Man’s Best Friend

A friend of mine — or more accurately, a friend of my dog — became excited recently when he realized he could take advantage of the government’s “Cash for Clunkers” program. He had been wanting for months to trade in his 14-year old car for something shiny and fuel efficient that didn’t leak oil or have dog hair upholstery and now was the perfect opportunity.

He sort of knew what he wanted: an American-made vehicle that had room for his family and dog, was rated highly for safety and, of course, had good mileage. He is not one to buy anything on an impulse. I just knew he would spend hours clicking through Web sites, thumbing though magazines and newspaper ads, and talking on the phone with dealers. Heck, he did that and more before buying his beloved Golden Retriever’s tennis ball chucker. Don’t even ask what he went through before he bought his dog.

A few weeks later in the parking area at the dog park I ran into him — not literally, thankfully, since he was driving his new sleek, silver Ford Edge. As I had guessed, he spent days researching his driving options—and driving his family crazy—before settling on his choice. Then he spent two days going to various Ford dealers. It took hours at the dealer to finalize the sale.

“So,” I said, “I’m impressed. You put a lot of work into buying this new car.”

Then I asked: “How much time did you spend getting it insured?”

He tilted his head and sported a quizzical frown – looking like his canine does when asked, “Where’s the ball, Ralphie?” He had to think for a few seconds before he remembered that the dealership faxed his agent the vehicle information, and he himself spoke with the agency customer service rep for maybe two minutes.

“That was it? You didn’t shop around for car insurance?”

“No, I trust my agent,” he said. “I did ask what it cost. Oh, they asked about the anti-theft device and my AAA membership.”

On the day the car was ready, he was able to switch the plates from his clunker and drive off into the sunset without a hitch. He didn’t discuss the coverages or anything with his agent. I don’t even think he knew the carrier.

The casualness with which he approached his insurance buying was so out of character for him that I was speechless.

Of course, insurance is not a fun purchase. A 2009 insurance policy looks the same as last year’s model. It comes in just one color: white. It doesn’t smell nice. It doesn’t look great in the driveway. Insurance is often the last hurdle to driving away in that new car, or speeding off on that new motorcycle or boat, or crossing the threshold into that new house or condo. At these times, people are thinking about the joy of the new toy or pride in their new property, not about whether they are properly protecting it in the future.

Fortunately, my dog’s friend has an agent he can trust who will focus on the future for him while he is preoccupied with the present. Perhaps he will have some questions at policy renewal time, when the new car smell has faded and there is dog slobber on the windows, although I doubt it. The questions will come when he has an accident. Fortunately, his agent already knows the answers.

Andrew Simpson is vice president of content for Wells Publishing. West Editor Patti Tom is on maternity leave.