A guide to motor insurance & FAQ's

Mar4ix · 27-03-2013 12:29am

Necronos wrote: »

I know they accept 15 year old cars, what I was saying is that most of them charge more for comprehensive insurance on cars aged 15 years or more,it is because it is older and considered more likely to break down, and due to its age it may not be fitted with an alarm or an immobiliser or other security features.

In relation to the licence, there are some companies that charge more money if you have a European licence rather than an Irish/UK one.Its not fair but the reason is that some EU countries drive on the left hand side of the road.The insurers consider people with this licence type as been a higher risk and so charge you more for the insurance.

As I said, its not a fair system, but its how some of the companies operate.

Thanks for your input.

Car has factory build in immobilizer and alarm.

I have 6 years no claim bonus.

Actually from the whole driving experience ..( got license in 1997, in Ireland from beginning of 2005 ) id say i have majority of driving experience with right hand drive wheel car.

I am using broker, and actually directly doing online application (just checked) with insurance company, i have 100 euro cheaper quote... 410 it is kind ok .. me thinks, ... but with brokers a bit better conditions.

Mar4ix · 28-03-2013 8:46pm

well, today ordered ... 479 with all possible bells and whistles.

mathepac · 28-03-2013 9:15pm

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

great post MugMugs, now we just need one on the rules of the road, round-abouts and what car to buy.

Tyres, tyres we need one on tyres. "I want tyres for me Beemer what should I get?", "Me Passat came without tyres, what should I do?", "Me mate in America uses tires on his car, can I?"

Great job @Mugs Mugs.

mathepac · 28-03-2013 9:50pm

A few suggested amendments for your consideration:

Does my Insurance allow me to drive other vehicles?

Most policies offer this facility, however CHECK YOURS FIRST. Basically, this extension known as the third party or the driving other cars extension, provides you with third party cover while driving another car which does not belong to you and which is not hired to you under a hire purchase or lease agreement.

You must be driving with the owner’s explicit permission and your insurance company may also insist on “like-for-like” driving e.g on a private policy you cannot drive a commercial vehicle and if you’re insured on a 1 litre Micra, they won’t cover you to drive a Bugatti Veyron.

...

I am going away, should I cancel my Insurance?

That's your call however you can choose to lay up your car. This means that you return your disc to your insurer. The vehicle will not be covered for Third party but will be for fire and theft. You will also receive a pro rata amount of your premium back, but you may be subject to administration charges for suspending and/or re-instating the policy. Again check your policy and check with your broker / insurer.

...

I've sold my car, should I cancel my Insurance?

Yes, straight away. Your Insurer could be caught as "Insurer Concerned" should anything happen with the new owner while your policy is in place.

Inform your insurer by phone and remember to remove the disc from the windscreen and to return both the disc and the insurance certificate to your insurer / broker. Any refund or credit due will be calculated from the date they receive these back.

Mar4ix · 28-03-2013 10:05pm

mathepac wrote: »

A few suggested amendments for your consideration:

Does my Insurance allow me to drive other vehicles?

Most policies offer this facility, however CHECK YOURS FIRST. Basically, this extension known as the third party or the driving other cars extension, provides you with third party cover while driving another car which does not belong to you and which is not hired to you under a hire purchase or lease agreement.

You must be driving with the owner’s explicit permission and your insurance company may also insist on “like-for-like” driving e.g on a private policy you cannot drive a commercial vehicle and if you’re insured on a 1 litre Micra, they won’t cover you to drive a Bugatti Veyron.

...

Also cars has to be insured, non insured cars can not be driven (like my friends car is not insured, he asked me(I am covered on other cars) moved from place A to place B - big NO NO )

FYP ... at least insurance broker said that to me.
Any extra info regarding that bold text ?

challengemaster · 28-03-2013 11:47pm

Mar4ix wrote: »

FYP ... at least insurance broker said that to me.
Any extra info regarding that bold text ?

Depends on your insurance policy.

Used to be the case with Quinn that the other vehicle did NOT need insurance, but did need to be roadworthy (ie. NCT) to be driven. AFAIK this carried through to Liberty policies, but I've yet to read the fine print.

Something I didn't see mentioned in relation to travelling abroad - Should you inform your insurance company when you're making a trip within the EU, or is there any need as you already have your policy documents outlining terms of cover?

MugMugs · 28-03-2013 11:52pm

Think they actually confirmed that recently on their talk to forum too from memory.

CiniO · 30-03-2013 12:11pm

Mar4ix wrote: »

I have Full EU driver license (Latvian) , I cant see difference what license i have, i can get Full Irish license just pay 55 euro with pictures and some dockets. info here -> http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/driver_licensing/exchanging_foreign_driving_permit.html

The difference is that on Latvian driving licence, you can not collect penalty points in Ireland. Therefore if you could afford, you could get caught speeding every single day and just pay 80 quid fine - your licence wouldn't be taken off you.

That's the reason why insurance companies can't offer you discounts for "0 penalty points", as they are not able to verify them.

CiniO · 30-03-2013 12:17pm

Necronos wrote: »

I know they accept 15 year old cars, what I was saying is that most of them charge more for comprehensive insurance on cars aged 15 years or more,it is because it is older and considered more likely to break down, and due to its age it may not be fitted with an alarm or an immobiliser or other security features.

That doesn't make too much sense to me.
They can indeed charge more for breakdown cover for older car, as you said older car is more likely to break down, but usually "breakdown cover" is small part of premium anyway.

Older car might be not fitted with alarm or immobileiser and possibly makes it more likely to be stolen, but it's value is usually very little, so in case of theft claim it's going to small amount to pay for insurer. While new car if stolen, might cost tens of thousands.

Mar4ix · 30-03-2013 12:30pm

CiniO wrote: »

The difference is that on Latvian driving licence, you can not collect penalty points in Ireland. Therefore if you could afford, you could get caught speeding every single day and just pay 80 quid fine - your licence wouldn't be taken off you.

That's the reason why insurance companies can't offer you discounts for "0 penalty points", as they are not able to verify them.

I believe , there is data base, where penalty points counts on any foreign person , who dont have irish license, also id say for insurance company there shouldnt be problems kindly ask Garda, look up for particular person.

CiniO · 30-03-2013 1:00pm

Mar4ix wrote: »

I believe , there is data base, where penalty points counts on any foreign person , who dont have irish license,

There is, but points collected in this database has no validity until you swap licence for Irish.
So in theory you could collect them up to infinity.

also id say for insurance company there shouldnt be problems kindly ask Garda, look up for particular person.

Ask about what?
They ask for penalty point and verify them.
On foreign licence there is no points, so nothing to verify.

Mar4ix · 30-03-2013 1:36pm

CiniO wrote: »

There is, but points collected in this database has no validity until you swap licence for Irish.
So in theory you could collect them up to infinity.

Ask about what?
They ask for penalty point and verify them.
On foreign licence there is no points, so nothing to verify.

According this -> http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/travel_and_recreation/motoring_1/driving_offences/penalty_points_for_driving_offences.html

which says: " Penalty points also apply to drivers with foreign driving licences driving in Ireland. If someone is driving in Ireland on a foreign licence, the driver's details are held on a separate database for the purpose of recording penalty points. If that driver applies for and obtains an Irish driving licence, the penalty points are then activated on that licence. "

So , there is data base, but i cant find information about look ups for particular person .

I cant understand, why RSA cant make foreign license accompany with something like license identity card (which tight up with pps number and name and surname) , which has a number. and put penalty points on that card, which collects offenses for that driver. If somebody requesting insurance, insurance company may ask for that card number, from where they can check penalty points, if needed.
Implement is easy, do insurance on foreign license only with that card number.
So , when applying for that card, have to give to authorities foreign drivers license for check with particular country and verify identity, after that information processed in to database.
Such thing will remove fake license also.

Liam McPoyle · 31-03-2013 12:18pm

CiniO wrote: »

That doesn't make too much sense to me.
They can indeed charge more for breakdown cover for older car, as you said older car is more likely to break down, but usually "breakdown cover" is small part of premium anyway.

Older car might be not fitted with alarm or immobileiser and possibly makes it more likely to be stolen, but it's value is usually very little, so in case of theft claim it's going to small amount to pay for insurer. While new car if stolen, might cost tens of thousands.

I would imagine part of it is the fact that a vehicle aged 15 years plus is likely to have a lot of mileage on it therefore is more likely to suffer some kind of mechanical fault eg brakes failing.Also replacement parts could be harder to come by too.

The above is purely speculation on my part btw, Ive never worked in underwriting but have worked in a big brokers and for a big insurer too and age of vehicle loadings are pretty common.

One company even had an AOV load for vehicles over 12 years of age.

eirator · 31-03-2013 5:53pm

Simple question I have 3 quotes all comp all for the same car, do I just go for the cheapest or are there any features I should look for that might add value to the policies and perhaps make the cheapest one less attractive?

iirc sticking with my existing policy is €360 and the cheapest quote is €300 with the other somewhere in the middle, same details used for each quote.

I just want convincing that cheapest is best or otherwise?

CiniO · 31-03-2013 6:06pm

eirator wrote: »

Simple question I have 3 quotes all comp all for the same car, do I just go for the cheapest or are there any features I should look for that might add value to the policies and perhaps make the cheapest one less attractive?

iirc sticking with my existing policy is €360 and the cheapest quote is €300 with the other somewhere in the middle, same details used for each quote.

I just want convincing that cheapest is best or otherwise?

The easiest way to find out is to get a policy booklet for each of the policies and read them. They are usually available on insurers website.
Then you will know exactly what you are buying.

Most people don't care, but policies differ significently between each other and it's good to find the most suitable one, especially if price difference is not big like in your case.

Examples might be that some policies cover for driving abroad for unlimited time while other might provide cover only for 30 days. (if you drive abroad a lot this is crucial)
Some offer step back NCB protection included in price, while on others it's extra which you have to pay extra for. Also rules for step back and full NCB protection differ a lot.
Some policies don't affect NCB for theft and fire claims while others do.
Some allow you to drive other cars even if other car is not insured by owner, while others don't.
Some include breakdown cover while others don't or charge extra.
Some charge for any amendments in the policy while others don't. (this will be relevant a lot if you often change vehicles or add f.e. visiting family members to your policy temporarily when they come over for a visit).

There is only a small bit of differences, and generally it is worth to read the policy document to know exactly what you are buying.

PS - what insurer is the cheapest and what is the most expensive?

eirator · 31-03-2013 6:39pm

OK so got the docs out from the AA (so I'm lazy) ....

The basics I can gather so far....

AIG €358.46 Excess €200* No claims one in 3 years then stepback for second in 5 years. Glass upto €400 doesn't affect ncd, driving other cars covered

RSA (Drivesafe scheme) €326.96 Excess €250, No claims one in 3 years then stepback for second in 5 years looks like a steeper stepback than above. Glass unlimited but might affect ncd. Need to check about driving other cars

RSA (Value Scheme) €300.71 Excess €500, No no claims protection (except F&T), Need to check about driving other cars

All have 31days full cover for the EU and the usual AA stuff like Personal Accident and Legal Expenses. tbh can't really see much of a difference between the highest and the next one the cheapest is the cheapest for obvious reasons.

thegills · 23-04-2013 6:04pm

Hi eirator.
I just got quotes from AA but nearer the €500. If you don't mind could you let me know the finer details of your quote - car value, cc, your age, etc. I am just over 40!!, 2.0L 2006 VW Passat with 7 years NCB.

CreepingDeath · 25-04-2013 9:48am

CiniO wrote: »

PS - what insurer is the cheapest and what is the most expensive?

They'll probably target different market segments, so some will be more competitive for younger drivers, some for old.
I'm up for renewal and filled in a few online quotes last night.
Here's the results so far sorted from highest to lowest... happy to accept other insurer recommendations too...

Details : 40 year old male, full drivers licence 10 years+, never any claims, 10 years+ NCB, Honda Civic 1.8l (€8000), West Dublin

Policy: Comprehensive with NCB protection, direct debit

Tesco Finest : €564.24
Axa : €492.04
Tesco Standard : €478.23 ( ncb protection )
Briton (Brokers) : €452.91 ( used to be competive, not in the last few years though )
No Nonsense : €447.68 ( taking the p*ss with their name)
Aviva : €429.85
123 : €411.89 (Comprehensive "extra", full NCB protection, plus direct debit charge)
123 : €388.60 (Comprehensive "extra", full NCB protection, pay up front)
Tesco Value : €351.33 ( no ncb protection, no extras )

So I'm leaning more towards 123 at the moment.

MugMugs · 25-04-2013 9:50am

Being honest, nobody can come close to touching 123.ie at the moment for me.

They've blown pretty much every other quote I've gotten out of the water.

Valetta · 25-04-2013 5:41pm

Try Chill.ie. They have been consistently the cheapest for me over the last three years.

kkelly77 · 25-04-2013 7:38pm

MugMugs wrote: »

Being honest, nobody can come close to touching 123.ie at the moment for me.

They've blown pretty much every other quote I've gotten out of the water.

I'd definitely agree with this.

123.ie were €45 cheaper than my renewal quote from chill.ie and cover with 123 is fully comp compared to TPF&T with chill.ie

Mar4ix · 25-04-2013 9:43pm

Valetta wrote: »

Try Chill.ie. They have been consistently the cheapest for me over the last three years.

was around 40 quid cheaper than arachas. i went with chill.ie . seems to be they are trying get as more as possible costumers, but price is better than other may offer.

Chemical Burn · 25-04-2013 9:57pm

Could I get 3 or 4 insurance policies and make a small claim from each of them by purposely damaging my car, one of them will cover the cost of damage and the others will be cash in hand. Would this be considered insurance fraud and hence a crime. I'm only asking this out of curiosity and I am not thinking of doing it. I promise.

I got penalty points back in November, I was waiting until I had to renew my policy with AXA in September to notify them about points, however I recently learned that I should disclose it immediately. Will they be pissed off that I didn't tell them straight away if I tell them tomorrow? Will I get in trouble? How much of an increase should I expect? I am 21 y/o (going on 22), driving 2 years on full with additional 3 years on learner permit and driving a 1.4 L Diesel and I'm 700 a year on own policy, I'm male.

delta_bravo · 26-04-2013 12:10am

Chemical Burn wrote: »

Could I get 3 or 4 insurance policies and make a small claim from each of them by purposely damaging my car, one of them will cover the cost of damage and the others will be cash in hand. Would this be considered insurance fraud and hence a crime. I'm only asking this out of curiosity and I am not thinking of doing it. I promise.

I got penalty points back in November, I was waiting until I had to renew my policy with AXA in September to notify them about points, however I recently learned that I should disclose it immediately. Will they be pissed off that I didn't tell them straight away if I tell them tomorrow? Will I get in trouble? How much of an increase should I expect? I am 21 y/o (going on 22), driving 2 years on full with additional 3 years on learner permit and driving a 1.4 L Diesel and I'm 700 a year on own policy, I'm male.

You cannot profit from a loss, it's a basic principle of insurance. And what you're suggesting is complete fraud. If you had four policies you would have had to disclose that to each company and they would pay a share of the claim amount but it wouldn't exceed the total payout. If you didn't disclose it they could void your policy and you'd be up sht creek.

If you're on a provisional and you get points you will probably get a loading of €100+. I doubt they'll be pissed but you will have to disclose it now

CreepingDeath · 26-04-2013 9:22am

Chemical Burn wrote: »

Could I get 3 or 4 insurance policies and make a small claim from each of them by purposely damaging my car, one of them will cover the cost of damage and the others will be cash in hand. Would this be considered insurance fraud and hence a crime.

No, it's insurance fraud.
And your "small claim" would have to be higher than the cost of 3 or 4 insurance policies, a couple of grand.

Also, if you've more than one policy, the companies might say your insurance is invalid as you broke some terms of their agreement, so you could be driving with no insurance and 4 policies.

Also imagine being blacklisted/heavily penalised for future car insurance for the rest of your life maybe to the point that you're effectively financially barred from driving.
And possibly extending to other forms of insurance like house insurance.
If insurers want to make your life difficult, they could.

CiniO · 28-04-2013 1:44pm

CreepingDeath wrote: »

No, it's insurance fraud.
And your "small claim" would have to be higher than the cost of 3 or 4 insurance policies, a couple of grand.

Also, if you've more than one policy, the companies might say your insurance is invalid as you broke some terms of their agreement, so you could be driving with no insurance and 4 policies.

Also imagine being blacklisted/heavily penalised for future car insurance for the rest of your life maybe to the point that you're effectively financially barred from driving.
And possibly extending to other forms of insurance like house insurance.
If insurers want to make your life difficult, they could.

AFAIR there is nothing stopping anyone to purchase as many insurance policies covering the same thing.

Only problem is that when there will be a claim, every insurer will only pay his percentage (f.e. if there was 5 policies covering the same loss, then every insurer will pay 20% of the loss).

MugMugs · 29-04-2013 5:31pm

CiniO wrote: »

AFAIR there is nothing stopping anyone to purchase as many insurance policies covering the same thing.

Only problem is that when there will be a claim, every insurer will only pay his percentage (f.e. if there was 5 policies covering the same loss, then every insurer will pay 20% of the loss).

Basically and that's if they choose to indemnify at all
Quoting the first part of this thread

MugMugs wrote: »

What is Insurance?

Insurance is a risk transfer mechanism. It enables you to transfer the risk associated with driving a vehicle to your Insurance company should a claim be made against you. Nobody should ever financially gain from a claim however an Insurer should restore the affected party to same financial position they were in before the accident where the policy provides.

As you cannot profit, each insurer splits their share.

Also, deliberate damage wouldn't be covered and could well be seen as fraud.

Consequence? You could be prosecuted and would be black listed meaning getting Insurance again would be a problem for you.

Atavan-Halen · 03-05-2013 10:15pm

Just a quick question but would a car listed as a UK import give a higher insurance quote/price?

Reason being that I just transferred my insurance over to my new car (Honda Civic) and Axa sent me out a form to fill out to say that that car isn't modified and that I won't modify it. Along with that it says the car is a UK import but it's not as I have the original documents that show the car was purchased new from a Honda dealer in Ireland and the VIN number and everything matches up to the documents.

MugMugs · 04-05-2013 3:39pm

Going to plead ignorance on this. It shouldn't and especially from the UK it shouldn't. In saying that my car is a UK import and some insurers seem to add because of that. Generally the reason (to my knowledge) the question is asked is because of Japanese imports which can be costly to repair due to a general rarity of parts for them. UK shouldn't be an issue and in your case as your vehicle isn't imported it's really all just a moot point.

challengemaster · 04-05-2013 4:13pm

I'd also say it's due to the really poor security on most japanese cars from factory, making them easier targets for being stolen.

A guide to motor insurance & FAQ's

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