Why Does My Car Insurance Company Make Payment to the Lienholder Not Me?

 

October 18, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: California Car Insurance 

As I’ve mentioned several times, I’ve got a 2007 PT Cruiser that I’m making payments on. It’s a six year loan (side note: never get a loan over four years), and I’ve only knocked off a couple of months so far, so I still have a few more years to go. However, if I were to wreck that car in some way, then I would have to deal with the dealership and the bank that I’m getting my car loan for when I make my Anaheim CA car insurance claim, even if the vehicle isn’t totaled.

This will throw a cork in your problems, because if you are still buying a car, then when you wreck it (when it’s your fault), the  insurance company is going to mail you your claim check with both your name and that of your lienholder. You can’t cash it with just your signature, so you have two options.

  • Mail it to the lienholder, or
  • go to them.

Whatever you choose, it might be a little longer than you thought to get your vehicle back, which is why it’s a good idea to get rental car reimbursement coverage on your  car insurance policy.

The first thing that you need to do is take your car up to the dealership. They will then have someone from the bank inspect your vehicle. Occasionally they will come straight to where you have your car, but this is rare and unlikely. After that, you will have to send the bank a statement from the repair shop with the bill, as will as photographs of your fixed vehicle and the insurance claim check. They sign the check, and send it back.

So your car might be all fixed and ready in a day, but until that check is signed by the lienholder, you’ll be without.

Optional California Car Insurance Coverage You Might Want To Have?

 

October 17, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
Filed under: Insurance Agents 

In addition to the other types of car insurance coverage already listed, your California car insurance company should also offer other types of coverage. These types of coverage are not related to paying for damages or replacing stolen objects, or even for helping with injuries, but instead are mostly focused on making your claims and driving experience better and easier for you. If your California car insurance company does not offer these types of coverage, you might want to think about going with someone else.

  • Rental reimbursement coverage.

This is an extremely useful type of coverage that practically every California car insurance company will offer. It provides for you to rent a vehicle while your own is getting repaired or replaced, usually for up to thirty days. The rental will be billed to your California car insurance company, and all you will have to pay is the security deposit, which will be returned to you at the same time as you return the car.

This insurance is a no brainer if you consider the regular costs of renting a car. The amount that you will pay on your California car insurance company policy for a year will still be less than what you would have paid for a rental car for only one day.

  • Roadside assistance.

Towing a vehicle costs a lot of money. I had never had a car towed until recently when I bought a new car, and we needed our broken down trade in towed to the dealership. I didn’t think it would cost more than a hundred dollars, but as it turned out it would cost over $300 to tow this vehicle to a location only forty minutes away. This is why rosadside assistance is so useful. If you break down on the side of the road or get into a car accident, then your California car insurance company will cover the costs.