31 replies to this topic

[muddy]

Well I think I've solved this grey area. It was never a grey area. All EU vehicle insurance must provide third party cover for all EU countries for the duration of that cover. So, as in my case, if your insurance is third party only, there can no limitation of travel in any other EU countries. The limitations only apply to TPFT and FC.

Why my insurance broker didn't know this or was loathe to inform me is anyone's guess. I suppose for them its a pain in the are dealing with foreign third party insurers.

[Favs]

Hi Muddy,

Do they say it provides the same level of cover as 3rd party does in the UK, or that it provides the minimum required by individual EU countries, which may or may not have different requirements to the UK? 

[dapleb]

I enquired recently with my slug insurer to see if I was covered for a trip to Euro... Which I never had time for. But anyways they said existing coverage which said "no euro cover" would actually cover me for "the minimum insurance requirement for the country I am visiting" ... That was good enough fur me! Just before I hung up, she asked if she could help with anything else ... Atwhich point I prolly asked how good she is at baking cakes or summat----- she then remembered that "we can upgrade your account to fully comp euro cover for free"!! Why she didn't mention this to start with I dunno. But policy amended fur noubt!!

[muddy]

Hi Muddy,
Do they say it provides the same level of cover as 3rd party does in the UK, or that it provides the minimum required by individual EU countries, which may or may not have different requirements to the UK? 

It says: 'minimum you need under EU directives'. Afaic that's basic turd party cover. I don't think UK third party only cover has any more thrills than anywhere else does it?
@dabbers
Sounds good to me. Who do you insure with? All wymynz should bake cakes. It's the minimum standard required.

[dapleb]

That was for the slug which is a brum brum. Insured through LV.

Was weird how it was just a "by the way" comment at the end of the conversation!

Oi loike cake!!

[muddy]

I just had an interesting and bizarre conversation with H&R insurance. I rang to let them know I'm off abroad tomorrow and when the chap asked me for how long, I asked does it matter given the EU law states that insurance companies must offer third party cover within the EU. Long story short, as we went round circles, he stated that it doesn't matter what EU states, if an insurance company only offers 30 days abroad, then they won't pay out should one have an accident over that time period. I told him that would make for am interesting court case.

I'm not convinced he was sure and likely was only going by what he's told. I can't believe that this is such a grey area, given EU legislation. The government is quite succinct.
https://www.gov.uk/v.../driving-abroad
Anyone in insurance know better?

[Nog]

, he stated that it doesn't matter what EU states, if an insurance company only offers 30 days abroad, then they won't pay out should one have an accident over that time period.

 

Sounds like he's getting confused (or trying it on more likely) with the 30 days cover at the level of your UK policy i.e. if you are fully comp, they offer up to 30 days fully comp insurance and after that your full level is no longer valid and you are down to the default 3rd party as stated in EU law.

[muddy]

 
Sounds like he's getting confused (or trying it on more likely) with the 30 days cover at the level of your UK policy i.e. if you are fully comp, they offer up to 30 days fully comp insurance and after that your full level is no longer valid and you are down to the default 3rd party as stated in EU law.

That's what I reckon too. Bloody annoying that he won't say that. It's the renewal merry-go-round mid October, so I'll pin them down on it, or move on.

[bondy]

Me thinks insurance will go the same way as ppi. Miss sold. Just need a court case to kick off proceedings.

[fixitsan]

Me thinks insurance will go the same way as ppi. Miss sold. Just need a court case to kick off proceedings.

 

 

I hope so. I've had higher premiums for a couple of years due to having an unsettled insurance claim for the same period, and therefore they've taken the worst case scenario and assumed I was at fault..

 

It is still unsettled, but if it goes against the third party (more likely to go 50/50), I won't get anything back.  The automatic assumption that it is your own fault in order to cover themselves must generate them a lot of profit across the board

[Nog]

I doubled checked my Bennetts policy wording to see what it said on this.

 

The wording was actually very good and pointed out the policy covered the minimal insurance across all EU countries etc for the life of the policy.

[muddy]

I doubled checked my Bennetts policy wording to see what it said on this.
 
The wording was actually very good and pointed out the policy covered the minimal insurance across all EU countries etc for the life of the policy.

The the same wording was in mine, but on all the occasions I asked the broker, I was told I had to inform them before travel. They are like automatons.