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Best Insurance Companies for Brand New Car Dealerships or Dealers and Used Car Dealerships or Dealers
Research and development will make cars more popular. Car dealers and dealerships will be the ones to make the most of this. According to a survey in 2021, those selling cars all over the United States had a collective revenue amounting to $16 million.
Are you running a car dealership or working as a car dealer or auto broker? If so, consider getting insured. Your job or business isn’t free from exposure. For one, a car rental business might buy a defective unit from you and decide to sue.
Buy insurance when starting a dealership or managing an established one to protect against lawsuits and property damage losses. In this guide, we’ll teach you everything about car dealers insurance and auto dealership insurance. Stay to know how much is dealer insurance, what auto dealer insurance coverage or dealership insurance coverage you need to get, and more!
Before talking about insurance, we first need to discuss the difference between an auto broker, auto dealer, and car dealer; and an auto dealership or car dealership. If we don’t do this, question marks will literally branch out of your head.
A car dealership is a business in partnership with car manufacturers and sells their vehicles. In other words, it’s a business venture.
A car dealer is a person working for the car dealership. He’s the one doing the leg work. On the other hand, an auto broker is a car dealer. However, he’s different because his work is more about serving as a middleman between consumers and auto sellers. Most of his tasks revolve around finding the right vehicles for customers.
Therefore, if we take this into insurance terms, auto broker insurance, car dealer insurance, and car dealership insurance aren’t the same.
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Auto dealers insurance or automobile dealers insurance is a type of insurance product that addresses the risks unique to auto dealers. While it’s true that there are generalized insurance programs that can cover all kinds of professions, it’s important to remember too that there’s no one-size-fits-all policy. And so, car dealers who decide to purchase a generalized insurance policy might not get full protection.
Included in insurance for auto dealers are policies that offer protection against customer lawsuits, business property damage, lost income, and more. Therefore, you must understand that automobile dealer insurance isn’t a single policy but is actually comprised of numerous insurance policies that provide protection for specific business exposures.
You should know that the terms “car dealer insurance” and “autodealers insurance” are the same thing. We need to be clear about this to avoid confusion, as this guide will use these terms interchangeably as the discussion goes on.
Another important thing we have to be clear about is that car dealers insurance policy isn’t only for those who sell cars. In truth, it’s also available for those selling trucks , tractor -trailers, food trucks , box trucks , and other machines not classified as automobiles but are, nonetheless, commonly used for transportation purposes.
Remember we mentioned earlier that insurance for car or auto dealers consists of specific insurance policies that actually provide the protection needed. One of these policies you need to be familiar with is car dealer liability insurance, which others like to call auto dealer liability insurance.
What does a dealer liability insurance do? This policy covers you if a client files a lawsuit because of economic loss, bodily injuries, or property damage.
But here’s another thing we have to clear about; car dealer liability insurance isn’t a policy on its own. Actually, we can classify it as general liability insurance, professional liability insurance, and cyber liability insurance.
General liability insurance in car dealer insurance accounts for bodily injuries and property damage. Of course, dealing cars is a job where hurting a client physically or causing property damage is impossible to happen. And so, you might think that you don’t need a general liability policy included by auto dealers insurance companies.
But note that such is only the case if you’re just thinking about the protection a basic general liability insurance policy provides.>
You should know that a general liability insurance policy comes with optional coverages so that it can be tailored to the special needs of the policyholder. In car dealer insurance, the typical general liability policy comes with advertising injury coverage. A general liability policy with advertising injury coverage is useful for lawsuits arising from the following situations:
So to be clear, a basic general liability is useless. On the other hand, general liability insurance with advertising injury coverage is useful and should be included in your car dealer insurance.
So how much money can you get? The general liability insurance included in your car dealer insurance typically has a $1 million policy limit. You can also find other quotes that offer a $2 million policy limit.
As a car dealer, avoiding careless errors at work is important as it nurtures a trusty facade which in turn, makes selling easier. But still, occasional mistakes are part of the job, and one should learn from it. There’s no problem if such mistakes only concern you. But what if they have drastic consequences for the customer too? Then expect trouble to come.
Clients can sue you for mistakes at work. And more often than not, the cost of settling the trouble might amount to millions of dollars.
That’s why you should get professional liability insurance included in your car dealer insurance. Professional liability insurance, otherwise called professional indemnity insurance or errors and omissions insurance, will protect you from lawsuits arising from mistakes at work, which caused economic or financial loss for the client.
In practice, this type of car dealer liability insurance kicks in when:
Professional liability insurance in car dealer insurance excludes bodily injuries, property damage, and advertising injuries, which general liability insurance covers. Also, it can’t cover actions believed to be a mistake but are actually intentional.
In car dealer insurance, the policy limit of professional liability policy starts at $1 million. You can also get a quote offering $2 million. But know that some carriers offer custom limits for this dealer liability insurance and you can get coverage amounting to $500,000.
Let’s say you’re a car dealer running a website, marketing cars, and collecting payment from clients and unfortunately; someone manages to hack it. As a result, the hacker now has access to all of your clients’ email, credit cards, and bank account numbers.
Being hacked is very problematic, not only will you spend money for containing the breach but also for compensating clients too. This is why it’s important you get auto dealer insurance having a cyber liability policy.
Cyber liability insurance will help you pay for the resulting cost of a data breach. Specifically, this dealer insurance policy will take care of compensation to affected parties as well as the cost of data recovery, credit monitoring, and customer notification. Note that cyber liability insurance won’t pay for the cost of repairing a breached website.
Car dealer insurance doesn’t only offer liability policies. It might also include other useful coverages for car dealers such as commercial auto insurance, workers compensation insurance, and loss of income coverage.
You meet clients as a car dealer. But sometimes, you see them not at the car dealership but at some other place. And so, traveling is a part of your job. And when you’re traveling using your own car, it might be a good idea to get commercial auto insurance for car dealers aside from auto dealer liability insurance.
Personal car insurance dealers can provide coverage if you’re using your car for business purposes. However, you’ll also be paying higher rates if you insure auto this way. This is why it’s better to get dealer car insurance or car brokers auto insurance as it’s comprehensive and cheaper.
Commercial auto insurance is not a policy on its own. Policies included in commercial auto insurance are auto liability policy, physical damage coverage, and underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage .
An auto liability policy included in commercial auto insurance for car dealers will help you pay for defense costs and victim compensation if ever you caused a vehicular accident.
Dealers physical damage coverage, on the other hand, will pay the replacement or repair cost of car parts such as headlights, and windshields. However, understand that coverage only kicks in if the damage resulted from fire, theft, vandalism, and natural disasters such as hail, and heavy winds.
Underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage will reimburse you if another driver caused an accident and you got injured as a result. This policy provides coverage when the other driver can’t cover you using their insurance policy. We must be clear that uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage will not take care of the damages to your vehicle.
The car dealership you’re working for has workers comp insurance that covers you in case you experience a work related injury. However, no one’s stopping you from getting workers comp insurance for yourself.
Typically, workers comp insurance only covers company employees. Therefore, this policy might not cover you if you’re getting it for yourself.
However, there are carriers that offer a stand alone workers comp insurance for self employed. In a nutshell, this is a type of workers comp insurance you can get even if there are no people working for you.
Loss of income coverage functions to provide you money if you can’t work because of an injury or because the dealership terminated you. Through this insurance, you can get an allowance from the insurance company for its duration stated in the terms. Typically, loss of income coverage lasts for 120 days.
Dealer tag insurance is a special policy that offers coverage when test driving the vehicle. So how does this policy help when test driving car from dealership without insurance? Dealer tag insurance will take care of the injuries to the driver, passengers, and third parties as well as damage to the vehicle if an accident occurs while test driving. In a way, one can say that dealer tag insurance is also a car dealer test drive insurance.
The US and its states don’t have stipulations that tell auto dealers what kind of coverage to get. Nonetheless, those who know the nooks and corners of selling cars recommend the purchasing of general liability insurance and professional liability insurance.
Insurance for car dealerships is a coverage for those selling cars but are not necessarily car dealers – meaning car business owners. Sometimes called auto dealership insurance, this policy is composed of business insurance policies such as commercial property insurance, dealership liability insurance, workers comp insurance, inland marine insurance, and more.
So what kind of insurance does a car dealership need? Liability policies are the most important.
This is why automobile dealership insurance includes general liability, new vehicle sales protection, mechanic’s warranty of work, and more. Let’s discuss each of these in this section.
General liability insurance included in car dealership insurance will protect the dealership business against personal injury lawsuits or property damage lawsuits as a result of:
The basic general liability policy in car dealership insurance can also account for property damage or bodily injuries arising from a defective car. However, this is only possible if you add product liability coverage to general liability insurance.
Therefore, if you’re running a car dealership, basic general liability insurance in car dealership insurance will be useful but not sufficient. For the best protection, you should always add product liability coverage to it.
New vehicles sales protection is a special coverage that specific carriers include in their car dealership insurance. This policy works the same way as general liability insurance with product liability coverage. And so, if ever you purchase a general liability insurance policy that doesn’t include product liability coverage, you can buy new vehicles protection from another carrier to get more protection.
Professional liability insurance will cover your car dealership business from client lawsuits arising from employee mistakes, typically the car dealers. Depending on the carrier, this policy can be included in car dealership insurance or offered as a stand alone policy.
If your dealership services cars, then you will benefit greatly from mechanic’s warranty of work. This is a policy that covers you if the client files a claim because of improper installation of car parts. Mechanic’s warranty of work can also provide protection if your business installed sub-standard parts to the client’s car.
A raging fire or severe weather might damage your car dealership’s building and the cars inside. Of course, it’s obvious that you’ll incur a lot of losses if this happens. That’s why you shouldn’t think twice about getting commercial property insurance.
Commercial property insurance is usually included in car dealership business insurance. Note that this is composed of different types of protection for your business.
First, let’s talk about equipment breakdown coverage in commercial property insurance for auto company. This is a policy that will pay for the cost of repairing computers, specialty machine repair tools, HVAC systems, building generators, and more.
Business property insurance for a car dealership is another coverage in commercial property insurance. This one can also cover the breakdown of equipment. However, in practice, this policy is used for covering the cost of pipe maintenance, signage repair, glass panes replacement, and so on.
There’s also inventory coverage. Basically, commercial property insurance that offers this coverage can reimburse you for the cost of all unsellable cars that were damaged by fire, vandalism, theft, and natural disasters with the exception of floods and earthquakes.
Of course, you can’t run your auto dealership without a garage. It’s the place where you store repossessed cars. You can also use that garage to store the vehicles of other businesses. Your auto dealership’s garage is still a business property, which commercial property insurance can cover. Nonetheless, there’s another car dealership insurance coverage that offers the same protection – dealer garage insurance with garage liability insurance for auto dealer/auto dealer garage liability insurance coverage.
An auto dealership garage insurance works just like commercial property insurance. It will give you money the moment the cars stored get damaged by fire, theft, vandalism, and lighting.
Auto dealer garage insurance comes with a garage liability insurance policy, which can help you pay for the cost if other people’s car in your dealership’s garage got damaged by fire, theft, lighting, and severe weather.
Do you deal used cars or second hand cars? Then know that you also need insurance as much as brand new car dealers. Technically speaking, you can qualify for a car dealer insurance program. But note that if the carrier doesn’t cover you, decide to get used car dealers insurance or simply used auto dealers insurance as another option.
Insurance companies covering used car dealers always offer general liability insurance with product liability coverage as part of their used auto dealer insurance. Having this policy is very important
Why is general liability insurance with product liability coverage very important for used car dealers? Know that second hand cars might come with defects. Cars with defects might injure the new owner. As the person who sold the car, you can be held responsible even if the car isn’t under warranty anymore. That’s why you need general liability insurance to pay for the injuries of the victim as well as other associated costs.
Insurance for used car dealer doesn’t only offer general liability policy. Carriers also include another type of used car dealer liability insurance called errors and omissions insurance . In essence, errors and omissions is just another name for professional liability insurance that will help pay for the cost of lawsuits and settlements if the policyholder is accused or found guilty of committing mistakes, negligence, omission, or misrepresentation.
In practice, you’ll find errors and omissions insurance helpful when you unknowingly sold a client a lemon car. Through this insurance policy, you can give a refund as well as pay further costs. Know that clients can easily file a lawsuit as there are many lemon lawyers in the US. This is why errors and omissions insurance should be a part of your arsenal aside from general liability insurance.
Are you running a popular blog and are currently enrolled in a used auto affiliate program. If so, don’t forget to get cyber liability insurance included in stand-alone cyber insurance for used car dealers or as an optional policy in used automotive dealer insurance .
Just like in brand new car dealer insurance, cyber liability insurance for used car dealers will protect you from costs if a cybercriminal manages to hack your website and gains access to your clienteles’ credit cards, addresses, bank account numbers, and other sensitive information.
Selling used cars is riskier than selling brand new cars. As a result, you might find yourself needing coverage far more than what your used car dealer insurance limits provide. Know that when you’ve reached your insurance’s limits, then the carrier can’t help you. If you don’t want to experience this now or in the future, consider getting commercial umbrella liability insurance.
Commercial umbrella liability insurance is a policy that adds to the limits of your used car dealer liability insurance policies.
Suppose your general liability or professional liability insurance has $1 million coverage, a client files a lawsuit and demands you pay them $1 million. Of course, since you’ll be using your insurance policy to pay the settlement in full, your general liability insurance or professional liability insurance will be canceled since it can’t give money the next time you file a claim.
But the story will be very different if you have an umbrella liability policy prepared. This is because umbrella liability in used car dealer insurance coverage can supplement your professional or general liability policy that’s all been used up. In other words, umbrella liability allows you to make a claim even if your liability policies have reached their limits.
A customer’s complaint legal defense coverage isn’t a liability but an endorsement to used car dealer insurance. But still, we should discuss this one. A customer’s complaint legal defense coverage provides comprehensive protection from problems used car dealers commonly face such as lemon car lawsuits and fraud lawsuits. Unlike general liability insurance or professional liability insurance, customers complaint legal defense coverage will only pay for defense costs hence the name.
Consider getting garage insurance for car dealers, selling used cars, if ever the dealership you’re working for doesn’t have this. This includes garage liability policies, which is useful if someone indemnifies you for an accident or a damaging situation. There’s even commercial property coverage in garage insurance such as equipment breakdown and inventory coverage which provides money the moment cars inside the garage or equipment inside the garage got damaged by theft, vandalism, etc.
Second hand car businesses must opt to get insurance for used car dealerships . This tailored insurance coverage offers commercial property insurance, workers comp insurance, general liability insurance, and other business insurance policies also found in brand new car dealership insurance.
General liability insurance for used car dealerships provides a shield for personal injury lawsuits or property damage lawsuits a customer filed after an accident, which your business can be accountable for.
Commercial property insurance in used car dealership insurance is very important. This is the policy that will take care of the specialty tools and other business property used to refurbish old cars to be sold. Furthermore, through commercial property insurance, you can recoup any losses caused by storms, fire, hail, theft, and vandalism.
Does your used car business sell old cars on behalf of their owners? If so, know that commercial property insurance won’t cover cars you’re selling on other people’s behalf.
This is why you need garage liability insurance. In essence, this policy – carriers usually include in used car dealership insurance – covers all vehicles left by the owners in your possession to be sold in exchange for a commission. Through garage liability insurance, you can reimburse concerned parties if fire, theft, vandalism, and severe weather damaged their vehicles for sale.
False pretense coverage is an endorsement to used car dealer garage insurance included in commercial insurance for used car dealership. Garage liability insurance for used car dealerships only covers physical damage to cars in the garage caused by any fraudulent intentional acts. On the other hand, false pretense coverage offers protection from:
Workers compensation insurance is also included in used car company insurance but not all the time. For instance, there are carriers offering specialized used car sales insurance that exclude workers comp but allows the policyholder to add it as a stand-alone policy.
Sometimes, your used car business will deal with people requesting you to sell their car then ask if you have a loaner car available. Commercial property insurance doesn’t cover your business’s loaner car nor is it covered by your commercial auto insurance and the client’s personal auto insurance. So how to insure a used car functioning as a loaner vehicle?
There’s a loaner car from dealership insurance coverage. Dealer loaner car insurance coverage works like auto insurance. In essence, it accounts to the physical damage of the loaner car the client caused. This might even come with auto liability coverage that will take care of lawsuits and compensation costs when a loaner car gets involved in accidents.
The typical auto broker insurance or car broker insurance includes general liability insurance, commercial auto insurance for auto brokers, inland marine coverage, and professional liability insurance.
The steps in qualifying for a used car dealer or dealership business insurance is very easy: Insurance companies only require the following documents or information for used car dealership insurance application:
Brand new car dealerships and used car dealerships, like farmers auto group, are required to get a bond. Here’s a table showing how much bond a car dealer company needs to stay in business.
| Required Bond | Annual Bond Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $25,000 / $50,000 | $438 / $875 |
| Alabama | $25,000 | $250 |
| Arizona | $20,000 / $25,000 / $100,000 | $200 / $250 / $1,000 |
| California | $50,000 | $400 – $2,500* |
| Colorado | $5,000 / $50,000 | $100 / $450 |
| Connecticut | $50,000 | $500* |
| Delaware | $25,000 | $250 |
| Florida | $25,000 | $375 |
| Idaho | $10,000 / $20,000 / $40,000 | $100 / $200 / $400* |
| Illinois | $50,000 | $410 – $500* |
| Iowa | $75,000 | $375 |
| Kansas | $30,000 | $300* |
| Maine | $25,000 | $250 |
| Maryland | $15,000 – $300,000 | $150 – $2,250* |
| Minnesota | $5,000 / $50,000 | $100 / $300 |
| Mississippi | $25,000 | $115* |
| Missouri | $50,000 / $100,000 | $300 / $600 |
| Montana | $5,000 / $15,000 / $50,000 | $100 / $120 / $400 |
| Nebraska | $50,000 | $250 |
| New Hampshire | $25,000 | $187 |
| New Jersey | $10,000 | $100 |
| New Mexico | $12,500 / $50,000 | $125 / $500* |
| Nevada | Varies | Varies* |
| New York | $20,000 / $50,000 / $100,000 | $180 – $900 |
| North Carolina | $25,000 / $50,000 | $125 – $250* |
| North Dakota | $25,000 | $250* |
| Oklahoma | $25,000 | $306* |
| Oregon | $50,000 | $400 – $500* |
| Pennsylvania | $20,000 | $120 |
| Rhode Island | $50,000 | $500 |
| Tennessee | $50,000 | $875 |
| Utah | $10,000 / $20,000 / $75,000 | $120 / $240 / $900 |
| Vermont | Varies | Varies* |
| Virginia | $50,000 | $750 |
| Washington D.C. | $25,000 | $250 |
| West Virginia | $25,000 | $250* |
| Wyoming | $25,000 | $250 |
Understand that a bond isn’t a dealership insurance policy. Brand new car and used car dealership insurance protects against risks. On the other hand, a bond ascertains that the conditions of the contract will be fulfilled and the client can get some money automatically if ever there are lapses.
Are you a dealer or a large dealership like superior auto wholesale nj supplying smaller dealerships with cars? If so, you need to get a specialized kind of business insurance for car dealers called wholesale car insurance.
Policies carriers include in their wholesale auto insurance are commercial property insurance and product liability insurance. Wholesale dealer property insurance will help you recoup costs if the stocks in your inventory got damaged by fire, theft, vandalism, and severe weather. On the other hand, product liability insurance will help you get off the hook if a car dealership files a lawsuit after receiving defective car units from you.
Note that wholesale auto dealer insurance or car sales insurance might come with inland marine insurance . If your cars are being transported by a tractor-trailer and got damaged on the trip, inland marine will help you recoup losses. On the other hand, if your car got damaged while being transported by a ship, ocean marine insurance is the policy to the rescue .
If you hired a motor carrier to deliver your units to dealerships and this motor carrier got involved in an accident, you might also be held responsible to pay for compensation. This has already happened to other wholesale automotive dealerships by the way.
And so, get contingent liability insurance to cover wholesale auto dealership products aside from inland or ocean marine insurance for wholesale car franchises. Know that with this policy, a commercial auto broker or dealership can answer for the cost of lawsuits they’re dragged into.
Contingent liability insurance for wholesale dealership business provides protection if ever the truckers you hired to deliver the cars refuse to compensate affected parties after causing an accident.
Being pulled by the leg is another risk your wholesale dealership might experience. With the right planning, a scammer might easily buy several units from you without paying. If this happens, losses aren’t the only result but might even be the end of your business altogether. And so, don’t think twice about getting fraud insurance coverage.
Fraud insurance coverage in insurance for wholesale dealerships or dealship will help you recoup losses arising from dishonest acts an employee or client committed.
A car showroom and dealership are not the same, even if many say they are. The showroom is just a part of the dealership where the cars are exhibited. On the other hand, the dealership is the entire business that sells the car. Therefore, if you’re just owning auto showrooms rented by dealerships, then you might not qualify for dealership auto business insurance.
The coverage that’s perfect for you is showroom car insurance, which includes commercial property insurance with inventory coverage, earthquake coverage, theft coverage, and glass replacement coverage. Car showroom insurance also includes liability policies such as employer’s liability, employment practices liability, and general liability.
Are you a car dealer not affiliated with any dealerships? If so, don’t worry because carriers can still get you covered. Right now, you’ll find carriers offering self employed car dealer insurance or independent auto dealer insurance. Coverage included are general liability, professional liability, and lost income coverage. Also, it has useful features independent dealers need such as free certificates of insurance and the ability to name additional insureds.
Auto dealer insurance programs are a straightforward protection for auto dealers and dealerships. There aren’t many. And these are the ones we’ve found so far.
The first one of the auto dealer insurance programs we’ll talk about is Amwin’s DealerGuard, which is available for all franchise dealers in the United States. Policies included in Amwins’s dealer protection group insurance are:
The minimum premiums of this new car dealer insurance program is $100,000. However, it’s all great because you can choose custom policy limits. Therefore, you can decide how much to invest.
RSG’s program, called Franchised Auto Dealers Package Program also stands above all other auto dealership insurance programs. The program highlights are:
Note that this insurance program is only available for franchised new car dealerships and franchised RV dealers. RSG offers its franchised auto dealer insurance program in all locations of the US.
There are no used car dealership insurance programs. The closest answer we’ve found is that there are affiliate programs for used vehicle dealers.
Car lot insurance or dealers open lot insurance is sometimes referred to as physical damage coverage. However, this is not really the case as physical damage coverage can be an optional policy in commercial property insurance and commercial auto insurance as well as specialized insurance products such as camera insurance , bounce house insurance , and so on.
Other names for this policy are open lot insurance, dealers open lot coverage, dealership lot insurance, dealers lot insurance, car row insurance, and car yard insurance.
What is this policy and what does it do? Dealers open lot insurance is a special coverage for dealerships. Generally, it will cover the vehicles for sale stored in a dealership’s car lot. Through this policy, the dealership can recoup losses if fire, theft, vandalism, hail, and severe weather damage the openlot cars.
Note that each carrier has their own interpretation of how car lot insurance works in practice.
Another thing to know about dealer open lot insurance is that it doesn’t automatically provide coverage for all kinds of cars sold. In other words, you have to name which cars should be covered in the policy. In practice, some carriers offer open lot car sales insurance for trucks, bulldozers , automobiles, and so on.
So why is a dealer lot insurance helpful? The occasional burglar might enter the car lot’s premises and steal parts from cars for money. Also, in case of heavy rains or snow, the cars out in the open can get damaged and become unsellable.
This is why seasoned car dealership managers or owners see that having no insurance car lots is very problematic. Another thing to point out is that car lots with no insurance can easily fail.
We just want to clarify one thing. Used car dealers can avail used car lot insurance which works the same as standard car lot insurance.
For further reference, we made a table showing the cost of car dealer insurance and car dealership insurance based on the pricing of different carriers:
| Monthly Rate | Annual Rate | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CoverWallet | $27 | $324 | Online quote comparison for car dealership and car dealer insurance |
| Hiscox | $32 | $384 | Stand-alone insurance policies for car dealers with generous limits |
| Zurich | $35 | $420 | Car dealership/dealer insurance with business resources |
| Allstate | $41 | $492 | Vehicle trader reinsurance and insurance for car dealerships that comes with special programs for business growth |
| USAA | $48 | $576 | Membership based new car dealership insurance and new car dealer insurance |
| Coffer | $55 | $660 | California auto dealers and dealerships |
| Nationwide | $58 | $696 | Car dealer insurance policy with risk and loss management services |
| Chadler | $61 | $732 | In house insurance car lots |
| Titan | $65 | $780 | Stand-alone garage keepers coverage |
On this page is a free and intuitive quote generator tool. All you have to do is click or tap the “Get Quotes” button and provide details. Soon after, you’ll receive a car dealer insurance quote and used car dealer insurance quote from the best carriers. But that’s not all, since our generator is smart, it will also send you car dealership insurance quote for brand new dealerships and used car dealerships. Use our tool to find cheap car dealer insurance and car dealership insurance!
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Here’s a brief review of the best companies that insure brand new car dealerships or dealers and used car dealerships or dealers.
CoverWallet offers stand-alone auto dealer insurance and used car dealer insurance. According to forums, it stands above all brand new car dealer and used car dealer insurance companies.
Unlike other car dealer insurance companies, CoverWallet offers all the most useful policies needed such as errors and omissions, general liability, lost income, workers compensation, and garage liability. Go for CoverWallet because it will cover you instantly. Plus, you’ll get to compare quotes of CoverWallet’s partners through a smart and free quote generator tool.
Best for: Online quote comparison for car dealership and car dealer insurance
Average cost: $27 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Hiscox doesn’t explicitly say that it has specialized commercial insurance for car dealerships. However, this company can still provide coverage as its policies are tailored for many businesses.
Best for: Stand-alone insurance policies for car dealers and dealerships with generous limits
Average cost: $32 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Just like CoverWallet, Zurich covers auto dealers and dealerships. This company comes second in our list of the best auto dealership insurance carriers as it doesn’t offer coverage for used car dealers and dealerships.
So what makes Zurich stand above other auto dealers insurance companies? Zurich’s car dealer business insurance includes commercial property insurance, commercial crime coverage, auto dealers liability policies, and employment practices liability insurance. As a plus, the company’s car dealer insurance comes with free business resources.
Best for: Car dealership/dealer insurance with business resources
Average cost: $35 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Aside from providing coverage, Allstate car dealership insurance helps dealerships or dealers grow and make customers happy. And so, this company is the dealership insurance agency you might be looking for if you’re running a startup dealership or an established dealership.
In terms of insurance, all state auto group insurance offers commercial property insurance, liability insurance policies, and special coverages.
For growing your business and helping you make customers happy, this insurance agency in car dealership – meaning Allstate – offers B2B solutions such as vehicle service contract, appearance protection, dent and ding protection, auto dealer reinsurance, and more.
Best for: Vehicle trader reinsurance and insurance for car dealerships that comes with special programs for business growth
Average cost: $41 per month
Our rating: 10/10
USAA insures in-service military or military veterans who are making money by running a dealership or working as car dealers. This company offers commercial property, garage liability, and part time car dealer insurance policies in its usaa auto brokers, dealers, and dealerships protection. On a further note, if you manage to get insured by this company, you’ll enjoy usaa car dealer discounts.
Best for: Membership based new car dealership insurance and new car dealer insurance
Average cost: $48 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Taking the sixth place in our review of the best insurance companies for car dealerships and dealers is Coffer. This company only provides dealership insurance policy for california state auto group. The insurance auto group coverage from Coffer includes commercial property, general liability, workers compensation, and cyber liability.
Best for: California auto dealers and dealerships
Average cost: $55 per month
Our rating: 7/10
Nationwide’s auto dealer insurance offers commercial property, business liability, commercial auto, crime insurance, business income, employment practices liability, and cyber liability. With Nationwide, you’ll not only get protected but also enjoy other services such as loss control and risk management, free business resources, and tailored coverage.
Best for: Car dealer insurance policy with risk and loss management services
Average cost: $58 per month
Our rating: 7/10
If you’re looking for car lot insurance companies, then Chadler is your best bet for having the right coverage. Chadler’s car lot insurance covers more than $1 million of your inventory’s value. The policy will take care of collision, vandalism, fire, and theft of the auto dealer cars.
Best for: In house insurance car lots
Average cost: $61 per month
Our rating: 6/10
Titan insurance virginia offers small business insurance for car dealers and dealerships. It is also an insurance dealer that allows customers to buy a stand alone garage keepers coverage.
Best for: Stand-alone garage keepers coverage
Average cost: $65 per month
Our rating: 5/10
You have to be familiar with which cars a dealer, broker, or dealership only sells. Some car sellers prefer to specialize to give better prices for their products. In other words, you’ll find car dealers, dealerships, or brokers that only sell Honda, Lamborghini, Chevrolet, Hyundai, and so on.
The cost of down payment is another consideration when buying an auto. To be clear, in one dealer, the downpayment for a 2022 Honda Civic might be as low as $8,000. In another dealer, the downpayment might be much higher. With that said, go for a cheap auto dealer or dealership that allows you to pay a very low down payment.
The third consideration is dealership rating or car salesman rating. Dealership rating is the overall score of an auto dealership based on customer service, fairness of pricing, customer perks, and so on. Car salesman rating or auto dealer rating, on the other hand, is the performance score of a car dealer based on his knowledge, customer orientedness, and so on.
Dealerships for cars are often reviewed by third party watchdogs. There are even websites that allow those who bought their cars to review a dealership. Visit such websites for you to make a snatch when buying a car.
The final consideration when looking for a dealer company is to notice if there are motor dealer services. Examples of motor dealer services are dealer insurance services, dealer automobile repair, and more.
Can I get car insurance at the dealership? Brand new car dealerships have insurance representatives working with them or offer their own insurance policies underwritten by partner carriers. With that said, the answer is yes, getting car insurance at the dealership is possible. And many opt to buy their car insurance from dealership.
How about car dealers? Can they offer insurance? Yes, but only if the car dealer is also an insurance agent. But note that there are no car dealers offering free insurance.
So what types of insurance for vehicles do car dealerships and dealers provide? Dealers and dealerships only provide personal auto or commercial auto insurance policies such as underinsured/uninsured motorist insurance, physical damage insurance, and gap insurance from dealership. You can also buy temporary car insurance from dealer too.
Speaking of gap insurance thru dealership, will buying it this way be better than buying gap insurance from an auto insurance company such as Geico or State Farm ? We can’t answer this with a simple yes or no. And so, let’s explore the pros of gap insurance from dealer.
Those who bought car dealership or car dealer gap insurance, enjoy a streamlined insurance application process. Everything is very quick. All you have to do is fill up the form, sign it, and then you have gap insurance from dealership waiting to be used.
Another advantage is that dealership gap coverage often has a stable fee. Meaning what you’ll pay will be the same as other customers upon buying gap insurance from dealership. In one forum we visited for our research, one user literally said “I bought gap insurance from the dealer and didn’t experience any sudden premium spikes”.
You will enjoy discounts and this is the third advantage of buying gap coverage from dealer or any other car insurance policies. Specifically, buying car insurance at dealership will allow you to get a 3% – 7% discount.
So how much does gap insurance cost at dealer or dealership? The cost of gap insurance at dealership or dealers is $500 – $700. Note that those who bought gap insurance from dealer or dealership mostly say that the cost is expensive as compared to car insurance carriers.
Many say that buying gap car dealership isn’t worth the cost. This is true but not all the time. For example, there’s carmax gap coverage which is on par with the gap insurance of well known auto insurance carriers such as Geico. By the way, Carmax is one of the car dealerships with insurance at reasonable rates.
Gap insurance with Carmax is useful even though quite expensive. According to the company, its gap insurance is sure to provide coverage the moment you make a claim.
So how much does carmax gap insurance cost? Carmax gap insurance price heavily depends on the type of vehicle you own. Your down payment is another factor that affects carmax gap insurance cost.
So how easy is it to claim your gap insurance from Carmax? Previous customers posted in forums that carmax gap insurance claim is very easy to process. All you have to do is contact a representative, send proof of what happened, send other papers requested, and your claim will be processed in no time.
If you’re looking for insurance for used car, then you can get insured by the used car dealership you visited. Just like brand new car dealerships, used car dealerships also sell car insurance policies.
Used car insurance – second hand car dealerships often sell are physical damage insurance, collision insurance on a used car, comprehensive car insurance on used car, towing and labor car insurance for used cars, physical damage coverage, and auto liability insurance.
Second hand car dealerships always offer comprehensive car insurance on used cars because second hands can easily get damaged from usage, unlike brand new cars.
Car insurance for used car also always includes physical damage coverage because it will take care of car damages excluded in comprehensive car insurance for used vehicles.
Towing and labor insurance for used cars is offered too because as we all know, second hand cars are more likely to stall on the road unlike brand new cars.
With that said, if you’re thinking about how to insure a used car, one of the easiest methods is to get insured by the used car dealership you visited.
Dealerships require buyers to have the minimum car insurance coverage required by the states. What if you just bluff and say yes? Do dealerships verify insurance? The answer to this is positive. You can’t just say to the dealership or dealer you have insurance even if there’s none. As part of the buying process, the dealership or dealer will ask you to give a copy of your certificate of car insurance.
So why car dealerships require you to be insured? Dealers or dealerships ask you to get insurance to protect themselves against losses. Furthermore, by requiring you to get insurance, the dealership or dealer ensures your safety as a driver.
Before we end this discussion, allow us to shed light on some confusing questions we found on the web.
There’s no such thing as Geico dealer insurance. It’s true that Geico insures businesses. However, it does so by offering the policies of its partners. Moreover, the company doesn’t have any information on its page saying it has a Geico dealer coverage for those selling cars. But still, if you’re a car dealer looking for commercial auto insurance, then Geico is a car insurance dealer that can surely help because this field is its specialty.
A auto buyers insurance and united auto group insurance doesn’t provide coverage for dealers and dealerships. Just like venture car insurance, both of these companies only offer insurance policies for those who buy cars.
Also, you need and don’t need insurance to drive car from dealer. You need car insurance before leaving dealership so that your purchase is legal, and so that you and the dealer won’t get into dire straits. On the other hand, if you’re just test driving the car, then you don’t need immediate car insurance coverage, because there’s dealers plate coverage that provides protection.
Note that if you bought a new car, you don’t need to find a car insurance carrier. There are car dealerships that offer insurance. And if the dealership you visited is one of these, you can get covered instantly.
Are there car dealerships that include insurance for free? You can’t find brand new car dealerships that give you free insurance.
There are no car dealers offering free insurance too. If you encounter one, then this is most likely a scam.
Also, used car deals with free insurance is another impossible thing to find. Another clarification is that there are no car lots that offer insurance to buyers. The one offering the insurance is the dealership that’s running the car lot.
10 / 10
For me this company has proven to be the best to do business with and worth my hard earned money. Contractors this is your company look no further.
7.7 / 10
Decent experience with Hiscox business insurance
10 / 10
Good company. Good and knowledgable customer service. If they don't know something they will pass you on to a more experienced rep that is more knowledgable. So far so good.
10 / 10
Best insurance ever
10 / 10
Coolest concept, I wish this was applied to other insurance products too.
9.4 / 10
Fastest ever online insurance quote and purchase! Also, great rates and professional customer reps that helps with whatever you need, if you need. Nice company!
2.8 / 10
Embroker sells a product that it doesn't honor. We purchased a combination D&O and EPLI policy. However, when it came to renewal, it told us that we only had D&O coverage even through our ACCORD certificate clearly mentions we have both. Basically they refused to honor the EPLI coverage and will leave you hanging with the bag. At time of renewal, they more than doubled our quote to get similar coverage. Basically BAIT & SWITCH. Unacceptable tactics. Easy to buy and pay but you may not be... Read More
2.8 / 10
Great platform. Terrible policy. There is no teeth behind it. No coverage. It's a fake policy that they sell. Sold us an EPLI policy that later we came to find out had no EPLI coverage. Amazing that they can get away with outright fraud. Check the positive reviews. They are all 'Anonymous' posted by Emroker staff. Stay away and find a real policy that will actually provide you coverage. We've been bitten by them and hope to find restitution via a lawsuit.
Paul Burns Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
It has been 70 days since I made a claim on the roof of my building. No one from the company will return calls. We are in hurricane season and located in Louisiana. My building is tarped to secure it.
Felicia Broadus Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
They are the worst, my truck was hit in January 23 and the claim adjuster has not been out to this very day! They have every excuse in the book as to why. They have not been to the collision shop. PLEASE AVOID THESE SCAM ARTIST!
Felicia Broadus Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
Avoid these SCAM ARTISTS! They don’t pay claims!!! Save yourself the trouble and money!
Kasey Arey Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
This company gives you a price that was in place for a year and when you have to use it there is fine print were they can go back and charge you more. Would not recommend them to any one. Crooks
John Murphy Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
Worst insurance comapny I have ever dealt with. A commercial vehicle represented by GUARD t boned my wife and daughters family vehicle in the middle of the day. Driver was cited and insurance claim insued. Fast forward 4 months and refusal of full amount of claim is still happening. Driver was found guilty, repairs started on my vehicle and when it comes to the final bill and diminished value we cannot get any help. I am out a family car, have an injured and traumatized wife and children,... Read More
Harshadray Patel Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
Extremely bad service, when you call , will make you wait on the phone for ever (over an Hour) and still no one to answer , so you end up hanging up. To cancel the policy, bounce you from one department to the other. They are supposed to refund from the date other insurance started and after sending the proof of other insurance policy, still they did not refund based on that actual date instead they use the date i managed to get hold of them. They charged me $7000.00 for a year's insurance on... Read More
Aaron Wensel Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
Guard Insurance is terrible. They were so bad I cancelled them because them couldn't figure out why I would never get a paper copy of the bill . Verified my address with them and still intermittent billing. I cancelled them in March through my local broker. Today 6/27 I get a letter in the mail from a collections company saying I owe 87.97. This was the first myself or my broker heard of owing this money. Here is some advice for this failure of a company send me a god damn bill and I will pay.... Read More
Michael Swink Insuranker
Policy Type: Business Insurance
Company name: Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies
0 / 10
My employer had to have workers compensation by law. He obtained a policy through this Berkshire Hathaway GUARD and they failed me. I fell from a ladder and fractured my spine in 7 different places, my clavicle in 4 places, and the base of my skull. Going to my Dr visits I was prescribed medication for pain and the insurance company placed a pre-authorization hold on me picking up the medication from Walgreens. The hold lasted 5 days! My weekly benefits have never been on time, right now... Read More
10 / 10
Liberty Mutual is one of the more simple companies to deal with. I had to file a claim for my business owner policy after I caught one of my employees stealing a large amount of products from my business. Liberty mutual paid the claim fast and with no efforts. I wish the legal process was as easy…
10 / 10
For me this company has proven to be the best to do business with and worth my hard earned money. Contractors this is your company look no further.
7.7 / 10
Decent experience with Hiscox business insurance
9.4 / 10
Very pleased with Hiscox - their small business insurance rates are very good and they specialize in small business which gives me a peace of mind as a small business owner. So far so good!
10 / 10
Their customer service is absolutely fantastic. Very patient, knowledgable and provided excellent explanation of the purchased policy. I would highly recommend this insurance company to anyone that's looking to protect their business from unexpected expense. Thank you Hiscox for doing a great job for my business!
0.6 / 10
STAY AWAY! I wouldn't recommend hiscox small business liability insurance to anyone. Better not waste both your money and your time. Hiscox customer service is extremely unpleasant, not organized and not professional. It is the worst company we have dealt with in almost 25 years in business!
10 / 10
Good company. Good and knowledgable customer service. If they don't know something they will pass you on to a more experienced rep that is more knowledgable. So far so good.
10 / 10
Extremely fast and simple. Wasted a lot of time and money until I found these guys! I feel like my business is in good hands now.
10 / 10
Hiscox's the best! My business is insured with them for over 12 years and am not planning to switch!
10 / 10
Excellent experience with Hiscox BOP for my coffee shop. They provided all it needed.
10 / 10
My HI barbershop is well covered with their great BOP product for 5 years already! not planning to switch!
10 / 10
Best insurance ever
10 / 10
Coolest concept, I wish this was applied to other insurance products too.
10 / 10
Great experience
6 / 10
Didn't relate to the concept much, but it makes sense if you need insurance to go
0 / 10
It doesn't really feel sustainable to me and doesn't offer business interruption, product liability and commercial property insurance. They have no local agents and despite their technology first approach you cannot file claims online. Additionally, product manufacturers are not covered by Thimble and they don't provide enterprise solutions.
10 / 10
As a contractor that works 3 times a week for a few hours, Thimble gets really handy for me and saves me money. I have no use for these massive business insurance coverages offered by traditional insurance companies.
10 / 10
Excellent concept which is useful to many small businesses!
10 / 10
Been waiting for this type of solution for a long time!
10 / 10
Love their business insurance solutions for freelancers! Great app!
Not all those who wander are lost.
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