Auto Insurance

We can help! Start by gathering up some key information like the sale price of the vehicle, current odometer reading, and the sellers name, dealer license number and address. If you still need assistance, give us a call or stop by the office and we’ll walk you through it, step by step.

Great question! First we’d advise doing a review of your entire auto policy to make sure you are getting the best coverage at the most affordable cost. Reviewing a quote is fast and free for everyone. Next we recommend families purchase an umbrella policy, designed to offer you higher levels of coverage – just in case – while your teen driver is out on the road.

Definitely not. Many companies offer the basics like liability, collision, comprehensive, personal injury protection, medical payments or uninsured motorist. However, special discounts and coverage can vary greatly between insurance providers. Here at Gould, we are always looking out for our customers’ specific insurance needs as well as their budgets. We represent multiple insurance providers so that you have the most options to consider.

Moving violations & at-fault accidents stay on your driving record for 5 years.

Most insurance carriers offer low mileage discounts. You must file for this discount by completing a Low Mileage Form.

0 – 5,000 miles a year will get you a 10% discount.
5,001 – 7,500 miles a year will get you a 5% discount.

A Bill of Sale must include:

• Name(s), signature(s) and address of buyer(s)
• Name(s), signature(s) and address of seller(s)
• Date of purchase
• Purchase price
• Identification information (VIN, make, model, and year)
• Odometer reading

If you own a vehicle or trailer and purchase a new vehicle or trailer from a dealer or purchase a used vehicle or trailer from a private party, you may transfer your registration to the newly acquired vehicle. Massachusetts allows a grace period of seven (7) calendar days from the date you dispose of your previous vehicle to register your newly acquired vehicle.

Under this grace period, the following conditions must be met:

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• The newly acquired vehicle or trailer must be of the same type and have the same number of wheels as the previous vehicle or trailer.
• You must carry the transfer documents, which show the registration number to be transferred, in your vehicle.
• You must have lost possession of or disposed of your previous vehicle.
• The registration plates must be attached to the newly acquired vehicle.

Please note, there is no grace period if you do not currently have a registered vehicle or trailer. The RMV does not issue temporary registration plates.

Here’s a little cheat sheet from all of us at Gould Insurance to help you fill out the back of a title form. If you are working with a dealer, they will complete the title paperwork for you. Need more help? Just drop by our office and we’ll be happy to walk you through it.

When filling out the back of a title you must be very careful. The Registry is very strict & will not allow ANY errors. Should you make an error, do not erase it, cross it out or try to use White Out. If you are unsure about how to fill out your title, or you’ve made a mistake please contact us so we can help you.

1. Enter sale price here. If the vehicle is a gift then write the word “gift.” If you are unsure what to enter leave it blank and talk to us first. Your sales tax is determined from this figure so make sure you get it right.
2. Print the name of the person buying the car here.
3. Enter the date of purchase here.
4. Enter the street address of the person buying the car here.
5. Enter the City of the person buying the car here.
6. Enter the State of the person buying the car here.
7. Enter the Zip Code of the person buying the car here
8. Enter the vehicle’s current mileage. You must be as accurate as possible. If the vehicle’s odometer is no longer working, leave this blank and let us help you.
9. You check this box ONLY if the vehicle has gone over 100,000 miles and the odometer has started from 0 again.
10. You check this box ONLY of there is a problem with the odometer and there is some type of discrepancy.
11. The person(s) selling the car signs here.
12. The person(s) selling the car prints their name(s) here.
13. The person(s) selling the car enters the date they sign the title here.
14. The person(s) buying the car signs here.
15. The person(s) buying the car enters the date they sign the title here.

No matter what type of auto loss you’ve had, we are here to help you! Now that you’ve had a claim you may be wondering what happens next? The answer will depend on what kind of claim you’ve had. Some of you will hear directly from an adjuster from the insurance company. Some of you will be reporting the claim to us at Gould Insurance, for file purposes.

Take a look below at some of most common questions we are asked during the claim process.

If you have purchased Rental Car Coverage (Substitute Transportation) then your policy will pay up to the limit you bought. This is true whether you are at fault or not. If you did not buy this coverage then we need to determine who is at fault. This decision is made by the insurance companies involved, not the agents, driver or police officers. If the other driver is found at fault then we can ask his/her insurance company to pay for the rental. If you are found at fault then sadly you will have to pay for it out of your own pocket.

If you think there is more than $1,000 damage or anyone may be injured then yes, you will need to complete an Operator’s Report (Crash Report).

The report should be sent to:

• RMV
• Police Dept. in the town the crash took place
• Gould Insurance

Once you’ve completed your report please send it to us. We’d be happy to make copies and send them to everyone that needs one. You can pick up a blank accident report at any police station, at our office or you can download one from the Registry’s website. The report is 4 pages long but it looks more complicated than it really is! Feel free to call us if you have any questions. We’re here to help.

We’re not sure yet. If you’re found at fault for the accident and there is more than $500 in damage, then your insurance is going up. Don’t beat yourself up though…it was an accident!

Here’s how that works:

• Under $500 – no surcharge and there will be no increase in premium.
• $500-$2,000 in damage. Three points will be added to your driving record.
• Over $2,000 in damage, four surcharge points will be added to your record.
• Surcharges last for five years.

There is also something called 50/50. If the vehicles involved are both found 50% at fault, there is no surcharge for either vehicle.

Sometimes it’s obvious and other times it’s not at all. Contrary to popular belief it’s not the police officer that makes this decision. Nor is Gould Insurance a part of the process either. It’s up to the insurance carriers involved to sort out the details and make the determination about who is at fault.

Simple! When you are surcharged, a notice is sent in the mail to inform you. On the back of that form, there is an application to appeal. There is a charge of $50 to appeal a surcharge. Complete the form, enclose payment and drop it in the mail. Don’t forget though, you must send it back within 30 days. Then you sit back and wait! It can take up to one year to get a date for your appeal! In the meantime, your driving record will reflect the surcharge. Once you attend your hearing, and if you win, please bring us the paperwork and we will inform the insurance company that they should remove the surcharge for that incident.

If your auto body shop discovers more damage to your car that was a direct result of your accident, they will call the insurance adjuster back to their shop to see what they found. In our ‘insurance world’ this is called a ‘supplement.’ It’s common for damage to be hidden and for the insurance adjustor to miss it when he does his first review. In most of these cases the insurance company will issue a second check.