car insurance/ reregistration

[antonia]

Well we are going to re register our car onto spanish plates. We need to insure it now..so anybody know of any companies that will short term insure it on uk plates to be changed onto spanish plates as soon as it is done? Don't know if i have made myself clear!!

[antonia]

Or perhaps pm me of companies to avoid!!

[Campo Kenny]

Antonia, I would have thought that any Uk company would insure it if it's still on UK plates.........or do you not have a UK address anymore?.
Contrary to belief I still don't believe you can be legit with Spanish insurance on UK plates. Thinking about it though, even UK insurance is no good if car is not MOT'd and taxed.

As for short term insurance........that's a thing of the past now and expensive. Pay the full premium and you can cancel anytime you wish.
They will refund on every month you have left to run...simiar to cashing in a tax disc ( this aplies to uk insurers by the way)

Regards,

Kenny

[antonia]

Kenny, thanks for that. Yes we do have a UK address..the car is taxed and mot'd. Thought about using an insurance company that will insure on UK plates and then change it once all the paperwork is complete. Not sure who to use..in UK you get used to various company names. i have googled loads over here and received some quotes..but to be honest have never heard of any of them!

Maybe we will renew it in UK and then cancel as you say..although a bit suspect about receiving much money back

[Campo Kenny]

Honest Antonia it's law no probs.......they have to give you money back pro rata for the FULL months remaining, I'm always doing it

[antonia]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Kenny

[Paula]

I'm with Linea Directa (the Spanish Leg of Direct Line) thankfully as yet never had to claim so can't comment on efficiency etc. Did have to use the call out facility once, they got to me quickly and aside from the grua driver seeming intent on killing us both on the N340 whilst off loading my car into the sea, that was all fine.

[Rookiekookie]

I took out my insurance with Abbeygate in Spain - so my last few weeks in the UK were covered by the green card - they do insure UK cars in Spain and also give you NCD protection. However, this may not work if you do not have an address in Spain already which I did at the time.

[antonia]

Abbeygate are a company we have contacted..seem quite reasonable and will insure car and then change over once the car plates have all been changed. We do have an address here in Spain so it makes life easier.

[El Cid]

. Thinking about it though, even UK insurance is no good if car is not MOT'd and taxed.

I'm not sure that is true. I can't answer for the UK but in Spain my insurance is valid without an MOT or Tax.

I am insured with Linea Directa and I asked them that specific question because I was fed up with people on forums saying it wasn't.

They said there is no problem - it is not a requirement of the policy. They reminded me that it was an offence but that the only effect that it would have on my policy is that the legal defence option would not apply as the fine would have been "self inflicted".

If you think about it logically the legality or otherwise of the car does not affect the risks that they have insured you for. The legality of the driver is entirely different - if you are drunk or unlicenced you are not insured.

Sid

[antonia]

El Cid...is your car here on uk plates and insured with linea directa??

[j4mes]

If you think about it logically the legality or otherwise of the car does not affect the risks that they have insured you for. The legality of the driver is entirely different - if you are drunk or unlicenced you are not insured.

Sid

Surely the purpose of an MOT certificate is to ensure that the car is fit for the road....if the car is unfit for the road (maybe it has major brake/steering/electrical problems) then this WOULD INDEED affect the risks and it surprises me that you think otherwise.....

I reckon that if you tried to make a claim, they would not pay!

[El Cid]

El Cid...is your car here on uk plates and insured with linea directa??

No, its on Spanish plates. LD do not insure cars on UK plates.

Sid

[j4mes]

No, its on Spanish plates. LD do not insure cars on UK plates.

Sid

In which case it will have an ITV (the eq of an MOT in the UK)

One way or another you will need to have a certificate to say the things fit for the road in order to insure it?!

[El Cid]

Surely the purpose of an MOT certificate is to ensure that the car is fit for the road....if the car is unfit for the road (maybe it has major brake/steering/electrical problems) then this WOULD INDEED affect the risks and it surprises me that you think otherwise.....

I reckon that if you tried to make a claim, they would not pay!

An MOT/ITV only proves that the car was roadworthy at the time it was tested. The steering or brakes could fail a mile down the road. It has very little to do with insurance. It is yet another misconception often promulgated on these forums.

Your brakes could fail under any circumstances and you could kill someone. The insurance company could only get out of the claim if they could prove serious negligence. Insurance is there to cover all normal risks and a major failure is always a possibility.

Linea Directa said that if I had a claim and had not had an ITV for 2 or 3 years or so they might look at the state of the car more carefully, otherwise it would not be a problem.

If you want to know what you are covered for read your insurance policy - especially the exclusions - I doubt that you will find any mention of car tax and MOT/ITV.

Sid

[antonia]

So Sid, if it's a spanish plated car with Spanish insurance why the need for uk tax and mot?

[antonia]

sorry sid all explained now...thanks

[Campo Kenny]

Sid,If you are not taxed and Mot'd and need to make a claim in the UK if that car is not fully legal for the road then you are at the mercy of the insurers............no question, and they will make lie awkward.

One of my best mates here in UK has just had (well a year back) £20,000s worth of Group N rally car stolen off his path. The car was being worked on and was not MOT'd.....insurers have NOT paid out as of yet citing the MOT as the reason....guy has not got a leg to stand on.

I have heard that no ITV in a Spanish plated car is not as serious...in the UK it is.

Kenny

[Campo Kenny]

Right, just to clarify my above comment I've just called Martin the lad involved.

Insurers are not paying out because car was not garaged as he had said it would be..............but they said that they would not pay out anyway due to lack of a current MOT. They said the car would have to be sorned for the MOT to be of no issue............I've had some of this in the past and insurance companies do have a knack of throwing small print at you.

[El Cid]

Kenny, my car is in Spain on Spanish plates insured by a Spanish insurance company.

My point was that in Spain, my insurance company, and I have no reason to think that other Spanish companies are different, do not insist on a valid ITV.

Many UK reg cars are used illegally in Spain and they are insured with Spanish companies ( the legality of that is another issue) and the point is always raised that their insurance would be invalid as they did not have a valid UK MOT even if they have a valid ITV on the basis that insurance companies will not pay out on "illegal" cars.

I would dispute that as it just depends on what it says in the individual policy. I can see no reason why an insurance company in the UK should deal with this issue any differently from a Spanish company. It is not a question of opinion, it is a question of fact - you just have to ask your insurance company (either in Spain or the UK) whether or not you are covered under the circumstances that apply to you personally.

Sid