Tuesday, 10 November 2015

Car Hire Excess Cover - So Much Cheaper with Us

Many of us hire a car when we head off abroad to visit the relatives/friends, on holiday during the year, or locally if our car has broken down. Have you considered how much you end up paying to make sure that the excess on your hire car is at a reasonable level and not in the thousands?

How many times has your original cost increased when you get to the desk, due to the insurance extras?

I was recently quoted £126 per week if I wanted to reduce the excess to £400, or £182 per week to reduce it to £0. More than I was paying for the car rental for the week according to the price on the website!  Having looked around this appeared to be more or less the standard cost between different companies.

The good news is - We can now offer a Car Hire Excess Policy, which will cover all those insurance extras that the hire company adds on, but for a fraction of the price. To give you an example - annual policy, multi trip within Europe for 2 drivers £46.64 annual premium. For those of you that travel Worldwide, the price increases slightly to £57.01.

Cover Includes:
Excess Reimbursement Europe - £5.000
Excess Reimbursement Worldwide - £50.000
Baggage Cover (overall limit) - £300
Key Cover (per claim/insurance period) - £500 / £500
Lockout - £100
Mis fuelling - £500

Why pay more to the car hire company when this will cover you at a fraction of the price.

For more details or a quotation, please contact us on Tel: 96 649 3762 or email info@dragoninsure.com

Monday, 14 September 2015

Travel Insurance Claims - Information and Tips

You're on holiday, having a fabulous time, nice and relaxed when something happens and you are going to need to claim on your Travel Insurance. Now most of us have never had to do this, so are not sure what to do. Below are some tips and information to help.

Make sure that you take the insurance document with you. This will give you the contact details in case of emergency and your policy number, which you will need if contacting the insurers.

Medical Attention - If it is a doctor/dentist visit for something minor, but that cannot wait until you get home, find a suitable practitioner and book an appointment. Usually you will need to pay for the consultation/medication and claim the fees back. Keep ALL receipts and get copies of doctors/dentist reports.

Urgent/Emergency Medical Treatment - If the situation is serious and you are taken to hospital you will need to phone the insurance company or get someone to phone for you and advise them of the situation. The insurers will normally liaise with the hospital directly once they are advised and you won't need to make upfront payments.

Thefts - Immediately you discover a theft, whether it be in the airport, on the aircraft, in a hotel or in the street make notes. In the airport, on the aircraft or hotel report the theft to them as soon as you can and obtain a document to show you reported it and they investigated. You will also need to make a report to the police and obtain a report from them. In the street, go straight to the police. If you need emergency replacement items i.e. clothes, toiletries, medication etc, make sure you keep receipts.

Cancellation - Depending on the reason will depend on the documentation needed. No company will cover you because you change your mind. If it is due to a medical condition, they will want a doctors report. If it is due to your holiday being cancelled by the tour operator, they will want a report saying why. In addition, you will need proof of how much you have paid so far and proof that the tour company for instance, are not accepting liability and paying you out.

It might seem a bit onerous when all you want to do is relax, but a little time and effort spend whilst you are in the situation will save a lot of problems later. With the levels of fraudulent claims in the insurance sector at an all time high, many companies are now requiring more documentation and information to try and stop fraud, which at the end of the day increases costs for all of us.

If we can help with your travel insurance needs, please contact us on Tel: 96 649 3762 or email: info@dragoninsure.com

Wednesday, 26 August 2015

Have You Got Your Future Planned?

Whilst it is a documented fact that we are all now living longer and enjoying life more, at some point we are all going to need to plan for the future, for our families that unfortunately we won't be part of anymore.

Most of us put off planning for the inevitable, as whilst we might be advancing in years we still feel 21 and don't want to have to think about this difficult subject. A little planning ahead now could assist those you leave behind in so many ways.

Funeral planning is one of the first steps. Whether you are a person who wants something quiet and dignified or loud, pink and fluffy it is so much easier on your relatives if you have either a pre-paid funeral plan or funeral insurance in place in advance. This will take some of the upset and concern about money away, at such a stressful time and make life easier for them.

In addition, what about inheritance tax and financial planning?  You might know who you want to inherit your worldly goods, but have you considered the taxes and legal fees that they might incur during this process? There might things that you can do now that will reduce their costs in the future.

For more information on how we can help you plan for the future, contact us on Tel: 96 649 3762 or info@dragoninsure.com


Friday, 26 June 2015

Accident Season

It's that time of year again where the roads get busier with visitors who may or may not have quite the understanding of driving in Spain that you would like to think, with an unfortunate consequence that traffic accidents increase.

We have written articles before on what to do in case of an accident i.e. get the accident form completed and signed, take photos of damage to both vehicles and the other vehicles registration number, get a police report if necessary and visit the doctor to report any injuries, all useful information and necessary to get your claim opened and in processing.

What you need to take care over is filling out and signing the accident form (DAA). This is the document that the insurance company are going to take notice of over any other evidence you may have, apart from the police report. If you allow the other party to complete it for you, make sure that you understand what they have written before you consider signing the form. If you are not happy with what they have written then change it. If you don't understand what they have written don't sign it.

As with all documents, if you sign it and you don't understand it, it could cost you. In this case your no claims bonus and an increase in your insurance premium at renewal.

If we can be of help or assistance, or you would like a quotation for insurance please do not hesitate to contact us. Tel: 96 649 3762 or info@dragoninsure.com

Thursday, 14 May 2015

Selling Your Spanish Registered Car

This topic has come up several times with clients recently. They thought they had sold their car and received a sale contract so it was no longer their responsibility, only to find that they still receive tax (Suma) bills and fines for the vehicle some time on.  So what should you do when you sell?

Whether you are selling your car privately or through a garage as a part exchange, you need to make sure that the documentation is arranged so that ownership is changed to the new owner.

If you are selling privately, then ask the purchaser to provide you with a copy of the justificante to show that the paperwork is in processing, or accompany them to their gestor office or trafico to make sure, though this is not always practical.

If you are part exchanging or selling through a garage, check their policy on changing ownership when you first start to discuss a deal with them. Some garages change the ownership immediately, but as this has a cost to it, some will wait until they have a purchaser for your old vehicle and then do the change of ownership. Whilst the vehicle maybe sat on their premises and not out and about, whilst you are listed at Trafico as the owner, you are held responsible for the vehicle. Ask for a copy of the justificante.

In order for the documents to be changed the purchaser will need a copy of your NIE or Residencia document amongst others. If they don't ask for this then you can be sure that the transfer probably isn't going happen.

We would always advise clients not to cancel their insurance until they are sure that the transfer is in processing and they have some proof. Most Spanish insurance companies now want to see proof that the ownership has changed to cancel the policy.

If you have any queries or questions on car insurance, or just want a quotation please do not hesitate to contact us - Tel: 96 649 3762 or email: Info@dragoninsure.com  We are here to help.

Thursday, 18 December 2014

TRAVEL INSURANCE - CAN WE HELP?

I think we can all agree that so far Autumn and the start of Winter here in Spain have been warmer than expected and long may it last. However, I am sure that some of you are already looking to book a cruise or long stay trip somewhere in warmer climes, anticipating the drop in temperature here as Winter progresses.

Whatever your travel plans we can help with your travel insurance. Cruising, long stay travelling, year out back packing, family skiing, Europe or Worldwide cover, not a problem.

We can offer trip travel policies for persons of any age and look at cover for pre-existing medical conditions.

If the cost of your trip is in excess of the standard value covered for cancellation, we can offer an extension to the cover for you with our policy.

Young travellers off back packing or taking a year out to see the world can be covered for long term travel. We can also include cover for course fees if you decide to study abroad.

We often get asked if our travel policies will cover a cruise. Yes of course. Our standard policies are designed to cover as many eventualities as possible, with some additional add on elements, like winter sports.

Thinking of booking your trips for 2015? Contact us to see what our travel insurance can offer you, at competitive prices too.

Tel: 96 649 3762 or email: Info@dragoninsure.com  We are here to help.

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Vehicle Accident Forms - Do You Know How To Complete It?

We all live in the hope that we won't have an accident whilst out and about driving, but unfortunately it is likely that at some point during our driving life an accident will befall us, whether our fault or someone else's.  If this happens do you know how to complete the Accident Statement or DeclaraciĆ³n de Amistosa Accidente?

It is important that both parties complete the form with as many details as you can and sign it. That said, if you don't understand what you are signing, then try to obtain assistance. The contents of this document will be used by the insurance company to assess culpability.  Whilst person B might stand in front of you admitting liability, that might not be what they put on the form and you might end up being held liable and losing your no claims bonus for something that you didn't do.

If the police are called, again make sure the the information on the form is correct before you sign and ask for the policeman's details. They might be useful later on if there is a conflict of version of events.

Some companies will only accept the Spanish version of the form. If you have only got a Spanish version, obtain one in English so that you can check when filling the form out what the Spanish means.

Make sure you tick all the boxes and make a drawing of the events, carefully marking vehicle A and B.

You get 7 days to present the documentation to your insurance company or agent. After this time, be assured you will be contacted if person B has started the process before you.

The DGT have recently carried out a very small survey of drivers and discovered that only 4% knew how to complete the form properly.

We are here to offer you help and and advice, as well as provide for all your insurance needs.
Tel: 96 649 3762. Website: www.dragoninsure.com or email: maria@dragoninsure.com