French Motor Insurance

We have French Motor Insurance now! It is mainly thanks to the indomitable and indefatigable Carol who spent hours in the office of the brokers in Begles - and to the very helpful lady there who showed unparalleled flexibility and understanding.

In Britain basically you get a full no-claims discount after 5 years, and the discount is expressed as 65%. In France it takes 15 years to get a full no-claims bonus, and this is expressed as 0,50. You can also get a reduction for being a "good driver". Until you get your 0,50 bonus each year you get another (say) 5% of your 0,50.

This means that if you show your standard British end of policy statement to a French insurer they will conclude that you are nowhere near getting full no-claims because you only have 5 years and 65%! (65% of 0,50, they mentally interpret...)

I had been with my insurer for 9 clear years, but this is still a long way short of 15, and there were no records kept before those 9 years!

But with the help of my insurance broker here, who endorsed my bonus statement to say "This represents a full maximum no-claims discount" and Carol, who translated this for the lady in the brokers in France and explained the situation carefully and fully to her, I ended up with a full bonus, French-style.

They told me bureaucracy in France is challenging.

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