Comfort Insurance

[Trappa]

Hello Guys
I'm with Comfort Insurance with full European cover which cost £82.00.
Can somebody clarify if my van breaks down in Spain or France with a major problem am I forced to get it repaired at the garage the insurance company suggest or can I insist on repatriation back to my home address at their expense.

 

[Brains]

Call and ask them.

Bottom line they are an insurance company, and if they are paying, they will take the cheaper option.

 

[Carpmart]

No…. Repatriation is not an elective service the insured party can select unilaterally…

 

[peterc10]

Remember that this insurance does not include the cost of any repairs that are needed. You will have to pay those.

 

[Brains]

We all need to be prepared for the 'major problem' when travelling abroad.

As one of the SPF's (Single Point of Failure) can be the driver.

If you have a second driver insured, even if they are not on the trip, they YOU have to pay to fly the insured driver out and get them to drive home. (Hence most of us do not have named drivers on the insurance except for spouses on the trip)

I have a verbal arrangement with my sister, who also has a motorhome, we are not insured on each others vehicles, but if needed we have agreed to get insured and then fly out and bring the vehicle home rather than the insurance company taking weeks on a series of low loaders with all the associated damage.

The other big SPF is vehicle failure.

If the insurance company deem is more economical to fix locally, then that is what they will do.
They may pay to fly you home, or put you up in a hotel for a few days, if it's a repair that can be done fast.

But you may need to find somewhere locally to store the contents of your motorhome whilst it being repaired.
And if they fly you home, then YOU will need to pay for a return flight and the the drive home.

Insurance is not a concierge service!

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[royandsharont]

This is not correct

“If you have a second driver insured, even if they are not on the trip, they YOU have to pay to fly the insured driver out and get them to drive home. (Hence most of us do not have named drivers on the insurance except for spouses on the trip)”

If you have an insured driver with you, who is also fit to drive, then they MUST drive the vehicle even if you are repatriated home via air, ambulance etc.

If they too are unfit to drive then the van would get repatriated back to UK. I guess they would want medical confirmation from such as a doctor.

I am aware if no insured driver is with you but you have someone else who would drive it home, whether they are actually there at the time, then the insurance company may pay to get them there and cover them to drive it home.

 

[Brains]

This is not correct

“If you have a second driver insured, even if they are not on the trip, they YOU have to pay to fly the insured driver out and get them to drive home. (Hence most of us do not have named drivers on the insurance except for spouses on the trip)”

If you have an insured driver with you, who is also fit to drive, then they MUST drive the vehicle even if you are repatriated home via air, ambulance etc.

If they too are unfit to drive then the van would get repatriated back to UK. I guess they would want medical confirmation from such as a doctor.

I am aware if no insured driver is with you but you have someone else who would drive it home, whether they are actually there at the time, then the insurance company may pay to get them there and cover them to drive it home.

I think we are both saying exactly the same thing, except you say the insurance company "may pay" to fly out an insured driver to drive the van home, whereas I used "you pay" for the flight.

I guess it will depend on what the insurance company can get away with and the wording on their T&C's.

It's a lot cheaper for the insurance company to fly out a 'willing' family driver to bring the van home than to arrange a series of low loaders to move the vehicle a couple of hundred miles at a time from depot to depot (with all the associated damage that can occur).

As we both point out, the big issue, is if one driver has a medical emergency that means repatriation or weeks in a local hospital, followed by a flight home.

The other driver is responsible for getting the van home, when in reality they are also on the flight home.

What every one of us should have in advance, is an agreement with someone who could drive a motorhome home.
In the event the motorhome needs to be driven home, you'll give them the keys, add them to the insurance, and buy the flight out for them to drive it home at your cost (fuel, ferry, food etc.).
(I have this agreement with my sister, she also has a motorhome and is also the sole insured driver)

 

[Brains]

As an FYI
I had a mate who between jobs briefly worked as a vehicle delivery driver on behalf of an insurance company.

He was flown down to southern Italy to drive a motorhome home, which arrived off a ferry.
The pay was dreadful, a Ryan air flight with hand luggage only and told to get a local bus to the port and then start driving home same day and they expected him to drive it home in something like 3 days, and not use toll roads or toll tunnels.
They also only paid a small rate for food which did not actually cover the cost.

It took him something like 5 days to get back, and there were all sorts of arguments about who paid for his extra time.

He never worked for them again.
But it shows it's a Nickel & Dime operation, not something you want you expensive vehicle to be involved with.