Car Insurance FAQ

What Car Insurance changes need to be advised to us?

You must tell us immediately about any of the following changes to your circumstances:

• Change of car;
• Convictions, prosecutions or penalty points which apply to you or a named driver on your policy;
• Change in your health, address or occupation;
• Modifications or alterations to your car including adding body parts;
• Change in use – for example if you started to use your car for your employment.

What do I do if I sell my car?

If you sell your car and are not planning on replacing it, simply return the certificate and disk to us along with a note telling us to cancel your insurance policy. Our address is Blackthorn Business Park, Dundalk, Co. Louth. If your insurance company allows a refund, we will process it immediately. Some Insurance Companies do not allow a refund on a cancelled car insurance policy during the first year of insurance, or only allow a small refund. If you are unsure, please check with us.

What do I do if I am changing my car?

If you are planning on replacing your car, do send us your old certificate and disk, and phone us with the registration and value of your replacement car. You will also need to advise us of the time and date the transfer of cover is due to take place. We will then transfer your policy to your new car. If your policy is more than one year old, we will also check and see whether there are other, more suitable and/or better priced policies available for your new car. If there is we will make a recommendation

What do I do if I have an accident?

You must stop your car immediately – that is the law in Ireland. Think about your safety and that of others. Put on your hazard lights and call the emergency services. If you have a high visibility vest, put it on and then take photographs of the accident with your mobile phone before moving the vehicles off to the side of the road. If your car is severely damaged, do not attempt to push it off the road. It is much better and safer to wait for the emergency services. Many cars have a triangle warning reflector located under the boot lid. Check and see if your car has one of these and if so, stand it up 50 meters or so behind the scene of the accident to warn on-coming traffic of the accident scene.

Do not admit liability (fault) to anybody. Get the names, phone numbers and addresses of the third parties. Remember to use the camera on your mobile phone – a quick photo of the car registration plate and insurance disk will provide much of the information required by your insurance company.

If there are any witnesses to the accident, you should try to get their names and contact details. Get the name and phone number of the attending Gardaí.

Notify your insurance company as soon as possible. The name of your insurer will be printed on your insurance disk on your windscreen. The phone number for the claims desks of the insurance companies can be found here.

Your Insurance Company will request that you complete an accident report form. Please do so as soon as possible and include a diagram of the accident, taking into account the weather conditions and general visibility at the time of the accident. If you receive any correspondence from a third party or a solicitor in relation to the accident, send it on unanswered, immediately to your insurance company.

Can I suspend my car insurance policy if my vehicle is laid up?

Yes, so long as the cover is suspended for at least 30 days and no claim has been made in the current period of insurance. In order to suspend your policy, please return your certificate and disc to us. Depending on which Insurance Company you are with, you may be entitled to a premium refund at your next renewal date.

What is a Protected No Claims Bonus?

This cover can be bought for an additional charge. It allows you to make at least one claim without reducing your no claims bonus. Whether you can make one claim or two claims depends on which insurance company you are with.

A second type of protected bonus is the step back protected bonus. This means that if you have one claim, your bonus will “step back” by two years instead of reducing to zero.

You can drop us an email if you are unsure which protection level you have. info@quoteme.ie.

What is my “Car Insurance Policy Excess”?

Your policy excess is the amount of the claim that you are responsible for. Excesses can vary from between €250 to €750. Insurance companies give a discount for having a higher policy excess. The downside of a higher policy excess is that you will have to pay yourself for damage to your car caused by small tips or bumps.

Does the Policy Excess apply to Windscreens?

No – the policy excess does not apply to windscreen claims. However, certain Insurance Companies in Ireland are applying a separate excess onto windscreen claims. For example, Patrona charge a policy excess of €25, Wrightway charge a policy excess of €30. All insurance companies have a preferred or approved windscreen repairer and if you use an alternative, the cover will be limited to a certain amount (in the case of Axa, €400 and in the case of KennCo €100), so do check here to find out which Windscreen Repairer is approved by your Insurance Company.

How do I make a change to my car insurance policy

It is very easy to make a change to your car insurance policy. Simply phone or email us the details. If you wish to add a driver, it will be essential to know the date of birth, whether the proposed driver has any convictions and type of driving license. It would be helpful to know whether there are any penalty points and the driving license number.Phone 0818 22 33 44 or 042 935 9000 Email: info@quoteme.ie

Can I drive somebody else’s car?

This extension to a car insurance policy is called “driving other cars”. It is included on most, but not all, car insurance policies and provides third party only cover. Driving other cars is rarely given to people under the age of 25 and people who have learner’s permits. The cover only applies if you do not own the car and if you have the owner’s permission to drive the car.

Can I drive my car in another country?

Yes – Full cover applies for driving in the EU for up to 31 consecutive days. If you travel within the EU for more than 31 days, please contact us in advance to arrange an extension of your insurance policy.