My God is it expensive... Just as a reality-check I got a quote for the same car and cover in NW London* and the premium was over 1000 CHF less.

Same car/cover
UK: 703 CHF (£420)
CH: 1725 CHF (cheapest comparis.ch price)

*If I lived out in the English countryside I might even save more. I just cannot see the justification??

errr, is it this simple:

if you damage your own and/or someones car/property then the cost of the repair here is going to be a hell of a lot more than it is back in the UK!

my 2rp.

Higher prang rate in Switzerland compared to the UK leading to higher premiums here?

More sneakily, you don't think it could be that you are a foreigner? I've heard totally unsubstantiated rumours that insurance companies have a foreigner rate. Maybe check with your Swiss buddies who need similar coverage and see what they pay.

this is substantiated, true and legal. eastern EU'ers and ex/yugoslavs in particular are on a much higher rate here.

i'll see if i can find a link for the stats.

Crikey! It's even legal?? At least the Eastern Europeans come from countries that drive on the same side of the road as Switzerland.

well, its not legal to discriminate against a particular group for no particular reason. if the insurance company can prove a statistical bias for a particular reason then they can up the premiums e.g. your postcode, do you park inside or on the street, how many proven 'false' claims from a particular nationality etc etc

Yeah Castro, I got very similar figures for my little Fiat, wound up paying almost 1800CHF in the end!
I checked with the guys I work with, and both a long term Brit Expat and a Swiss guy were paying similar rates (bout 14-1500CHF). I've also got the 'disadvantage' of being under 25, so always get lumped with the 'young drive' (read: beer-swilling, joy riding lout) rates - inspite of having held a full clean license for almost 6 years, with only 1 no-fault claim!

Castro, I feel your pain My insurance costs me 2600 CHF a year here which is more than I paid 10 years ago as a new driver

While the premiums are high, I have found that the Insurance firms are more than happy to cough up for the smallest thing (to55ers in car parks scratching my car with their doors), with no excess, and no increase in the premium. Additionally, if the damage is someone else's fault, you pay no excess.

What really pi55e5 me off is the fact that in England, if you want to change insurers, you write the old insurer an e-mail and stop your payments, before starting up with the new insurer. Over here, the new insurer needs to get a letter from the old insurer, accepting the cessation of your contract with them, and won't take you on until they get it. The old insurer will clearly be in no hurry to lose business, and might even require a personal visit and a prolonged shouting incident before they agree to issue such a letter within the next 6 months (as happened with me). Bar stewards!

Cheers

Jim

I felt compelled to give you a sympathy "Thanks"

It can be very expensive to insure in Basel, but will go down once you have some car insurance "history" here is Switzerland.

When I first got my car here in Basel I paid Sfr 2500 a year, but now pay "only" Sfr1100. The insurance company made it very clear why it was expensive:

1) Location - I lived on "Basel's Worst" street for claims at the time (It is also one of the longest - hence more claims!).
2) I was an auslander living on above street
3) The car was too sporty...
4) The car was brand new.
5) My auslander permit was only a B.

The yearly costs dropped slowly every year except the years when I received my C permit and when I moved out of Kleinbasel, both dramatically reduced the yearly amount.

Pat

So there is hope yet!! Thank goodness I was given the same reasons as above.