Euro Green card insurance, where, how much and how fast?
I read the other thread and got this info on page 12 from Mike but the info is a few months old.
We are currently in Israel and is shipping to Italy in a few days. Do we need this before they will release our bikes in Italy or can we buy when in Italy?
What is the current going rate and which company can be recommened?
" Just a bit of information here,
not necessarily for the benefit
of Mike (the original poster),
but certainly for the benefit of
anyone from outside Europe
who comes along reading this
discussion to learn about how
to get 'Green Card' insurance
coverage within Europe...
'Green Card' insurance issued
within Europe for motorcycles
from outside Europe - in other
words, tourist coverage - is
pretty much a fungible
commodity, much like 98
octane gasoline. The price is,
for the most part, fixed within
a very narrow band, because
there are only a few
underwriters at the very
bottom of it all who write this
cover.
There are, however, many
different resellers who offer
this insurance - along with a
variety of value-added
services, such as going to the
local office and fetching it for
you, posting it to you in
advance, accepting credit
cards as payment, and so
forth. These value added
resellers mark up the price of
the basic insurance policy to
cover the cost of the services
that they add.
For many years, I bought my
Green Card coverage in
person at an ADAC (German
Automobile Association) office.
That's the same place that
Knopf buys it. Because I was
willing and able to buy it in
person at the ADAC office, I
didn't have to pay the mark-
up that Knopf adds in
exchange for going and getting
the insurance for you and
posting it to you.
Several years ago, ADAC
increased their prices
substantially - perhaps as a
result of a run of losses selling
this insurance due to claims
payouts, etc. Around that
time, we all discovered
Mototouring in Italy, who
were selling the same product
for less than ADAC (and,
obviously, less than Knopf),
and most of us regulars
switched to buying from
Mototouring.
Remember, what you are
buying is, like gasoline,
fungible: It's the same thing,
no matter where you get it
and no matter what you pay
for it. It is basic minimum
liability insurance for the EU
countries plus Switzerland.
Unless you need something
unique, such as theft coverage
or collision coverage (offered
by Motorcycle Express),
extended country coverage for
countries outside of the EC
(also offered by Motorcycle
Express), or personalized
service available by email from
overseas (offered by Knopf),
just shop for your Green Card
based on price. Because, like
gasoline, you get the same
product regardless of what the
name of the vendor (Shell,
Esso, Total, Mobil) on the
company sign is.
Michael"
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