Excess

What is an excess?
An excess is the amount you have to pay if you make a claim on a car insurance policy. NOTE, if the accident was not your fault you may be able to claim a reimbursement from the person at fault’s insurance company.
You have a choice of voluntary or compulsory excess (see below).

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What is Third party only Insurance?
If you want yourself to be personally covered against accident or your vehicle to be covered you should consider a more comprehensive form of car insurance.
What is Third party fire and theft Motor insurance?
Whilst technically your legal requirements for motor insurance are covered by a third party only policy they only protect the people with whom you share the roads, not yourself. The law requires that people who are involved in an accident that is not caused by themselves, be compensated. So, with third party insurance you may be protected against other people's claims against you, but not if you are responsible for the accident.
How can I lower my Motor insurance premiums?
Many factors influence the premiums of your Motor insurance policy. Your insurer will have asked you many questions whilst producing your quote - some of which will affect your premium and some will not. To name a few of the important variables, the vehicle you drive, your gender and your age are all important to the insurer whilst they calculate your quote. Below we have discussed several of these key variables that are within the policyholder's control.
Who should I contact should I wish to report a problem with an Insurance Company?
The general insurance industry is now regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
As a result of the accident, my car has been damaged - can I go ahead and get it repaired?
If you have taken out comprehensive car insurance cover and wish to claim under the policy, a specific claims procedure will be given to you when you contact the Claims Line to notify them of the accident. You should not repair your vehicle without the approval of your insurer.
What is compulsory excess?
A compulsory excess is the minimum excess value your insurer will allow you to pay whilst taking one of their policies. Most frequently, young drivers have to bear an increased excess which may be as much as £500. There is usually a compulsory excess for fire and theft of £100 on most motor insurance policies.

What is voluntary excess?
An voluntary excess is an additional excess value which you may chose to pay on each claim. By adding a voluntary excess value you are reducing the risk to your insurer and will therefore benefit from a reduced premium as a result.

My car has now been repaired and the garage has asked me to pay the policy excess - should I pay them?
Yes, but only when you are satisfied with the quality of the repair. You should always retain a receipt, as this will be required if a claim for uninsured losses is to be pursued. Make sure you have documented all repairs that have been made to your vehicle.