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Insurance with breakdown cover for long trips


weldted

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We have been with Safeguard (including their UK and European breakdown) for many years. Have always found their premiums comparable with other popular insurers. Unfortunately, we have had to make three claims over the years and Safeguard have always been easy to deal with.

You mention longer trips, don’t forget after we leave the EU our trips will be limited to a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days.

Cattwg :-D

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Our main home is in the UK, we have a holiday home in France, we may be able to obtain an tourist extended visa allowing us up to 12 months in France, we have to undertake not to work and supply evidence that we can support ourselves and have an address in France.
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Hi

 

Remember to check if it covers the countries/territories you are interested in.

 

We have changed several times for this reason. We have used Comfort for Asian Turkey ( some companies only cover European Turkey) and Saga when we wanted to stop at Faroes enroute from Iceland. Saga were the only insurer who at the time would explicitly confirmed cover for Faroes even though it is a Danish Territory. Also used Safeguard for general European Travel.

 

Thus far never needed to claim on any policy ( I wrote whilst touching wood!).

 

Peter

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weldted - 2019-02-02 2:19 PM

 

Our main home is in the UK, we have a holiday home in France, we may be able to obtain an tourist extended visa allowing us up to 12 months in France, we have to undertake not to work and supply evidence that we can support ourselves and have an address in France.

 

Would such a visa just cover a France or all EU counties?

 

Peter

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weldted - 2019-02-02 2:19 PM

 

Our main home is in the UK, we have a holiday home in France, we may be able to obtain an tourist extended visa allowing us up to 12 months in France, we have to undertake not to work and supply evidence that we can support ourselves and have an address in France.

I suggest you have a look at NFU Mutual. I recently switched our car insurance to them from Comfort, because Comfort had dropped the breakdown cover for the car.

 

I note that the Comfort breakdown cover for motorhomes is now via DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Co Ltd, with wording that is less clear, IMO, than hitherto. Anyone who has recently renewed, or is in the process of renewing, might wish to check that they are happy with the new level of cover as described in the booklet.

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Brian Kirby - 2019-02-02 3:12 PM

 

weldted - 2019-02-02 2:19 PM

 

Our main home is in the UK, we have a holiday home in France, we may be able to obtain an tourist extended visa allowing us up to 12 months in France, we have to undertake not to work and supply evidence that we can support ourselves and have an address in France.

I suggest you have a look at NFU Mutual. I recently switched our car insurance to them from Comfort, because Comfort had dropped the breakdown cover for the car.

 

I note that the Comfort breakdown cover for motorhomes is now via DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Co Ltd, with wording that is less clear, IMO, than hitherto. Anyone who has recently renewed, or is in the process of renewing, might wish to check that they are happy with the new level of cover as described in the booklet.

 

Brian

I too had issues with the wording when I renewed in November, specifically windscreen cover and repatriation as I have an 8.8m long, 3.6m high van weighing 6 tonnes. They confirmed as long as you use Autoglass windscreen cover is unlimited. As our van is 12 years old they also confirmed we would be repatriated if the occasion arose but it's definitely not clear in their policy documents

 

John

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Brian

I too had issues with the wording when I renewed in November, specifically windscreen cover and repatriation as I have an 8.8m long, 3.6m high van weighing 6 tonnes. They confirmed as long as you use Autoglass windscreen cover is unlimited. As our van is 12 years old they also confirmed we would be repatriated if the occasion arose but it's definitely not clear in their policy documents

 

John

 

we were in a situation a few years ago where we'd had enough of faulty repairs and asked if we could be repatriated and was told yes but not with the van, they would supply a hire car that we could us as far as the tunnel/ferry and the van would be returned when they could arrange it but not immediatly, so we decided to stick it out, eventualy a garage in the S France managed to sort the van out.

 

as for 90 days in any 180 in the EU, that applies to the schengen area only, you could go to a non Schengen area for a much longer stay

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The European countries that are not part of the Schengen zone are: Albania, Andora, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Ireland, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, The United Kingdom and Vatican City.26 Oct 20
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weldted - 2019-02-02 3:12 PM

France is the only countrymI belive that does this.

It seems the Visa can be issued for up to three years, but the duration depends on the reason it is required. Visits to a property that is owned and not rented might result in a longer validity.

 

My understanding is that these Visas are valid for travel throughout Schengen, and it seems they permit unlimited entry/exit to/from Schengen (it would be wise to verify this). I believe they may be called D type Visas.

 

It also seems you would have to apply between one and three months before travelling, have a passport that will remain valid for three months beyond the Visa end date, and must visit the French embassy in London. There is another in Edinburgh, but I don't know whether they would issue the Visa to someone normally resident in England, if Edinburgh were the nearest to their home address.

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teccer1234 - 2019-02-02 4:31 PM..................….as for 90 days in any 180 in the EU, that applies to the schengen area only, you could go to a non Schengen area for a much longer stay

You may be able to stay for longer, but this will depend on the rules in each country individually. I understand some are more restrictive.

 

Your other problem once outside Schengen, would be vehicle insurance, as UK insurers will not generally cover vehicles (some may offer third party only cover for some, but probably not all) for the list of reasonably accessible non-Schengen countries Ted has helpfully supplied.

 

It would be difficult to reach many of those countries without traversing at least one Schengen state en route out and back, so you would have to be very thorough in getting your passport stamped each time you entered/left Schengen, to avoid being accused of overstaying when you arrived at your final Schengen departure port.

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Brian Kirby - 2019-02-02 3:12 PM

 

I suggest you have a look at NFU Mutual. I recently switched our car insurance to them from Comfort, because Comfort had dropped the breakdown cover for the car...

 

 

As this had the potential to affect me when my car’s insurance came up for renewal in April, I’ve just asked Comfort Insurance what the present situation is regarding CAR insurance-policy breakdown cover.

 

I was told that - for a short period (a week was quoted) - they had been unable to offer a CAR policy that included breakdown cover, but this is no longer the case and a policy+breakdown cover can now be provided.

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Derek Uzzell - 2019-02-04 3:56 PM.................I was told that - for a short period (a week was quoted) - they had been unable to offer a CAR policy that included breakdown cover, but this is no longer the case and a policy+breakdown cover can now be provided.

Then I would suggest you have a look at the specimen policy on their website, Derek, to see if you think the Ts & Cs are as well set out, and as clearly described, as those you are on now - which are presumably via RAC.

 

When I renewed the van insurance I found that breakdown via RAC had gone, and the Ts and Cs substituted made me very uneasy as to what, actually, was included. I somewhat reluctantly accepted them on the van, as it is still under warranty so, if need arises, I can fall back on the Fiat breakdown cover.

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The only on-line Comfort Insurance “Car Insurance Policy” documentation I can find is this one

 

https://2s48jvfpl1l3jrkp72d55xu1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Comfort-Car-2013-Final.pdf

 

The document’s final page has "SMPOC1980 (v30) 11.2013 (S)” at its foot, which suggest it’s 2013-vintage. Breakdown cover appears to be through the RAC.

 

 

 

 

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Derek Uzzell - 2019-02-04 6:05 PM

The only on-line Comfort Insurance “Car Insurance Policy” documentation I can find is this one

https://2s48jvfpl1l3jrkp72d55xu1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Comfort-Car-2013-Final.pdf

The document’s final page has "SMPOC1980 (v30) 11.2013 (S)” at its foot, which suggest it’s 2013-vintage. Breakdown cover appears to be through the RAC.

That looks about right. Ours was SMOPC1980 (V34) 04.2016. There were some changes introduced at some point after 2013, because I remember looking at the web version at some point, and asking why they hadn't issued the new booklet with the renewal, to ensure I had the most up to date version. I think the answer was that I should have been, and one would be posted immediately - which as far as I can remember is exactly what happened.

 

Back to the van insurance, the (October 2018) renewal invitation states "The UK and European Breakdown Policy now covers Home Breakdown, Misfuelling, and £5,000 repatriation cover. Breakdown is now provided by DAS and delivered by the AA." (My then existing policy booklet clearly stated the home breakdown was covered, which puzzled me a bit.)

 

However, I took this to mean that the terms would be as in the existing policy document, and only the provider had changed, and renewed.

 

So, I was surprised when the policy documents arrived with the breakdown cover contained in a separate document. When I read this, I found that the wording was quite different, and in places uncomfortably open to interpretation. It also contained undefined terms and the odd typo. Because insurance is so notoriously contractual, I e-mailed Comfort a list of queries for clarification. Most of my queries were settled by e-mail, and Comfort said they would take up my queries with DAS with a view to improving the wording to remove the ambiguities. I haven't yet seen a replacement, so don't know if one has been issued.

 

But, based on your comment above that breakdown cover for a car has now been reinstated, it occurred to me that the same provider might be involved with that cover also, and that it may therefore be expressed in the same terms as concerned me. As it seems this is not yet present on their website, I'm sure Comfort would supply a sample car breakdown policy booklet on request. I have previously found them happy to do so.

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Brian Kirby - 2019-02-02 4:12 PM

 

 

 

I note that the Comfort breakdown cover for motorhomes is now via DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Co Ltd, with wording that is less clear, IMO, than hitherto. Anyone who has recently renewed, or is in the process of renewing, might wish to check that they are happy with the new level of cover as described in the booklet.

 

We ended up with NFU, but the value of our van seems to have precluded breakdown cover while abroad. Luckily we are covered under guarantee for 2 years, but the policy otherwise was excellent.

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Brian Kirby - 2019-02-05 9:35 AM

 

...But, based on your comment above that breakdown cover for a car has now been reinstated, it occurred to me that the same provider might be involved with that cover also, and that it may therefore be expressed in the same terms as concerned me. As it seems this is not yet present on their website, I'm sure Comfort would supply a sample car breakdown policy booklet on request. I have previously found them happy to do so.

 

I did ask Comfort about this, saying something like “I know the breakdown element of the motorhome policy has altered, but is the breakdown element (that was temporariily unavailable) of the car policy unchanged?” I was told “Yes, the car policy’s breakdown element is still the same."

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There is not a motor home owner i think who understand what it really means. And discussion between providers the same. And your long trips whatever that means. One thing for sure a local garage, no Five star hotel. Maybe they bring you back home. but not the motor home i assume. If you are in Spain and your wife is transported alone to the UK you may loose her. I never read the insurance papers whatever life is too short for this.
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Pays to shop around, Avivia £377 fully comp up to 9 months in one trip, including breakdown, recovery,

home start & onward travel, loss of keys. Camping and caravan club who I am with member for 22 years, £357 not including breakdown max 90 EU.

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