VFR

I cannot see a member saying that they can use the Saga policy whilst living in Spain on a permanent basis.
Would you be covered for a couple of months or so when staying in your holiday home in Spain as many people do, of course you would as this is what this policy is tailored to do (as far as I know)

Brian

missile

A.n.other leaves their car in spain and brings it back to the UK once a year for MOT, that is NOT covered.
I am sure you will be covered for a car, which normally kept in UK, when you bring to spain for a month or two. If you are in any doubt contact SAGA.

Mitzyboy

Saga did post, but it was deemed as advertising.

However the official line is that Conditions of cover include that the vehicle is a UK registered vehicle and that the policyholders' primary residence is within the UK.

So a car that is left here by a UK resident and bought back to the UK once a year for an MOT is definately NOT covered by Saga

Casa Santo Estevo

I wondered what they had written. Thank you for the explanation.
Now that is solved, maybe close the thread?

Fred James

Sorry but I don't follow that. Your two sentences are contradictory.

If it is a UK reg car owned by a UK resident who lives in the UK then, from what you have said it is covered.

Mitzyboy

The way I understood it is that if the car is based in the UK, i.e. kept in the UK, but is used to travel in Europe then its covered

If the car is no longer kept in the UK but left abroad full time then it isnt covered.

Thats the way I understood it when we had a Saga policy, and thats what I thought the comment confirmed

This could go on forever

Fred James

Yes, but you said it would be returned every year for an MOT in which case it is not kept permanently abroad.

The key point is that when you take out a policy you have to declare where the car is "normally" kept.

If it spends 11 months in Spain this could be their get out clause but from what I have heard from owners with a SAGA policy this is not an issue.

As you say this could go on forever!

Mitzyboy

Im not sure taking a car back for an MOT every year actually constitutes it not being kept in Spain permanently ..... I think that is stretching the imagination somewhat for ones own purposes

Does that mean because I drive home once a year for a holiday, my Spanish car is not permanently kept in Spain .

Fred James

It depends on the wording of your specific policy but as far as SAGA policies are concerned, if you keep your car at your address in the UK for any time at all, you are covered for up to 12 months abroad.

If you think about it, as long as you are paying them a full years premium, why should they be bothered about where the car is?

jdr

How about if they only have approved bodywork repairers in the UK ?

missile

As I reported previously, this is what SAGA said >

You are required to declare where the vehicle is kept and in accordance with the policy document you are obliged to notify them of any change. They do not insure vehicles which are kept 53 weeks in Axarquia and 1 week in Nottingham.

I would agree that if you fail to make such a declaration you will probably get away with it. However in the event of a serious accident SAGA may investigate and invalidate your insurance. I would suggest it makes no sense to take such a risk.

IMHO, it is a hassle to keep a car in spain and drive it back to the UK every year. After 6 years the cost of fuel ferry charges far outweigh the cost of re-registration.

I would rather be honest.

Mitzyboy

Which is what I said ..... although I've given up the will to argue the point now because people just dispute whatever is said

So I actually emailed SAGA yesterday setting out the situation of a UK resident keeping a car in Spain with a brit reg and taking it back for an MOT every year ... would it be covered ... however as you have already had the answer it can only reinforce it

missile

I also quoted the relevant sections from SAGA documents in post #61.
In addition> http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...75#post8109675
I started another thread, because this one had become so long and way off the original topic "car lights".

mikelincs

I think the problem was that in your first post you did NOT say that you were only in Spain for part of the year, and gave people the impression that you lived in Spain all the time, your location also suggested that. Most people who have home in the UK do put that as theitr location, such as 'west midlands - Denia' to quote one. That allows people to know you are not resident, and they wouldn't jump on you like they did. What most people on the forum object to are people that are resiudent in Spain, but continue to drive UK registered cars.