Insurance

[Mattyj198]

I need to get insurance on my house in France and I don't know any companies in France.  Can anyone give me a link or 2 to help me on my way?

Thanks

[cooperlola]

I'm  happy enough with this lot:

http://www.ca-assurances.com/

They settled the one claim I've had to make quickly and efficiently and they don't appear to me to cost the earth. 

[ericd]

Am always worried about Insurance Companies linked to Banks.......in this case Credit Agricole

 

To start with try :

Groupama

Maaf

(I am with Groupama and although my cover is excellent) our premium is low too. There was a discussion not so long ago on this forum that talked about Insurance costs etc.

 

[cooperlola]

[quote user="ericd"]

Am always worried about Insurance Companies linked to Banks.......in this case Credit Agricole

 

 

[/quote]Why? 

I'm not saying it's not a valid point of view, I'm just interested. 

[ericd]

Could be a misconception on my behalf but I tend never to trust products that come via a Bank.

[Stan Streason]

I know you are a long way away and may need to do this at a distance. I was in the same position (just not quite so many miles away).

I got a couple of online quotes to give me a guide but then asked my estate agent for a recomendation. He then took his local insurance contact around my house.

As it happens the quote was significantly cheaper but the biggest point was that I was comfortable that I had enough cover, everything had been taken into account, number of rooms, void space, contents, quality of locks, pool etc.

I have always been happy to be over insured if necessary and the comfort that the quote covered absolutely everything even if it was a bit over the top (but still cheaper than the online quotes) was reassuring to me.

[allanb]

[quote user="ericd"]Could be a misconception on my behalf but I tend never to trust products that come via a Bank.[/quote]

For what it's worth: for my first couple of years in France I had all my insurance arranged through my bank, and it was disastrous. But the problem wasn't the insurance company; it was the way the bank insisted on doing things. 

Their policy was to prevent any direct communication between the customer and the insurer.  If I had a question, even a simple one about how to interpret a clause in the policy, I had to start by calling my "personal counsellor" at the bank, and if he wasn't there I was out of luck.  As the personal counsellor didn't know much about insurance anyway, he simply got in the way.

When, eventually, I had an accident and had to make a claim, I was forced to deal directly with the insurance company, and the service and settlement were excellent. 

I'm no longer with that bank.  I'm no longer with that insurance company either, but that's only because they were a bit expensive.  If they ever give me a reasonable quotation, I'll go back to them very happily, but I won't go through a bank; I don't think there's any advantage in it.   

[cooperlola]

In CA's defense, Alan, when I had a claim to make I was put in contact with a rep' from the insurance company straight away and dealt with them direct thereafter.  They offered me English speaking if I wished also.

48 hours after the inspector came to our house, the money was in the bank.  Not 'alf bad, I thought.

[allanb]

Of course I know it can work both ways: well or badly.  (By the way, the bank in my sad story wasn't CA.)

I just wanted to make the point that the intervention of a bank isn't necessarily an advantage; I don't think the OP should feel reluctant to talk directly to insurance companies.