 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi.
Basically I'm doing a season out in Tignes this coming winter and I was looking at taking my car out. I've just rung up my insurance company and they've just told me that I can't be insured for longer than 30 days.
Now am I dead in my tracks here or what? Is there any EU directive that says that companies must provide cover or something?
I think it's a little unfair that the insurance company just can say, nope you can't do that. Sorry.
Advice would be great. Cheers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I'm with Virgin, and they just flat out said no. I hate Richard Branson.
If anyone has any suggestions then that would be great!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hate to sound rude ... you're living in France. Insure your car In France !
Dead easy ... and if you should get 50% + no claims if you've earned it !!!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Spikyhedgehog, try different insurance companies. I doubt there's any "directive" that insurance companies should do anything. I think you probably just have a crap insurance company. Or a crap call center in-operative.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Agenterre, I wondered about this. But I wont have a registered address in france under my name will I?
Me and george1 and a few others are renting a flat for the period, would I be able to use that address for insurance purposes?
Thanks.
Am looking round others now, seems to be difficult to find a company that cater to my needs to be honest..
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CIS Insurance will do it for 1 yr, as will (did) Liverpool Victoria. We has a similar problem last year
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Spikyhedgehog, Who is your current Insurance Underwriter .. ? I use Royal & Sun Alliance, through Landrover Insurance. I am covered abroad with them, but I have to give them the dates that the vehicle is abroad. (Last season January - May)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Spikyhedgehog, you might need to speak to them. Insurance websites don't seem to cope well with "unusual" requests
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Spikyhedgehog, up to 6 months cover with Liverpool Victoria.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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BernardC, Virgin. I've phoned them up and they were pretty adament there was no way they could do it, even for a premium.
Many places offer up to 180 days insurance which is what I need, but I'd have to take out a policy for a year. Which I can't afford.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Helen Beaumont, No they don't apparently.
I asked and the woman basically said 'we do not offer short term car insurance'.
Edit, they offer the cover for 180 days abroad, but I'd have to take out a policy for a year which is a bit of waste.
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I'd look for a proper insurance broker (one with a shop on a high street!!!) shock horror...I think you'll find internet searching a little fruitless, if you don't fit in a neat box the internet quoters don't like it..
Or
Try the large European insurers especially AXA as they are french
http://www.axa.co.uk/contactus/motorandhomeform.html
Or these guys
http://www.euro-insure.com/
Good luck..
I haven't done what you're trying but i did have some success with using a high street broker to get travel cover for my pregnant wife which appeared in the too difficult box for most insurers.
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You know it makes sense.
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cfc5mu0, good idea. There's plenty of them in town. Will pop in to them soon.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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You'll struggle even with an insurance broker (believe me, I've looked into this many times over the years). Currently with Liverpool & Victoria who do 180 days cover.
I do know someone who has a good deal, but you can't be in the UK for more than a certain amount of time. Similar if you insure your car in France you will only get limited time abroad during the 12 months.
However, as far as I'm aware, ALL insurance policies include minimum cover (ie 3rd party0 for the EU), not that thats a whole lot of use for most car owners...
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Poster: A snowHead
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Insurance and the single common European Market seem to be mutually exclusive. Think I might write to my MEP and the Competition Minister, since if I want to buy UK spec insurance, I cannot because I'm not resident in the UK.
After months of hassle, my German insurance co. did eventually accept my UK no claims status, but I'm pretty sure it was not at like for like, but more like "we'll accept your 4 years no claims as 2 years of accident free driving". I think it's all to do with the way that new customers are screwed, but the longer you stay the bigger the golden handcuffs, and if you do try to jump to another insurance co. you'll end up losing all the discounts. Complete opposite of UK.
Maybe somebody else would know, but how much would a long term car lease cost? Maybe it's economical if split 3 ways?
Failing that, my recommendation would be to jump to another insurance co that explicitly does allow X days overseas, even at a small premium.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Another problem is I'm only young so my insurance is excessive anyway.
Sigh..
Thing is, i'm happy to have 3rd party but I can't even get that..
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Spikyhedgehog, I used Directline in the end, they charged me a little for the extra green card but were happy to do it. I do have the significant advantage of being old though.... 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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It was 11years ago but I used AA and I think they covered me for a year. What got me was when I eventually got a French car the insurance covered me Europe wide for me and my wife was automatically included at no extra cost. Why cant the UK just include it.
Make sure all your Docs are up to date and have the insurance green card in the car at all times. The Gendarmerie love to meet their targets using non French cars especially arround Christmas.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Spikyhedgehog, I pay my insurances by monthly DD (where possible) and out of a French account. Just cancel when you go home ???
I don't know what a 'Registered' address is but surely you can use the one you have there?
I have insured rhd cars in France ..
Why not 'try' and arrange when you arrive, your UK insurance presumably covers the first few weeks 'holiday' ? or Try via a French online site?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've taken my car for a few seasons and had similar problems. Liverpool Victoria cover for six months away at a time - I've found them very helpful, even when my other half had an accident and when the car broke down (both in Austria). CIS offer unlimited time abroad as far as I know - a friend has used them and they were fantastic when he was involved in a nasty accident one winter. Can't you cancel your exisiting policy and take out a new one? Isn't it hugely problematic to insure a car in France that isn't a French registered vehicle (I know this is a problem in Austria).
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| Spikyhedgehog wrote: |
Another problem is I'm only young so my insurance is excessive anyway.
Sigh..
Thing is, i'm happy to have 3rd party but I can't even get that.. |
Most insurance includes 3rd party only whilst in the EU. What does your small-pint say?
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| Quote: |
| Most insurance includes 3rd party only whilst in the EU. What does your small-pint say? |
certainly need to read the small print (small pints the norm in France) but I don't think that's true. However, it is the case that the majority of ordinary policies cover a maximum of 30 days abroad in any one trip, but with the same cover as you have at home (not 3rd party only, if you have a half decent policy). I searched quite long and hard for a policy which would give me up to 60 days, and we are insured with Cornhill as a result. The same problem crops up with travel insurance; you need to be very clear that your policy will cover you for more than 30 days at a time. There is a separate issue of how long, in total, you can be abroad during the year. On this sort of question you need to distrust what half trained, half soaked, phone centre people tell you about cover. I was given some misleading info on a previous policy, and when reading the very poorly written details I was still unsure. So I wrote to the insurance company, asking them to confirm that what I had been told on the phone was correct. They didn't reply. After 6 weeks I telephoned them. They had lost my letter, and no, the information wasn't correct so I had to find another policy. But if there had been a problem I don't think any of that would have helped me. It's a pain. Maybe, if you're in resort for a season, it's better not to have a car? Bum lifts from someone who has rather than be paying for parking or digging it out of distant snow drifts,
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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this question used to come up quite frequently on Natives so it would be worth searching there.
i found the name of a broker who specialised in this sort of thing but i can't remember the name for the life of me. anyway, it was a decent price and included green flag breakdown cover (which i made plenty of use of!)
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Most insurers would still insure you abroad (in France). Usually up to 60 days, sometimes more. On the French side, some French insurers can accept English written documentation and also insure a foreign registered vehicle, waiting for it to be imported under French plates. In regard to the driver license that's a different story. It used to be "simple" but for non European licenses it's much harder to be insured now. The UK have agreements with France so if your license was renewed (or edited) before the 1st of Jan 2021 you'll be all right but for everyone else you're up for some challenges. Some local agents can still be happy to "look the other way" but they are getting more and more scarce. The general idea is that your foreign license have to be converted within 1 year for the insurance company to accept your file and not terminate it at the renewal date (termination by an insurer is a very bad thing in France and will severely cripple any future premium so avoid this as much as possible). Hope this is helpful? 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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LV
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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15 years, is this a record?
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To get the maximum discount in France that's the equivalent of 13+ years NCD.
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Zombie thread…
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FAQ
