Can I buy insurance for a new car by myself?
3 Answers
You can buy insurance for a new car by yourself. Compulsory traffic insurance (CTI) is mandatory, while ordinary commercial insurance is optional. If you do not purchase CTI, the car is not allowed on the road. If caught by traffic police, you may face penalties including vehicle impoundment, back payment of CTI, and a fine of twice the CTI premium. Below are the introduction and categories of CTI: Introduction to CTI: CTI, short for 'Compulsory Traffic Insurance,' is a mandatory liability insurance provided by insurers. It covers bodily injury, death, and property damage (excluding the insured vehicle's occupants and the insured) caused by road traffic accidents involving the insured vehicle, within the liability limits. Categories of CTI: CTI is China's first compulsory insurance system implemented under national law.
When I first got my new car, I also thought about this and found that you can totally buy insurance yourself! Actually, I understand all those bundled sales tactics at 4S shops—they just want to make extra money on insurance. I did some research on Alipay and found that compulsory traffic insurance is a must, while commercial insurance can be picked as needed. For someone like me who often drives in the city, bumping third-party liability coverage up to 3 million gives the most peace of mind, and comprehensive car damage insurance shouldn’t be skipped either. As for scratch insurance, it depends. The best part about buying it yourself is being able to compare options—I checked prices from Ping An, PICC, and Pacific Insurance one by one and ended up saving nearly 2,000 yuan! The key is to keep an eye on the policy’s effective date—it’s best to get it sorted before picking up the car.
Last time when I accompanied my friend to pick up her new car, we encountered this situation - the 4S dealership insisted she must purchase insurance from them. Actually, it's all sales tactics, as the law clearly states car owners can buy insurance independently. I advised her to simply get it done through her mobile banking app, where the policy can be issued the same day. The advantages of self-purchasing insurance are too obvious to ignore - not only does it save on service fees, but more importantly, it offers greater flexibility in coverage combinations. My standard recommendation includes compulsory traffic insurance, third-party liability coverage of at least 2 million yuan, plus a no-deductible supplement. For policies like passenger insurance, it's often unnecessary if you usually drive alone. Always remember to request an immediately effective policy from the insurer, otherwise you'll be unprotected during that first drive home - that would be a huge risk to take.
