index

family 2 cars 50% discount 3 cars 55% discount

Brand new cars 50%

New costumer 45 %

cars les than 6 year old 20 % plus any no claim bonus up to 55%

ABOUT MAPFRE www.mapfre.com

A LICENSE. Anyone with a valid license can drive an insured car, and the policy will automatically give protection. "Valid license" means a Costa Rican license or a foreign or international license if the driver last entered the country less than 90 days ago and is 18 or over.

OBLIGATORY AUTO INSURANCE. All the cars on the road have Obligatory Insurance. The "Seguro Obligatorio de Automotores", known by its initials SOA, comes automatically with your vehicle's registration, and is renewed every December when you pay your car's Road Tax ("Marchamo"). The Obligatory Insurance affords a TINY bit of Personal Liability coverage - in other words, if the person driving your car hurts, kills or maims another person INS will care for the injured parties at their clinic. And the amount of coverage is so small (C. 6 million - that's about $11,000 - maximum per accident) that I encourage you to consider the SOA like another tax: all it really does is to make it legal for you to drive your car on Costa Rican roads.

SUPPLEMENTARY AUTO INSURANCE. If you want REAL insurance, you must buy a supplementary Auto policy. Roughly 20% of the cars have supplementary, which means that about 80% only have the Obligatory -The supplementary coverage is optional, so nobody has authority to request to see your policy. (But carry your policy number - it helps to have it handy if you have an accident.)

INSPECTIONS. All new insurance or policy changes require the applicant's signature on the appropriate form, an inspection of the car, a review of its latest "Documents" , and 4 photos of the vehicle. The exception is that for policies with only Liability coverage no photographs are needed.

INSURED VALUE. Cars should be insured at their market value in Costa Rica, and it is up to the insured to set the value and keep it updated. Too high, you are throwing premium money away; too low, you will certainly save some premium money, but your insurance coverage may not perform adequately if/when you have a claim. If you haven't recently purchased your vehicle, there may be some difficulty in setting the value. There are several methods: (1) The classified ads in La Nación, the biggest Spanish language newspaper, are helpful: find an ad for a car similar to yours, shave off 5% or so, and use that value for your insurance; (2) There is a useful web site www.crautos.com; it provides a useful guide.Ask your insurance Agent assistance on this matter. NOTE: only you can change the value on your policy. Mapfre will not automatically reduce the insured values of vehicles as they depreciate, so you should keep an eye on the insured value vis-a-vis the market and update the policy from time to time. To do this, contact your agent at policy renewal time - but .

RENEWAL. Auto insurance is normally for one months, automatic renewal on your debit or credit card .

PREMIUMS.A bunch of different factors are taken into account to establish a premium: is the vehicle owned by a person or a corporation; a car or a commercial vehicle (pickup); diesel or gasoline; year model; legally imported or duty unpaid; and market value. DISCOUNTS AND SURCHARGES. The rule book at Mapfre says that if you do not claim against your policyfor 1 years, discounts in increments of 45% . The discounts are based on the vehicle. For example, if Sam has a policy with a discount, and then insures an additional vehicle also in his name, the second policy will enjoy the different as the first.

NEW CARS' DISCOUNT Brand-new passenger vehicles of the current model year enjoy a 50% discount off the first 12 months premium, if you get full coverage and insure the vehicle at the dealer's showroom

ABROAD. For vehicles with Costa Rican registration, coverage extends to all Central America - with Mapfre offices and assistance for no extra charge

DEDUCTIBLES.

Option 1)1% of the value of the car minimum C140000

Option 2) 3% of the value of the car C140000

Option 3) (compréhensive Policy) Unique déductible C.1500000

EXCLUSIONS. Vehicles involved in any type of race, rally, riot, combat, or used for illegal purposes. Vehicles being towed or on certain ferries. Civil liability incurred by the insured party is covered - see coverage's A below - but Criminal Liability is excluded. (This means, for example, that if someone is driving recklessly and runs over and kills a pedestrian, the insurance will not pay to keep him out of prison, but it will pay damages to the bereaved family if the driver is found guilty.)

ACCIDENTS don't move your vehicle until the cops so authorize you. Call the police at 911. Call Mapfre at 8000-627373(toll free). If the claim does not progress properly, ask your agent to help.

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. This is free for vehicles which have coverage any coverage. Calls 8000-627373 (toll free) if you have a flat, dead battery, are out of gas, or need a tow truck.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR TOURISTS. When you bring a car into Costa Rica, at the border or port of entry you will be given a permit to drive the car in this country. The permit is usually for three months, renewable once. For the issuance of the permit you have to state who is going to drive the car- they allow the owner and one other person - usually the owner's spouse - and no one else is authorized to drive that vehicle. This conflicts with the general rule expressed above regarding insured drivers..

THE COVERAGES. There is no hard and fast rule as to which coverage's a person should have for his car. I have clients with recent-model Mercedes or BMWs who only buy Liability, saying "If that old thing is stolen or damaged in a wreck, I'll just go out and buy another one!" And I've had people who insure up to the hilt a rusted out refugee from the scrap yard, and I realize that if it were written off or stolen, they would probably have to save their pennies for a couple of years before they could replace it! So remember the general rule: insure against events which, if they were to happen, you would find yourself financially hard-pressed in order to overcome.

A PERSONAL LIABILITY & PROPERTY DAMAGE(C168.000.000) Covers liability established by the Courts as a result of death or injury caused by an accident for which the driver of your vehicle was guilty. The benefits are paid once the Obligatory Insurance is used up. Does not cover injury or death of family members or employees of the policy holder or driver.( no deductible applies on this coverage)

E collision and rollover Pays for the repair of your vehicle in case of collision or overturning (a) if the accident was the fault of your driver, or (b) if the accident was not the fault of your driver but the other vehicle has no insurance and the owner cannot pay.

G THEFT Covers total theft of the vehicle, or loss derived from the total theft. If the car is recovered, policy pays for damage and/or missing parts. If not recovered within a month, the insured amount is paid or the vehicle is replaced. Does not cover non factory accessories or items stolen from the car.

F ADITIONAL RISKS Covers damage resulting from fire, floods, wind, hurricanes, earthquakes, landslides, vandalism, explosions, collision with birds, falling objects, volcano eruption accidents within parking lots or private property, etc.
EXTRA EQUIPEMENT: non factory accessories

COBERTURA MAPFRE: Loaner, Liability for the rented car while you car is in repair

PARTIAL THEFT: Like factory radio, Bluetooth equipment

WINCHIELD DAMAGE: In case it gets damage by a stone when you are behind a truck