Ways to keep my no claims bonus up to date while living outside the country

mspill32

I emigrated about one and a half years ago, I had nine years no claim's bonus before I left Ireland. Is there any way possible to keep it up to date as I believe I may lose it, if it go past two year with out an insurance policy in my name. It would be handy to keep if I want to return.

Thanks

Shield

What does your current policy/insurer say about 'freezing' your NCB at the minute, and if you can provide a gap covering letter from a foreign insurer stating that you were insured from the day/date you arrived in the country to the day/date you left. I believe some insurers offer gap cover (although it may be known under a different name/title).

Have you read your policy and/or contacted your insurers yet?

MadsL

Never mind the no claims, some insurance companies will not even quote you.

Quote assumptions for 123.ie

are currently resident in the Republic of Ireland and have permanently resided in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland or United Kingdom for 2 of the past 3 years

https://www.123.ie/include/default/motor/html/quote_assumptions.htm

Which basically means they will not quote returning emigrants based on where they have lived (which is not relevant for the purposes of insurance) - This has been reported to the Data Protection Commission and they are investigating.

Frankly I think it a disgusting way to treat returning emigrants.

ArphaRima

they will not quote returning emigrants

I am pretty sure that they are required by law to quote everyone. Regardless of circumstance. They may not offer an automated internet based quote, and they may quote you a million euro, but they must quote eventually.

Source: I forced many insurers to quote me back in 2001 when my first year's insurance cost 6600 euro TPF&T.

MadsL

fluffer wrote: »

I am pretty sure that they are required by law to quote everyone. Regardless of circumstance. They may not offer an automated internet based quote, and they may quote you a million euro, but they must quote eventually.

Source: I forced many insurers to quote me back in 2001 when my first year's insurance cost 6600 euro TPF&T.

Only if no-one else will quote you can they be forced to quote you. However, it is illegal for them to use a non-driving factor. Basically they cannot ask where you have lived as it irrelevant data under the Data Protection Act. I expect the DPC will tell them they cannot ask the residency question when quoting.

Cookie_Monster

of course where you have lived is a factor, you could have lived in country X that has poor laws and enforcement and picked up a multitude of bad and or dangerous habits which make you a bigger risk.

shooter88

fluffer wrote: »

I am pretty sure that they are required by law to quote everyone. Regardless of circumstance. They may not offer an automated internet based quote, and they may quote you a million euro, but they must quote eventually.

Source: I forced many insurers to quote me back in 2001 when my first year's insurance cost 6600 euro TPF&T.

Iv been refused by fbd last year

MadsL

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

of course where you have lived is a factor, you could have lived in country X that has poor laws and enforcement and picked up a multitude of bad and or dangerous habits which make you a bigger risk.

Wouldn't where you drive make it a factor, rather than where you live??

Drive for twenty years in Ireland, go live in NYC and ride the subway everywhere and then come back as a significantly higher driving risk.

I swear insurance companies make this crap up and then get gullible fools to swallow it.

MadsL

shooter88 wrote: »

Iv been refused by fbd last year

On what basis?

Matt Simis

To the op's question, wouldn't it be easiest (and obvious) to buy a cheap banger, insure it here using parents/family address.. Done. You wouldn't even need to do it every year, just every second year.

This is getting way off topic and complicated.

monkeypants

Would being a named driver on a policy (parents' car?) help?

inforfun

You left 1,5 years ago?

Not sure about Ireland but when i left Holland i lost my NCB there after 1 year. You better check soon about yours.

keithclancy

The common expat trick is to just buy a rusty ol sh!tbox (e.g. a Micra) keep it insured at the parents/friends address.

No risk because its never on the road anyway so Motor Tax/NCT not required.

Or if you can find a way to get rid of it without having to register it as scrapped, even better.

Ireland has no form of official registration anyway, so 'residency' is not really an issue.

Hell I know some Dutchies that have the papers for a car that has been scrapped, registered for a parking permit in Amsterdam. They keep the permit as its relatively cheap per year in case they want to get a car in the future (Waiting list can be up to 2 years in some areas)

CiniO

mspill32 wrote: »

I emigrated about one and a half years ago, I had nine years no claim's bonus before I left Ireland. Is there any way possible to keep it up to date as I believe I may lose it, if it go past two year with out an insurance policy in my name. It would be handy to keep if I want to return.

Thanks

Are you not having a current policy in country to which you emigrated?
If so, this should be accepted by some Irish insurers once you come back, and you end up having your NCB continuation.

F.e. when I moved to Ireland from abroad, my NCB from there was accepted by Irish insurer. (I had 6 years NCB on thrid party policy and 4 years on "Own car damage" policy in my home country, so Irish insurer accepted 4 years NCB for my comprehensive policy here in Ireland.

CiniO

keithclancy wrote: »

The common expat trick is to just buy a rusty ol sh!tbox (e.g. a Micra) keep it insured at the parents/friends address.

No risk because its never on the road anyway so Motor Tax/NCT not required.

Or if you can find a way to get rid of it without having to register it as scrapped, even better.

And even on top of that you can suspend the policy staight after purchasing it, and keep it suspended for the whole year. That way you will earn full year NCB, and you will pay only about 15% of the premium.

cplwhisper

op - you must re open policy in ireland and transfer the earned ncb you had to that company(if not same as last insurer). then after 3months cancel or suspend depending on your finance... if in doubt PM me