The S-Class is an executive and chauffeur-driven car full of sensors. The policy here turns on theft prevention, calibration costs and the question of who is behind the wheel.
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In brief
An S-Class is full of systems that have to be set up again after every intervention: cameras behind the windscreen, radar in the bumpers, sensors in the mirrors, a steered rear axle and air suspension with ride-height sensors. After a windscreen replacement or front-end damage, a calibration comes on top of that which not every workshop is allowed to carry out. So ask in advance whether your glass and own-damage cover includes that calibration and whether you may go to a workshop authorised to handle this make.
The second theme is theft. Cars in this segment are stolen to order, often by amplifying the signal from a keyless key, and then disappear across the border. Insurers therefore regularly tie the theft cover to an approved tracking system with a running subscription, or to an additional immobiliser. If such a requirement appears on your policy schedule, it is a condition of cover: if it has not been met, the claim can be refused.
Finally, the use. More often than other cars, an S-Class is driven by someone else or used to carry guests. If a chauffeur drives it regularly, that chauffeur belongs on the policy. If you carry passengers for payment, that falls outside the cover on a private policy and a business solution is needed. What you declare about use and drivers falls under Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code; if practice differs from that, Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code applies.
What does Mercedes-Benz S-Class car insurance cover?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Compulsory
Third-party liability
Damage you cause to others.
Required by law
As long as the registration is in your name
Suspend the registration when not in use
Third-party liability plus
Third-party, fire and theft
Causes beyond your control.
Fire and storm
Theft
Windscreen damage
Comprehensive cover
Comprehensive
Including damage you cause yourself.
Own fault
Vandalism
Replacement-as-new period
What is covered
Situation
Third-party liability
Third-party, fire and theft
Comprehensive
Damage to the other party
Yes
Yes
Yes
Theft
No
Yes
Yes
Fire and storm
No
Yes
Yes
Damage you cause yourself
No
No
Yes
Wear and mechanical defects
No
No
No
Driving without a valid licence
No
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
Calibration is part of the repair
On this car, a replaced windscreen, a removed bumper or a straightened body means that cameras and radar have to be realigned. If that is not done, or not done correctly, the driver assistance systems work inaccurately without your noticing. Have it put on the order that the calibration forms part of the repair and keep the report. On a subsequent claim or on sale, that document is the proof that the work was carried out in full.
Theft and the requirements on your policy schedule
In this class, security requirements appear on the policy not as advice but as a condition: an approved tracking system, a particular alarm class or an additional immobiliser. The associated subscription must be running at the time of the theft. An expired contract is one of the most common reasons for a theft claim to founder. Keep the installation certificate and the latest payment receipts together with the policy, and make sure you can hand over every key.
A chauffeur, lending the car out and carriage for payment
Occasional lending is allowed on most private policies, but there are two limits. If the same person drives it every week, that is a regular driver who has to be named. And as soon as you carry passengers for a payment, even informally for fuel and time, it comes close to paid passenger transport and the cover is not appropriate. Have the actual use assessed in advance rather than after a claim.
What is not covered
Outside the cover are: theft while the security requirement set out in the policy has not been met or while a key has been left in or on the car; paid passenger transport, hire and use as a wedding car or taxi; mechanical defects in the air suspension, rear-axle steering or electronics without an insured event; wear to tyres and brakes; and damage caused intentionally or through reckless driving, for which Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code applies.
What does your premium depend on?
Level of security and tracker. In this segment often a condition of acceptance, including a subscription that can be shown to be running.
Postcode and parking situation. Theft figures per area weigh more heavily here than on an average family car.
Specification level and sensor package. More driver assistance systems means higher repair and calibration costs after a collision.
Circle of drivers. A named chauffeur on the policy is assessed differently from changing drivers.
Age of the car. On a used car the market value falls faster than the repair costs, which affects the own-damage element.
Registered to a business or privately. Registration to a business leads to different rating and a different build-up of no-claims.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
That varies from insurer to insurer. On this car the camera for the driver assistance systems sits behind the windscreen and has to be realigned after replacement. Some policies include that in the glass cover; others treat it as a separate repair item with an excess. Ask before you place the order and have the calibration itemised on the invoice.
Is theft covered if the key was indoors?
Theft by amplifying the keyless signal is in principle covered; something has, after all, been stolen. The argument is about the conditions: can you produce all the keys, and did the security meet what the policy states. Keep the key in a shielded pouch and keep the subscription for your tracking system active, otherwise a problem arises after all.
May I have the S-Class driven by a chauffeur?
Yes, provided that chauffeur is named on the policy as a regular driver. If he drives for payment and you also carry clients or guests, it comes close to professional passenger transport and a private policy is not appropriate. Report the arrangement in advance, so that it can be assessed whether a business policy is needed.
When does comprehensive cover still make sense on an older S-Class?
As long as the market value bears a reasonable relation to the premium and the excess together. On this model the market value falls faster than the repair costs, which brings a total loss into view sooner. If finance is still running, the lender usually requires comprehensive cover for as long as it is being repaid. Without finance, third-party, fire and theft is often the better balance on an older car.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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