Motor Car Insurance for Left Hand Drive car

daigo75

Registered User
Messages
27
Hi,
I need to insure my LHD car after I register it here in Ireland, and I was wonderingif anybody knows a broker who insures this type of cars. So far I only found two insurances who would do it (Aviva and AXA), but I don't know any broker. Since there are many of them, any suggestion on who to contact first is more than welcome, thanks! :)
 
Most insurers will quote for LHD. Usually with a 25% add'l charge. You could try checking out the big brokers like AA insurance or Glennons, online brokers like insure.ie, 123.ie or just ring the big insurers like RSA, Zurich, Quinn Insurance etc.
 
Thanks horusd. I tried insure.ie, 123.ie, Quinn, Zurich and RSA, they simply told me "no". Didn't try AA yet, I'll check with them (although 25% extra would be quite excessive).
 
No worries. When I used to work in insurance a few yrs back 25% was the standard add'l charge. I seem to remember that Allianz would quote for them (that might have changed since) but you could also give them a go. best of luck.
 
Hi Daigo75, I need to insure my LHD car here in Ireland too... what did you do in the end? Found any broker at a reasonable price?
Thanks in advance for any tips you can give me on that... :)
 
I have a LHD car and just insured it last month with AXA. They gave me a very competitive quote which was considerably lower that the policy I took out last year through a broker who set up my cover with AVIVA. and it was expensive as they seem to add on a % for LHDs. Last year I decided to go through a broker as I had just imported the car and was unsure as to which insurance companies insure LHDs. I think there are only a few - Aviva, Axa and 123.ie. Axa have a promotion on at the moment with great discount and 12 months cover for the price of 11. They also have branches all over the country if you would like to speak with an agent face to face. Good luck with your LHD!
 
Hi Daigo75, I need to insure my LHD car here in Ireland too... what did you do in the end? Found any broker at a reasonable price?
Thanks in advance for any tips you can give me on that... :)

It was a bit of an odissey, but, at the end, I initially insured it with 123.ie, Axa was way off the mark (a good 40% dearer). This year I renewed it with AA, since they gave me a better quote and, anyway, the underwriter is the same.

Make sure you have your no claims certificate ready and translated by a certified translator, as it's the most important requirement (mine was in Italian and it was a bit messy, since our no claims certificate is slightly different than the Irish one).
 
I checked 123.ie and Axa - both have terms and conditions stating clearly that the car MUST be right hand drive. I am not sure if the insurance you all bought is valid - probably not... The sales agents would tell you everything just to sell the policy or they might just not know... Anyway, just read your policy and be careful driving without a valid insurance...
 
I checked 123.ie and Axa - both have terms and conditions stating clearly that the car MUST be right hand drive. I am not sure if the insurance you all bought is valid - probably not...

Your assumption is completely wrong. Mine is that all drivers, including me, are aware of the importance of car insurance, and don't just buy blindly. If you spent a bit more time reading the thread, you'll see that:
  • Last post was from April 2012. Companies' standard policies might have changed since then (even though that does not mean that they don't insure LHD cars).
  • I asked several companies personally (there isn't only Internet). Some said they would not insure LHD cars, some said they would.
  • I spent a significant amount of time calling the various companies, and I'm sure other people who got insured did the same, unlike you.
  • The ones who gave me the insurance were aware of the LHD issue, and they charged a small extra on top of the policy, as expected.
  • All insurance quotes clearly showed a note about the car being LHD, and so does the policy. Only a fool would try to hide, or ignore, such detail.

Therefore, instead of assuming that people have been reckless and drive uninsured just because you read a few standard policies on the Internet, do some more research first. I can tell you for sure that Axa insures LHD, same for AA, you just have to ask. Hint: use the phone.
 
Thanks for reply :)

Sorry if my tone was improper, I am not trying to discredit anyone, but still think that a majority of LHD cars owners bought invalid insurance.

Example: 123.ie some time ago didn't mind to insure LHD car. I bought insurance from them. Today they sent me a renewal proposal... all I have to is pay the premium and enjoy the renewed policy, which would be invalid as today their web site clearly says that they don't insure LHD. The renewal letter doesn't say anything about LHD.

AXA - their web site says "Has been first registered in Ireland or the UK" - it probably is not strictly equal to LHD, but in 99% is. So is there a different policy on the internet and different on the phone ? Or do the agents just sell to get a bonus ?

AA - true, they do it as AVIVA broker, they quoted me at almost 800 euro (when 123 offers the renewal for 420)

If you know about any other companies that do it for not a rip-off price, please let me know.
 
Thanks for reply :)

Sorry if my tone was improper, I am not trying to discredit anyone, but still think that a majority of LHD cars owners bought invalid insurance.

I still think your assumption is wrong.

StormBlast said:
Example: 123.ie some time ago didn't mind to insure LHD car. I bought insurance from them. Today they sent me a renewal proposal... all I have to is pay the premium and enjoy the renewed policy, which would be invalid as today their web site clearly says that they don't insure LHD. The renewal letter doesn't say anything about LHD.

What their website says is irrelevant, as it's a set of assumptions that they make when you ask for a quote. Besides, as I wrote already, these are assumptions for a standard contract. If you have an LHD car, yours is not a standard contract and this limitation doesn't apply. Once again, it costs you very little to call them and mention the LHD, to be 100% sure that they are aware of it and that they take it into account.

StormBlast said:
AXA - their web site says "Has been first registered in Ireland or the UK" - it probably is not strictly equal to LHD, but in 99% is. So is there a different policy on the internet and different on the phone ? Or do the agents just sell to get a bonus ?

Repetita juvant: what their website says is irrelevant. It's not that hard to understand: they might have a different policy for every customer, and that would be perfectly fine. A policy is a contract, nothing less, and it can be adjusted for each customer. Call them, they can tailor the policy to your needs. If they want to deal with LHD drivers, they will offer them an appropriate policy. If not, they will tell you clearly.

StormBlast said:
AA - true, they do it as AVIVA broker, they quoted me at almost 800 euro (when 123 offers the renewal for 420)

As I wrote, I got mine from AA. The underwriter is RSA, the same used by 123.ie when I was insured with them. AA's website does not allow to get a quote for LHD cars and their assumptions state the same. However, they were able to give me a quote on the phone, and they confirmed it in writing by post. They were about 20 Euro cheaper than 123.
 
I wouldn't depend on the word of the insurance company over the phone Daigo75 (i've dealt with insurers for many years). I would check the original proposal form that you signed for the company. If it mentions that the car is LHD on that, then there's no issue, if it doesn't then I would ask them to send out a new proposal form.


www.powerinsurances.ie
 
I am still struggling to find anything for below 800 euro.
AA (with aviva) and Liberty so far agreed to do it for LHD, but for a rip-off price.

What if the renew proposal says nothing about the LHD/RHD ?
I bought my policy from 123.ie two years ago when their terms and condition didn't exclude LHD / imported cars (as far as I remember correctly and as far as I checked carefully enough two years ago). Now they sent me a renewal policy proposal and it says completely nothing about left/right HD cars. Can I just pay for it ? All car's and my details are listed in it, except LHD/RHD.

PS. Assumptions in the company Jimbobp advertised say: "The Car: Is not imported, left hand driver, adapted or modified in any way". Additionally I believe that the policy doesn't have to say that the car is / can be LHD... it should be enough not to exclude it.
 
I wouldn't depend on the word of the insurance company over the phone Daigo75 (i've dealt with insurers for many years). I would check the original proposal form that you signed for the company. If it mentions that the car is LHD on that, then there's no issue, if it doesn't then I would ask them to send out a new proposal form.

That's what I also stated, it's what one gets written (most importantly, in the final contract) that counts. I keep recommending using the phone to at least get to know if the insurance company would even consider an LHD car. Most of them will say no, some will send a proposal tailored for such kind of vehicle.

It must also be said that, once one receives all the paperwork, three things can happen:
- It states "RHD". This means that the proposal is not valid.
- It states "LHD". This means that the proposal is valid.
- It doesn't mention LHD or RHD anywhere. In this case, the proposal can very well be valid, as long as the vehicle details are correct. A proposal for vehicle X, model Y, year Z, number plate 123 is not ambiguous. I'm quite sure that the insurance company cannot refuse a payment on the ground of something that is not written on any of the documents they gave you.
 
I believe that the policy doesn't have to say that the car is / can be LHD... it should be enough not to exclude it.

I'm quite sure of this as well. If it's not excluded, it means it doesn't really matter. They have all your car's details, and they can clearly see if it's an LHD on their database. They give you a quote for the precise vehicle, you're covered unless the documents you receive exclude LHD.

In case of accident, which I hope you'll never have, I don't see how they can withhold a payment on the grounds of something that's not written on the papers they gave you.
 
Afraid not guys. An insurance contract is based on the principal of good faith, which means you have a duty to disclose all material facts, whether asked or not by the insurer. A vehicle being LHD is certainly a material fact, so the onus is on you the client to disclose this to the insurer. If you do not have specific written disclosure proof (i.e that this was particularly disclosed to them on a proposal form), then you run the risk of not being insured.

PS - We deal with insurers that cover LHD cars, just not through our online system.
 
Afraid not guys. An insurance contract is based on the principal of good faith, which means you have a duty to disclose all material facts, whether asked or not by the insurer. A vehicle being LHD is certainly a material fact, so the onus is on you the client to disclose this to the insurer. If you do not have specific written disclosure proof (i.e that this was particularly disclosed to them on a proposal form), then you run the risk of not being insured.

It's always better to have everything in writing with insurances. Coming from "cheating land", I learned it the hard way. That's why I always repeat them "ad nauseam" that the car is LHD. Every communication by phone and email has this detail in it, highlighted and confirmed by them, to make sure that they write it on the proposal and, most importantly, on the contract. In my case, the insurance statement has a note stating "Left Hand Drive: YES".
 
Hi Daigo,
I'm Italian as well and just imported my LHD car here as well. I'm having some troubles with my NCB because it doesn't state that my cover is closed, but the cover is expired in a natural way.
I'm stuck with this problem, I already got plates and insurance from Chill insurance, but I cannot provide this NCB they're asking me.
Did you had the same issue? I read that you had some problems as well with your Italian paper.
Could you please let me know?
Thank you!
 
I didn't have any issues with my NCB. All you have to do is getting a certified translation of all the papers (attestato di rischio). You can also ask your previous insurance to write you a letter stating that the cover ended on whatever date, and get that translated too. The issue, I presume, is that Irish insurance companies cannot cover a vehicle which is already insured by someone else. However, the original document you have should already indicate the date of termination.
 
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