what you need to pick up

[intake172]

hey i was curious does the dealer expect you to have insurance the moment you pick it up? do they provide GAP insurance? I was just curious because the last time i bought a new car they never asked for insurance. i guess they just figured my old insurance was good untill i got new. I know this sounds stupid but hey i had to ask.

[JPaul]

The DMV won't issue a license tag unless you have proof of insurance, the Dealer won't release the car unless it's licensed. (And paid for...)

[bigcritter]

With Farmer's Insurance, I was told that I would automatically be covered on the new car under my regular policy (for a certain amount of time, I forget how long), but I went ahead and activated insurance specifically for my smart anyway.

[forestacademy]

Get hold of your Smart center and get your VIN #. Then call your insurance company and let them know when you will be adding that car onto your policy. If you are traiding in they will also know to take the old one off your insurance. This is the safe way to go. But most will cover you for a day or two.

Now Gap insurance is a different thing than the regular insurance. It makes sure you have full replacemnt of your car if their is a problem, not just fix it. This is one of those thing the finance manager asks if you would like..

Now give yourself than your smart center time to make sure they explain the car to you like you are a dummy. There will always be something you don't know about.

[Agent 99]

I did need to show an insurance card just to prove that we had insurance like bigcritter says the insurance covers new cars for a limited time. The dealer should provide some sort of temp tag (license) you can't license at the BMV utill you receive paperwork from the dealer, took us just under two weeks.We financed, I'm not sure how it works if you pay cash in full, but I'm guessing that it's about the same time frame as a financed vehicle

[mvaldes]

I called my insurance company with the VIN number, they faxed the dealer confirmation of insurance coverage and the car was ready with plates already installed when I went to pick it up a couple days later. Of all the new cars I've purchased, this was, by far, the easiest. (Thank you Smart Center Englewood, NJ.)