Trade motor insurance+EU licence

Debtomaniak

Hi guys,

Can anyone help me please? My partner has moved to UK a year ago and has EU driving licence. He now needs to obtain Trade motor insurance for his business as a mechanic (picking up cars for repairs). The problem we have that as soon as insurance companies hear that he doesn't have UK driving licence and only has 1 year UK non claim bonus, they don't even want to deal with us. The ones that do quote anything between £1.5-3K!!!!

Any advice please?

D

forgotmyname

Take the UK test or exchange his licence for a UK one if possible?

Even then a trade policy wont be cheap. If he has no claims from a private policy he can usually use that for the trade policy, BUT... he probably wont be able to trade it back to a private one later.

Mate got stung on that one. Lots all his no claims when he sold up and needed a private policy again.

Debtomaniak

Yes, that's the thing... he has 40% discount on his insurance in Germany, but here in UK they don't recognise it. Surely its discrimination....

We are planning to move to Spain in the near future, so its a bit of a waste of time to get UK licence given that its not guaranteed to be any cheaper. :mad:

Thank you for your ideas though...

Regards,
D:beer:

forgotmyname

No its not discrimination. If the german system was linked to the UK and they could verify it then they would probably allow it.

But its so open to fraud and abuse its not worth the effort for them. So cheap for you to setup a website and a phone number claiming to be a german insurer and then say you have 99 years no claims.

When in reality its a phone in someones spare room.

You said having a non UK licence means they wont deal with you surely getting a UK one will solve that problem?

Debtomaniak

Yes, getting UK licence will solve one problem and create another at the same time as he would need to give up his EU licence, but he regularly drives back to Germany and within Germany. Also, we are hoping to move to Spain in the next year or two.

Thank you for your time though.

D

DCFC79

Debtomaniak wrote: »

Surely its discrimination....

Lol discrimination rears its head again

Debtomaniak

Discrimination was mentioned because accourding to my partner in Germany insurance companies would not be able to turn customers away because they haven't been in the country for a number of years, i.e. regardless of the length of stay imigrant would be considered equally as the native German. I did not mean to offend anyone by mentioning discrimination here, so appologies if it upset anyone.

D

dacouch

Debtomaniak wrote: »

Discrimination was mentioned because accourding to my partner in Germany insurance companies would not be able to turn customers away because they haven't been in the country for a number of years, i.e. regardless of the length of stay imigrant would be considered equally as the native German. I did not mean to offend anyone by mentioning discrimination here, so appologies if it upset anyone.

D

The driving on the left hand side has a significant effect on UK Insurers and inexperienced foreign drivers. It's not such a problem in other Euro countries as the vast majority drive on the right hand side so the chances are any inexperienced foreign drivers they pick up will actually be used to driving on the right

s_b

Debtomaniak wrote: »

Hi guys,

Can anyone help me please? My partner has moved to UK a year ago and has EU driving licence. He now needs to obtain Trade motor insurance The ones that do quote anything between £1.5-3K!!!!

Any advice please?

D

i think the lower quote is quite reasonable bearing in mind your partner as said is driving on the wrong side of the road and also using it for business
i would go with it at only £30 a week and tell him to get trade plates too so he is definitely insured and covered when in customers cars because otherwise they could get taken off him if untaxed

Debtomaniak

Thank you both for your messages. My partner had same type insurance in Spain at a cost of EUR400 per annum, so even £1.5K seems a rip off.

With over 25 years of driving expirience switching from one side of the road to another is not a big deal for him, but I can see what you are saying from an insurer point of view.

Tnks

D

dacouch

Debtomaniak wrote: »

Thank you both for your messages. My partner had same type insurance in Spain at a cost of EUR400 per annum, so even £1.5K seems a rip off.

With over 25 years of driving expirience switching from one side of the road to another is not a big deal for him, but I can see what you are saying from an insurer point of view.

Tnks

D

The other issue is insurers worry that recent residents to the UK will simply leave the UK if they have a bad accident and leave the Insurer to try and deal with the claim. I've seen this happen numerous times