How do people with no Irish "No Claims Bonus" drive in this country?

armabelle

I grew up in South Africa and over there you have to drive a car. There is no way around it. I drove over there for 10 years and never had an accident but here all the insurance companies are charging me an arm and leg for insuring a car since I have never taken insurance in Ireland. The best quote I could get was like 2000 euros on a 9000 euro car. I just swapped my license into an Irish one so now it seems like it was in vain because I don't know if I want to pay that much for insurance. Has anybody had a similar issue?

How do people get going here? I mean, you start driving when you are young, probably too young to buy a car cash so probably have to take out a loan. Then you have to pay a fortune for insurance too. How can anyone afford this.

I guess I am half complaining and half curious...anyone?

biko

Welkom om Ierland

I've never paid more than 500 euro, even when I started driving with no NCB.
There are things like Ignition courses and similar to bring quotes down.
Start by driving a small cheap car and quotes will swing your way.

armabelle

biko wrote: »

Welkom om Ierland

I've never paid more than 500 euro, even when I started driving with no NCB.
There are things like Ignition courses and similar to bring quotes down.
Start by driving a small cheap car and quotes will swing your way.

Dankie! but my Afrikaans is shockingly bad

When you say "small cheap car" wouldn't that be harder to insure ie more expensive?

I have no idea what an ignition course is but will look into it so thank you!

Nekarsulm

Most people start out with 2000 Euro fiesta / starlet / micra /polo. Then they are on the road for 3500 to 4000 Euro instead of the 11000 you are looking at.
But certainly shop around and try as many different brokers and visit local offices .

darlett

I dont quite know whats to happen, the industry has just gone out of control. I know they had some ineffectual meetings with politicians recently but it seems it was only paying lip service. I have myself a 5 years no claims bonus which is said to give i dont know something like 60% discount. Mine has shot up from about 400 to 800, even getting many quotes about 1200- which is actually 300 more than I paid for my car... Despite the complusory nature of insurance over here Im sure that more and more people already on the edge financially will start risking going without. Much like SA theres very few parts of this country where you can live and work using public transport. USC is small fry in comparison, this should have been the greater election issue.

Speedwell

When I moved over here from America, I was able to prove a clean driving record and get a record of no claims from my American insurance company that was sufficient for Allianz to give me a no-claims bonus. I am currently driving on a learner's license (waiting to pass my full driving test) as the sole driver of my car (my husband is unable to drive due to eye problems), and I last paid only 500 euro for the year. Of course I drive the cheapest possible car, and I'm a middle-aged woman, too. I purchased my car with cash, giving the village mechanic a few hundred euro when I could until it was paid for. Until then I rode the bus.

armabelle

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Most people start out with 2000 Euro fiesta / starlet / micra /polo. Then they are on the road for 3500 to 4000 Euro instead of the 11000 you are looking at.
But certainly shop around and try as many different brokers and visit local offices .

OMG but then the insurance is almost the same value as the car... surely it cannot be :eek: ?

armabelle

armabelle wrote: »

I grew up in South Africa and over there you have to drive a car. There is no way around it. I drove over there for 10 years and never had an accident but here all the insurance companies are charging me an arm and leg for insuring a car since I have never taken insurance in Ireland. The best quote I could get was like 2000 euros on a 9000 euro car. I just swapped my license into an Irish one so now it seems like it was in vain because I don't know if I want to pay that much for insurance. Has anybody had a similar issue?

How do people get going here? I mean, you start driving when you are young, probably too young to buy a car cash so probably have to take out a loan. Then you have to pay a fortune for insurance too. How can anyone afford this.

I guess I am half complaining and half curious...anyone?

The longer you drive without any claims the more your no claims bonus becomes, thereby reducing the cost of the Insurance. If you haven't already bought a car, go to an Insurance Broker and get their advice as to what size engine would be best for your circumstances. Young people usually start off as named drivers on parents cars until they can afford their own (Or are bought one by parents)

Nekarsulm

armabelle wrote: »

OMG but then the insurance is almost the same value as the car... surely it cannot be :eek: ?

Yes, that's the case. The basic "3rd party" insurance ( The minimum which you are legally required to have) covers damages You cause to Other people and their vehicle. The value of your car is immaterial. On a starter car, that's all the level of cover I would bother with.

On a historical note, my first car ( in 1985) was a Mini 850. It cost 1000 pounds and the insurance was 450 pounds. This was when an apprentice was earning about 80 to 100 per week. So in reality, not much has changed in 30 years.

Edit... we could afford the car and insurance, but had no money left to actually go very far.....

bisounours

I sympathise having been in the same situation last year. Phone all the companies on the sticky in the motors forum. Raise your excess as high as you can (mine was at 1,000) and scrap the step back /NCB protection (you have none to protect anyway) That shaved another 500 off my best quote so I went with it. This year with one year's NCB I have to say I am getting decent quotes, so the first year is the hurdle to get over.

BMJD

My first insurance was IR£2600, second was £3500; €2000 isn't all that bad tbh.

biko

armabelle wrote: »

OMG but then the insurance is almost the same value as the car... surely it cannot be :eek: ?

When a lot of people start out here they buy a car for 1000 and insure it for 1000 or more. It's not unusual.

Gatling

biko wrote: »

When a lot of people start out here they buy a car for 1000 and insure it for 1000 or more. It's not unusual.

That seems to have changed recently I was going that route with a 1l fiesta bought for 1k all my insurance quotes have been around 3k so far

With the exception of boxymo who quoted me 1600 for a 2l C180

anothernight

Also, a lot of young drivers are put with their parents' insurance.

JackHeuston

Welcome! There's a reason if you see an embarassing number of Micras driving around here

Get that Irish driving licence, raise your excess to the max the insurance company allows, and get the most basic and cheap cover they offer. You'll afford better covers after you earn a NCB here.