Vehicle service contracts for the motorcycle & powersports market

Zurich now offers vehicle service contracts to the powersports market

Overland Park, Kan., January 15, 2008 – Zurich, one of the world’s largest property-casualty insurance companies, announced today that its Direct Underwriters business unit – which provides highly specialized products and services for the automotive industry – is now making its vehicle service contracts available to the powersports market.

In describing these finance and insurance (F&I) products, Bill Stoothoff, vice president of the F&I division for Zurich's Direct Underwriters business unit, said, “We have provided property and casualty insurance and other financial products to motorcycle dealers for more than 30 years. Our research shows there is a receptive market for F&I for powersports equipment as well. It is the next logical step to begin providing these products to this market.”

Zurich is the leading provider of motorcycle dealership insurance in the U. S. Stoothoff said feedback from Zurich’s annual motorcycle dealer council meeting played a key role in this new direction. The council, whose members are powersports equipment dealers, confirmed Zurich's belief that success could be achieved for F&I products in the powersports market.

“Zurich differentiates its products by the additional tools and training we provide,” said Stoothoff. “We take a truly consultative approach with every dealership, with our ultimate goal of helping each manage its operations to make more money.”

According to Stoothoff, along with vehicle service contracts for motorcycles (on and off-road), all-terrain vehicles and scooters, Zurich will offer reinsurance and retro programs for dealerships so they can supplement front-end income by sharing in underwriting profit and investment income.

These vehicle service contracts will feature benefits such as trip interruption, substitute vehicle, and pick-up and delivery coverage in connection with covered repairs.

(More information about the motorcycle/powersports VSC program.)

About Zurich Financial Services
Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich) is an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Founded in 1872, the Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It employs approximately 58,000 people serving customers in more than 170 countries. In North America, Zurich (www.zurichna.com) is a leading commercial property-casualty insurance provider serving the global corporate, large corporate, middle market, small business, specialties and programs sectors.

Zurich’s Direct Underwriters business unit (formerly Universal Underwriters Group) was founded in 1922 and specializes in insurance coverage for the auto, truck, equipment and motorcycle dealer industry, and automotive aftermarket industry. It also offers a full line of finance and insurance products to automobile dealers.






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