2 days ago called the insurance guy (from wife's company) to get a quote to register a car under my name. 9+ years clean license holder, never accidents, over 26 years old, normal car even without any options inside, basic. When the broker called, said to me, please be sited. 2100.- CHF for part casco insurance or 3000.- for full casco This was the cheapest one, offers were going in the range of 4500.-CHF.

Checked comparis before, got quotes for around 1500.- cheapest. But I am not sure if it's the partial casco or if there are catches, as I really don't understand the insurance deals.

Obviously, the problem is my eastern European nationality. Statistically, they say, we do a lot of problems so we have to pay. I guess ex-pats pay more in Switzerland but people from third world countries even more!

I went along with the broker as I need plates immediately and don't really understand the deals on comparis, plus I called one for the price given on the quote and they said I was not eligible for it. But they offered me a more expensive one, so I guess it will be all the same, until I learn more.

How old is the car?

Personally, I'd forget the casco.

Tom

sorry to hear about your insurance issues but its hard to comment without full car details

It's mid 08, 2.0 gasoline engine, base model RAV4. I got only the part casco, animals, theft, vandalism, weather, fire...

I was hesitating for the full as my wife will be driving it (and she will be learning with me in the car) but couldn't justify 1000 per year on damages done by me. I've never done any damage to my car and will try to teach this to the wife.

It's a 3 year contract but the broker said if prices rise (and probably they will) I can change it next year.

Got to start somewhere as this is the first vehicle registered on my own name in Switzerland. Searched a lot of posts on EF and people seem to pay around 1000.- for basic, 1300.- for part and 2000.- for full casco. Not bad when you look at my figures.

yes, thats high. good luck with your search, sorry I can't really help much

3 year car insurance contract this is the first I have seen that. I would get it confirmed by the chosen insurer and find out how much the broker has taken and added as 1 year contracts on car insurance are normal.

You may be able to change but chances are if you locked in a 3 year insurance contract it will be pretty hard to chnage the company if you don't like it.

Not sure on the premium for you age but or the real factors that change it but you should be able to do better. For that price you should have top cover on everything including roadside assistance built into the insurance

my initial guesstimate based on what I pay for my secondhand 2 litre peugeot is you should be paying roughly between chf 1000-1500 for part casco and tpl per annum

Nationality of driver plays an important role. An old study/test by swiss TV showed that already. It was even discussed by the swiss parliament but they decided that it's not discriminatory as it uses statistical facts!

Yep, I was told this. The broker was feeling so bad to tell me the news as it was his own fault. He spent 10 minutes on the phone trying to explain that this was not because of my nationality and origin but rather statistical data...What can I say, there is big logics behind it and I understand it.

I don't think he is getting big premium on my contract as it is a company broker so employees get good deals through proper channels, at least he did a hell of a job with mu health insurance...

At least I will be tempted to learn more and change it in the future, but most likely it won't matter too much, I can get rid of the part casco and get only basic which will probably bring it to 1600.- On average, the broker said I will pay around 600 more for the part casco and 1000 more for full casco.

Switzer-landed, but not just because I am a foreigner, but rather a weird foreigner?

No it is pretty easy: I have never seen so open and direct institutionalized discrimination as the car insurance system in Switzerland. I had to pay more than my Swiss friends for my nationality. But it was just a few bucks more while if you happen to be Albanian, Serbian or Turkish are you basically hold ransom for twice the money as you have no choice but have to have a Swiss insurance.

Yes, I understand statistics. Yes, I understand that some people are a riskier group than others. But you know, if I drove a decade without accident should my personal record overwrite some general statistics. And funny enough, it does: If I do make many accidents, insurances will immediately take it into account and raise the premium. If you make none, you still have to pay because you are the wrong nationality...

I think even bankers have higher ethics than insurance guys.

Utter and absolute bollox. You make no accidents, you do pay less every year. Granted, you start from a higher base - but like it or not you are included ina higher-risk population.

If you actually "knew" what discrimination means, then you would've challenged health insurance premiums that vary according to domicile, which -at least in Switzerland...- is not a risk factor for health issues.

Hi

The insurances really go according to what nationality you are (unfortunately). I know it from own experience. When we came here we went to a broker who was suggested by a colleague. We got 2 quotes for the exact same car insurance. One under my name (EU citizen) and one under my hubbys name (eastern european). He would have to pay way more than I would. The insurance guy then told us its because of statistics that eastern europeans make more accidents .

I would suggest to you, if your wife is from the EU, that you do it under her name.

crossing my fingers!

Good job that the Swiss are the world's best drivers and never have accidents then ... they must be if they pay the lowest premiums - right?

many countries don't recognize no claims bonusses from other countries

when you buy motor insurance in any country for the first time you always get penalized. there is clear ethnic based pricing undertaken in switzerland, much as there is postcode pricing in the uk. its basically the same thing. the recent EU directive means that insurers cannot differentiate pricing being men and women with effect from 2013. they are talking about doing the same for older people.

Well, I'm at 35%

Tom

I'm Swiss, 30 and with 2 kids. My car is a ford fiesta from 2007. I pay 430.- per year with partial casco with smiledirect insurance.

I had long discussions with my neighbour who's working for a swiss insurance. It's not the accidents that are in cause here but the "disappearance" of cars in eastern europe. He said (and I quote):" They go to visit their families in their home country and suddenly we have claims of weird accidents or stolen cars". That's why very often the geographical coverage for car insurance do not include eastern Europe countries whereas it covers all Mediterranean countries. I was actually also told by him that the "Vaudoise assurance" is the only swiss insurance that does not discriminate nationalities (needs to be checked).

Car insurance, one of fine examples how openly discrimination is done Switzerland on foreigners. I am from Slovakia - when I wanted full insurance I wasn't even allowed to take one, no matter how much I earned or what core banking package I was integrating at the moment.
Screw them, I run with my BMW on basic insurance for 800/year. I don't crash, I do the small maintenance in my home country for fraction of swiss prices, even authorized garages are way cheaper there.

One way of getting out of a longer insurance contract (and mine have been invariably five years) is to switch ownership of the car to your spouse. This was proposed by my broker as he worked out my wife would be cheaper to insure than me. The caveat is that one of you must not drive the car considerably more than the other.

You can always cancel the insurance if they change the premiums.

Thanks for all the suggestions. As the car is newish, I will change from partial casco to basic next year. But even basic was in the range of 1400.- with smile direct on comparis, but it's difficult to get the quoted price when I call, they give me excuses and offer me other products or raise the price.