British car insurance, what a joke!

Information and questions about the Law in Spain and Andalucia.
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pietree
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British car insurance, what a joke!

Postby pietree » Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:28 pm

Hi Again,

Why is the Uk so bloody different?

I have just toured through Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Hungary and other countries on my Spanish insurance in my Spanish reg vehicle, I checked first with the insurance and they said yep your covered and even your breakdown insurance will work and get you where you want to go should you breakdown.

When I came from the UK to Spain in an English van, I couldnt get a company (for less than 1000GBP) to insure me abroad fully comp, they almost all said we can only allow you 3 months and it will revert to third party.
It was for this reason I panicked into flogging the van on quick.

I thought the Uk was a part of Europe, the only difference being a stretch of water to cross in between, Why is it theres no border crossing throughout Europe now? You can drive in and out of any country and not even get your pet passports checked or anything, yet the Uk is like a fortress,

It makes me sick that the Uk in some way feel superior to other countries and have such different and strickter rules, I mean they have to be so bloody different dont they, they dont even drive on the same side as everybody else. rant over :x

Does any one know why, and how do other Brits in English vehicles do it, I cant believe that they are paying out these extortionate prices.
Thats it for now

julian
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Re: British car insurance, what a joke!

Postby julian » Sat Aug 22, 2009 5:44 pm

I think you´ve answered it yourself ,anywhere that calls itself Great thinks it is "superior"...can you imagine a "Great France"..or a "Great Spain" !!

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Devils Advocate
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Re: British car insurance, what a joke!

Postby Devils Advocate » Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:01 pm

.....anyway getting back to Pietrees post on insurance :idea: , it's one of the things I think the UK hammers Spain on, and one of the few comodities that has actually come down in price.

You can insure a rocket ship, mad nutter nasty car fully comp in the UK for less than it would cost for a beaten up Fiat Panda in Spain, probably on 3rd party too.

I've never had an issue with what was "the green card" thing and certainly haven't heard of fully comp. being switched to 3rd party....but I guess we all have differing experiences!

I've now taken a few cars across running them legally on UK plates before matriculating them on to Spanish......I had to haggle the 12 European cover but always got it. I believe (for the over 50's) Saga offer it is standard.

DA
Property owner in Andalucia since 2002. How time flies.

Beachcomber
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Re: British car insurance, what a joke!

Postby Beachcomber » Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:52 pm

julian wrote:I think you´ve answered it yourself ,anywhere that calls itself Great thinks it is "superior"...can you imagine a "Great France"..or a "Great Spain" !!
I just have to say that the term 'Great' in the name Great Britain refers to the name of the principal island of the British Isles rather than a description of any claim to superior status in the overall scheme of things perhaps in the same way as Gran Cayman or Grand Bahama.

'Great Spain' would certainly qualify as an oxymoron with 'Great France' not far behind!
Let's go Brandon!

katy
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Re: British car insurance, what a joke!

Postby katy » Sat Aug 22, 2009 9:43 pm

Just a couple of quotes to round off the session

"Men love their country not because it is great but because it is their own"

"Who is there so vile that will not love his country"

frank
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Re: British car insurance, what a joke!

Postby frank » Sat Aug 22, 2009 10:56 pm

"I think you´ve answered it yourself ,anywhere that calls itself Great thinks it is "superior"."
The "Great" in Great Britain has nowt to do to do with thinking it was superior, it was simply a means of distinguishing what is now Great Britain from what is now part of France.
"refers to the island of Great Britain as Britannia major ("Greater Britain"), to distinguish it from Britannia minor ("Lesser Britain"), the continental region which approximates to modern Brittany."
Regards, Frank

No soy residente, simplemente un turista, ¿qué sé yo?

masterob
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Re: British car insurance, what a joke!

Postby masterob » Sun Aug 23, 2009 12:24 am

Going back to the original post, my Spanish Comprehensive Insurance covers me to drive to and within the UK (and elsewhere) but not for me to drive around indefinitely! It has a three month limit in exactly the same way as do many Insurance policies taken out in the UK for travel elsewhere in the EU. Why would you want UK insurance cover in Spain beyond three months anyway?

As to open borders etc, it´s all to do with the Schengen Agreement. Regarding the side of the road vehicles drive on in particular countries, provided they all do the same it doesn´t matter which side they drive on. Generally, island countries can easily "do their own thing" as they don´t have the problem of cross border traffic as do those in mainland areas.

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Campo Steve
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Re: British car insurance, what a joke!

Postby Campo Steve » Sun Aug 23, 2009 8:31 am

pietree wrote: You can drive in and out of any country and not even get your pet passports checked or anything, yet the Uk is like a fortress,.
Is that not because UK wants to stop Rabies spreading into UK, whereas it is all over the rest of Europe? Mind you, it is probably there already.
I've got an inferiority complex, but it's not a very good one!


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