Recently had cause to get a couple of quotes for a VW Golf GT TDI 130bhp. Upon telling them it was an EU import to UK Spec they immediately bumped it up into insurance group 15/16grp, resulting in quotes between 1400 & 2800 per annum. The same vehicle with Churchills as not imorted was £925.
Is this fair that an identical car: Same factory, same spec is charged differently because it was first sold in a foreign country. What about Jersey registered Fords: are these imports?
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Thats shocking, I had Alfa 156 import for 4 years and not one asked for any extra because it was an import. I found most asked "if the car is EU import does it differ from UK spec" or words to that effect!
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My Leon was an import, and my insurer (elephant.co.uk) did ask if it was an import, but once they were told it was to full UK spec it didn't affect the premium. I double-checked this by filling out the online claim form for a quote based on a UK-sourced car.
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Technically if it is a VW it MUST be an import - they aren't built in UK and I think the insurance companied probably know that. Shop around. How do they justify the higher premium, difficulty in obtaining spares or what?
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You folks should think yourselves lucky you get quotes. I've bought a Kia Mentor and have wasted days of my life trying to get a quote. Annoying thing is, the car's come from Ireland (helluva long way!) and has identical body/tech spec to a UK car, the only differences are in trim. All sorts of excuses - doesn't exist, not approved, grey import... no quote. That is, until today when Adrian Flux actaully found one for me - at a figure at least double what it should be and with a sky high excess. What game are these insurers playing?
Paul
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Your insurer has got it wrong. Escalate your enquiry up from the telesales staff. I have imported around 200 VW/Audi in the last 2 years, all full UK spec models, and none of them have been charged a premium for the car not being sourced from a UK dealer.
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I would have a chat with a good old Mk1 insurance broker as well. When my wife and I recently had to replace a car and I tried to get insured on it many direct insurers and brokers counted my company car time for naught and all required me to give up the company car despite there being an overlap on the lease (impracticable). In desperation I spoke to a conventional broker locally (www.hollandsinsurance.co.uk) and they honoured all of my 'no crunch' time, allowed me to keep the company car through to the end of the lease and came in £100 less than any other quote (next best £650). I know that they will not always be able to help but they can flex their policies in a way that the automatons in the call centres never will.
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Apparently the ABI have increased the groups on this one car to 15, thus bringing it into an unsurable group for someone my age.
The upshot of it all is that I have scrapped the plan to buy the Golf and to buy something else! But I am going to have fun arguing with 'the insurers' about the deposit that I had put down on the Golf.
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Golf GTTDIPD 130 bhp
ABI raised the group from 10 to 14 and have as yet not given any reasons for this. This means that the 130bhp and the more expensive and faster 150bhp tdi's now cost the same to insure ?
They have however quoted the "Advisory" group bit to say that even if it was a mistake they are not liable for any losses and the insurers are free to ignore their advise ?!? WTF.
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You could always try selling your slot in the classifieds in something like AutoCar. If the dealer will transfer the rights though...
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