The North Rhine-Westphalia consumer advice center gives tips on how to avoid a downgrade with the no-claims bonus
Autumn and winter are unpopular with many drivers: it’s dark early, often wet, leaves or frost make the road slippery and the streets are usually full. Fog also causes problems for many people at this time of year. Around two thirds of serious fog accidents occur between October and December. Philipp Opfermann, insurance expert at the North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Center, explains what an accident means for vehicle insurance: “This is often underestimated. The insurance premium increases due to the damage not only in the next year, but also in the following years.”
• Pay for repairs yourself for minor accident damage
If you have an accident, you can consider paying for the repairs to the car yourself and not using the insurance. This applies especially to minor property damage, both to your own car and to an opposing vehicle. Because an accident report results in the motor vehicle insurance reducing the so-called no-claims bonus. If a vehicle owner reports damage to their vehicle insurance company, the no-claims class (SFK) will be downgraded in the following year. This means that the personal no-claims bonus decreases and the insurance premium may increase significantly in the year after the accident. This applies to liability and fully comprehensive insurance. In terms of liability, for example, you can drop from an SF class 22 to SF class 11 after an accident, and even lower in the event of further accidents. Financially, this means significantly higher contributions for several years. Which downgrade applies is determined in each insurer’s downgrade table.
• When does it become worthwhile to regulate at your own expense?
Another argument for self-regulation: whether it’s a small scratch or major damage – the downgrading occurs regardless of the amount of damage. In addition, in many cases there is an agreed deductible that you have to pay in any case. As a rule of thumb: If the damage is up to 1,000 euros, it is usually advantageous to settle it yourself. Stiftung Warentest offers an online calculator for individually calculating the amount up to which it is worth paying for damages yourself. It is important to consider whether the insurance cover will still be needed in the following year. If you want to forgo fully comprehensive insurance for your aging car in the future or give up driving altogether, the downgrade can be accepted if necessary.
• Also possible: “buying your freedom” later
You can often “buy out” damages later, i.e. you can then take on the damages that were initially paid for by the insurer yourself, thus preventing a downgrade even after settlement has been made. This is a good option especially because the costs of an accident are difficult to estimate in advance and it varies how expensive a downgrade in liability and fully comprehensive insurance actually is. As a rule, you have six months after settlement by the insurer to “buy back” the damage, i.e. pay for it yourself. The deadline can be found in the conditions of your own insurance.
• When is discount protection worthwhile?
Drivers can protect themselves from being downgraded to the no-claims class in the event of an accident. This is called discount protection. This means you are generally free from one accident claim per year – regardless of the amount of damage. However, the discount protection is not free. The insurance makes the insurance more expensive (the amount varies depending on the car and insurer), but it can be well worth it for frequent drivers and expensive cars. Important to know: The discount protection only applies to the current insurer. If you change insurance, your insurance will still be downgraded by the new insurer after an accident.
Further information and links:
◦ More about motor vehicle liability insurance at www.verbraucherzentrale.nrw/node/13890
from: Consumer advice center NRW, Bergisch Gladbach advice center
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2023-11-24 05:57:24
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