Having a car in Dubai is simply a must for most expatriates. You will have to put up with busy traffic and congestion, but it is much better to be in a car than in a public transport bus. You cannot register your vehicle without insuring it first. Just like in any country, you are legally obliged to purchase auto insurance.
You have to buy a package that corresponds to the legal minimum set by the Dubai authorities. These packages are called TPFT, which stands for third party, theft and fire. Basically, it covers property damage and injury liability. It also gives you a basic level of financial protection in case of your car being stolen or damaged by fire. As the name suggests, this type of policy does not provide collision coverage.
You can readily opt for comprehensive insurance that will cover financially the damages on your vehicle, in case of a road accident. There are different levels of this type of coverage, including basic and premium. It is up to you to decide whether to purchase such a policy or not. Keep in mind that a pre-used vehicle that is older than 5 or 7 years might not be approved for it. Another important thing is to check how flexible and fast the payment to you will be, when you need it. Generally, if you opt for a basic comprehensive policy, you can expect to go through a lot of loopholes to get your money.
There are a number of ways to save on auto insurance in Dubai. Naturally, you will have to pay a lower premium, if you have a safe car. That is why you can readily research any model you are considering for this particular criterion. Usually, the sports cars are considered more dangerous, but you should check explicitly for any model. This is necessary since models that are relatively safe in other countries may be considered more dangerous in Dubai, if they have been involved in a larger number of accidents.
Perhaps the best way to save on auto insurance is to show the insurer that you are a good driver. You simply need to obtain a no claim bonus certificate from your insurance company back home. With this document you can get a considerable discount. You might even pay only 60% of the quoted price.
Shopping around will certainly result in a lower premium on your car insurance. There are many companies offering these polices in Dubai. You might not be able to obtain lots of quotes online, so you should consider using the services of an insurance broker. It is important for you to work with a reliable intermediary that will get things organized quickly. Ask around for such brokers. You can readily check the insurance brokerage services offered by banks as well.
Overall, it should not be difficult for you to find an affordable and reliable auto insurance package in Dubai. Just keep in mind that your premium will go up automatically, if you are younger than 25 and, especially, if you are a male driver.
SOMETHING BAD IS GOING ON! We have a serious problem with a AXA Insurance Company, who is trying to say a car that their repair shop estimated as a total loss should now be fixed. We have repeatedly requested them to prove that all necessary items are included in the repair but they will not provide us with any documentation other than a vague quote that includes no costs. (I can provide you the estimate from AXA’s Technical Resources which is vague and has no costs listed or detailed items to be repaired).
We have been customers of AXA for two years and we have faithfully paid premiums on two automobiles. It is our hopes that you will use your abilities to intercede on our behalf. There are not many avenues for customers who are being treated unfairly.
Here is an overview…
My husband was recently hit in his Pajero from behind on Sheik Zyed Road, which was the fault of another driver.
Our Pajero was seriously damaged.
AXA’s repair shop, Technical Resources, said it would be 37,000 AED (well over the cost that would make the car a ‘total loss’).
AXA then negotiated their OWN repair shop, Technical Resources) down to 24,000 AED so the car would be repaired and not listed as a total loss. Note: Around 31,000 AED of repairs would officially total the car.
We find it scary that AXA talked down their OWN repair company to avoid totaling an automobile that obviously needs it. This is their repair company who quotes repairs for them daily, and who came in with a figure well above what would total the car, yet, AXA had to ‘talk them down’??? If this is their vendor of choice, they use them, why did they not trust their first quote?
AXA has told us that the insurer of the person who CAUSED the accident will only pay 14000 AED towards repair. Why should the amount they will pay determine what is fixed on our car?
To make certain we would have the car fixed correctly, we took it to Al Habtoor Mitsubishi (who has performed all services on the car) for a quote on needed repairs. Al Habtoor estimated 76,893 AED (well over the entire value of the car) to repair it. (I can provide you the detailed and itemized estimate).
Our insurance company will not provide us any documentation as to the validity of any of the estimates they are reviewing. And they NOW want to repair a car that was estimated as totaled by their own body shop. This whole thing SMELLS bad. AXA is DEFINITELY not working in our best interests.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. Any help you can provide would be appreciated. If you would like to discuss the matter further or review pictures of the damaged vehicle, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Lisa Schultz Smith
056 652 5352