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Car Insurance Warehouse - Motor Insurance Warehouse 4 QuotesFor a better deal on motor car insurance
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While we make every effort to ensure that the contents of this website are accurate and informative at the time we published this page we cannot guarantee that this is the case. The details published on this site are intended for information purposes only and should not be construed as advice under the Financial Services Act 1986. Information provided on this website is merely the opinion of the person/s who have contributed to the information found on this page and as such do not necessarily represent those of the insurers or comply with all FSA stipulated guidelines. You are advised to seek appropriate professional and legal advice before entering into a binding contract with any insurer and ask the insurer directly should you have any queries, comments or concerns about their products. The Car Insurance Warehouse must re-iterate that if in any doubt about your rights, commitments or financial situation you must obtain expert advice as soon as possible. Always ensure the insurer you get a quote from is FSA registered too.
While we make every effort to ensure that the contents of this website are accurate at the time of publishing we cannot guarantee that this is the case. The details published on this site are intended for information purposes only and should not be construed as advice under the Financial Services Act 1986. Advice given in the forum are the opinions of the persons who have contributed and as such do not necessarily represent those of the publishers of this website. You are advised to take appropriate professional and legal advice before entering into a binding contract. The Car Insurance Warehouse must re iterate that if in any doubt about your rights, commitments or financial situation you must obtain expert advice as soon as possible. Always ensure the insurer you get a quote from is FSA registered too. What is the FSA and why does everyone refer to them?The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is an independent non-governmental body, given statutory powers by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. They are an independent body that regulates the financial services industry in the UK using a wide range of rule-making, investigatory and enforcement powers. How can I find out more about the FSA?Visit The FSA WebsiteWhat is Third Party Only (TPO) car insurance?This is the absolute minimum insurance cover you are legally expected to have. This covers you if you injure someone else or damage their property and has no added protection to cover yourself or your property. This is why it is called 3rd Party only... It is not very common for you find an insurance company who still sells this insurance policy and we have noted over the past few years that you will quite easily find Comprehensive insurance for a very good price anyway once you have read the tips found here. So don't fear it really should be the last type of car or motorbike insurance you buy. Unless you are 18 and driving for the very first time, with zero no claims bonus it's not the best idea to get this.What is Third Party Only Fire And Theft car insurance?Third Party Only Fire And Theft includes 'fire and theft' cover which in turn provides protection against loss and damage if your vehicle is set on fire, spontaneously bursts into flames or is stolen. However it will not protect you against damage to your vehicle if you're involved in an accident, or if your car or motorcycle is the target of Vandalism. Saying that it is still a good idea to get Third Party Fire and Theft over TPO insurance if you are a young or new driver and live in or near a city just for the added protection it affords you.What is Comprehensive car insurance?Comprehensive insurance covers the damage which may have been caused to your motor vehicle as well as the damage caused to another parties car, motorbike or van. Comprehensive car insurance is not only restricted to accident damage, but also damage caused through theft, vandalism and other causes including accidental damage and fire and theft. You may also have included in your insurance cover what the car insurance warehouse would call bolt on's such as money paid to you for personal items stolen from your car, legal aid or legal advice, recovery payment help and even a payment towards car hire while yours is being repaired. It is important to ensure that your insurer provides a free 24 hour help line, legal aid and discounted breakdown cover too just in case.People always say that even Comprehensive car insurance has shortfalls, is this true?The word 'comprehensive' can be misleading, as these policies always include some limitations and most definitely include exclusions. The cost of depreciation is just one such example. You need to ask yourself what position you would be if your car were stolen or written-off through an accident. What you are not readily explained to about when you a car or even a motorbike insurance policy by the big Insurance Companies is that your car will depreciate by up to 60% over a three year period and they do not cover this. They pay you out the "Book Value" of your vehicle at the time of a claim. Millions of UK motorists take out car loans yet they have not stopped to consider how they would settle this loan if they need to make an insurance claim because of an accident? Even if your insurance payout does covers the loan settlement, where would you get the deposit for your next car? - There is no longer a part exchange parked in your drive remember!So what is Shortfall Cover or Gap insurance then?A Gap insurance policy is a stand-alone policy that will insure the depreciation for your car in the event of total loss of the vehicle. A Gap policy is not included in your standard motor insurance policy, but it does protect you, as the individual, from any serious financial loss in the event of your vehicle being written off or stolen. Your car insurance company will usually only settle the depreciated amount or book value of the vehicle when you make a claim on your insurance. The book value is the value of your car at the time of the accident and not the original amount that you had paid for your vehicle at the time of purchase. Simply put: Our Gap insurance policy will cover you for the difference between the amount you paid for the car, the amount still due for the full purchase of the car (such as outstanding payments) or the amount you paid for the car on the day of purchase and the actual value of the car at the time of the accident or theft.Can I drive abroad on my car insurance policy?No, not always. With some insurers your cover will not extend beyond the borders of the United Kingdom, with other insurers you will find that providing you let the insurer know of your intentions, you will be allowed to drive abroad within the European Union only. Normally under these circumstances your policy will automatically cover you to drive in any countries which are members of the European Union, to the minimum level of insurance required (usually third party only). Should you wish to drive in America or Canada, additional cover should be sought. As always if you require a higher level of cover while driving abroad you should contact you insurance company prior to departure. Never assume you have the required level of cover, always contact your insurer or refer to your insurance policy document should you have any doubts.How can I insure my car for driving abroad?Phone up your insurance company/broker and inform them of your needs. They will simply request that you pay an extra premium, your insurance can be extended to provide the same level of cover in the European Union and some other European countries as stipulated by them at the time you call. If you want to extend your insurance to countries which fall outside of the EU you should contact the insurer at least two weeks beforehand as they may need to provide you with documents that may be required while abroad. Your breakdown cover, should you have this as part of your car insurance policy would generally not be included as a part of your travels. The car insurance warehouse would suggest that you ask your insurance company to clarify this when you phone them to extend your insurance cover and purchase the appropriate breakdown insurance at the same time if you can. A breakdown in a foreign country could be very expensive should you not have the appropriate cover and could spell the end of your holiday financially! When buying this breakdown cover be sure to find out if a free rental car is included or overnight accommodation too as if you are stranded in the middle of no where and the nearest garage can not make an immediate repair you may have no where to go and that can cost a lot of money if all hotels are fully booked. You may not receive a full refund on accommodation even if you have the cover, but every little counts.In short: Some insurers automatically include cover for driving abroad and this will be stated on the certificate. What should I do if I have a road accident?If you have an accident on a public road, and a hazard is caused to passing pedestrians or other motor vehicles or if a collision involves serious injuries, you should dial 999 immediately.Providing that no one is hurt or someone has suffered only minor injuries. If you are involved in a collision which results in damage to another vehicle or to any property, you must STOP and give your details to anyone who has reasonable grounds for requesting them. If you have been involved in a crash where no injuries have occurred, you need to exchange the following details with the other people involved:
Finally, if you have been involved in a collision and did not think you were injured at the time but have subsequently developed some symptoms, you should again report the matter to your local police station as soon as possible. Should you go to a police station to report the accident/road traffic incident a member of staff will help you fill in a report of the collision. If you need to speak to a police officer you may have to wait until someone is available. You may be required to wait for a police offer to see you, upon which time, you may be asked to write a statement giving your version of the incident. If at any stage you have concerns over the behavior of another driver, for example, if you think they have been driving while over the legal alcohol limit or driving erratically, you should inform the police of this as soon as possible. In the interests of road safety, damaged vehicles should be removed from the scene as quickly as possible. If necessary, the police will call a garage to recover your vehicle from the roadside. If this is done, any charges are payable by the owner of the vehicle. Credit for this information goes to: Hertfordshire Constabulary What is the difference between an insurance broker and aggregator?A broker will go to a number of insurance companies and determine the most suitable insurers product for their client. This may be done while on the phone to them or online. Their computer system is usually linked up through software to between one and a multitude of direct insurers and they will then provide you with the best price they can get. Generally you will find that you need to pay arrangement fees and cancellation fees a well as fees should you wish to make changes to your policy, which may not be the case if you buy directly from the insurance provider. An insurance intermediary goes to a number of insurers, but unlike the broker is actually responsible for the product once sold. Usually online insurers are intermediaries and high street insurers are more likely to be the brokers.Why Protected my No Claims Bonus and does it cost more?Yes, you usually pay a small fee to protect your NCB, but some big insurers will provide free NCB protection. If you have a high level of NCB then it may be wise to protect your NCB.As to whether or not your NCB protection works with all insurance companies is another question. While completing your quote request you will be asked if you have made any claims over the past three years or so. If you answer yes, your insurance premium is likely to be higher naturally. So it is a bit of a conundrum really. You decide. What happens when its time to renew?Is my insurance renewal premium really the best offer I can get?When your insurance is about to expire your current broker or insurance company will send you a quote with what they claim to be the best premium price they can get for you for the next year through them. This quote is normally referred to your insurance renewal premium. Generally your renewal quote is mailed to you around 21 days to 14 days before your current policy is due to expire. The number of No Claims Bonus due to you should be stated on this quote too. It is usually in your best interest to shop around at this time. It is often likely that you may well find a cheaper insurance quote else where. Remember that there are hundred of insurance companies out there who all want your business.Does my age affect my insurance premiumsYes it does. For young drivers buying car insurance for the fist time can be a very expensive business. Many younger people I have spoken to at University say that they are not going to think about getting their licenses for a while yet. Those that really do need transport tell me that a motorbike license is the best option for them, or should I say the only affordable option for them. Most site the fact that driving lessons are far too high and the average student can not afford between £20 and £30 per hour driving lesson. If it sounds like that may be the reason for these youngsters not taking their test, you would be wrong in my opinion. The insurance premiums for new drivers is very high and it is estimated that these prices will be going up over the next year or two. It seems that insurance of £1000 per year is to some at at least a cost worth bearing, but to most, university fees and the huge financial restraint that come with studying mean many young people are forced to put off their driving test through high motor insurance costs.What is an excess?The excess payment amount is agreed when you take out your policy. Excess is the initial agreed contributory amount of money you have to pay when you make a claim on your car insurance, however if you were not at fault, it is likely that your legal firm / insurance company would be able to recover your excess from the party deemed to be at fault.How much excess do I pay? A compulsory excess amount does apply to certain vehicles and young or inexperienced drivers, but there is no rule to say that there is an excess payment on all car insurance policies. How much excess you would have to pay depends on a number of factors, including the car type, named drivers experience and age etc. Your excess is stated on your policy document to ensure that there is no confusion over the amount. In general, the higher the excess you agree to pay, the lower your car insurance quote will be.Who do I pay my excess to? If you make a claim and your car needs repairing you will need to pay the excess directly to the repair center fixing your vehicle. If your car is written off, the excess will be taken away from the total payment your motor insurance company will pay you before the payout is made. As stated above if an accident which left you with a scrapped car was not your fault, but that of another driver, you should be able to reclaim your excess payment back from that partyIf I have a maximum no claim discount and I buy a second car can I add my no claim bonus to both cars?The short answer is no. You should really build up a another set of no claim bonus for a second vehicle. However many insurers will offer to match the no claim bonus that they currently hold when they insurer your second car. Once again some insurers are now offering substantial discounts should you wish to insure a second car with them.My child has just started driving and I want to get insurance for them. What is the best way to insure them?Insuring your child as secondary drivers on your policy and naming your child as a secondary driver is fine on the condition that you are actually the true main driver of the vehicle insured. If in fact you are not the true main driver could result in your insurance company quite rightly refusing to pay out on a claim should the need arise for you to make one. Think about it like this, you have agreed that all information provided by you at the time of getting your quote and if this is blatantly not true, you put yourself in a difficult position. Especially if for instance you are 50 years old and insure a second car under your name which is a pink ford fiesta with a body kit and your other car is a BMW7 series. It wont take long for the insurer to refuse a payout! Bear in mind that if a claim involves a serious injury to a third party you could look at financial ruin with that insurance to protect you financially.It is always best to insure young drivers on their own car insurance policies. This way they can start building up their own no-claim bonus which will help lower their insurance premiums the following year. Their are many specialist insurance companies who offers a fantastic deals for young drivers. You could try Performance Direct or It's4me for a start. Can I drive other people's cars under my own insurance?No not always. The Driving Other Cars extension has historically allowed policy holders only to drive cars that do not belong to them and are not hired to them under a hire purchase agreement, subject to the owner's permission. The cover provided is Third Party only cover which does not cover damage to the car they are driving, but does cover liability for damage and injury to third parties. This cover operates only whilst the Policy holder is driving and was designed to be used in emergency situations only. To reduce deliberate uninsured driving more and more insurance companies such as their RAC have removed this particular extension clause from their insurance policies. Therefore the insured parties on such policies would only insured to drive vehicles clearly identified on either the Certificate of Motor Insurance or Insurance Schedule, which should be kept with your Certificate at all times. If you want to add an additional temporary car or an additional driver to your insurance you should always contact your insurer and they will arrange for the temporary additions to be made to your insurance policy. They will send you the appropriate documentation as proof of the cover. Please note that you may well be charged a levy for this. If you need to be added to a family or friends vehicle in order to be able to drive it, they can contact their insurer who will be able to arrange this for them subject to normal restrictions. |
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