Classic car insurance – How to save money and get better cover.

September 20th, 2022

Classic car insurance – what makes it different?

There are a number of reasons to own a classic car or at least to think about owning one: 

• As an investment:. Classic cars have increased in value in recent years. Due to inflation and little or no deposit returns, classic cars can be a much better investment than cash.
• A make/model enthusiast: Some people love Ferrari’s or classic BMW’s and love the idea of owning one.
• An inheritance: Clients can often find themselves with a vehicle that is bequeathed to them by a loved one or friend and wish to keep it.
• Classic car rally or track day: Some owners love to take part in classic rallies or track days as a past time.
• Because they are great fun! Classic cars are somethings bought for the thrill of it, a treat for years of hard work and something to put a smile on your face.

What criteria do you need to have to avail of classic car cover?

Classic car insurance is often cheaper than standard car insurance and so the insurers that offer this cover often have acceptance criteria, such as:

• Age restriction: Typically you will need to be over 30 years of age to avail of classic cover.
• Licence restriction: You will need to have a full licence for over 5 years and have three penalty points or less.
• Claim restriction: Have only 1 fault claim in 5 years.
• Main vehicle as well as classic car: You will need to have a separate main insurance policy on your own vehicle (classic car cover is not designed for full time use vehicles).
• Minimum value and age of vehicle. The vehicle will need to be at least 20 years old and have a value of at least €25,000
• Restricted mileage and ROI registered. An insurer will look for you to drive less than 7500km per year and register the car in Ireland.

So, the policy isn’t for everyone but if you fit the criteria it can be a great way of covering your classic car.

What type of cover can I expect for classic car cover?

If you and your vehicle fit the criteria you can expect some excellent cover and benefits, such as:

• Reduced premium compared to a standard motor insurance policy.
• Agreed value for your classic car. The insurance company will agree the vehicle value on the offset, so you will know exactly what you are covered for.
• European break down cover.
• Comprehensive cover for drivers over 30.
• Legal expenses cover
• Option to reinstate the vehicle if a write off.
• Optional track day and classic rally cover (Subject to underwriting)

So if you are thinking of buying a classic car or already own one, don’t waste your time with other insurers. Contact the experts on 0818919699 for a quotation today or visit our motor insurance page  for more details

15% discount on Non Standard Motor insurance for June & July!

June 2nd, 2022

What to do when you cannot get motor insurance..

At any stage during your driving lifetime, you can find yourself shut out of the standard motor insurance market. It is not just those with driving convictions that can find it difficult to obtain motor insurance. You may have been unlucky to have a number of insurance claims, you may have changed your occupation or had a policy cancelled by an insurer or decided to buy a vehicle that standard insurers do not want.

So what can you do? Here are our top tips for getting motor insurance when you have been declined elsewhere:

1. Start shopping around: If you are insured with an insurance company directly, you are not giving yourself the best opportunity for cover. Use a broker or contact as many insurers as possible for a quotation. One size does not fit all when it comes to motor insurance.
2. Contact a specialist insurer. Contact nonstandardinsurance.ie (well, we would say that wouldn’t we!). We deal with specialist insurers that are comfortable taking on risks that are normally declined on the standard market and do not deal directly with clients. We have over 50 years experience in placing non standard risks and will be able to offer you a solution.
3. Know your rights. If you have had motor insurance previously and you are now been refused cover, you may be able to force your previous insurers hand. Follow the companies complaints procedure and if they still do not quote contact Insurance Ireland (formerly the Insurance federation of Ireland) who will help you to obtain a quotation from that company (what the premium will be might be a different story..)
4. Make yourself a better risk If you have obtained a quotation but it is still very expensive, look at ways to make yourself more appealing to insurers. Do you have a provisional licence? Consider sitting the test. Is your vehicle over 20 years old? Consider a newer vehicle. Also adding a partner or spouse to a policy can reduce the cost of your insurance.
5. Take a higher policy excess. A policy excess is the amount you pay yourself in the event of a claim. If you are trying to get on the road and you have an older car, you can take an excess up to €3000 which will help reduce the cost of your policy.

For a limited time only one of our insurers is offering a 15% new business discount on all Non standard cases. So contact us today to see how we can help. 

If you’re still not having any luck getting insurance, contact our motor dept today on 0818919699 or fill in the contact form below and we will do all we can to get you on the road.

Been given the runaround by your car insurer? We can help you get a quote!

May 20th, 2022

Standard insurers are fine if you fit their profile, but what if you are a bit different?

it isn’t a good feeling to ring up a standard insurance company to be told you are not wanted. Standard insurers want to put people into neat boxes, but what if you are different and don’t fit into a neat box?

Its ok to be different. At any stage during your driving lifetime, you can find yourself shut out of the standard motor insurance market. It is not just those with driving convictions that can find it difficult to obtain motor insurance. You may have been unlucky to have a number of insurance claims, you may have changed your occupation or had a policy cancelled by an insurer or decided to buy a vehicle that standard insurers do not want.

So what can you do? Here are our top tips for getting motor insurance when you have been declined elsewhere:

1. Start shopping around: If you are insured with an insurance company directly, you are not giving yourself the best opportunity for cover. Use a broker or contact as many insurers as possible for a quotation. One size does not fit all when it comes to motor insurance.
2. Contact a specialist insurer. Contact nonstandard.ie. We deal with specialist insurers that are comfortable taking on risks that are normally declined on the standard market and do not deal directly with clients. We have over 50 years experience in placing non standard risks and our friendly staff will be able to offer you a solution.
3. Know your rights. If you have had motor insurance previously and you are now been refused cover, you may be able to force your previous insurers hand. Follow the companies complaints procedure and if they still do not quote contact Insurance Ireland (formerly the Insurance federation of Ireland) who will help you to obtain a quotation from that company (what the premium will be might be a different story..)
4. Make yourself a better risk If you have obtained a quotation but it is still very expensive, look at ways to make yourself more appealing to insurers. Do you have a provisional licence? Consider sitting the test. Is your vehicle over 20 years old? Consider a newer vehicle. Also adding a partner or spouse to a policy can reduce the cost of your insurance.
5. Take a higher policy excess. A policy excess is the amount you pay yourself in the event of a claim. If you are trying to get on the road and you have an older car, you can take an excess up to €3000 which will help reduce the cost of your policy.

The best part of dealing with Nonstandard is that as you build up an insurance record, we will move you to the standard markets. At that stage, it will be those insurers looking for your business rather than the other way around.

What to do if you are having difficulty insuring your commercial vehicle..

March 28th, 2021

What makes a commercial vehicle non standard and how can I insure it?

Most insurance companies like risks to be straight forward so they can easily rate it. So they are happy to quote a carpenter (for example) with a small van with his own goods inside and who has a lot of claims free driving experience. A lot of commercial vehicle risks, however, fall outside what companies deem to be ‘standard’ and is not just those with van drivers with convictions that can find it difficult to obtain motor insurance. You may have a modified commercial vehicle (left hand drive, having racking systems in the back, having a catering vehicle for example) or you could have a number of insurance claims, or you may have an occupation the insurance companies don’t like (Insurers are very strict on occupations when it comes to commercial vehicles) or had a policy cancelled by an insurer or decided you will be using the vehicle for deliveries etc.

Here are some examples of non standard commercial vehicle clients we have recently helped:

1. Private occupation, but commercial vehicle: Our client had a private occupation (factory worker) but wanted to insure a small commercial vehicle for his own use. The standard insurers did not want to quote, but we successfully organised cover for him.
2. Insuring a second vehicle without a no claim bonus: Our client had a full no claim bonus on his private car, but didn’t have a no claim bonus on his commercial vehicle and did not want to cancel his private car. We were able to get his commercial vehicle insured with a ‘mirrored’ no claim bonus from his private vehicle.
3. Client with previous conviction: This client had a previous drink driving conviction and was unable to secure cover on the standard market. We obtained a quotation and were able to offer him direct debit in order to spread the cost.
4. Catering vehicle: We were able to secure motor insurance for this client who had a mobile coffee van, we also obtained separate liability cover that she needed.
5. Food ingredient delivery van:. This client had a private car but no no claim bonus on a commercial vehicle, the risk was complicated further as he had a previous claim and also was going to use the vehicle  to deliver food ingredients to retail units. We were able to secure comprehensive open driving insurance for him.
6. Waste recovery business: The client is collecting domestic waste and required cover to comply with local council insurance conditions.

So whatever your commercial vehicle scenario, we will be able to help you, contact our motor dept today on 0818919699 or fill in the contact form below and we will do all we can to get you on the road.

How to get insurance if you have a conviction.

November 22nd, 2020

How to get insurance if you have a conviction..

At any stage during your driving lifetime, you can find yourself shut out of the standard motor insurance market. In our experience, people that have had a motoring or non motoring conviction can find it difficult to get affordable insurance when they look to get driving again or look for house insurance when buying a home. Here are our tips for getting insurance after having a conviction:

1. Get the facts: If you are contacting an insurance company, you need to know the details of y our conviction. What was the exact date of your conviction and if you were put off the road, that date did that start? Did you contact your previous company to tell them you were off the road? If so, when did  your last no claim bonus expire? There is not much point contacting an insurer without knowing the facts as we cannot guarantee a quotation until we know your details.
2. Contact a specialist insurer. Contact nonstandardinsurance.ie (well, we would say that wouldn’t we!). We deal with specialist insurers that are comfortable taking on risks that are normally declined on the standard market and do not deal directly with clients. We have over 50 years experience in placing non standard risks and will be able to offer you a solution. We will also move you from specialist insurers to main stream insurers (who are often cheaper) as soon as they will take you on.
3. Know your rights. If you have had motor insurance previously and you are now been refused cover, you may be able to force your previous insurers hand. Follow the companies complaints procedure and if they still do not quote contact Insurance Ireland (formerly the Insurance federation of Ireland) who will help you to obtain a quotation from that company (what the premium will be might be a different story..)
4. Make yourself a better risk If you have obtained a quotation but it is still very expensive, look at ways to make yourself more appealing to insurers. Do you have a provisional licence? Consider sitting the test. Is your vehicle over 10 years old? Consider a newer vehicle. Also adding a partner or spouse to a policy can reduce the cost of your insurance.
5. Take a higher policy excess. A policy excess is the amount you pay yourself in the event of a claim. If you are trying to get back on the road after a conviction, you can take an excess up to €3000 which will help reduce the cost of your policy. This can help keep the cost of your cover down for the first number of years until we can move you to more main stream insurers.

For a limited time only one of our insurers is offering a 15% new business discount on all Non standard cases. So contact us today to see how we can help. 

If you’re still not having any luck getting insurance, contact our motor dept today on 0818919699 or fill in the contact form below and we will do all we can to get you on the road.

Don’t be ashamed if you can’t get motor insurance – get covered..

October 29th, 2020

Don’t be ashamed if you can’t get motor insurance – get covered..

Shame – it isn’t a good feeling to ring up a standard insurance company to be told you are not wanted. Standard insurers want to put people into neat boxes, but what if you are different and don’t fit into a neat box?

At any stage during your driving lifetime, you can find yourself shut out of the standard motor insurance market. It is not just those with driving convictions that can find it difficult to obtain motor insurance. You may have been unlucky to have a number of insurance claims, you may have changed your occupation or had a policy cancelled by an insurer or decided to buy a vehicle that standard insurers do not want.

So what can you do? Here are our top tips for getting motor insurance when you have been declined elsewhere:

1. Start shopping around: If you are insured with an insurance company directly, you are not giving yourself the best opportunity for cover. Use a broker or contact as many insurers as possible for a quotation. One size does not fit all when it comes to motor insurance.
2. Contact a specialist insurer. Contact nonstandard.ie (well, we would say that wouldn’t we!). We deal with specialist insurers that are comfortable taking on risks that are normally declined on the standard market and do not deal directly with clients. We have over 50 years experience in placing non standard risks and will be able to offer you a solution.
3. Know your rights. If you have had motor insurance previously and you are now been refused cover, you may be able to force your previous insurers hand. Follow the companies complaints procedure and if they still do not quote contact Insurance Ireland (formerly the Insurance federation of Ireland) who will help you to obtain a quotation from that company (what the premium will be might be a different story..)
4. Make yourself a better risk If you have obtained a quotation but it is still very expensive, look at ways to make yourself more appealing to insurers. Do you have a provisional licence? Consider sitting the test. Is your vehicle over 20 years old? Consider a newer vehicle. Also adding a partner or spouse to a policy can reduce the cost of your insurance.
5. Take a higher policy excess. A policy excess is the amount you pay yourself in the event of a claim. If you are trying to get on the road and you have an older car, you can take an excess up to €3000 which will help reduce the cost of your policy.

The best part of dealing with Nonstandard is that as you build up an insurance record, we will move you to the standard markets. At that stage, it will be those insurers looking for your business rather than the other way around.

If you’re still not having any luck getting insurance, contact our motor dept today on 0818919699 or fill in the contact form below and we will do all we can to get you on the road.

Discounted Non Standard commercial vehicle insurance

June 22nd, 2020

What makes a commercial vehicle non standard and how can I insure it?

Most insurance companies like risks to be straight forward so they can easily rate it. So they are happy to quote a carpenter (for example) with a small van with his own goods inside and who has a lot of claims free driving experience. A lot of commercial vehicle risks, however, fall outside what companies deem to be ‘standard’ and is not just those with van drivers with convictions that can find it difficult to obtain motor insurance. You may have a modified commercial vehicle (left hand drive, having racking systems in the back, having a catering vehicle for example) or you could have a number of insurance claims, or you may have an occupation the insurance companies don’t like (Insurers are very strict on occupations when it comes to commercial vehicles) or had a policy cancelled by an insurer or decided you will be using the vehicle for deliveries etc.

Here are some examples of non standard commercial vehicle clients we have recently helped:

1. Private occupation, but commercial vehicle: Our client had a private occupation (factory worker) but wanted to insure a small commercial vehicle for his own use. The standard insurers did not want to quote, but we successfully organised cover for him.
2. Insuring a second vehicle without a no claim bonus: Our client had a full no claim bonus on his private car, but didn’t have a no claim bonus on his commercial vehicle and did not want to cancel his private car. We were able to get his commercial vehicle insured with a ‘mirrored’ no claim bonus from his private vehicle.
3. Client with previous conviction: This client had a previous drink driving conviction and was unable to secure cover on the standard market. We obtained a quotation and were able to offer him direct debit in order to spread the cost.
4. Catering vehicle: We were able to secure motor insurance for this client who had a mobile coffee van, we also obtained separate liability cover that she needed.
5. Food ingredient delivery van:. This client had a private car but no no claim bonus on a commercial vehicle, the risk was complicated further as he had a previous claim and also was going to use the vehicle  to deliver food ingredients to retail units. We were able to secure comprehensive open driving insurance for him.
6. Waste recovery business: The client is collecting domestic waste and required cover to comply with local council insurance conditions.

We currently are offering a 15% discount on all non standard (as at June 2020) commercial vehicle insurance. So contact us today for a quotation.

So whatever your commercial vehicle scenario, we will be able to help you, contact our motor dept today on 0818919699 or fill in the contact form below and we will do all we can to get you on the road.

Insuring a second vehicle in the family – what are the options?

September 11th, 2019

So you need to insure a second vehicle within the family – what are  your options?

It can often be the case that one person in a family has a vehicle insured for a number of years and built up a no claim bonus in their name. That is fine until a second vehicle is needed by a family member or the main proposer themselves, how does insurance work out then?

One of the issues in the Irish market is that if a no claim bonus/discount is built up, it is built up on one vehicle (leaving more complicated policies such as fleet or motor trade policies to one side) only. So if you suddenly need to insure a second vehicle, a lot of insurers will start the proposer from almost zero and not give any credit for the bonus that was built up on the first vehicle. So under what scenarios could a second vehicle be needed?

1. You may want to own a private car and need a commercial vehicle as well: This is relatively common. A person may be self employed and need a car for family life and a van for business life.
2. Your business starts to take off: When you were a one man show, one vehicle was enough, but now that have taken on employees you need more vehicles on the road. A fleet policy is a solution but fleet policies are expensive. With our help you don’t need to take out a fleet policy.
3. A spouse or partner needs a vehicle: It may work out cheaper for one family member to insure two vehicles in their name, instead of insuring a vehicle in a partners name who may not have any driving experience noted.
4. You need to insure a vehicle in a company name: There may be tax incentives to insuring a vehicle in a company name so you need to have a separate policy for this.
5. You want a car for the weekend or occasional use. Some people like to own a second classic or special vehicle with low mileage.

If any of the above scenario’s ring a bell, than contact us to see how we can help you, We have various options with our non standard insurers including the ability to ‘mirror’ a no claim bonus from a first vehicle to a second. contact our motor dept today on 0818919699 or fill in the contact form below and we will do all we can to get you on the road.

Non standard commercial vehicle insurance

July 4th, 2019

What makes a commercial vehicle non standard and how can I insure it?

Most insurance companies like risks to be straight forward so they can easily rate it. So they are happy to quote a carpenter (for example) with a small van with his own goods inside and who has a lot of claims free driving experience. A lot of commercial vehicle risks, however, fall outside what companies deem to be ‘standard’ and is not just those with driving convictions that can find it difficult to obtain motor insurance. You may have a modified commercial vehicle (left hand drive, having racking systems in the back, having a catering vehicle for example) or you could have a number of insurance claims, or you may have an occupation the insurance companies don’t like (Insurers are very strict on occupations when it comes to commercial vehicles) or had a policy cancelled by an insurer or decided to maybe you will be using the vehicle for deliveries etc.

Here are some examples of non standard commercial vehicle clients we have recently helped:

1. Private occupation, but commercial vehicle: Our client had a private occupation (factory worker) but wanted to insure a small commercial vehicle for his own use. The standard insurers did not want to quote, but we successfully organised cover for him.
2. Insuring a second vehicle without a no claim bonus: Our client had a full no claim bonus on his private car, but didn’t have a no claim bonus on his commercial vehicle and did not want to cancel his private car. We were able to get his commercial vehicle insured with a ‘mirrored’ no claim bonus from his private vehicle.
3. Client with previous conviction: This client had a previous drink driving conviction and was unable to secure cover on the standard market. We obtained a quotation and were able to offer him direct debit in order to spread the cost.
4. Catering vehicle: We were able to secure motor insurance for this client who had a mobile coffee van, we also obtained separate liability cover that she needed.
5. Food ingredient delivery van:. This client had a private car but no no claim bonus on a commercial vehicle, the risk was complicated further as he had a previous claim and also was going to use the vehicle  to deliver food ingredients to retail units. We were able to secure comprehensive open driving insurance for him.

So whatever your commercial vehicle scenario, we will be able to help you, contact our motor dept today on 0818919699 or fill in the contact form below and we will do all we can to get you on the road.

No no claim bonus? No problem!

April 11th, 2019

No no-claim bonus? No problem..

There can be a number of reasons that you can find yourself without a no claim bonus for your motor insurance policy, such as:

• You have been outside of the country for a number of years and don’t have any proof of driving.
• You may have had a recent insurance claim or have a claim that is outstanding.
• You may need a second car in the family and don’t have a no claim bonus built up on it.
• You may have been driving under a company scheme and don’t have your own no claim bonus built up.
• You may have had a driving conviction and are only recently going back on the road.

Why does not having a no claim bonus make it so difficult to get insurance cover?

Most standard insurers will require you to have a minimum of 2 years no claim bonus before quoting, if you don’t have this it can be very difficult to obtain a quotation in the Irish motor insurance market.

This can be even more difficult for someone that has been off the road for a motoring conviction. The issue most people have when looking for insurance following a motor insurance conviction is that most insurers will only allow a no claim bonus for up to 2 years after expiry, after that you are back to square one. This is where our unique motor scheme comes in to play. We can allow a no claim bonus up to four years after expiry, which will make a massive difference to the premium.

Will the premium be very expensive if I don’t have a no claim bonus?

Obviously those looking for insurance following a drink driving conviction or similar can expect to pay elevated premiums initially as will those without a no claim bonus, but we can help to eventually ‘normalise’ your premium in due course, some of the ways we can help those without a no claim bonus include:

• Some of our non standard insurers will quote without a no claim bonus and help you build your bonus in the years ahead.
• Options such as a higher policy excess and direct debit can help reduce and spread the cost.
• At every renewal date we will shop around (both standard and non standard insurers) for you to help secure the best deal on the available market.
• We can help reinstate a no claim bonus if you have had one in the past, but have been off the road for more than 2 years (subject to company acceptance)

So if you don’t have a no claim bonus and need insurance cover, don’t waste your time with other insurers. Contact the experts on 0818919699 for a quotation today or visit our motor insurance page  for more details