Opel insurance

[Panic Button]

I have an Opel Astra 1.6 16v. It is the same as a Vauxhall, except for the badges.

I have always insisted my broker uses a company that insures it as an Opel. However this means I pay more than if i use a comparison site and select Vauxhall Astra. Also I am tired of paying the brokers charges, especially as they have bumped them up for existing customers.

If I were to go for a cheaper company, and insure it as a Vauxhall, would I have any problems?

[kempie]

Although the Opel and Vauxhall may by mechanically identical and of similar if not identical trim, the Opel does not have an ABI guidance insurance group as it is classed as a Parallel Import and must be declared as such to the insurer (to not declare the Opel as an import would technically be fraud).

UK insurance comparison websites tend not to cater for non-standard vehicles, importation (whether by dealership or individual) being one example of non-standard.

I would suggest Googling for insurers offering quotes for (parallel) imported cars.

[Panic Button]

What would actually happen, if I were to insure it as a Vauxhall, and have to make a claim?

[kempie]

All of the possible scenarios would be within these extremes:

Best Case
Insurance claim paid out as if no anomaly existed.

Worst Case
Insurer reclaims difference in premiums between Opel and Vauxhall;
Policy voided in respect of claims by named policy holder;
Third party claims paid out by insurer and reclaimed from policy holder;
Insurer seeks prosecution in respect of making false statement/withholding material information to obtain insurance (s.174(5)(a) Road Traffic Act 1988) - maximum 2 years and a fine.

[Panic Button]

There is an insurance claims worker who often answers. Hopefully he or she can give an opinion.

[kempie]

I would fully expect gouldc to be able to give a professional opinion as to how, within these two extremes, insurance companies are likely to act.

[gouldc]

Cheers for that Kempie.

As it's an Opel, it is presumably a European import (tend to come in from Cyprus a lot for some reason?).

We have quite a few European (parallel) imports on cover, and quite honestly, I cannot say it's ever been an issue if it's been insured as a Vauxhall rather than an Opel. This is from our Underwriting intranet site:

"EU imports should continue to be coded as imports only if there is already an existing import code on the vehicle list. There is no requirement to refer these cars to UW as the UK equivalent code can be used if and only if it is an EU manufactured car and there is no import code available."

Basically, it makes no difference. So long as it is right-hand drive, then it should technically be treated as a UK spec model.

Not sure if this vaires insurer to insurer, and whilst I completely agree with Kempie's worst case scenarios, I would doubt that anything worse that reclaiming the difefrence in premium would actually happen.

[gouldc]

I suppose you could always buy Vauxhall badges from a main dealer and replace the Opel badges and then plead ignorance? Not something I usually recommend, but as you say, it's only the badges that are different!

[Panic Button]

You are spot on about it coming from Cyprus (they drive on the correct side over there.

I got it in 2003 as a fantastic deal with delivery miles only from Trade Sales of Slough. It was the end of production for that model, so perhaps the dealer in Nicosia got a job lot to clear the compounds for the new model.

The insurance isn't due for a few months, but I will investigate how big the saving is when the time comes. As Tesco's say 'every little helps'

Thanks Kempie and Gouldc