Business Insurance

El Toro

Member
What company are you shop owners using for Insurance? have Erie for garage liability,body shop and auto dealer and looking to change..........at lease the agent. Thanks in advance Tom
 
The company I use does not have a presence in PA. You might want to ask around some local shops in your area. I tend to avoid really big name insurance companies. Generally the more ads you see for a company, the more you want to avoid them.
 
My insurance is different than a bodyshop, but here is what I have learned in the last four months.
Mine is just shy of 6 figures a year and
Been with one agency, he sold and new guy, and I did not get along.
So I shopped for commercial agencies in north GA.
I learned that a lot I was told was that only one company would insure the building and only one will insure the lia and pollution.
The new guy had several companies that wanted me due to no losses in the last 23 years.
He's coming in Monday to show me the proposals and say I will be pleased.
So talk to 2 or 3 commercial agents and let them do their job.
Stay away from the mega agencies
As you and I are too small for them.
I am leaning towards a family agency that has been around for 30 years.
We are dealing with the son of the owner.
 
Well, dealing with highly flammable liquids is not without risk. I don't know how many insurers out there have much experience in facilities that handle such things. Part of the high cost may simply represent inexperience with the risks involved and not knowing the likelihood of a claim. Certainly if the worst was to happen the damage would be in the multi-millions.
 
Finding a good agent is the key. When I started my business, my lawyer recommended an agent to me. I got lucky my first time out, as this guy was great. We met every year a couple of months before renewal to review my policies and my needs, and made adjustments accordingly. He shopped my policies every year to get me the best rates. We worked together for 10 years before he was, sadly, forced to retire.

His replacement at the agency pretty much ignored me. We met once in the 3 years I was with him.

I shopped around and finally found another agent who is very much like my first agent. I have been with her for 13 years now, and have followed her through a couple of job changes over the years.

Great agents are out there. Ask other business owners who they use and if they are happy with their agent. Eventually, you will find a recommendation that fits.

I would gladly share my agent with anyone in the Buffalo NY area who is looking.
 
Hi guys just got a lead on a insurance co called Auto-Owners Insurance. They handle body shop and other auto related business. Anyone use them or hear any feedback ? thank you Tom
 
I've done business with them. They seemed fine until the virus hit and they stopped using independent adjusters. Their virtual processes have been substandard. I don't know anything about their garagekeeper coverage.
 
I have Auto Owners for my shop and liability insurance here in Michigan and I'm very happy with the price and the coverage. Recently I've been contacted by Hagerty insurance and it seems that they may be getting into shop insurance as well, however I don't have any details on what they have to offer. ~BOB
 
Maybe I should mention that before the virus hit, I was seriously thinking about switching my coverage for my personal vehicles to Auto Owners because of their excellent policy regarding the use of OEM parts. It could be that the negative interactions I've had with them are not indicative of their overall performance as a company. Time will tell.
 
I had Auto Owners for years, and they kept raising the price on me, recently I switched to Federated and I noticed the agent is much more active and checks in on me regularly. He likes to check my numbers to make sure the coverage is correct so I don't get any big surprises at the end of the year.

I was paying so much more with Auto-Owners that I didn't really have enough coverage, I now have a lot more coverage and pay less. I prefer to be over-insured.

I am however a jobber store and not sure what they would be like as a body shop, Towards the end of my shop I had Federated for my store and I had a extra writer from I think it was Hagerty as I remember federated not liking to have to insure for 500k cars.
 
Thanks Chad also nice to hear from you. We did go with Auto-Owners will have to see what happens next year as far as price.
 
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