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UK insurance for fully comp European cover and breakdown


just john
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I've had my renewal for my car with Saga. It has gone up, but not by a huge amount. I did try another company today, but was told that the accident I had in my husband's car counted on my insurance as well as his, so it was going to end up as a huge amount. I'll stay with Saga, who took me on at a good price last year after I'd had the accident.

Cover for Europe continues - it's written in my renewal details as unlimited, so our 180 days is covered still, although not in my car, as we leave that in UK. I've also realised that I can get breakdown cover on my husband's policy with Saga at a cost of £23. That's with the AA, for which I pay £100+ at the moment.

JJ - did you find a good company at cheap rates that would cover you for 180 days?

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According to the T&C's the Green Flag policy available via that site is applicable to vehicles registered in the UK, the Channel Islands, or The Isle of Man and to UK residents, the other two from Allianze and Europe Assistance stipulate similarly.

In addition the Green Flag policy limits cover to 91 days for a single trip or 3x 31 day trips.

All three policies exclude cars over 10 years old and also require a valid MOT and the vehicle being serviced to manufacturers specification.

Given the above they don't seem to be relevant to the majority and also beg the question, 'is yours actually valid' ?

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[quote user="gardengirl "]  JJ - did you find a good company at cheap rates that would cover you for 180 days?
[/quote]

[quote user="just john "]

[quote user="Salty Sam"]Try http://www.lv.com/ for your insurance. They offer breakdown cover as an optional extra.

http://www.nfumutual.co.uk/ offer basic RAC cover as part of their insurance cover, which may be upgraded to full European cover as an extra. [/quote]

Thanks for your reply Sam, but Wow, I've just had a surprising conversation with nfu who declined to offer a quotation since I had requested european cover! Only after I requested to speak to a manager did they explain that they only offer European cover as a 2-3 week holiday option for principally UK clients, and not for any extended period for any reason. I queried this on the basis that there were people they insured who did use their insurance for extended periods and was told that if they declared it on proposal they would decline to offer them insurance; (I do know people insured with nfu who believe they are covered for extended periods, what would happen if . . . ![:-))])

LV were able to offer a more complete package (including £100,000 personal cover in the event of injury; standard policy only covers max of £10k);
LV were very close to my current costs so still looking if anyone has any suggestions. European cover does seem to be the next thorn in insurance cover.

[/quote]

In the end I went with LV - other quotes were similar with lesser companies, and I got the 180 days european cover. If I shop around again, I would not express my need for an extended period, just ask what the european cover provided is.

 

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  • 2 months later...
Would appreciate a bit of help from Saga policyholders.

 My insurer Prudential has offered inclusive european cover for years with Green flag thrown in, on my last certificate of insurance on the back it has the information in different languages stating that cover is extended for visits to these countries (green card). But on my last renewal this information is missing on the cert.

 I phoned them up requesting this be included on a duplicate certificate. I have just received the duplicate but its still missing. Now their terms still say I have European cover but my concern is trying to tell some gendarme on a Sunday afternoon that I do have the cover although its not shown. Plus they have changed the period allowed abroad from unlimited to 90 days.

This is where I would need a bit of assistance would any Saga policyholders have a look at their cert of insurance and tell me if they have the International Motor insurance card (green card) printed on the back of their certificate or any help what Saga supply.

Cheers.

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[quote user="Department71"]Would appreciate a bit of help from Saga policyholders.

 My insurer Prudential has offered inclusive european cover for years with Green flag thrown in, on my last certificate of insurance on the back it has the information in different languages stating that cover is extended for visits to these countries (green card). But on my last renewal this information is missing on the cert.

 I phoned them up requesting this be included on a duplicate certificate. I have just received the duplicate but its still missing. Now their terms still say I have European cover but my concern is trying to tell some gendarme on a Sunday afternoon that I do have the cover although its not shown. Plus they have changed the period allowed abroad from unlimited to 90 days.

This is where I would need a bit of assistance would any Saga policyholders have a look at their cert of insurance and tell me if they have the International Motor insurance card (green card) printed on the back of their certificate or any help what Saga supply.

Cheers.

[/quote]

We are with Saga, and have a separate sheet to the certificate called 'Important Information'. In various languages, including French, it states:

International Motor card

This Certificate of Motor Insurance takes the place of an International Motor Card (Green Card) and is evidence that the insurance extends to include the compulsory motor insurance requirements of:

a) any other member country of the European Union;

b) Andorra, Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Serbia and Switzerland.

So if we were to be stopped by a French PC Plod as you mention, we could produce the evidence needed.

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[quote user="gardengirl "]

We are with Saga, and have a separate sheet to the certificate called 'Important Information'. In various languages, including French, it states:

International Motor card

This Certificate of Motor Insurance takes the place of an International Motor Card (Green Card) and is evidence that the insurance extends to include the compulsory motor insurance requirements of:

a) any other member country of the European Union;
b) Andorra, Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Serbia and Switzerland.

So if we were to be stopped by a French PC Plod as you mention, we could produce the evidence needed.
[/quote]

GG    This is valid for the purposes of driving here in France, but I think I'm correct in understanding it to mean that you only have basic cover, ie third party, and that your normal comprehensive cover is not extended since comprehensive is not a compulsory requirement here.  If this is the case and you had an accident which was your fault or which didn't involve another vehicle wouldn't you be left to bear the full cost?

 

 

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Sid, Not quite right there, there is basic cover on the policy IE third party for use abroad. The green card  that was issued for an extra premium years ago was to extend the policy to the level of cover you had in the UK it was also proof to plod etc you had the required Insurance. Now you are given notification by way of the green card certificate that Garden Girl has or in my case it was written on the back of the certificate of Insurance, but not this year. Saying that some company's I believe still charge extra for this " Green card" Some company's include the cover as standard, the Pru and Saga being two of them, the only difference being the length of time you are allowed abroad with full cover. The Pru's was unlimited but not now.

Looks as if I'll be changing to Saga for the insurance then.

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That's right and technically the fact that you can actually produce a certificate of insurance issued by an insurer operating in an EU state is of itself proof that you have the minimum insurance required in the country in which you are driving.

Convincing a dumb gendarme of that at the roadside is another matter of course.

The UK certificates I had before leaving all had the relevant information on the reverse and AFAIK that is the current norm.

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[quote user="sid"]

[quote user="gardengirl "]

We are with Saga, and have a separate sheet to the certificate called 'Important Information'. In various languages, including French, it states:

International Motor card

This Certificate of Motor Insurance takes the place of an International Motor Card (Green Card) and is evidence that the insurance extends to include the compulsory motor insurance requirements of:

a) any other member country of the European Union;

b) Andorra, Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Serbia and Switzerland.

So if we were to be stopped by a French PC Plod as you mention, we could produce the evidence needed.

[/quote]

GG    This is valid for the purposes of driving here in France, but I think I'm correct in understanding it to mean that you only have basic cover, ie third party, and that your normal comprehensive cover is not extended since comprehensive is not a compulsory requirement here.  If this is the case and you had an accident which was your fault or which didn't involve another vehicle wouldn't you be left to bear the full cost?

 

 

[/quote]

Not at all. I was driving in France last year, with the car insured by Saga in my husband's name with me as an added driver. I had an accident which was entirely my fault and didn't involve another vehicle - I fell asleep at the wheel and drove into the central reservation, with the car requiring a huge amount of repair. It was covered by Saga, and my husband's quotation for the following year was raised by only a very small amount, less than friends who hadn't had a claim. Since then I have insured my car with Saga too - they offer insurance at reasonable cost and were very pleasant to deal with.

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Thanks for clarifying that for me. It's certainly different to when I was coming over here on a UK policy, adimittedly some years ago now.  I used to pay extra  to extend my fully comp cover, with a maximum of 30 days in any 12 month policy period.

No wonder premiums have gone up if all this is included now. French premiums, by contrast, have always been expensive!

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"Tend to disagree."

In my experience, UK insurance comes as a package - you are quoted a price, you are told what is included, and you can take it or leave it. The most you can do sometimes is agree to a higher excess to bring the premium down.

With my French broker there is no need to pay for cover that you don't want - you can negotiate each separate element of the policy and the computer will keep requoting until you reach the best compromise between extent of cover and cost of premium.
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[quote user="sid"]

Thanks for clarifying that for me. It's certainly different to when I was coming over here on a UK policy, adimittedly some years ago now.  I used to pay extra  to extend my fully comp cover, with a maximum of 30 days in any 12 month policy period.

No wonder premiums have gone up if all this is included now. French premiums, by contrast, have always been expensive!

[/quote]

I don't know how much a broadly similar policy would cost in France, but we think we have quite a bargain. We have fully comprehensive cover for the main car, including abroad for up to 364 days each year, also AA breakdown cover in UK and cover in Europe, plus AA cover for my car in UK and Europe (mine doesn't go abroad, but would be covered if I took it there). The cost is £530.

Until now, I've paid for AA cover separately, which was about £100; having changed over to having it covered on my husband's insurance cover, it cost £23, already included in that £530.

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[quote user="EuroTrash"]"Tend to disagree." In my experience, UK insurance comes as a package - you are quoted a price, you are told what is included, and you can take it or leave it. The most you can do sometimes is agree to a higher excess to bring the premium down. With my French broker there is no need to pay for cover that you don't want - you can negotiate each separate element of the policy and the computer will keep requoting until you reach the best compromise between extent of cover and cost of premium.[/quote]

I guess we can go on disagreeing depending on one's own point of view.  I find that the French policies are expensive, although you seem to get more, want it or not. Breakdown cover is included, but as we've discussed on here previously, it's a "get you to a garage" type of cover, if it can't be fixed at the roadside, and there's never any question of not being able to take the car wherever you wish within the EU.

It's some years since I went through the UK/French comparison, but both my car and motorcycle were approximately 50% more expensive when I first moved here, and that's with full no-claims and 40 years driving experience.

The only negotiaton I've found here in France is to attempt to whittle away the agent's commission. I liked the facility in UK to do comparisons online to find, usually, a cheaper quote at renewal time. Here there is little online trading by comparison (for anything!), and absolutely no conception of pricing competition, and we stay with the same insurer year after year despite the increases, but you do get the benefit of a more personal service as I found out this year with a big claim on my house policy. Swings and roundabouts.

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I think that basic insurance is cheaper in France.

Only think as I have not had UK insurance since 2003 and only had fully comp not TPO, however at the time, and I believe even more so now the third party policies cost almost as much as the fully comp hence me not being able to compare like for like

Talking to friends in the UK it seems that despite me reading of 2 figure policy increases each year they are getting cheaper insurance now than I ever was, they do have to swop companies most years to keep the low premiums though, a friend has an XK8 insured with AA cover I think for less than I used to pay for a Sierra in the 90's, on the other side of the coin they are having to weigh in a couple of grand a year to pay up to 90% of their childrens car insurance.

Back to France, the fully comp policies can cost more but the maximum that they are alllowed to load a policy for a young, inexperienced driver with an accident history is 100%, same thing for drunk drivers, I reckon of you take a family with 3 vehicles, husband, wife and one 18-21 year old the French insurance bill might be a lot less especially if you include the breakdown cover although that is not like for like.

As for me and the basic tiers risques cover with European breakdown cover it started at under €110 and has progressively gone up to IIRC €137 this year. I was paying I think just over €300 for the same vehicle on multi-risques 3 or 4 years ago, I expect about the same as it would cost in the UK today but without the breakdown cover.

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[quote user="Chancer"]

I think that basic insurance is cheaper in France.

[/quote]

And I don't! [:D]

I have a car here and a car there.

In France, my car is in the middle of nowhere, garaged, etc. I have it insured third party, fire and theft. It's been insured in France for five years now, and my UK insurance provided proof of NCB so that was included in the calculations. I've changed insurer once, so it's not limited to one company, and I shopped around.

In the UK, my car is not garaged (we don't have one) and is a newer car, but smaller than the one I have in France. It's a smaller engine too. I have it insured fully comp, with a protected NCB. We live within spitting distance of London.

It has never been cheaper for me to insure my French car.

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