can i insure my UK car with foreign insurance

[TooLateForAName]

McHaggis said:

Still think you will find it hard to get a French company to insure a UK registered car and provide you with more than 180 days out of country cover.it

Is that an issue?

In europe people live in one country and work in another all the time - a much more adult attitude to borders.

[kambites]

You wouldn't be able to tax the car because it wouldn't be listed on the UK insurance database.

Besides if your insurance company "laughed at someone's whiplash claim", they'd probably just take you to court for it instead.

[Pothole]

OP, did you actually want any advice?

[sinizter]

McSam said:

How does that feel, OP?

It's a global economy. If I can get the same level of service, and means I am legally covered here as I need to be, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

I don't see a lot of people running around fretting whether any action they take might increase insurance costs for others - whether that is home insurance, public liability insurance or car insurance.

If I don't like how 'the system' works, I will try to find a way around that is not illegal, live with it or if I really don't like it, move elsewhere.

I'm not going to come up with some pseudo-nationalistic BS and conform to 'the system' if there is no actual need to do so.

Do you worry that by putting your savings in an ISA, you are depriving this country of tax money which would be extremely useful in the current economic climate ? Do you drive an economical car depriving the govt of fuel tax ? Do you shop around for your insurance, getting lower prices, reducing the tax take on insurance tax ?

Then why shouldn't someone who has the foresight to look outside the box benefit ?

[calibrax]

The hassle just wouldn't be worth it. As you would not be on the MID database, the police would be pulling you ALL the time, as your car would flag up on ANPR as having no insurance. Most police cars have ANPR, most big cities have ANPR cameras, and all airports/ports have them. It would be a nightmare.

[McSam]

You really are missing the point djad1200, so much so that you look deliberately obtuse. Our insurance prices are high for a reason, because our costs are high. Other countries have lower prices because theirs costs are lower. If you bring our high costs to their low priced policies, something has to give, and that is either going to be your policy document or their prices. People hate whiplash claimants because they try and profit out of other people's long-term costs. You're trying to profit from lower insurance prices elsewhere, which will eventually lead to those prices rising.

See any parallels between you and the exact type of person you say you're trying to avoid?

Edited by McSam on Monday 23 July 10:44

[djad1200]

Every year when your insurance quote comest through I bet everyone looks at it and tries to get a better quote

If you do then this is thinking outside the box

All I am doing is thinking outside of a bigger box

[sinizter]

McSam said:

See any parallels between you and the exact type of person you say you're trying to avoid?

No.

[McSam]

sinizter, I'm looking at this in a similar way to tax avoidance. Of course everyone wants to save money where they can, but finding a cheaper fuel station or the best insurance deal in the UK isn't really the same as blagging yourself into a foreign policy through admitted deception, is it? You can't deny the parallels between this mentality and that of the whiplash claimants. "I can, it's not strictly legitimate but I can, so why not? I'm not going to have to deal with the consequences it might cause".

[djad1200]

McSam said:

You really are missing the point, so much so that you look deliberately obtuse. Our insurance prices are high for a reason, because our costs are high. Other countries have lower prices because theirs costs are lower. If you bring our high costs to their low priced policies, something has to give, and that is either going to be your policy document or their prices. People hate whiplash claimants because they try and profit out of other people's long-term costs. You're trying to profit from lower insurance prices elsewhere, which will eventually lead to those prices rising.

See any parallels between you and the exact type of person you say you're trying to avoid?

McSam I TOTALLY agree with you 110% it will push our prices up because they are loosing my business
But what if I just got rid of the car ?
They would loose my business anyway

But if you could save a little bit of money on anything at all then you would be a fool not to take that oportunity.
English people love a bargain, Thats why they take out an ADAC car breakdown policy at 80Euros a year instead of paying millions with the AA or RAC

[StottyZr]

kambites said:

You wouldn't be able to tax the car because it wouldn't be listed on the UK insurance database.

Yes you would, a cover note at the post office seems to suffice.

[kambites]

StottyZr said:

kambites said:

You wouldn't be able to tax the car because it wouldn't be listed on the UK insurance database.

Yes you would, a cover note at the post office seems to suffice.

Ah OK. Didn't know you could still tax cars at the post-office.

You'd still keep getting flagged up by ANPR cameras though.

[McSam]

djad1200 said:

McSam I TOTALLY agree with you 110% it will push our prices up because they are loosing my business
But what if I just got rid of the car ?
They would loose my business anyway

But if you could save a little bit of money on anything at all then you would be a fool not to take that oportunity.
English people love a bargain, Thats why they take out an ADAC car breakdown policy at 80Euros a year instead of paying millions with the AA or RAC

No, you're still missing the point - not our insurance prices, but those in the countries you're trying to take advantage of. Read it more carefully! Prices in other countries are cheap for a reason, reasons which don't apply to you, so either you cannot benefit from them (the correct course of things), or you'll bugger them up.

My breakdown cover is pretty comprehensive, from a UK supplier and less than 80€ a year, for whatever that's worth

[McHaggis]

TooLateForAName said:

Is that an issue?

In europe people live in one country and work in another all the time - a much more adult attitude to borders.

I am genuinely interested as I spend a lot of time in France and Switzerland. I was extending our rules to Europe, though I would suggest they will want to place some limitations on it.

Might be worth a posting in the France forum.

[sinizter]

McSam said:

sinizter, I'm looking at this in a similar way to tax avoidance. Of course everyone wants to save money where they can, but finding a cheaper fuel station or the best insurance deal in the UK isn't really the same as blagging yourself into a foreign policy through admitted deception, is it? You can't deny the parallels between this mentality and that of the whiplash claimants. "I can, it's not strictly legitimate but I can, so why not? I'm not going to have to deal with the consequences it might cause".

If it is within the law, it is legitimate. So I see no problem there.

Claiming whiplash when there is nothing wrong is just fraud. I don't condone fraud.

I don't think like that. I will not intentionally cause harm or loss to anyone, but I am not so altruistic as to think about the consequences of one insurance policy which may or may not affect an entirely different country in the future.

I will not commit fraud, or tax evasion. But I will reduce my tax to the minimum possible, using the letter of the law. I would treat the above situation as the same - so if it's legal, it's fair game.

[djad1200]

Comparing this to tax evasion is quite silly really as tax evasion is illegal.
Comparing this to tax avoidance would be more sensible as that IS legal.

I am not evading paying insurance. Just avoiding paying a higher price. I WILL be having an insured car, therefore I WILL be legal.

But it would be morally wrong :P

[McSam]

djad1200 said:

Comparing this to tax evasion is quite silly really as tax evasion is illegal.
Comparing this to tax avoidance would be more sensible as that IS legal.

You are gonna have to start reading my posts properly at some point, buddy.. I said avoidance.



sinizter, I think what matters - as far as I am concerned - is how you take the policy out. If you can be totally straight up with the insurers and tell them you live in the UK, all the time, with only occasional trips somewhere near the country in which the provider is based then fine. If you have to lie to them, as the universal consensus seems to be, then it is fraud, isn't it?

No issue with it if the insurers are happy to do it when they have all the facts. But let's face it, with false/dubious addresses flying around that opportunity will never be presented to them, which is why I don't approve.

Edited by McSam on Monday 23 July 10:54

[djad1200]

No problem McSam

I just feel that this country can be a rip off

That is why Asda are offereing 10% cheaper guarantee to bring customers back.

Its in everybodys nature to want something cheaper


McSam, If I was 100% honest with the insurer and told them I live in the UK would this be ok by you and would you want their number

[kambites]

My guess would be that if it's possible and you can get round all the problems and find a company to insure you, it will end up costing more than insuring it through a UK provider anyway.

[McSam]

If you can agree terms to do this with a foreign insurer, with full disclosure, then this whole debate is a waste of time because I quite agree with you the only thing I had issue with is doing it by casual deception and pretending there are no consequences, because there are. If, however, the company is happy to do it when presented with all the facts then those consequences are their lookout.

I'm actually very happy with the service I have from my current insurer, and that matters more than saving fifty quid a year, so I'm not bothered about switching myself. I'm sure a few people here with premium-heavy imports who don't mind pissing around with a tricky system would be interested, though.