No claims discount protection transferable?

james_33

My car was broken into at the weekend and I'm trying to decide if I should make an insurance claim for the drivers door lock to be replaced (the car has central locking that I am still able to open/close using the passenger door). The drivers window was smashed too and this has been replaced by Autoglass through my insurance policy with an excess of £75 paid by me and no affect on no claims discount (NCD). The total excess is £100, therefore I would only have to pay a further £25 to get the lock replaced subject to the insurance company agreeing to the quote I've obtained. I have 9 years NCD and NCD protection that enables 2 claims within a 3 year period without affecting the NCD. I am concerned that claiming will substantially raise the level of premium increase at renewal and no doubt I will need to shop around again for the cheapest quote.

My questions are:
1. Would I be better off paying out of my own pocket to get the lock replaced and not making a claim at all (or just not bother replacing the lock as it is only a convenience issue really)?
2. If I make a claim: what happens to NCD protection if one changes to a different insurance company? I would have used up one of my permitted claims within a 3 year period, can this be carried over to another insurance company? Or is it only applicable if I stay with my current insurer meaning I am hostage to whatever premium they set?

The car is a 95 reg Peugeot 306.

InsideInsurance

1) You say you;ve a quote but dont say how much that was?

2) Each insurance company has its own rules over NCD and NCD Protection. Most insurers would allow you to transfer to them and still protect your NCD but one of the "lives" of the protection would be lost.

Quentin

Your window claim will probably result in an increase to your premium anyway, so see how much your lock will cost and make a decision based on this (you can do online virtual quotes to see what difference a claim makes to your premium).

You'd need to see how your chosen insurer looks at you wanting to protect your NCD with a claim on your recent history. (Insurers have different ts + cs regarding how they run their protection)

james_33

InsideInsurance wrote: »

1) You say you;ve a quote but dont say how much that was?

£166 inc VAT and labour from Peugeot garage. The part is £66 inc VAT. There is a chance I could get a mate to do it for nearer the £100 mark... So with an additional excess of £25 I would potentially be looking to save £75 through an insurance claim...