Who can you turn to for car insurance when English is your second language, you’ve had a criminal conviction, or you’re simply new to the world of insurance and need someone patient and friendly who will take the time to understand what you need?
For more than 27 years, that person has been Denise Bellingham, founder of Go Cover, who built her business from the garage of her home while caring for a five-month-old baby.
Humble beginnings
Denise launched Go Cover in 1998 after recognising a major gap in the market.
“Having worked in insurance for 13 years I could see there was no way for people to get quotes or bind cover after hours,” she recalls. “I talked to a few insurers I’d worked with, got approval to quote and bind cover outside of office hours, and off I went.”
The business originally launched as Mobile Insurance, designed to be available 24/7. But when mobile phones became more advanced and customers began turning up with broken handsets needing repair, a rebrand was needed. Go Cover was born – a name which aligned with its fast, slick, hassle-free approach tailored for car dealerships.
Working from her garage, Denise handled everything – signing up dealers, processing quotes, running her own premium funding company, managing all administration –
all while caring for a baby.
“I was a one-woman band. I don’t know how I did it – robot mode, I guess,” she laughs. Her son even learned “date of birth” as his first phrase from hearing her complete quote after quote.
The business grew fast. There was nothing like it in the market.
Denise Bellingham
Joining the Rothbury Group
By 2004, Go Cover had a small team and an office. It attracted the attention of Roger Abel, Managing Director of Rothbury Insurance Brokers, who invited Go Cover to join the Rothbury Group.
“When we joined Rothbury, the business was still small, and we’ve grown together,” says Denise. “We’re not a big brand in the public space, but we are highly trusted and known throughout the car dealer network. Some of my dealers were working with me even before Go Cover existed.”
A trusted partner for dealers and finance brokers
Go Cover’s core clients are car dealerships and finance houses, many of whom specialise in matching vehicles to customers with limited financial resources.
“We don’t have a huge marketing budget like the big brands but our point of difference has always been our after-sales service. We support vulnerable clients with language barriers or limited insurance knowledge.”
With around 70% of clients speaking English as a second language, Go Cover has multilingual staff and provides policy wordings in multiple languages. The team provides guidance to help clients reduce the risk of breaching conditions that might lead to declined claims. “We’d rather understand all the insurance pain points for a client up front rather than later down the track when it is too late,” Denise explains.
Go Cover also offers weekly instalments, time-consuming to administer but crucial for clients living pay-to-pay.
And another major advantage: staff longevity. The business has nine staff, including two BDMs, and two who have been with Denise for over 15 years.
“We just know what we’re doing,” she says.
Small dealers, big loyalty
Go Cover’s “sweet spot” is the small to mid-size dealers who remain fiercely loyal despite competition from large insurers trying to monopolise the dealer space.
“Our dealers like that we’re long-established, they like the stability of the staff, and they know our compliance processes are among the best in the market,” says Denise. “Some of our top dealers have been with us for more than 20 years.”
Go Cover has also recently expanded its footprint in the South Island, thanks to a dedicated BDM regularly visiting the region. Historically, this has been a tough market due to strong local loyalty, but Go Cover is planning for strong continued growth here based on helpful, timely service to dealers and clients.
From faxes to a modern quoting system
“Before our website, everything was manual,” Denise says. “If a dealer called, no matter where I was, out shopping, on the school run – I’d drop everything and provide quote and cover. Then I’d race home to fax a cover note.”
Denise found an opportunity to share the load and to pass the quote line to her friend Lisa, a new mum at the time who handled it from home for two decades.
The online web quoting system followed and Lisa became full time client support.
When Go Cover’s long-time BDM retired, Denise recognised the risk of losing those hard-won relationships. Lisa Kane – well-known to dealers as “the voice of Go Cover” — stepped into the BDM role, instantly welcomed by dealers who had spoken with her over the phone for years.
Advocacy at claim time
Go Cover is underwritten by NZI, a business division of IAG, New Zealand’s largest insurer. This partnership means clients can be reassured Go Cover are backed by an ‘AA’ financial strength rating and strict levels of compliance.
In addition, Go Cover now has an in-house claims specialist acting as the liaison between clients and NZI. This is especially important because Go Cover’s clients often need more time, explanation, and support through the claims process.
“Our relationship with NZI’s claims handlers is excellent, and we can support clients with the process if they need help,” Denise says.
Know your insurance provider
Denise’s advice for any motorist is simple:
“Know your insurance provider. Do your research. Go Cover has been here since 1998, we’re part of Rothbury, and we’ve partnered with NZ’s leading insurer so we operate to full compliance standards. We make sure every ‘i’ is dotted and every ‘t’ is crossed, and we pride ourselves on being friendly and helpful for our clients.
Looking ahead
With hundreds of stories spanning from humble beginnings to a nationwide network, many say Denise should write a book.
That may be a way down the track – for now her focus remains on serving dealers, supporting clients, and continuing the steady, trusted growth of Go Cover.
