A SEAT is often the first or second car of a young driver, and that is precisely where a claim most often goes wrong on the question of who really drives it.
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In brief
Models such as the Ibiza, the Arona and the Leon are at the top of the list of cars on which people build up their driving experience. Insurers assess that group strictly: a young driver with no no-claims years pays more premium and often gets a higher excess. That creates the temptation to put the policy in a parent's name.
That arrangement is exactly where things go wrong. The insurer wants to know who the regular driver is, not who pays the premium. If that declaration is wrong, the payment after a claim can be reduced proportionately, and where there is deliberate deception it can even be refused altogether.
The second point to note is modification of the car: lowering, a different exhaust, wider wheels or a software change. For the sportier versions from the same group, the CUPRA page is more relevant; within the same price segment, Opel is a logical comparison.
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.
Who is the regular driver
This is the question most often answered incorrectly on these models. If a parent is named as policyholder and regular driver while a child drives the car every day, the duty of disclosure in Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code has been breached. The insurer may then, under Article 7:930 of the Dutch Civil Code pay in proportion to the premium that matched the actual risk, or pay nothing where there was an intention to mislead.
Lowering, exhaust, wheels and software
Modifications to the suspension, exhaust, wheels or engine software have to be right on two counts: the RDW requirements and your insurer. An undeclared increase in power changes the risk and can cost you the cover, even where the damage had nothing to do with that modification. Wheels and audio equipment fitted later also fall under an accessories limit; anything above that you have to declare separately.
Alcohol and driving without a valid licence
The third-party liability cover protects the victim and keeps paying, because that is the essence of the duty to insure under Article 2 of the Dutch Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM). But the insurer may then recover the amount paid from you in full. Own damage to your own car is not paid in these situations; Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code excludes damage caused by intent or recklessness. The same applies to driving with a suspended or missing licence.
Building up no-claims years from nothing
On a first policy you start at the bottom of the bonus-malus ladder. Every claim-free year gains a step, but a single at-fault claim costs several at once. On a small claim it therefore pays to have it worked out in advance whether paying yourself is cheaper than reporting it. Your parents' no-claims years cannot be transferred to you; they belong to their policy and their driver.
What does your premium depend on?
Age and driving experience. The less time the driver has held a licence, the more heavily that counts in the premium.
Number of no-claims years. The step on the bonus-malus ladder determines the discount or loading on the basic premium.
Trim level and engine power. A sporting version is assessed considerably more severely for a young driver than an entry-level engine.
Annual mileage. The number of kilometres a year declared, which is checked against the odometer reading when there is a claim.
Place of residence and storage. The postcode area and the place where the car stands at night count in the assessment of the risk.
Cover and excess. The type of cover plus the excess, where for young drivers an extra amount often applies.
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.
A parent may be the policyholder, but the regular driver has to be the person who in fact drives it most. If that is declared incorrectly and damage occurs, the insurer may reduce the payment to what would have matched the correct premium. Where there is an intention to mislead, the entitlement lapses entirely and the incident is recorded in the incidents register.
Do I have to declare lowered suspension or a different exhaust?
Yes. Both the RDW and your insurer want to know that the car differs from the factory specification. An undeclared modification can lead to a reduction or refusal of the payment on a claim, even where the modification had nothing to do with the accident. Report it in writing and keep the confirmation with your policy documents.
Can I take over no-claims years from my parents?
No. No-claims years are tied to the driver and to the policy on which they were built up. Many insurers do, however, offer a starting discount for a second car within the same household, or a more favourable starting step for someone who can show they were named on a policy as an additional driver for years. Ask about that expressly when applying.
What happens on a claim after drinking alcohol?
The victim has their loss paid, because the third-party liability cover may not be raised against third parties. The insurer then recovers the full amount paid from you. Your own own-damage claim is not paid and you also run the risk that the insurance is cancelled, after which taking out a new policy becomes considerably harder.
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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