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Car Insurance Company

8K views 32 replies 17 participants last post by  susanspain 
#1 ·
Who do you use?
Why?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
I use Ibex!! Mainly cos my friend is their local agent. I did look around and found a cheaper quote last time and when I told Ibex, they matched it!! I have to say, luckily (touch wood etc) I havent had to use them, so I dont know what they're service is like

Jo xxx
 
#12 ·
No, we're not with MAPFRE!
We use the Mutua Madrileña.
In fact next week I'm going to their offices as they offer to do everything you need to do to renew your licence. So I go there and they do the photo, the psicomotricity, eye test etc and then they take it to the central offices (and do all the queuing) and it will be sent to me through the post. This is a new thing because you used to be able to do it yourself through ther post , BUT NOW YOU CAN'T! So you either do it through somebody like them (free) or you pay a gestor or you end up wasting an awful lot of time doing it yourself.
 
#8 ·
I now use Linea Directa (although they are not the cheapest) as they offer the best medical cover going, plus OH's experience of them in the past was second to none (although I must admit their admin dept is a bit of a shambles).

We used to have Liberty Seguors for both cars, but when it came to a claim: (A serious matter as we were injured, had been run off the road by a boy racer who then left his car and the scene, the Traffico 'Atestados' attended and it became a criminal case) they were more than C***

They would not deal with us initially and kept telling us to go to the broker (who was as bad as Liberty themselves) -
The Insurance Centre in Coin
From the start of the claim to three years later and only just managing to get medical bills refunded, having to elect our own lawyer (as theirs was giving us insufficient info)
and to the point that Liberty hired their own medical specilaist (I thought at the time to confirm my injuries, but no, to refute my claim!!!)


At the end of my tether I report them to the Insurances Ombudsman - who sadly, took their word at face value and said they had 'acted within the Insurances code'. (But if I was unhappy then I could start a civil case against them).

Some code when you have lost out financially through unprofessional handling and less than service.
No accountablility!
 
#9 ·
We insured our LandRover third party only last year and kept our fingers crossed as it's not old. Linea Directa have now given us fully comprehensive cover for the same price - with some qualifications, of course, but nothing too complicated to hinder a straightforward claim.
 
#14 ·
I have used Linea Directa for the past three years - after a very bad experience with Zurich (through an agent in Girona recommended by the dealer who sold us the car). The agent and Zurich's service in handling the claim after we had an accident (run in to the back while waiting at traffic lights, the car which hit us having been shunted by the one that ran in to him, that driver was almost certainly talking on his mobile at the time and also wearing flip flops - not ideal for hitting the break pedal in an emergency) was like the 'how not to scenes' in the old John Cleese training videos (but not so funny). By contrast Linea Directa has been very efficient and also provide for everything including accident claims to be managed over the Internet.
 
#20 ·
Just to add to all of above.
You will note that it was Liberty Seguros who messed us around, failed to support our interests (even though it was a criminal case and 100% the other parties fault).

At least the 'other parties insurance' was Linea Directa and they protected their (the co's) interests 100%...
Hence our switch to them when it came to renewal! (Even though they made sure we got the minimum payment when they were settling with us via Liberty).
 
#21 ·
It would appear that the problem you had was more with the broker as you shouldn't be dealing with the insurance company in the 1st place. My broker made it perfectly clear that in the event of a claim , car or house, I was to do nothing other than what was legally required without speaking to them & allowing them to deal with the whole process & indicate what should & should not be put on the paperwork.
 
#22 ·
Hi GL....
The broker was just part of the problem.
Yes, they mucked up big time in the initial stages (I think in hindsight I should have gone ahead with a reclamacion against them rather than giving them the rope to wriggle free!)

Liberty (like other insurance co's) now deal direct with clients...
So that should never have been an issue.

Either way, we were stuffed from the start.

Just don't want others to be experiencing the same problem!
 
#23 ·
Liberty (like other insurance co's) now deal direct with clients...
So that should never have been an issue.

!
Well, no it seems they dont

I was with Liberty Seguros .... they just sent me a sales letter brochure encouraging me to stay with them, but the letter tells me to contact my "trusted insurance advisor", Knights Insurance
 
G
#24 ·
I've had some problems during the years, but I now have all my insurances, house, cars, bike and health with a Spanish company through a Spanish one-man company broker, (or I guess I should say one-woman company...). I get some nice rebates and invoices just come from one place plus if anthing happens or is unclear I just call my local contact and she deals with it.

I guess there are good, bad and horrible insurance brokers or agents and that it can be hard to find one. I found one through recommendations from Spanish people I trust and I was also lucky because she speaks French, (my French is fluent, my Spanish not yet).
 
#26 ·
I´ll say what i have said in the past, i can recommend Linea Directa. english speaking staff, very helpful and decent rate.

A friend accidently broke the interior door handle on my car recently - long story but it involved wind and a reaction grab of the door jaja. Mercedes said they could only provide the entire panel and as my ar is RHD it would cost anything up to 600€

I called the insurers to see if i would be covered and they were great. Immediately offered to deal with it, provide a courtesy car etc etc, no quibbles at all - they even said i can use my own choice of garage.

In the end my local mechanic said he could repair the inside gubbins or 40€ so i went with that as it was less than the excess BUT nevertheless linea directa were great, and very very helpful.
 
#29 ·
Hi Sravinsky... Just to clarify ^
Liberty told me I should be dealing with them directly, then kept changing the goal posts.
Seems from every which way they/the broker were doing their best to stonewall me.
(Won't to into grizzly details here as I had a blast on it at the time... but basically they only had to argue my case against the other party - who were totally to blame (and thankfully insured/I had a full police report to support this) - but they managed to muck the whole thing up - including trying to get false 'evidence' about my injuries to lessen the claim.
What sort of company does that?

Liberty with a capital L for lousy...
 
#30 · (Edited)
I was with Linea Directa for a number of years. A friend told me that Linea Directa had reduced her annual premium because she was about to go to another company.

My insurance was up for renewal so I told them I would be looking around for quotes. They told me to get back to them when I have the quote of my choice and they will beat it.

I asked them to simply give me the best price they could right now and it would save me the trouble of getting other quotes and I would stay with them. They said they "couldn't" do that.....but if I get back to them, they will beat my best quote.

It occurred to me that if they are charging me more than they need to, then they are - in effect - ripping me off (ie overcharging).

I argued again that they should simply give me the best price possible for the same cover....but they refused again - still insisting I get back to them with the best quote and they will beat it.

It then occurred to me that if I hadn't called them, they would have done what they did every year, ie increase the premium and automatically take it from my account on direct debit.

I decided I didn't want to do business with a company that operates that way!! I took the insurance with another company.

Linea Directa called me a couple of weeks later to ask me did I get my other quotes yet and I told them I had done my insurance with another company.

They were.....upset (shall we say) about it and asked me why I hadn't got back to them for them to beat the quote.

I told them that (1) they would have simply continued raising my premium and direct debiting it if I hadn't asked them could they do any better and (2) why could they not simply give their lowest possible price in the first place - without the need to simply 'beat any other quote'.

That's sharp practice!
 
#31 ·
Linea Directa, i had small prang a month or so back ( reversed into a motor bike) causing some small damage to the bike. It was sorted in 10 min at the side of the road, with Linea Directa accepting the claim and explaning what was happening to the bike owner in Spanish and English for me.Only lost one year of my no-claims. And as i drove off the bike oweners insurer hadn't picked up the phone.
 
#33 ·
Hi Malaguno,
I too get very frustrated (and MAD!) with Linea Directa at the way they deal with loyal clients.

We have both our cars insured with them, and I have to fight tooth and nail each year to keep the premium at a good price.

But in the end, I always put myself through it as a) they were on the other side of my claim with Liberty and would only pay out what could be proved. (Therefore, keeping premiums down).
but mainly.....
Here it comes...

I know of no other insurance co who offer FULL MEDICAL COSTS for ANYONE IN THE VEHICLE -
As my RTA I mentioned previously was in a Libery insured car (I was the passenger), although it said on paper I was covered - they gave nothing - and told me to pay the medical bills and to reclaim later. (It was only after spending going on for Eu3,000 that they told me it was actually part of my claim from the 'other side' - and only when pushed - did they admit that there was no guarantee of my getting my money back.)
AND THEY TOLD ME TO GO AHEAD WITH THESE TREATEMENTS!

(Sadly my complaint to the Insurances Ombudsman got me nowhere, as did attempts to report the Liberty Lawyer to the law bar).

Basically, I stay with Linea Directa as I know they will pay out for med costs if I ever needed it...
 
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