Car Insurance

08/23/2009 - 15:23

I am sorry to raise what no doubt is an old topic but we need some help. For three years now I have used a UK registered left hand drive car in Italy. We visit about 4 times a year for a total of about 4 months. Each year in Apr/May I have driven back to England in order to have the car MoT'd, Taxed , serviced and insured. We drive back in July and then leave the car when we return to the uk. I am insured with SAGA and until Friday everything was fine. I rang them to try and add my son to the insurance as he is going on holiday for a week in Sept. They asked the whereabouts of the car and I told them it was securely garaged at our house in Italy. They told me that it was not acceptable to do this and promptly gave me a weeks notice of termination. Despite offering to accept the car was not insured whilst I was not with it they were adamant that the insurance would be withdrawn.I need a company that can cover my arrangements - has anyone got a name please that might solve the problem?

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We are also looking and asking around and a friend has just very kindly told us about Italsure who cover Uk citizens with cars permently in Italy. Their website is: www.italsure.co.uk. email: insure@italsure.co.uk We have just sent off for a quote so I will let you know as soon as I get it back but I do know car insurance is much more expensive in Italy than in the UK. Hope this helps.

Hi, We too use Italsure , they insure our house and car in Italy. They have been very helpful so give them a go!!

Only slightly off-topic: Was it difficult to find a good lhd car in the UK?We're thinking of buying a (UK registered) lhd car here in the UK, and taking it to Italy with us when we move. Once we have our residency, we plan to either sell it on (I'm assuming this will have to be done in the UK?) or get an Italian registration for it.L

Friends of ours found it much cheaper to buy a LHD car in France, take it to the UK first and then when the time came they bought it over to Italy.

I actually found the car on e-bay. It had been bought by an English couple living in France who had returned to the UK and needed a RHD car. It was just under 2 years old and I got it at a great price. The plan had been to register it in Italy, insure it there etc. However not having residency put a stop to the plan, that and the price of Italian insurance!There are though a good number of places in England that specialise in LHD cars - the only down side is that they seem to charge a premium. I used "The Left Hand Drive Place" in Basingstoke to transfer the car to UK plates. They were helpful and I plan to give them a call about the insurance problem to see if they can give me a name. If I can get one then at least I will have a comparison with Italsure. If you search on the internet I am sure you will find a number of options.As regards selling the car in Italy I understand that so long as you have the documentation it can be done although whomsoever buys it will have to pay a few hundred euros to get it onto Italian plates.

Stuart Collins inurance swansea 01792655562This is the only Co i have found that will insure your car when left in Italy when you return to EnglandVW Sharen about £350.00 As you say Saga insurance will cover you only for trips

We can endorse the use of Stuart Collins as well. Good service although we haven't had to make a claim as yet!Steve

Many thanks to you and melbreak.Dave and Anna

Interestingly Stuart Collins is the Insurance company that was suggested to me by The Left Hand Drive Place I mentioned above.

Think they are about the only Co that do a insurance of this type, it is through AXA, but you have to go through Stuart Collins

talk to Oliver in Italsure. Not only did he make it easy for us to insure our UK car here, but we just put in a claim due to an accident that wasnt our fault and he made it very easy for us to deal with the whole process. Couldnt recomend him highly enough. And no, he's not my cousin!

are you reident or none resident!If none resident, will the post office in England accept your Italian inurance when you renew your licence!!

Those of you using Italsure may wish to reconsider. I have just had a quote from them and Stuart Collins and Italsure are practically double the price. The car is a bog standard Ford Fiesta so I wouldn't expect such a margin of difference. In addition the Italsure quote includes a warning that it cannot be guaranteed that a Post Office will accept their cover as fulfilling UK needs when re- taxing the car. The higher quote may, in part, be explained by the reference to the quote being inclusive of Italian taxes. They do also mention that they are taking up the car tax issue with the DVLA which may of course resolve any potential difficulties.

Unless things have changed, then Stuart Collins will only insure a UK registered and taxed vehicle, and they give you a years green card for use abroad. We used them before changing the registration on our car. Italsure on the other hand insure expats with Italian registered vehicles. The Italsure insurance documents are in Italian, so would therefore confuse the UK Post Office, just as my Saudi Arabian driving licence did to the car hire people at Heathrow, as it was valid until the year 1415.

Many thanks for the explanation. Looking again it seems to indicate that in the past the Green Card had in the past been the proxy for cover with the Post Office but for some reason the PO guidance has been changed and it is this that they are taking up with DVLA. It also indicates that the policy and accident claim forms will be issued in English.

The insurance through Stuart Collins is for uk reg cars only, its for people like ourselves who are none reidents and who travel back and forward to Italy, leaving the car there, and returning once a year for motDave & Anna i asume you are none resident and in the same situation as ourselves if so this is about the only option you have.If resident then other option are available

melbreak, our situation is as you describe. We travel out in July and bring it back the following April/May. The annoying bit is that Saga knew the situation when I last renewed the policy on 1st July. They asked me to notify them if I left the car which I did when trying to organise a weeks cover for my son in Sept. It obviously was too good to be true! Thanks again for all your help.Dave and Anna

We have bought two lhd cars from Damon Oorloff at http://www.lhdautos.com/. He as absolutely brilliant, delivered the cars with no charge and nothing was too much trouble. We also insure through Stuart Collins who, interestingly, do not insist on the car being MOTd but on it being "roadworthy."

Not sure if you are residents or none!!You are right about them not insisting on an mot as long as the car is roadworthy, but if no mot you cannot get a licence, and to get a mot the car has to be brought back to the uk once a year.

Would be interested in SC's qualifications for roadworthy. If a vehicle is UK registered, then it has to have tax and a valid MOT certificate. Other than that, it has to be on a SORN which exempts it from being driven anywhere, apart from a MOT station for testing purposes. The quote below is from their FAQ's"No, as long as the car is registered in the UK, we will offer a quotation."Would not like to go down the route of roadworthy without a certificate .......... could cost you thousands in the event of a claim, as sure the insurers would want a valid MOT or Revisione to certify the fact.

If you have a Saga policy do check their January 2009 amendments to the policy, especially for excluding glass in your car roof.Looking for an alternative to Saga in addition to the AXA policy offered by Stuart Collins, I've discovered two worthwhile possibilities if you want extended European cover. The Co-operative policy offers an extended use option for individual trips up to 90 days. Liverpool Victoria offer an addition - no trip to be longer than 180 continuous days. Both these quote online. All of these policies are broadly similar prices and might suit someone who does not want 365 days european cover in a block. I'm choosing between them now.

Because of this thread I specifically asked Saga about their rules for keeping the car here. The people I spoke to had not heard of any such problem so i went ahead with them on the basis that keeping the car here was not an issue. If push came to shove the conversation recording has the details, and they really do keep the recordings as part of the contract.We are not yet resident (but will be soon) and the car is on UK plates. I asked what happens if we become residents and they said no problem, so long as I still have a residence in UK.FWIW

As said before no prob using the car abroad for the year with Saga insurance, its when you are returning back and forward to England when the insurance becomes a problem, Why not buy insurance from Stuart Collins, AXA ,then you have peice of mind,

I know i have not been previously part of this thread, but i just read through and got an amazing quote from Liverpool Victoria for their 180 day cover based on advice on here.Thanks for the tips, these forums are invaluable :)

I don!t think getting quotes for 90 days or even 180 days is a problem a lot of companies will offer this. Its when you want to insure for the full 12 months and being able to leave the car when you return to England. Most other companies insurance (Saga etc )will cover for a single trip be it 50,90,180,or the full year, if you retrun to England then your insurance becomes void. as one post commented.If you are coming over for 180 day then returning back to England with the car, then returning to Italy again with the car no prob,