Best and worst cars to buy in the UAE

Image source: tvali.eu

The days come and you are off to buy a car. You are not sure exactly what type you want, you just know you need a car. It is a big decision to make – in a place like Dubai it’s probably the most expensive thing you buy (since you probably rent your house). It is one of the biggest purchases you will make, so you need to take your time.

The internet has made researching the different cars very easy. You have no worries about a sales person following you around the lot. I found a few websites that offer you a list of the best and worst vehicles on the market. All these lists are made public so you, the consumer, have a better idea of what to expect. Remember one thing, just because it looks good on the surface, doesn’t mean it is good on the inside.

There are surveys taken every year by consumer watchdogs. Sometimes it may take a few years for the truth to come out about a vehicle. It may sound like a very long time, but it really is not. To get a good picture of how a car has performed, they need a year or so to put together all the information.

If you are going to buy a used but fairly new vehicle, you do not want it to be the one that is going to last you a few years and then start needing repairs. This is what the watchdogs do for a living. They get the statistics, break them down, and send out the information so the consumers can research it. What’s worse, if mechanical failure causes an accident, things can go into a grey area as far as car insurance is concerned – the insurance company may refuse to pay a claim since only accidents are covered and not mechanical failures. Think of it this way – insurance is not a warranty.

From 18 years in the business around cars and car insurance, here are Alfred’s recommendations on the recommended cars to buy in the UAE:

Most reliable Small Cars in Dubai                                

Toyota Yaris

Honda Civic

Mitsubishi Lancer

Nissan Tiida

Most reliable Sporty Coupes in Dubai

Honda Accord Coupe

Porsche Boxster

Mercedes SLK series

Most reliable Sedans in Dubai

Lexus LS series

BMW 7 series

Toyota Camry

Most reliable SUVs/4X4s in Dubai

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

Mistubishi Pajero

Audi Q7

There are many more vehicles that have been tested and rated for their safety. Over the last 10-15 years the safety features put in vehicles, is quite amazing. Safety is the main factor that you should be looking for in a car or truck. The above list is only vehicles that were statistically monitored.

This list may or may not tell the truth. If you take one of the most reliable vehicles like the Toyota Matrix. It may be on the reliable, but who is to say that you didn’t pick out a lemon. They do say that when you buy a used vehicle that you are buying someone else’s problem.

Image source: dubai.dubizzle.com

I agree, but also disagree in some cases. It is so important to do your homework before you hand over your well earned cash. Make a list of the qualities you want, need and the amount of money you willing to pay out. It might be an idea to take someone with you. If you see a nice red sports car, and the price is fantastic, you need your friend to stand in front of you, and make you take a deep breath and think about all the pros and cons of buying that particular vehicle.

I have listed a few questions and a few little things that should be on your list.

• Has this vehicle been in an accident? This is important to know. If it has been, it is most likely that the vehicle was bought by the seller from an insurance write off. This is the type of car that is going to be sold cheap but are all the safety features in tack?
• What is the history of the vehicle? If used it is a used car, you should be able to check it back to the original owner. The Insurance authority should have this information.
• Look around the car for any repairs that may have been done. You can usually tell if it has a bad paint job or sloppy body repairs
• Check around the wheels and base of the body for rust. Check for any floor damage
• Check the mileage. It could have been around the world once already. That is a joke, but cars with low km are better to buy.
• Check all the speedometers and gadgets in the car to make sure they work.
• The year and value of the vehicle. Can you afford to spend that much money and how much is the insurance going to cost.
• Will the vehicle have a recent safety certificate?
• Will it pass any environmental issues?
• Tires in good shape, trunk has a spare tire. Look under the rug in the trunk for floor issues.
• If it is a convertible, make sure it has a roof. Sounds funny but there are convertibles, which have a roof that was put down, and now they cant get it up, without it costing a lot of money.
• All airbags in order? If one has been used, that could be a sign of an accident or bad use of the vehicle.
• When you pick up the vehicle from the dealer or person who is selling it, remember to get the ownership, safety report, and do a quick walk around.
• Get a copy of the insurance policy to keep with you.
• Finally enjoy your new car.

The above tips are very easy to remember and not as confusing as you think. Take a copy of this page and take it with you.

Meet Alfred, the insurance genius if you have any additional queries.

Recreational Vehicles in Dubai

Image source: sema.org

Due to the popularity of classic and antique vehicles in Dubai, more and more insurance providers are now specializing in providing insurance for this type of automobile. Like other motor insurance, it is a good idea to talk to the right broker who understands the specialized nature of the business. Networking is a great tool when you are talking Classic Vehicles. Owners of these vehicles usually belong to classic and antique motor clubs. They know the importance of getting an appraisal and could probably recommend a reputable appraiser. The clubs schedule weekly meetings at different places. An example would be, in front of a fast food place in parking lots. They rope off an area and park their cars there for a couple of hours. They chat, exchange ideas, talk auto parts, talk insurance prices, and swap stories. To many, it is their pride and joy.

Licensing a Classical Car

To have a vehicle licensed as being a ‘Classical Vehicle’, it must be at least 30 years old and meet all the safety regulations. There are two conditions that are mandatory. The first, would be the condition of the vehicle. They will check the inside and outside of the vehicle. They will inspect the interior, floor, the trunk and tires. The second is to make sure the vehicle is mechanically safe for the road.

After the vehicle passes the initial inspection, it will be classified in one of the following six categories.

• Category A  These are the cars dated from 1950 to 1980 that can be driven on the roads under 10,000 km a year
• Category B  Vehicles that were manufactured before 1950 than can be driven on all roads, but not more than 5,000 km a year
• Category C  You cannot drive on the highway
• Category D  You can only drive during the day
• Category E  Vehicles can only be driven on internal and service roads
• Category F  Cars are used for displays and festivals

There is a cost to register the vehicle and a cost to have the vehicle inspected. Once all the red tape is out of the way, you will receive a special certificate for the vehicle from the IFCV (International Federation of Classic vehicles). You also receive a special brown classic plate.

Getting an Appraisal

Once you receive the certificates and plates, call your broker and ask for coverage while taking it to an appraiser. If you want the vehicle insured to value, you must get an appraisal. If your primary insurance company will not insure the vehicle for the appraised value, then shop around. There is enough interest in these vehicles that there should be plenty of Classic Car Insurers.

A few tips on the appraisal for Insurance Purposes 

• Make sure you use a reputable appraiser
• Interior pictures of the floor, seats, dashboard; and
• Ask for pictures on each side, the front and the rear

The written part of the appraisal will outline the year, make, model and overall condition of the vehicle. It will give a little background on the vehicle. This part of the appraisal is very important. Sometimes just having a certain year or make of the vehicle, sets a very high standard for the value. It could be 1 of only 500 made in that year. Give your insurance broker a copy and keep a copy for yourself.

Dubai is one of many towns that hold Classic Car Festivals every year. Thousands of people show up with their classic car, vintage motorcycles, and antique trucks. This is the place that people are overwhelmed by the price of these vehicles, yet they are in awe when they see a fully restored vehicle. Depending on where you live, the insurance rate on this type of vehicle is very reasonable.

Quad Bike Insurance

Quad bikes are another means of transportation that has many uses. It can be used off road for fun, working your land, or you can license them for road use. More and more people are using Quad’s for commuting to and from work. You just need to look at the use of the Quad. There are different types of insurance available to you depending on the use of the Quad.

Many of the large Insurance Companies, do not want to insure this time of vehicle. It is the same attitude they have with Sea Doos. There is just too much of a risk for large injury claims. You must be at least 19 year of age to insure the quad for road use. Like classic car insurance, your broker may have access to this type of insurer. If they don’t, ask if they can refer you to a reputable Company. You have the choice of 4 different types of insurance cover.

• If you want your quad bike to be insured for driving on a public road, you must purchase third party liability Insurance. This provides cover in case you injure another person or their property. This is a mandatory coverage.
• There is a broader policy which includes the third party liability and the fire and theft coverage
• If you need more coverage, you can purchase a more comprehensive policy. This includes the third party liability and medical costs to you, if you held responsible for the accident.
• Finally there is a fully comprehensive policy that includes all the above, plus coverage for damage to the quad.

Strict Quad Insurance Regulations

Ask your motor insurance broker how the Continuous Insurance Enforcement law will affect the insurance on your Quad.  Any automobile, that is road worthy, must be insured. It doesn’t matter if it is just going to sit in the driveway. If you are not going to use it for a long period of time, you can have it needs to be declared an off road vehicle with a Statutory off road notification. This mean ‘no third party liability” is necessary.     

A few additional facts:

It is always a good practice to put the theft coverage on a Quad.  The theft rate is very high, and the chances of getting it back, are minimal. Better to take precautions rather than have it stolen.

It is no secret that Insurance Companies have issues with young drivers. Ask if there is a club or take a safety course they can take to lower their premiums.

Meet Alfred the insurance genius for any more queries related to classic car insurance in Dubai.

Digital Generation: Automobile Insurance Quotes

[Image source: carinsurancedubai.blogspot.com]

The Electronic Digital generation has touched pretty much every facet of our daily lives. Automobile Insurance is no exception. You can buy, pay and have insurance in force within a hour. It is very easy, in some cases too easy.

Unfortunately, there are automobile quoting websites that carry viruses, malware or the whole website can be fraudulent. We have had customers come to us because they were taken by scammers. They filled in all the information to get an auto quote, paid for the insurance by credit card, were given a policy and a liability card. Six months later, they were involved in an accident and didn’t know until then, that they were driving without insurance. The insurance they purchased was fraudulent. The site was gone with their money and now they have to pay for their own damages to their vehicle. You must keep in mind that a website can be set up within a half an hour. It can be taken done just as fast. These people move on and build another site and do the same thing. You just have to be diligent and take that extra step to protect yourself. Luckily, there are thousands of reputable, insurance brokers and agents like Alfred’s Insurance Market. We can offer you the best insurance deals in the UAE. We use only the top insurance companies available. Our staff will offer all their knowledge and support, to help you choose what is best for your needs.

Alfred approved suggestions

When processing your auto quotation, make sure you do your research, here are a few tips to find the best Company.

• Research the site that is offering to give you a quotation. If they are a reputable company, they will have some sort of contact information. Look for a phone number or address, and they should have a licensed broker available to speak to you.
• Most websites will give you the top three Companies that offer the lowest rates. All Insurance Companies have different rules and coverage. Do not just pick the one with the lowest rate. Just because one is AED 500 less, doesn’t mean it is the best deal for your dirham.
• Always double check the information you have entered. One discrepancy could make a huge difference in the rate you are given. More importantly, the coverage should be the same. You don’t want any surprises about your coverage down the road.
• Your driving record is a big factor of what you pay every year for insurance. If you had a driving infraction a few years ago, it could be gone now and will not show on your license. That could lower your automobile premium immediately. Ask your broker to check that for you.
• If you are doing a comparison from your present automobile policy, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. The coverage must be the same as what you have now. If not you will not get a true comparison of premiums.
• When given the final rates, you will be given the Company name, address and phone number. Search on the Internet for their reputation. You do not want to leave a good Auto Insurance Company just because the rates are lower somewhere else. They could have an awful claims department. You want the best service you can buy, especially if there are injuries involved.
• Call your broker or agent and speak to them about your rate before cancelling your insurance with them. They specialize in Auto Insurance. They want to keep you as a customer. There may be a simple error, if corrected, your premium may end up being less.
• Always look at the big picture. If you have a child who is at the age to start driving, it may be worth your while to find out what they are going to charge for a teenage driver. If they take a driver course, the rates are usually a lot lower than if they didn’t take it. There are Companies that charge very high rates for teenagers, others are pretty reasonable.
• Always, think about who you are giving all your personal information too. As mentioned above, you do not want to be scammed out of your hard earned money. You need to make sure you know who you are giving it too.

Alfred

If it is your first time doing a car insurance quote online, it can be a little confusing. The rates are calculated by driving records, use of vehicle, value of vehicle, multi-policy and multi-line discounts, and many more.

This may be your time to call Alfred. He has volumes of information up his sleeve. He knows all the best way possible to save you money. He wants your business and will make sure you are satisfied with our customer service and rate.

Depending on your Company, your policy will usually come up for renewal 13 months after it was written. You should get it 30-45 days in advance. This is the time that you should be speaking to your broker about any changes you have made over the year. As well, they should be offering up new information to you. If they cannot help you with your questions, call us at Alfred’s Insurance Market. We will take our time and explain to you all the coverage available and what is best for you.

Your Insurance Broker is the middle person between you and the Insurance Company. The insurance company offers its services to the broker, and the broker has the authority to write individual policies for you. Most insurance brokers have access to 8-10 different Companies. Brokers are aware of the best rates and coverage for your individual needs.

We are always looking out for the best coverage and rates for our customers. Good customer service is hard to find.  We want to keep your business and we want you to be able to refer your family and friends to us. We are here when you need us and welcome your call. We are never to busy to take your call, just ask Alfred!!!

9 things you need to check on your car insurance quotation

As an owner of a car in Dubai, you will have to mandatorily insure your car every year and each year you may perhaps try to secure the best premium and coverage from the many insurance brokers and companies operating in the market. Many will also send you quotations but in varying formats and emails and it might become quite confusing for you to correctly identify what you require and what you need to negotiate for to be incorporated in your quotation/policy.

The market has developed in a manner that every other company will try and quote the lowest premium whilst compromising on the level of cover. Some rare few however may not, and be absolutely transparent and honest with their customers. Hence, it is crucial that the buyer does not fall for the frequent mis-selling and correctly point out the discrepancies in the quotations.

I have therefore prepared a list as well as the explanations of some of the things that you must keep an eye out for:

1. Premium: This term is synonymous to the price of any product purchased. In other words, this is what you will have to pay when you buy an insurance policy and is normally a one-off cost per year.

2. Excess: This is what you will have to pay if there is a claim and/or an accident at your fault, as long as it is an irrecoverable claim. Any amount over and above the excess will be paid by the insurance company. You will however not have to pay any excess if it is a recoverable claim – i.e. you are not at fault and your insurance company can recover the amount of claim paid from the third party’s insurance company.

3. Car value: Always check that you are insured for the correct value of your car. Some may depreciate it more than what you would expect just to bring the premium further down. Additionally, some may not be aware of the correct value and use the market value at the time of the quotation. In order to compare various quotations from different companies, you must first check that the value of the car is kept the same – else it will not allow for a like for like comparison.

4. Agency repairs: Check, and check again if you have been quoted with or without the agency repairs. If you car is fairly new and high valued, then you are better off asking your company to revise the quotation to include the agency repairs. This simply means that your car will be repaired at your car manufacturer’s workshop, not at the insurance company’s dedicated garages. This usually comes with an extra cost for a third year registration, whilst it’s either free or comes for a very minimal cost for the first two years of the car’s registration.

5. New car replacement: Normally, all insurance companies will offer a cover for new car replacement for the first 6 months. This means that if you car becomes a total loss/cannot be repaired, then you will be compensated in terms of a replacement car, as long as the total loss occurs within the first six months of the policy. However, again if your car is significantly expensive and new, you are better off asking for the same cover but extended for the first 12 months of your policy.

6. Driver and Passenger Accident Benefit: These two covers are optional and come with additional cost. These covers compensate the driver and the passenger up to a certain amount for death or bodily injury caused due to an accident.

7. Windscreen cover: Not all insurance companies offer a windscreen cover, where the damage to the windows or windscreen is the only damage to be repaired. It is certainly a handy cover and something that you must always ask for before signing up for the insurance.

8. Protected no claims discount: This is also an optional cover and very useful to have if you have had no claims for the past three years or more. The last thing you would want is a higher premium the following year simply because you had a small claim. This cover will protect your no claims bonus which would enable you to get a significant level of discount on your car insurance premium every year.

9. Limits: There will always be limits imposed on several covers mentioned on your quotation/policy, such as on personal belongings, third party property damage, emergency medical expenses, etc. If the claim is over and above the limit allowed, then the insurance company will not pay 100% of the claim – they will only be responsible for compensating up to that limit.

Hope this helps you carefully analyze, compare the quotations and pay for only what you buy. For further assistance you may contact Alfred.

[Image Source: nowellandrichards.co.uk]

Motor Insurance for High Net Worth Individuals in the UAE

Few specialist insurance providers in the UAE offer comprehensive policies for high net worth individuals. Such policies cover wide range of solutions for high valued cars, home, jewelry, antiques and many more to ensure insuring the highly priced assets.

Insurance for high net worth personalities always offer top level of coverage. A dedicated claim manager would always be appointed for handling the entire claim and reachable 24 hrs a day for solving any related issues.

Now the question is why there should be a special coverage?

There must a policy that is precise to offer the high quality support. The support that is a bit more than other insurance covers, like-

• An insurance policy with more creative solutions
• High quality support
• Customer centric insurance covers
• Worldwide underwriting proficiency
• Worldwide reached coupled with extensive knowledge of local market

Here we’ll talk about comprehensive policy for motor insurance for such personalities.  Top levels of insurance providers in the UAE prepare their policies such way that can give plenty of additional supports to the highly valued cars. They’re all dedicated to give protection to the extraordinary assets of their clients-

Key Benefits:

Widespread covers for your car

Here an individual could avail the maximum benefits from the car insurance policy. The benefits will be given within the territorial limits, subject to the terms and conditions that have been mentioned in the respective policy.

Executive rent a car in the event of accident

It’s a special offer for executive people. If anytime the concerned person is unable to use the car because of a claim covered by the policy, a complimentary rent a car facility would be given until the claim issue would get settled.

Coverage for cars in Europe

Liability insurance cover can be provided in case the insured person wants to take the car anywhere in the Europe.

 No claim bonus

Car insurance providers also offer no claim bonus option for the selective top level clients. The concerned person can avail the facility against an additional premium. This option can let you protect your no claims discount against any victims even when you are at fault.

New car replacement up to 24 months

Whenever the new car is damaged beyond repair or stolen within 24 months of being purchased by the insurer, the motor insurance policy provider would replace the car with the similar model.

Discounts for multiple cars

The more cars you insure with the policy service provider your premium rate would become lower per car.

Recovery for accidental and breakdown issues 

High net worth individuals can get plenty of assistance in the policy covers, like assistance against car accident, battery boost, towing, flat tyre, fuel, lockout, off road recovery and car registration services.

Authorised dealer repairs

For such car insurance cover the respective insurance company will make all the required repairs of your car at manufacturer’s authorised dealer.

Classic car coverage service

Few motor insurance companies in the UAE offer comprehensive package for classic or vintage cars. So if you’re the owner of such highly priced collection then such cover can give you enough peace of mind!

Motor trade and valet parking

If your car anytime gets damaged while staying at garage, hotel or any area that you do not own, the insurer will then have to cover for the relevant loss or damage.

No blame bonus

If anytime you experience any loss or damage to your car while covering with this policy, and if the insurer determines that you’re not responsible for the associated loss or damage, then they’ll not reduce your no claim bonus.  Such option comprises damage or loss due to fire, theft, vandalism or even if your car got hit at the time of parking.

Sometimes High net worth individuals get more additional benefits from their comprehensive motor insurance covers. If you have any more queries you can talk directly to the experts at Alfred’s InsuranceMarket.

[Image sources:

arabianbusiness.com

wallpapersandvideo.com]

Auto insurance policy- Questions and answers series 2

Hi Guys! Hope you’re all good. It’s a new week and we’ve started with a bang. Meeting new people and solving our clients’ insurance policy related problems is a commonplace for the very passionate insurancemarket.ae staff. In my first questions and answers series for auto insurance, I discussed about a few issues. Here again, I’m trying to highlight a few more.

What is the auto insurance policy against loss, damage and third party liability?

This is an all-inclusive insurance policy as per the UAE Unified Motor Policy covering:

Damage to the car due to an accidental collision, overturning, self ignition, external explosion, fire, theft, or malicious work, unless specifically excluded.

Accumulated legal liability and agreed costs and expenses against third party bodily injury/property damage happening out of use of motor vehicles unless particularly excluded.

I only have a third party liability policy. What will it cover?   

This policy coverage is essential in the UAE as per the UAE law and it features:

Death or any injury in the body of any third party

Damages to any third party property arising out of the use of your vehicle. More importantly such policy won’t cover any loss or damage to your own car.

Can I cancel my policy any time?

You can cancel your auto insurance policy at any time, but the UAE Ministry of Economy wants the respective insurance company to obtain copies of the below documents before cancelling the third party liability of the policy:

• Deregistration of the vehicle
• Ownership transfer of the car
• Number plate certificate

In any case if the policy gets cancelled would I expect to get any refund from insurance provider?

Yes you can expect. As long as no claims were made during the insurance period you’ll get a refund.

What about NCD?

NCD stands for No Claims Discount. It is a discount given on the premium you pay, when you provide proof of no claims from your previous insurance company.

Whenever selling my car is that possible to transfer the insurance to the buyer’s name?

Your premium and terms for auto insurance policy affects by the experience of driver of the car.  So it’s usually not possible to transfer the insurance policy coverage from one driver to another. However, if you have a brokerage firm on your side, perhaps they can work something out for you.

Do you provide comprehensive motor insurance cover for all cars irrespective of car age?

The comprehensive cover for motor insurance is available for vehicle up to the age of 7 years. Cars over 7 years need to be referred to your insurance provider’s car insurance team for evaluation of each case in order to ensure that you are correctly insured and help you meet your requirements.

How do you help me if anytime I lose my car insurance certificate?

Once you lose your insurance certificate please try to get in touch with us immediately. We’ll then make another one for you.

Do you want to know more about Alfred? Visit Alfred’s Google plus profile

[Image source: magicalmaths.org ]