Yesterday I received a registered letter from the car insurance company Eurofil with whom we have had our car insurance for a number of years - more than 6 to be precise.
We are advised that we are now considered 'high risk' and that our insurance will not be renewed, PLUS that we have been entered on a 'black list' used by all car insurance companies as such.
On questioning this we were told that we had been involved in three events/issues in the past three years, and that was the reason for the decision. By pushing them the three issues were two as completely innocent parties where 1) a woman went to sleep at the wheel of her car and hit us head-on. Acknowledged and accepted and files with the compnay ad police accordingly. 2) When we were not even in the car but it was hit in a car park in Turenne. The driver was honest and openly declared and accepted the responsibility. Again we were completely innocent.
3) Was my fault where we have tricky parking in our house and I got the car on a rock and ripped out the undercasing when reversing. We paid over half that bill with our excess amount on our insurance.
So one only case of poor driving, and in which no other vehicle was involved or anyone injured, and which we paid over half the bill. Our NET cost to Eurofil being about €300.
That is one issue, but the Company says it has the right to refuse insurance to anyone they see fit, no matter how unfair it may seem - and of course the usual small print covers that nicely (for them) even if stupidly in our opinion.
However the 'black list' in my view is something else again. This is claiming that we are a 'poor risk' on the basis of spurious information and judgement. This will DIRECTLY infringe on our credit rating (we don't have credit anyway but the principle remains the same). More importantly though this seems to be a direct infringement of our CIVIL RIGHTS as it directly denigrates us in the eyes of third parties.
As with many here we live in an area of almost zero public transport, so a car is essential for us. This issue now affects our total lives and seemingly there is no recourse in law against their arbitray decision.
OK, they don't want us, and idiotic or not, that's is their right, but when this is spread around blackening our name and affecting directly on our quality of life and personal reputations.
In the UK and Australia cases such as this could be forwarded to an Ombudsman, but I am not aware of any such organisation here in France.
So, two issues - a) have anyone else found themselves in this or a similar situation, and if so what did they do about it? and b) does anyone know of a decent insurance broker or even sane insurance company to whom we could insure?