Thanks Theo,
we really do live in a bizarre world. I went on to a couple of multiple sites (Lynx etc) and put on the details - totally honestly (silly me?) and blow me down if Eurofil didn't send a quote! Just out of casual interest it was almost €100 cheaper than what we currently pay!
More out of mischief than anything else we followed through and a highly embarrassed salesperson on the othere end, said we had made a mistake by not 'qualifying' the three incidents between 'guilty - (m'Lud?) and not guilty. In fact THEY had made that assumption. Not that it took us any further as they still said 'the case had been decided on after careful (are they kidding?) consideration by several people'.
I'm not sure which offends me most - the idiocy of the reply, or the fact that they consider me as fool enough to believe all this ****!
However we DO seem to have found a possible alternative - and again the mind boggles, as it was a recommendation by Eurofil (What? Eh?).
Please pass the tablets - or better the bottle!
Norman, you are right about needing a car when living a bit remotely...Public-transport is not really their thing.
Regarding insurance in France, if you google 'Blair insurances' in Valbonne you will find proper English speaking advisers and I think you will be able to get your insurance in France.
I did not know in France are black listings. I know the insurers are having them in Germany. But in case of wrong statements, false accusations as you are mentioning, you could go against it via a very short process by a court which would be a preliminary injunction and order the insurer to get the facts right. This judicial service is free of charge.
I never have had a accident (knock on wood) and this also the reason I still keep my two cars insured in Germany because of a no-claim rebate of over 70%, means I'm paying just a quarter of what any French insure could ever offer me. The other reason is the absolute "despotism", their arbitrary decision-making. I don't go into a contract with a insurance which cuts all my right and I have to fight at a court, because then I can easily imagine how many claims are simply rejected. This is all just hoax...
Very unfair Norman. I’m insured with MAAF and I’ve had three claims in the last three years (after forty years of driving with none). I hit a dead sanglie which damaged the front of my car, I then damaged the passenger side sill on a “hidden” bollard in my local car park and finally a hit and run driver took the side off my brand new Tiguan. MAAF paid up for all three incidents and my “no claims bonus” doesn’t seem to have suffered too much and the two other car policies I have with them were unaffected. In fact I just got another email from MAAF this morning sayng that because I’m such a careful driver I have another 1% off next year! Altogether the Mutual approach to insurance seems to me to be more accomodating and friendly. Maybe it is worth you asking them for a quote, they may be more understanding.
A THUMPIN' GREAT FIVE STARS, Ian!!!! Going through it all now (and passing it over to SWMBO!)
Can't thank you enough, this is saving a lot of domestic grief!
Cheers!
If you type "assurance auto pour 1 mois" into google there are several solutions for temporary insurance offered, which you can do online, Norman. There's also this page on the site I referenced below :
http://www.ffsa.fr/sites/jcms/c_33789/fr/assurance-auto-obligatoire-que-faire-en-cas-de-refus-dassurance?cc=fn_7300
which tells you how to go about getting a motor insurance policy from the Bureau central de tarification (BCT). This organism was created to allow all drivers to take out an insurance "responsabilité civile" which is obligatory.
.....and the brain! (Thought I had better say it before anyone else did!)
.....and the brain (thought I had better say it before anyone else did!)
Sorry about the typos the fingers are a bit arthritic this morning.
Hi Jane, I suppose it makes sense really. However regarding the other drivers, well of course we don't know what if anything has affected them, although we did anticipate that the 80-year old woman falling asleep at the wheel at 11.00 am in the morning and causing the head-on collision with us might have been regarded as a bit more than just insurance risk!
The car park incident was an open admission by the other driver and he even left a note with his details, so we can't abuse him at all - total honesty, and to be honest I seriously wonder if I would have done the same with the way inusrance compnaies behave.
I am often puzzled as to why there is not standard Government scheme for at least Third Party cover at a reasonable rate, with top up charges for the usual Theft and Fire, and Comprehensive being open to the Market. As most know on this site I am not usually for Government interventions, but when blatant abuse of 'power' is being used by commercial interests, then I think there is a good case for it. I also include the suppliers of essential services in this - i.e. Power and Water.
It is the same in UK Norman. You have to exhausted the company’s internal procedures before the Ombudsman will get involved.
From what uou have said it is the French drivers which should be getting the punishment and not yourselves
Thank you Jane. We have spolen to the Ombudsman's office who said our first move is to get a statement from Eurofil in writing of the reasons why their unilateral decision was made. We then challenge this again in writing with the details from our side - registered mail of course.
Although I wasn't too clear on this as my wife handled it all in French but - they also pointed out that usually (legally?) there was the right to challenge the company directly via their own arbitration system - a bit like challenging the Judge and the Jury? That said, a paper trail must be established before the Ombudsman can get involved - not just someone's 'word', and I can see the validity of that.
So a system is around, although the downside is the Office told us it would take 6-12 months to get arbitration from them!
So we have tracked down the Eurofil arbitrator details and a registered letter goes off today. So we will see what happens. It seems possible we may have to drive illegally at some point as we just can't do without a car where we live. That doesn't sit easily with us, but we may have no choice.
Unfair and unjust are words that do spring to mind, but I have the time and more than enough inclination to be a thorough pain in the proverbial to the Company no matter what!
Watch this space?
That is so unfair Norman, I do hope that you can resolve this in your favour. We too live in the sticks and need our own transport, so I fully understand your feelings.
*Philip Sidney bow*
All part of the day's work Norm :)
Ian, many thanks for that! Brilliant. Cheers!