Job in Germany - does the car have to go......
18 December 2002, 01:04 PM
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I have researched this area thoroughly over the last 2 years. In April 2001 I bought a brand new Scooby. In September 2001, I got an offer of a job in Germany that I couldn't refuse (2.5 times the money I was earning in the UK) and I didn't want to part with my new car.
Problem is insurance, all insurance policies offer EU use with a green card, but all have restrictions to the length of time you can spend abroad, some even say unlimited - until you read the small print.
So, there are only 2 companies that do this policy (to the best of my knowledge), i.e. fully comp insurance including an annual green card with no restrictions.
1. AA Overseas division
2. Norwich Union (via Stuart Collins Insurance)
However the AA won't go above a group 18 which counts out Scooby drivers.
So there was only one company hence:
31 years old, 6Yrs NCB protected
MY01 WRX, 12000 mpa, including annual green card for unlimited use within the EU.
Total = 2163 quid a year, which is a bit shocking as I paid 850 before a difference of around 1300 quid a year.
However the alternative was a quick sale after only 6 months use and loose about 4 grand in depreciation.
There is a third option - re register the car in the country you live and work, and insure it there. There are some problems with this.
By the time you buy a new set of headlights and spots to comply with driving on the right, MOT and inspections (mandatory regardless of age of vehicle), registrations documents, fees and plates and the process (in German as well), it costs a fortune and is a total ball ache. Plus, even if you go to this extreme, becuase its not a German car (Porsche, BMW, Merc, VW etc) you can insure a Porsche 911 Turbo 4 for less money than it cost to insure a Scooby Turbo, so no real savings.
There is the option of using a lesser iunsurance and bringing the car back every 90 days. This doesn't work either as the cost with petrol and ferry crossings adds up to the difference indicated above. Also, an additional 3 to 4,000 miles a year extra on the car and wear and tear costs.
So I am reasonably happy, as I can continue to insure my Scooby and I'm earning **** loads more anyway.
Plus it really does turn heads over here as no one has seen one or got one.
If anyone knows of another company that does this insurnace I would be very interested.
ScoobyDooMe
Problem is insurance, all insurance policies offer EU use with a green card, but all have restrictions to the length of time you can spend abroad, some even say unlimited - until you read the small print.
So, there are only 2 companies that do this policy (to the best of my knowledge), i.e. fully comp insurance including an annual green card with no restrictions.
1. AA Overseas division
2. Norwich Union (via Stuart Collins Insurance)
However the AA won't go above a group 18 which counts out Scooby drivers.
So there was only one company hence:
31 years old, 6Yrs NCB protected
MY01 WRX, 12000 mpa, including annual green card for unlimited use within the EU.
Total = 2163 quid a year, which is a bit shocking as I paid 850 before a difference of around 1300 quid a year.
However the alternative was a quick sale after only 6 months use and loose about 4 grand in depreciation.
There is a third option - re register the car in the country you live and work, and insure it there. There are some problems with this.
By the time you buy a new set of headlights and spots to comply with driving on the right, MOT and inspections (mandatory regardless of age of vehicle), registrations documents, fees and plates and the process (in German as well), it costs a fortune and is a total ball ache. Plus, even if you go to this extreme, becuase its not a German car (Porsche, BMW, Merc, VW etc) you can insure a Porsche 911 Turbo 4 for less money than it cost to insure a Scooby Turbo, so no real savings.
There is the option of using a lesser iunsurance and bringing the car back every 90 days. This doesn't work either as the cost with petrol and ferry crossings adds up to the difference indicated above. Also, an additional 3 to 4,000 miles a year extra on the car and wear and tear costs.
So I am reasonably happy, as I can continue to insure my Scooby and I'm earning **** loads more anyway.
Plus it really does turn heads over here as no one has seen one or got one.
If anyone knows of another company that does this insurnace I would be very interested.
ScoobyDooMe
18 December 2002, 01:23 PM
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My my00 turbo is (or should I say was, now that it's dead) insured via the AA international division. Would have re-registered and insured locally but I move around a lot, so a policy covering most countries was better. Quite pricey though, twice what I was paying for UK cover. Policy is actually from AXA. Your car would be in the same insurance group I guess?
Can't say I would particularly recommend them though. Crashed over a month ago, still waiting for their response to my claim
Not exactly what I call good customer service...
Can't say I would particularly recommend them though. Crashed over a month ago, still waiting for their response to my claim
Not exactly what I call good customer service...
18 December 2002, 01:39 PM
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Been over here for 4 months, and done the whole re-registering thing. My MY00 now has new headlights (no need to change the spots) and I needed to move the rear foglight over to the other side. Everything else went through ok. However, it was a real pain, and the TÜV are incompetent idiots. Still, it's now registered here properly (M-RG 5555 
and attracts lots of attention as they are rare as hen's teeth here, as you say! 
However, the insurance wasn't that much more than the UK - I went with DirectLine.de (German version of the UK company) and I pay €1900 (about 1250 quid) compared to 1100 quid in the UK (28, 6yrs protected NCD, 10% more power from PPP). So not too bad really...
Where in Germany are you? I'm in Munich (as is Cheeseboy) and Wurzel is in Böblingen, near Stuttgart...
Cheers
Richard
ps thanks Sal (scoobychick) for the prod on this thread!
and attracts lots of attention as they are rare as hen's teeth here, as you say! However, the insurance wasn't that much more than the UK - I went with DirectLine.de (German version of the UK company) and I pay €1900 (about 1250 quid) compared to 1100 quid in the UK (28, 6yrs protected NCD, 10% more power from PPP). So not too bad really...
Where in Germany are you? I'm in Munich (as is Cheeseboy) and Wurzel is in Böblingen, near Stuttgart...
Cheers
Richard
ps thanks Sal (scoobychick) for the prod on this thread!
18 December 2002, 02:04 PM
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I'm up in Darmstadt, near Frankfurt, I also used to work in Munich didn't have the Scooby then though.
I looked into the re-registering thing, I didn't get all the details but it all seemed to much of a ball ache.
What exactly did it cost you and how did you do it? I would be interested.
Also did you say you had PPP fitted.
It seems there are quite a few ex-pat scooby drivers in Germany maybe we should organise something.
I went to my local scooby dealer up here becuase as I drove past they had an STI in the window. I went to have a look and got some figures on leasing one for 3 years. I bottled out becuase I heard they were bringing out the new shape and I would have to sell mine and the **** has fallen out of the second hand market.
A mate of mine works in near Lake Constance, he's got an RB5 and has just order an STI from the dealer down there for something like 22,500 grand. But he's got to sell his RB5 back in the UK and they are not fetching much at the mo.
I wouldn't mind the new STI, but if its anything like mine it will have a few teething problems so I may wait a little while.
ScoobyDooMe
I looked into the re-registering thing, I didn't get all the details but it all seemed to much of a ball ache.
What exactly did it cost you and how did you do it? I would be interested.
Also did you say you had PPP fitted.
It seems there are quite a few ex-pat scooby drivers in Germany maybe we should organise something.
I went to my local scooby dealer up here becuase as I drove past they had an STI in the window. I went to have a look and got some figures on leasing one for 3 years. I bottled out becuase I heard they were bringing out the new shape and I would have to sell mine and the **** has fallen out of the second hand market.
A mate of mine works in near Lake Constance, he's got an RB5 and has just order an STI from the dealer down there for something like 22,500 grand. But he's got to sell his RB5 back in the UK and they are not fetching much at the mo.
I wouldn't mind the new STI, but if its anything like mine it will have a few teething problems so I may wait a little while.
ScoobyDooMe
18 December 2002, 02:55 PM
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Costs... mmm... well, the headlights were about €500 + fitting, and I did the foglight myself. TÜV cost was about €160, registering was only about €60 or something, then getting plates made up was about another €40. Comes out at a bit less than a grand I guess, unless I've forgotten anything?
Hassle-wise - well, with the benefit of hindsight it wouldn't have been too bad. One trip to the Scooby dealer to obtain and swap the headlights (an hour). One trip to the TÜV to get it checked (takes about an hour). One trip from there, round the corner, to the registration building to get it registered - takes about 2 hours. Over the road to get the plates - 10 minutes. If you were really efficient, you could get it done inside a day!
Yep, I've got PPP, but they haven't got a clue over here what that is, neither the insurance companies nor the TÜV. Despite me explaining it, they all just ignored it, so I've given up informing them.
I'm surprised RB5s aren't fetching much, though - they're generally reckoned to be the best of the classic-shape UK cars, except the P1 (and limited edition 22B Type UK).
Hope this helps,
Richard
[Edited by Re-Bitten Hero - 12/18/2002 2:56:18 PM]
Hassle-wise - well, with the benefit of hindsight it wouldn't have been too bad. One trip to the Scooby dealer to obtain and swap the headlights (an hour). One trip to the TÜV to get it checked (takes about an hour). One trip from there, round the corner, to the registration building to get it registered - takes about 2 hours. Over the road to get the plates - 10 minutes. If you were really efficient, you could get it done inside a day!
Yep, I've got PPP, but they haven't got a clue over here what that is, neither the insurance companies nor the TÜV. Despite me explaining it, they all just ignored it, so I've given up informing them.
I'm surprised RB5s aren't fetching much, though - they're generally reckoned to be the best of the classic-shape UK cars, except the P1 (and limited edition 22B Type UK).
Hope this helps,
Richard
[Edited by Re-Bitten Hero - 12/18/2002 2:56:18 PM]
18 December 2002, 04:01 PM
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ScoobyDooMe
What is the number for Stuart Collins?
Working in Göteborg Sweden
MY01 WRX no mods
27yrs old
6yrs NCB
clean licence
No accidents
So far only Norwich Union have quoted for 1 yrs green card at wait for it.....£4000. What the hell I can get 4 normal insurance policy's for that and a holiday in Barbados.
Any contact numbers for good brokers welcome.
Charlie Boy
18 December 2002, 04:30 PM
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Stuart Collins use Norwich Union, Collins website however is http://www.euronetsolutions.co.uk/collins.htm, you can get the details off them and they are very helpful, they specialise in this sort of thing so they may have some arrangement with Norwich.
Mines with Norwich Union via Stuart Collins
MY01 WRX no mods
31, 6 yrs protected NCD.
12,000 miles pa
Annual Green Card
2163 quid.
They quoted a similar policy but it was for a maximum 90 days in any one trip but you could technically do this 4 times a year and this was around 1500 quid. But the extra 600 quid its not worth it, as it costs me 250 quid in petrol everytime I go home and thats without ferry crossings etc.
They are very good however, I had a claim last year (but my NCB is protected so no bother), one call to Norwich, gave them the details and it was all sorted. A German repairer phoned me the same morning to arrange to pick up my car, they left me with a courtesy car (a Volvo V70 estate) and then brought my car back a week later as good as new, with the sweaties as well. I was suprised how hassle free it was.
As I said, my mates got an RB5 in Germany, hasn't got full NCD (cos he had a 1500 quid claim last year before he had an opportunity to protect his NCB) and he's 28 and he's paying around 2500, so I don't see why it should cost you 4000.
Good Luck
[Edited by ScoobyDooMe - 12/18/2002 4:35:46 PM]
Mines with Norwich Union via Stuart Collins
MY01 WRX no mods
31, 6 yrs protected NCD.
12,000 miles pa
Annual Green Card
2163 quid.
They quoted a similar policy but it was for a maximum 90 days in any one trip but you could technically do this 4 times a year and this was around 1500 quid. But the extra 600 quid its not worth it, as it costs me 250 quid in petrol everytime I go home and thats without ferry crossings etc.
They are very good however, I had a claim last year (but my NCB is protected so no bother), one call to Norwich, gave them the details and it was all sorted. A German repairer phoned me the same morning to arrange to pick up my car, they left me with a courtesy car (a Volvo V70 estate) and then brought my car back a week later as good as new, with the sweaties as well. I was suprised how hassle free it was.
As I said, my mates got an RB5 in Germany, hasn't got full NCD (cos he had a 1500 quid claim last year before he had an opportunity to protect his NCB) and he's 28 and he's paying around 2500, so I don't see why it should cost you 4000.
Good Luck
[Edited by ScoobyDooMe - 12/18/2002 4:35:46 PM]
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20 December 2002, 10:40 PM
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I notice your all ex-pats. Just a quick question- I'm living part time over in France- around Paris and Atlantic SW nr Biarritz(so Spain is OK)- I also do regular trips to Portugal, the Netherlands and Germany for the 'ring-does anyone know of anywhere to get my scooby serviced on mainland Europe?
As for insurance I just have my standard policy through Bell Direct this gives the 90 day green card and an excuse to spend time with the family!
As for insurance I just have my standard policy through Bell Direct this gives the 90 day green card and an excuse to spend time with the family!
21 December 2002, 06:17 PM
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Thanks ScoobyDooMe , just got in from the ferry but have managed to sort it all out now through a broker called Petherwicks (01273 822222)
£2008 1year green card
£325 excess
NCB Protected
Are any of you guys in the auto industry by any chance?
Charlie Boy
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