Seems I've been hit by a double whammy... All was going fine and I decided to change car insurance to lower the premium a bit (30%). Done all things properly, sent cancellation letter to old insurance, and now waiting for the new insurance to kick off in a couple of weeks. Had full casco with bonus protection on the old insurance and no claim history.

Now, had a self-prang due to a ill-fated maneuver - bodywork damage, lots of plastics and a lamp to replace and the main dealer is rubbing its hands looking at a 2k+ repair

For me it would make sense to claim on the old insurance (1k franchise), but this means I will have a claim for the new one which is yet to start, and the new insurance is already saying that the premium will be higher.

What options do I have:
- not claim and be 2k+ out of pocket
- claim on the old insurance and be about 2k+ out of pocket in franchise and increased insurance costs over the next few years for the new insurance
- can I cancel the cancellation of the old insurance and stay on their bonus protection? I've already effectively received the cancellation acceptance from the old insurance
- can I cancel the new insurance which I already signed up for as they are increasing the premium before the cover will start?

Am I stuffed or what?

you still have to report the accident, in theory, and to them you become a bigger risk because you had one.

the insurance does not seem to go up that much (not according to when I've claimed and what I remember in the brain cells not destroyed by alcohol).

I am in a somewhat similar situation. My renewal is becoming due and I have negotiated with my insurer to reduce from partial casco + accidental damage to third party only as the car is aging and it make sense to me to save 1000+ chf per year on the insurance due to the limited amount I drive these days.

However, yesterday I caught a low wall as I turned into a narrow street and have badly buckled the front bumper around the light that comes on as you steer round a corner. I am guessing at 1-2k repair cost which should be covered by the accidental damage cover, however only the 3rd party element has no claim protection, not the accidental damage.

Before I approach the insurer can anyone provide guidance whether a claim on the accidental damage will likely affect the renewal cost which is for 3rd party only. And how would it likely affect a future fully comprehensive insurance (e.g. another car) for which I would currently expect 70% no claim bonus.

Of course I can ask them directly, but then the issue is already on record and I can't influence the outcome.

This is the first time I ever considered a claim (in 30+ years of driving) so have no idea how much impact a claim would have on my previously unblemished record. I do not want to continue paying the accidental damage rate going forward for the current car as the premium is high compared to the car value.

I don't think leaving the damage unrepaired is a viable option, it's too great and leaves the light exposed. If the impact to the insurance is not too high it would obviously be preferable to make a claim (as I have had the cover for many years for this), I'm tempted to just pay up for the repair and keep the insurance aspects simple both now and in future.

Damn low wall...

Ha, I think I can answer this one myself - just seen that I have a 1000 deductible on the accidental damage....

Damn lack of concentration...

Go to an independent garage, saying you are not claiming on insurance & it can probably be fixed for less than 1000

I have never seen such a clause in a Swiss insurance contract. Have I missed something

Unlikely.

Sean Connery is probably referring to the legal requirement that the insured has to inform the insurance about changes of the facts that, basically, were part of the questionnaire when the contract was concluded.

Of course a simple bump isn't relevant for the questionnaire. I'd say, as a minimal condition, only stuff where police was involved has the potential to be relevant.
When you inform the insurance about a claim, your decision to have them pay isn't final. Once the consequences are clear, including the cost and the consequence for your premium/bonus, you can still decide to pay by yourself; doing so wipes the incident off their memory, so to say.

But as FMF mentioned above, the cost charged to the insurance is usually significantly higher than what a private person would be billed for.

I'm not entirely sure about how to approach this, as the one time I used this option I announced my potential intent when I informed the insurance about the (potential) claim. But I would expect that you have 30 days after receiving their letter that informs you about the effect on the bonus if they pay. A quick phonecall to any insurance hotline should clarify the details for those who may be interested.

The cost/premium increase caused by the bonus reduction lasts until you manage to come close to maximum bonus. Unless you start at maximum bonus (lowest premium percentage to be paid) the additional premium amounts to significantly more than, say, 30+20+10% until your bonus is back at where it was before the accident.

To provide an update on my initial post:

- I changed the insurer (no choice there since I already cancelled the first contract)
- I claimed the repair on the first contract (3k repair in main dealer shop, paid 1k franchise)
- I re-calculated the premium for the new insurance by declaring the claim, and the new premium came up only about 100chffs more. This is on a full casco insurance of about 800chuffs/year with most bells and whistles


Seemed to be the best solution