Must the first insurance be purchased at the 4S store where the car was bought?
4 Answers
When buying a car for the first time, insurance does not have to be purchased at the 4S store. The details are as follows: 1. According to Article 9 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law: Consumers have the right to independently choose the operators who provide goods or services, independently select the types of goods or service methods, and independently decide whether to purchase any product or accept any service. 2. During the sales process, merchants can suggest handling insurance, but they cannot force consumers to purchase it. 3. When consumers independently choose goods or services, they have the right to compare, evaluate, and select.
I just bought a new car recently, and the 4S salesperson told me that the first insurance must be purchased at the dealership. However, after consulting a friend from the insurance regulatory bureau, I learned that there is no such regulation. You can buy insurance from any company, but 4S shops prefer bundled sales to earn commissions. They often use free gifts to offset the insurance price difference to attract you, such as offering two free maintenance services but requiring you to buy full coverage insurance from them. I compared the prices myself, and for the same Ping An car insurance package, buying outside could save me over two thousand yuan. Remember, the most cost-effective way is to directly call the insurance company to purchase the policy after getting the car purchase invoice. Nowadays, you can get an electronic policy in just three minutes through a mobile app.
As someone who has been in the automotive industry for over a decade, I advise not to be fooled by 4S dealerships. There's never been a legal requirement stating that the first maintenance must be done at the purchase point—it's just their profit tactic. Their insurance quotes are typically inflated by about 30% due to commissions, and they often push unnecessary add-on coverage. The most outrageous case I've seen was a colleague forced to buy glass insurance, only to find out during renewal the next year that it didn't even cover window tinting. Buying insurance yourself is actually straightforward; I recommend car insurance comparison platforms—just enter your license plate to instantly generate quotes from five companies, with seamless integration of previous records during renewal.
Last month, I had a deep realization while helping my niece with this matter. Young people who just picked up their new cars are easily intimidated by sales tactics, like claims that buying insurance elsewhere affects after-sales warranty—it's all nonsense. The Three Guarantees Law clearly protects car owners' right to choose. I taught her to call the insurance company's customer service on the spot to confirm the policy's effective time. In fact, purchasing insurance on your own offers more flexibility, such as selecting a midnight effective time to align with the expiration of the temporary license plate. The key is to obtain the original insurance policy and verify if all necessary coverages are included. It's recommended to have at least 2 million for third-party liability insurance, and for new energy vehicle owners, underbody insurance is a must.
