2 months notice to cancel your car insurance

[gus-lopez]

Spanish insurance companies stink , i have written about this on the forum before but just to update everyone of insurance dodges,
1 when we forst arrived and after 90 days expired on our uk insurance we went to renew our car insurance in spain ( on asking if we would get a discount for 40 odd years no claims and having 70 % no claims bonus in UK was informed that we would have to re insure and start from the beginning as it is a different country.
2 having forked out for two cars and a motorcycle ( not cheap) second year almost as bad as first year no discount . sold one of the cars after just insuring it and was told no refund unless I handed into my insurance agent a form from the new owner showing re registration of vehicle in new owners name so 300 odd euros down the swanney even though I had a signed and dated recipt of sale .
3 Motorcycle had brake failure and I refused to re insure when the old policy expired again lost about 80 euros worth of insurance and no you cant get a sorn in Spain unless you scrap vehicle at a registered scrapyard
these are in my opinion all scams designed to maximise the amount the insurance companies charge but as we say   it is Spain aint it

I think you have been badly advised.
1) The spanish will accept ncb from anywhere , as long as it is within 1 month of policy expiry. Failing that they will accept proof of ncb from a CURRENT policy from abroad !! ( Don't ask me . Never heard of anything like it before :)

2) Yes , it is always a problem when selling as a lot let the insurancw continue to cover the sold vehicle.

3) Yes you can 'baja' a vehicle yourself. I have posted one in the 'for sale' that is 'baja'd  ( Spanish sorn ) .

Unfortunately we all get caught by something somewhere along the line.











9

[atnuj]

I think one has 15 days to cancel any DD that one doesn't agree with. The debitor can do nothing about that.

In my experience out here, canceling the DD at the bank, and informing the company concerned, whoever they are, is the end of the matter.

[jockscot]

Spanish insurance companies stink , i have written about this on the forum before but just to update everyone of insurance dodges,
1 when we forst arrived and after 90 days expired on our uk insurance we went to renew our car insurance in spain ( on asking if we would get a discount for 40 odd years no claims and having 70 % no claims bonus in UK was informed that we would have to re insure and start from the beginning as it is a different country.
2 having forked out for two cars and a motorcycle ( not cheap) second year almost as bad as first year no discount . sold one of the cars after just insuring it and was told no refund unless I handed into my insurance agent a form from the new owner showing re registration of vehicle in new owners name so 300 odd euros down the swanney even though I had a signed and dated recipt of sale .
3 Motorcycle had brake failure and I refused to re insure when the old policy expired again lost about 80 euros worth of insurance and no you cant get a sorn in Spain unless you scrap vehicle at a registered scrapyard
these are in my opinion all scams designed to maximise the amount the insurance companies charge but as we say   it is Spain aint it

[webejamin]

It is the same in the UK, but you get a price with a reminder about a month before it's due for renewal, so you do have a chance to shop around. You must inform them if you intend to go elsewhere or they will take it by DD, but thats common sense anyway :tiphat: 

[byrney]

Yes, my experience as well Chris.

I simply told my bank to stop payment and that´s what they did (on the two occasions I changed companies).

The companies never chased me up.

Clearly others haven´t been as lucky!

[Chris485]

In my experience out here, canceling the DD at the bank, and informing the company concerned, whoever they are, is the end of the matter.

[Pennydot]

We had our Car Insurance deducted from our account 3 times last year.  Got it sorted, but it was a bit of a headache!  :head

[The Sheriff ILLIA.]

Yea,

that's how it works  - don't forget to get written confirmation of your NCB  all at the same time or you will never get that either. ?

[alfie]

Personally I always try NEVER to pay anything by DD so as to avoid unauthorised deductions from my bank account.

[jamesturner]

It is indeed the same with car insurance. We decided not to renew with Linea Directa a few years ago but didn't then know about the cancellation notice clause....until we realised the money had just been debited from our bank account, the whole year's premium! We are now very, very careful to do things "properly" and happy to pass on this information whenever we can!

[ginger]

As Gus-Lopez says, continuous insurance is commonplace with Spanish insurance and it may also be the same with your household insurance.  You need to read your policies.  We changed our house policy from AXA to Liberty Seguros.  We got quotes from other companies in advance of the 2 months before renewal, compared benefits and costs and made the decision to change.  We wrote to AXA 3 months before renewal date to advise cancellation at the renewal date and also notified our bank.  Then you have to wait until 1 month before you need to take out your new policy and get an up-to-date quote from the new insurers which, of course, you can either accept or not.  If you choose not to you still have the month to sort out an alternative insurer.  It's all a bit long-winded and takes some advance planning, but this is the way it works.

No, it is not folklore.  It was clearly stated under the cancellation terms on our AXA policy which is why we noted all the dates to make sure we didn't fall foul of their terms and conditions.  It may be that they would have cancelled with no penalty but by their terms they would have been within their rights to take the full renewal premium.

I have not cancelled any motor insurance but am aware that the same terms are on that policy as well. 

[byrney]

From the electric company perhaps... :lol:  Sorry Llamedos, just couldn´t resist!

Seriously though, I have also followed this topic and am similarly confused.

I can understand the two month cancellation, but are we actually sure that you have to give two months notice not to renew, or is it just another bit of Forum folklore?

Has anyone actually been stopped/penalised for not giving adequate notice of renewal?

I personally have not renewed twice (with different insurance companies) whilst in Spain and I certainly didn´t give them two months notice nor did they chase me for any money.   So, on that basis it is folklore and people shouldn´t worry unduly.

[Llamedos]

I was warned............what an unbelievable country this is  :notopic: just had a 200€ electricity bill   where did that come from  ???

[gus-lopez]

I've been following this one, but not ever insuring a car in Spain before, couldn't get my head around it. I can understand two months notice to cancel a current policy, but at the end of a normal policy, it needs to be renewed and that doesn't need to be cancelled does it, you just move on to a new provider.
Is it a requirement that you must insure your car before finding out the cost? as in, renewing an old expiring policy. Sounds a bit daft I know but thats how it's coming across, maybe I missed something :crazy: ??? Can someone put me right please :tiphat:

Spain operates a "continuous insurance system ". You cannot have an uninsured vehicle. ( Yes I know there are 1 million + uninsured . That is the GC trafico depts. fault. )
Theoretically they cannot let you cancel without knowing that you have another insurance already in place.
Yes you are quite right it is 2 months to cancel but a renewal premium is not available until 1 week before renewal. :rofl:

It might be worth remembering that since last year , this is the system that is now in place in the UK. You cannot have an uninsured vehicle unless on SORN. It cannot have a tax disc. It won't be long before they are prosecuting in the UK anyone selling a vehicle with a tax disc that has cancelled the insurance !

Back to Spain
You cannot have an uninsured vehicle.
You cannot have an Un ITV'd vehicle. ( This is the only thing I can think of in Spain that must be renewed BEFORE expiry, unlike everything else which cannot be renewed until day of /after expiry!)
You cannot have a vehicle without road tax.

Apparently the GC trafico have a database of each of the above. You would think by now that they would be able to link them up , surely?   ???

Guess this relates to people who pay by DD. Personnaly I don't.

No, it applies to all it is just that some companies can't be bothered.

[webejamin]

Just got in before your post jamesturner. So it is the way it works :crazy: it seems a funny old way to operate, but it is Spain :crazy:

[sallyb]

Guess this relates to people who pay by DD. Personnaly I don't.

[webejamin]

I've been following this one, but not ever insuring a car in Spain before, couldn't get my head around it. I can understand two months notice to cancel a current policy, but at the end of a normal policy, it needs to be renewed and that doesn't need to be cancelled does it, you just move on to a new provider.
Is it a requirement that you must insure your car before finding out the cost? as in, renewing an old expiring policy. Sounds a bit daft I know but thats how it's coming across, maybe I missed something :crazy: ??? Can someone put me right please :tiphat:

[jamesturner]

It's been raised here before. You have to give them 2 months' notice to cancel or they are legally entitled to take the full year's premium directly from your bank account. The problem is that you won't know whether or not you want to stay with them anyway as 2 months is too far in advance for them to give you a new quote! Best advice is to cancel (make sure you get their confirmation of this in writing, then present to the bank to instruct NOT to pay as the policy is cancelled) then decide if you want to take up their insurance when they offer new a quote.

[jabba the cat]

Just read this article further down in the legal matters it appears you need to give your present insurers 2 months notice to cancel,first i have heard of this thanks APY2 for observations on this.
Glad i read this but a little supprised our new insurer didn't mention this to us.Having 2nd thoughts now dont want a invoice after we have our moved car
insurance to the new one.
Thought i bring this into the main forum for comments. :tiphat: