. For example I do business with RLI but they don't offer a product with garagekeepers in Georiga. They have a package for home businesses in Georgia but it doesn't provide garagekeepers. I'm suprised they do in any state but maybe they are. You will just need to check around. Another thing to mention. In Georgia there are two options for garagekeepers. 1. Garagekeepers legal liability and 2, garagekeepers liablity that is primary. With legal liablity you have to be held legally liablity which would mean you were neglegent in order for the insurance to pay. I have experienced a lot of claims where a repair garage keeps a customer car overnight and someone breaks in and steals the car. With legal liability the garagekeepers may not pay. If the building was locked, and had an alarm system you aren't necessarily neglegent. You did all the things a normal prudent person could do. In this case the car owner's comprehensive coverage would have to pay. You tell this to the car owner and you better be ready to fight. I understand but thats the way it works. With primary coverage your insurance would pay without you being legally liable. This is the best option but it is more expensive. This is the way it is in Georiga, but it could be different in your state.
It depends on which state you are in. For example I do business with RLI but they don't offer a product with garagekeepers in Georiga. They have a package for home businesses in Georgia but it doesn't provide garagekeepers. I'm suprised they do in any state but maybe they are. You will just need to check around. Another thing to mention. In Georgia there are two options for garagekeepers. 1. Garagekeepers legal liability and 2, garagekeepers liablity that is primary. With legal liablity you have to be held legally liablity which would mean you were neglegent in order for the insurance to pay. I have experienced a lot of claims where a repair garage keeps a customer car overnight and someone breaks in and steals the car. With legal liability the garagekeepers may not pay. If the building was locked, and had an alarm system you aren't necessarily neglegent. You did all the things a normal prudent person could do. In this case the car owner's comprehensive coverage would have to pay. You tell this to the car owner and you better be ready to fight. I understand but thats the way it works. With primary coverage your insurance would pay without you being legally liable. This is the best option but it is more expensive. This is the way it is in Georiga, but it could be different in your state.
tuscarora dave
Active member
- Aug 21, 2009
- 5,403
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Your best bet will be to talk to an agent/broker who really knows insurance and how to give you coverage for what you will actually need to be covered for, rather than some blanket coverage that is easy for the broker and expensive for you.
I had a sit down with Kent Anthony at "Anthony Insurance" here in Etters PA and we discussed exactly what services I'd be providing, on what vehicles would I be providing these services (types of vehicles and their estimated value), where would I be providing these services, (fixed location and sometimes mobile)
There were other things to discuss such as, where will the customers be, (on property or will I be providing pickup and delivery) will I be driving for supplies and performing other business related duties and in what vehicles will I be doing this in? Then of course the questions concerning the actual coverage, what is smart coverage that will protect both me and my customers?
We worked all of that out and it ended up being just shy of $1100 per year for a very good liability and garage policy through Erie Insurance, that protects me for everything that I'll be doing within my business.
After this sit down it was discovered that the last agent I had my insurance through didn't actually have me insured properly for the business I was conducting. I'm just glad there were no accidents.
Just in case your thinking that a garage policy will cover partial repaints or damage repair as a result of buffer burns or the use of the wrong process/products, it won't. I'd suggest having a few G's set aside for such mishaps.
I had a sit down with Kent Anthony at "Anthony Insurance" here in Etters PA and we discussed exactly what services I'd be providing, on what vehicles would I be providing these services (types of vehicles and their estimated value), where would I be providing these services, (fixed location and sometimes mobile)
There were other things to discuss such as, where will the customers be, (on property or will I be providing pickup and delivery) will I be driving for supplies and performing other business related duties and in what vehicles will I be doing this in? Then of course the questions concerning the actual coverage, what is smart coverage that will protect both me and my customers?
We worked all of that out and it ended up being just shy of $1100 per year for a very good liability and garage policy through Erie Insurance, that protects me for everything that I'll be doing within my business.
After this sit down it was discovered that the last agent I had my insurance through didn't actually have me insured properly for the business I was conducting. I'm just glad there were no accidents.
Just in case your thinking that a garage policy will cover partial repaints or damage repair as a result of buffer burns or the use of the wrong process/products, it won't. I'd suggest having a few G's set aside for such mishaps.
Hey tuscarora dave,
You hit the nail on the head. I've been in the insurance business for 40 years and couldn't have said it better. I get so tired of people referring to "cheap insurance" and "if you can beat my current rates, I will go with you." I understand you have to get as good of a rate and you can, but the first thing you need to do is to find out what coverage you need and then get the best rate. So many people today can't tell you what coverage they have but will say "I got a cheap rate". When you have a claim and don't have the proper coverage the "cheap rate" isn't going to be so good. Dave, if you were in Georgia I would try to hire you. Very good info.
You hit the nail on the head. I've been in the insurance business for 40 years and couldn't have said it better. I get so tired of people referring to "cheap insurance" and "if you can beat my current rates, I will go with you." I understand you have to get as good of a rate and you can, but the first thing you need to do is to find out what coverage you need and then get the best rate. So many people today can't tell you what coverage they have but will say "I got a cheap rate". When you have a claim and don't have the proper coverage the "cheap rate" isn't going to be so good. Dave, if you were in Georgia I would try to hire you. Very good info.
cardaddy
New member
- Nov 20, 2012
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Pardon my jumping in here, but just had to give a +1000 to that!
rops:Insurance is something that I found most people dont actually takes as serious as they should. One thing I did a while back was serve as the insurance chairman for the Ga towing association. We started looking seriously at companies that we knew wrote commercial liability on our business by going over their various filings with the State Insurance Commisioners Office. What a joke! Rates that had skyrocketed 450% in 3 years yet no hard data to show the loss runs that would back it up. Just the old adage that "well your industry is a high risk, so we need to charge more".
See, there's a difference between charging more, and GETTING more. Myself, I've always wanted to get more.
Being under insured seems like a great idea when you're not paying as much as the next guy, but try to pay the bills when you have a claim and you either 1; don't have enough coverage, 2; don't have the RIGHT coverage, 3; have an agent a company or BOTH that don't have a CLUE as to how to finesse a claim that involves the type of business you're in and you're quickly in a world of hurt!I was lucky in that I was involved with people that had been in the business for decades before I came along and learned what I needed and what I didn't. From there we built a list of agents that actually knew how to write policies for our industry. We actually were successful in getting a new pioneer program started with a company that you see advertising a LOT on TV these days (with a girl named Flo)
where they wrote the 'right' towing insurance and at a rate that was fantastic. (Of course it was hard to get it because they only wanted "top tier" companies with ZERO losses in the previous 5 years, but it was well worth it while it lasted.) Back to the OP......
Now it's been a while since I've left the industry but Travis Barlow down in Pooler Ga was and still is a great resource for anything towing and auto repair related. He literally writes coast to coast and might be worth a call. (Don't have any ties with them anymore as it's been 10 years since I retired, but a google search should find them.) Plus I'm sure they would be glad to answer any specific questions you might have as to exactly what you might need.
tuscarora dave
Active member
- Aug 21, 2009
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Thanks. If I were in Georgia, I'd might've taken you up on it.:xyxthumbs:
My mother always stressed the importance of keeping good insurance as opposed to just cheap insurance. To have a policy that really doesn't protect against real life risks just wasn't something she was OK with, and it doesn't make sense to me either.Pardon my jumping in here, but just had to give a +1000 to that!
Insurance is something that I found most people dont actually takes as serious as they should.
I say if you're going to pay for something, make it a worthwhile purchase that makes good business sense, and that goes way beyond just insurance considerations. I strive to keep this principle at the forethought in all of my affairs.
sparklingwater
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- Nov 4, 2012
- 34
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- Thread starter
- #12
hi how is everyone. I've been trying to look around for different insurance quotes. statefarm was recommended but when i contacted 2 different offices they both told me that they don't offer garagekeepers to detailers so i'm not sure if it's different in each state but it's a no go in Pa. thanks