Cancelling bike insurance.

[Mr Wiggy]

For reasons of both age and health I approached my Axa insurance agent to ask to cancel my motorcycle insurance one month prior to the renewal date. My request was then to start a new policy for a 812cc Buggy which I have now got, I was then informed that I couldn’t cancel the motorcycle insurance as it still needed to be insured, even if it’s not being used and parked in my garage which is part of my property. Would it have made any difference had I written a letter asking to cancel then sent it by registered post. I initially refused to pay 187.50€ but had to succumb as Axa threatened legal action. So now I’m paying for two vehicles, at a cost of 430€. Can anyone give some good advise on the correct procedure to resolve this situation.

[EuroTrash]

French law requires continuous insurance, ie if you still own a vehicle it has to be insured. You can't legally own an uninsured vehicle, so the only way you can cancel a policy is by proving you no longer own the vehicle, ie you have sold it, scrapped it, whatever. That said, if it's off the road and you can confirm it's been disabled, eg wheels / battery removed, the insurers will normally agree to reduce cover to the very minimum, with a corresponding reduction in premium.

The point is that as long as it's in your garage it could still be stolen and cause injury and damage, therefore it needs to be insured.

[Chancer]

The correct procedure is to withdraw the vehicle from circulation, Google retirer un véhicule de la circulation.

 

Option b is to tell them that you wont pay and to just ignore the threatening letters for 18 months, you will never be able to insure the bike again though.

[dave21478]

What do you plan on doing with the bike? If you plan on selling it, you will likely need it to be insured for test-rides at the time of sale, so I would suggest you will have to suck it up and pay for cover until it sells.

If its being exported, being scrapped, being hung on the barn wall as decoration etc, then fill out a certificat de cession stating that you sold it to Jean Pierre Blanc, number 27 Big Street, Nearby City.

A copy of this sent to your insurer will suffice for them to cancel the policy.

As above though, it will be exceedingly difficult to ever insure the bike in your name again though, so be certain.

[Chancer]

That is the simplest.

 

If you might ever want to use it again then the procedure for removing it from circulation will give you the option of rematriculating it at a cost but the stupid insurers will probably still insist that it was continually insured during your ownership and refuse to insure it again, none of them can think outside of the box whereas pretty much 100% of their agents being consummate liars will find a way to take your money only for the insurer to later deny a claim.

[Mr Wiggy]

Thanks everyone for pointing me in the right direction, it appears from what you have said is that basically the agent is the one who has been deceiving me as he continually stated that it must be fully insured, without explaining that the premium could be reduced if the machine was off the road. In that respect it certainly was as I had dismantled it completely ready to sell the parts and even supplied photos to AXA to that effect. Again this was rejected by AXA who said that I must pay the full premium despite giving a months notice. As I previously stated it was the moving of the machine manually that was the cause of my problem as the weight of the bike is 235kg / 518lbs in and out of a garage was beginning to be a big struggle especially with my health problems. So next year I will be going to another agent to insure the buggy and try for a reduction if I still haven’t sold all the bike parts, and there is no way I shall be riding it again.

[EuroTrash]

You do need to find some way of de-registering it though. I don't think it's a very good idea to have a vehicle that no longer exists, still registered in your name,

[BJSLIV]

Until you sell it to someone you are supposed to keep it insured. If you sell it in pieces you will always own it, as only an official breakers yard can give you the necessary certificate of destruction. Selling vehicles as parts by unregistered breakers can be punished by a fine.

[Mr Wiggy]

I am indeed in touch with a registered breaker who is interested in buying the bike and all other parts.

[EuroTrash]

Problem solved then. As soon as he takes it off your hands and fills in the paperwork, you take the paperwork to your insurers and they'll (should) cancel it on the spot.