An Insurance question !

[BelgiumBrit]

Hi Folks

 

I am wondering if any of you may assist with your personal experience or knowledge.I am planning on buying a wide beam for use on The Severn or Avon, and obviously I will have to arrange Insurance cover. I am a British Ex Pat living in Belgium, so not a UK resident. Every web site that I have visited in order to get a quote has the condition ,that you MUST be a UK resident in order to apply.

 

Do any of you know a compnay that provides cover to non UK residents? There must be some out there surely ?

 

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

Edited June 23, 2011 by BelgiumBrit

[Ex- Member]

Just use a U.K address to obtain a quote. Whatever that address is shouldn't effect the cost of the quote. The reason they wont quote is probably the computer says no to an address outside the UK

[David Mack]

Hi Folks

 

I am wondering if any of you may assist with your personal experience or knowledge.I am planning on buying a wide beam for use on The Severn or Avon, and obviously I will have to arrange Insurance cover. I am a British Ex Pat living in Belgium, so not a UK resident. Every web site that I have visited in order to get a quote has the condition ,that you MUST be a UK resident in order to apply.

 

Do any of you know a compnay that provides cover to non UK residents? There must be some out there surely ?

 

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

Pick up the phone! The online quotes only cover the standard cases. If you speak to them and explain your position, many companies will quote, and it is likely to be reasonably competitive with the online price.

 

I wouldn't recommend claiming to be UK based if you are not. It may be fine to get the insurance in the first place, but if you ever have to claim you could well find yourself uninsured.

 

David

[bargemast]

Hi Folks

 

I am wondering if any of you may assist with your personal experience or knowledge.I am planning on buying a wide beam for use on The Severn or Avon, and obviously I will have to arrange Insurance cover. I am a British Ex Pat living in Belgium, so not a UK resident. Every web site that I have visited in order to get a quote has the condition ,that you MUST be a UK resident in order to apply.

 

Do any of you know a compnay that provides cover to non UK residents? There must be some out there surely ?

 

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

 

If your a Brit, and you're going to use your boat only in the U.K. I can't think that that would be a reason for not wanting to insure you.

 

As has been suggested make a few phonecalls, and I would be most surprised if you can't get a quote.

 

Success with your insurance.

 

Peter.

[Ex- Member]

I wouldn't recommend claiming to be UK based if you are not. It may be fine to get the insurance in the first place, but if you ever have to claim you could well find yourself uninsured.

 

David

 

I suggested he do this to obtain a quote, NOT to obtain insurance.

[BelgiumBrit]

I suggested he do this to obtain a quote, NOT to obtain insurance.

 

Fabulous ! Thanks for your replies !

[Guest]

I suggested he do this to obtain a quote, NOT to obtain insurance.

 

I think the problem with even that is that the lack of a UK adress MAY be deemed in some way to affect the risk so any qoute obtained would not be accurate, I would go for the giving them a bell suggestion.

[by'eck]

Its an electoral role issue. If your not on it due for example being a UK non-resident, you can't get any credit agreement including mobile phones, hire a vehicle or open new bank/card accounts even with your existing bank. You will also fail any Experian (credit) check. Having a UK address makes no difference.

[cotswoldsman]

Its an electoral role issue. If your not on it due for example being a UK non-resident, you can't get any credit agreement including mobile phones, hire a vehicle or open new bank/card accounts even with your existing bank. You will also fail any Experian (credit) check. Having a UK address makes no difference.

 

That is not correct. I am not on the electoral role, I use my daughters address in London (she is not on electoral role at that address) and I have credit cards and debit cards and only last month signed up a contract with 3 Mobile. As for hiring cars you are completely wrong regarding hire car, most hire cars in this country are hired out at airports to foreign residents. Just as a bye I also never have any problem hiring cars using my daughters address on my licence.

[by'eck]

That is not correct. I am not on the electoral role, I use my daughters address in London (she is not on electoral role at that address) and I have credit cards and debit cards and only last month signed up a contract with 3 Mobile. As for hiring cars you are completely wrong regarding hire car, most hire cars in this country are hired out at airports to foreign residents. Just as a bye I also never have any problem hiring cars using my daughters address on my licence.

 

My comments were based on facts that I have had to suffer the results of. Three days ago I was not allowed to hire a van as I failed the Experian test this in turn being due to having different card & residential address. The OP is having problems with insurance due to being a UK non-resident as I am. You are lucky IMO in not having the issues I mention, but please don't suggest these problems don't exist for some.

[cotswoldsman]

My comments were based on facts that I have had to suffer the results of. Three days ago I was not allowed to hire a van as I failed the Experian test this in turn being due to having different card & residential address. The OP is having problems with insurance due to being a UK non-resident as I am. You are lucky IMO in not having the issues I mention, but please don't suggest these problems don't exist for some.

 

My comments were based on facts that I have experienced. Though all my cards and licence are registered at the same address. I was not suggesting these problems do not exist I was just pointing out that you were incorrect in saying that if you are not on the electoral role you are automaticly barred from obtaining credit cards, phone contracts and hiring cars.

2 years ago I boated with a couple from Australia that were over here for 3 years living on there boat, they used a UK friends address and had no problem opening bank accounts and obtaining credit cards. just as aside because he was born in UK and went to Australia when he was 7 he also managed to get winter fuel allowance as he was over 60.

[hvdb]

Hi Folks

 

I am wondering if any of you may assist with your personal experience or knowledge.I am planning on buying a wide beam for use on The Severn or Avon, and obviously I will have to arrange Insurance cover. I am a British Ex Pat living in Belgium, so not a UK resident. Every web site that I have visited in order to get a quote has the condition ,that you MUST be a UK resident in order to apply.

 

Do any of you know a compnay that provides cover to non UK residents? There must be some out there surely ?

 

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

Hi BelgiumBrit,

 

We are Dutch and live in The Netherlands, we encountered similar problems when we bought our narrowboat last year.

 

We had trouble opening an English bank account as we are no UK-residents. In the end we did find a bank that was willing to accept us, only to be told that we must give them proof of residency in our own country. They only accepted a drivers's licence or a bank statement for this. There is no address on the Dutch driver's licences, and we normally don't carry a bank statement with us when we are on holiday. The next time we came over to the UK (a couple of months later) we brought said statement with us and we then were able to open the account. (We wanted the account so we can use the debit card when shopping and buying groceries etc. instead of the Dutch card where we pay a fee for every transaction abroad and we do not want to carry a lot of cash with us.)

 

We also had trouble finding an insurance company that would accept non-UK residents. We were given the name of a company that might accept us, and after mailing them, they did!

 

When we did not yet have the bank account, we were only allowed to buy a pay-as-you-go dongle.(Suits us fine now)

 

When applying for the BW-licence, we found that on the application form one cannot fill in a non-UK address. On the form it says that when you give incorrect details, they reject the application and send the form back to you, so we phoned the BW-office and were told to fill in our address as well as possible and they would sort it out. We received the licence within 14 days after sending in the application.

 

So phoning people and searching on the internet will pay off. We found all the people who helped us very friendly and cooperative, everything has ended well, it just takes up a lot of time

Edited June 24, 2011 by hvdb

[BelgiumBrit]

Hi BelgiumBrit,

 

We are Dutch and live in The Netherlands, we encountered similar problems when we bought our narrowboat last year.

 

We had trouble opening an English bank account as we are no UK-residents. In the end we did find a bank that was willing to accept us, only to be told that we must give them proof of residency in our own country. They only accepted a drivers's licence or a bank statement for this. There is no address on the Dutch driver's licences, and we normally don't carry a bank statement with us when we are on holiday. The next time we came over to the UK (a couple of months later) we brought said statement with us and we then were able to open the account. (We wanted the account so we can use the debit card when shopping and buying groceries etc. instead of the Dutch card where we pay a fee for every transaction abroad and we do not want to carry a lot of cash with us.)

 

We also had trouble finding an insurance company that would accept non-UK residents. We were given the name of a company that might accept us, and after mailing them, they did!

 

When we did not yet have the bank account, we were only allowed to buy a pay-as-you-go dongle.(Suits us fine now)

 

When applying for the BW-licence, we found that on the application form one cannot fill in a non-UK address. On the form it says that when you give incorrect details, they reject the application and send the form back to you, so we phoned the BW-office and were told to fill in our address as well as possible and they would sort it out. We received the licence within 14 days after sending in the application.

 

So phoning people and searching on the internet will pay off. We found all the people who helped us very friendly and cooperative, everything has ended well, it just takes up a lot of time

 

 

That is very interesting , and gives me hope, would you PM the name of your insurance company so that I may make some enquiries with them ? Dank U Wel, Groetjes !

[cotswoldsman]

That is very interesting , and gives me hope, would you PM the name of your insurance company so that I may make some enquiries with them ? Dank U Wel, Groetjes !

 

think you nee to do another post before they can pm you as you need to have done 5 posts to activate your pm facility.

[BelgiumBrit]

think you nee to do another post before they can pm you as you need to have done 5 posts to activate your pm facility.

 

Ah, of course , thanks for that !!!! This should do the trick !

 

Regards.

 

Ian

[magpie patrick]

We met, in 2009, Americans who owned a 31 foot narrow boat here, Shilling, it was all insured and licensed etc (and they have posted on here) so it can be done, of course they may have insured with an American company

 

hvdb, stick with your pay as you go, getting out of a mobile internet contract here can be frustrating to say the least

[RLWP]

We met, in 2009, Americans who owned a 31 foot narrow boat here, Shilling, it was all insured and licensed etc (and they have posted on here) so it can be done, of course they may have insured with an American company

 

hvdb, stick with your pay as you go, getting out of a mobile internet contract here can be frustrating to say the least

 

They are forum members, and used to moor Shilling at Hatton: Bellamina

 

Richard

[hvdb]

PM sent

[Dominic M]

That is not correct. I am not on the electoral role, I use my daughters address in London (she is not on electoral role at that address) and I have credit cards and debit cards and only last month signed up a contract with 3 Mobile. As for hiring cars you are completely wrong regarding hire car, most hire cars in this country are hired out at airports to foreign residents. Just as a bye I also never have any problem hiring cars using my daughters address on my licence.

I hate to disabuse you, but not appearing on the electoral roll for the address you supply is an instant credit check refusal.

[Smelly]

I hate to disabuse you, but not appearing on the electoral roll for the address you supply is an instant credit check refusal.

 

Surely it's just a big lump off your score...

[Guest]

I hate to disabuse you, but not appearing on the electoral roll for the address you supply is an instant credit check refusal.

 

Interesting one that and worth noting.

 

Easily rectified though of course..

[cotswoldsman]

I hate to disabuse you, but not appearing on the electoral roll for the address you supply is an instant credit check refusal.

 

You are not disabusing me I can only tell it as it is. I am not on the electoral role have 2 credit cards and 2 debit cards and last month signed up to a contract to 3 Mobile for my internet.