Carrot_Cruncher

Hello all,


I just wanted to share a recent experience regarding car insurance.


Last year we purchased a Hungarian car and had the insurance details completed by the dealer. At the time, we requested Casco on top of the third party - two seperate insurances. Having reviewed the prices we decided to pay for the third party for the year but elected not to purchase the Casco as it was too expensive.


On attempting to renew the policy online very recently we discovered that the policy had been cancelled. After visting the local office it transpired that two discounts had been applied to the third party, one alledgedly for a 2nd car policy (we do have a 2nd car but not in my name) and one for purchasing 2 products (3rd party and Casco). Alledgedly reminders were sent by email and letter to pay the discount back - we never received either - the only letter we did get was the 3rd party certificate so we know the address was correct.


Further to this, apparently once your insurance is cancelled a fine begins to accrue on a central database compounded on a daily basis - needless to say with insurance cancelled 3 months ago - and not aware this now amounts to many tens of thousands.


it appears the only way the fine can be paid is when you renew/replace your insurance and it is paid as a lump sum to the new provider as well as your premium increases of course as you now have a bad history. I have been driving for 27 years, (24 in UK) no points with one accident 21 years ago and no claims. This is now irreleveant as I am back where I was when I passed my test effectively.


We have heard annecdotal evidence that letters not being received from insurance companies is not uncommon. But in this case where they leave you with no legally required cover due to a cancellation I beleive this should be in the form of a signed-for letter.


Be warned.

Peter_in_Hungary

Did you pay the premiums when due? If you did then IMO the insurance should be valid. If you did not pay the premiums then - no insurance -.

If you paid the premiums than it is probably worth an appeal (make sure it is within the time frame) as the fact that you did not receive notification of their mistake should not be your problem. You can claim that you did not receive notification of their demands as - as you rightly say - such things should be sent registered recorded ansd the insurance co. can not say that you received notification because they can not prove such. (proof of posting is not prove of receipt).

(the fine is a government based thing essentially for driving without insurance)

GMC girl

What is Casco?

Peter_in_Hungary

comprehensive insurance.

Here you have compulsory insurance which is third party
if you want any more you buy another policy for comprehensive.

Note the compulsory does not have theft. If you want theft cover then you have to get comprehensive.

All car insurance here is any driver.

GMC girl

Thank you for the info, makes sense. Any idea of general price? ??

Carrot_Cruncher

GMC girl,


As an example, the prices we were quoted last year for our 2007 diesel Honda FRV (6 seater):


40,000 3rd party
84,000 Casco (fully comp - seperate)


...so would be a shade over 300 GBP at last years exchange rate. This was also based on zero no claims as the dealer couldn't really be bothered to ascertain if the full no-claims certificate from Direct Line could be used to secure a discount here. Details appear to be a bit sketchy on this after a bit of Googling. Hoping to better this year while the certificate is still within two year validity.


Other halfs 2006 Suzuki SX4 24,000 3rd party.


Regards

GMC girl

Thank you, we would be bringing a Nissan Elgrand over. Both clean licence & hubby hgv. Wlll have a look & see what we can do but we do need transport

Carrot_Cruncher

Hi,


Bringing a vehicle over is fraught with difficulties IMHO. We originally brought our Renault Scenic with us as buying an identical car here was twice as expensive as the UK price.


We ran into a bureaucratic nightmare and decided to sell it back in the UK, together with the van we bought in the UK for the move and purchase a car here.


You may not have the same experience depending on where you choose to live here and the local bureaucracy but there are several threads and experiences on this forum.

duztee

As C-C just said, any department that deals with vehicles seems to attract the worse of the bureaucratic jobs worths.
My first import was a pick up so here it is a commercial vehicle which was good because there was no registration tax to pay, but I had a fair amount of hassle because it was fitted with a tow bar which meant a possible GTW high enough to require a tachograph fitted.
This was eventually over come by signing a declaration that the vehicle would never be used commercially.
There was also a problem that the VIN number wasn't mathematically correct which involved a delay issuing the number plate while they checked the validity with the manufacturer in Japan.

Second import is a bigger nightmare, a motorhome from Belgium, Motorhomes here count as cars, but of course are built onto van chassis (commercial) so although a Ford Transit is a popular vehicle because the Hungarian system defines the model as the body manufacturer I had a 3 week wait for the number plate because no one had ever registered a Ford Benimar in Hungary before.

The biggest problem is that very little can be done on line, In Hungary it still need a personal appearance at an office and plenty of cash to pay with.

vorsman

If you want to register the Elgrand on Hungarian plates you will need LHD headlights (beam benders are NOT acceptable). So check with the manufacturer that the model was made Lhd so are headlights available and equally importantly from where can they be sourced. You may have to buy the from Indonesia or the Phillipines or whatever. Some one last year was bring in a Nissan Serena but the new model has never been made in LHD.

GMC girl

Thank you all for the info, haven't long bought it...but sounds like it will be getting sold as soon as we move cos it's a 3.5 so wayyy to expensive to re reg. .

vorsman

A German friend brought over a UK reg Chevy Day Van 4 years ago snd found that the cost of registration was astronomical. He could not sell it at any price and eventually the Chevrolet Club in Budapest took it away for spares. Just be prepared to junk it if you bring it over here.

GMC girl

Hubby would cry if he had to scrap it, it's his new baby. .

kohoutek

If you bring in a Japanese import ie an Elgrand or in my case a C24 Serena, they were never made for European market so you will not find headlights that comply with EU rules (LH). So you will struggle to register on Hungarian plates
Ended up selling mine back in the UK.

Regards

Michael/Julie