Car Insurance (India)

[khaski_khopari]

At present, our car is insured under New India Insurance. We have a 0 debt insurance cover, which allows reimbursement for plastic damages as well.

However, in the insurance document, they mention a fixed charge of Rs. 1000, which is to be paid to them for every inspection made (by their representative) for the claim.

The total insurance amount sums up at around 12 K, excluding the inspection charges.

We applied for it once and got our claim fully approved ( around 7.5 K). We just have to pay Rs. 1000 as inspection charges.

However, I think that their fixed inspection charge rule is not viable for small claims and am therefore looking for a better option. Pls advice.

Thanks in advance!

[GpeL]

It is called co-pay.. all insurances will have it.. be it health etc.. the idea is unless necessary a person will not go for small claims every other day just cos he can do it.. so now if your damage is OVER 1000rs, it will make sense for a claim.. or else get it fixed and suck it up.. everybody and his brother will start claiming a 1000 rs reimbursement for a fused headlight bulb.. all it will take is a friendly mechanic to bloat up the damage..

Also remember many insurance cos will hike up your premium with every claim and pass on that benefit to another customer with a better claim record.. insurance waala daan karne thodi naa baita hai.. he will make sure to cover your base when shit hits the face but if you insist on falling face first into shit.. he can't do much about it but since they signed up an agreement he is stuck.. this is to ensure such things do not happen.

[AmthaLal]

Insurance for car in India....well...the whole system sucks.

Unlike US, it doesn't matter how bad driver you are. Fukkin everyone pays same.
Even if the person in an accident who is at fault and have no insurance, you get your money.
These inspectors are ek number ke chor.
Trust me on this. We had automobile dealership and we know all these crooks.
I had an accident in 1987, One Luna rider hit me head on. It was his fault. Came in wrong direction. Our own repair shop, so our shop manager told the inspector whose bike it is, and mofo inflated the bill 5 times and got us paid.
The Lunawalla....did not get in trouble at all.

[GpeL]

You will say this fukker is stories galore but what the heck another true story.

During my PG i.e 1987 thru 90, my father had retired so I took up a job at a maruti service center to help with expenses.. The job was easy I had to drive the cars for servicing up and down a ramp and that was it.. gave me time to study so no issues.. gave me 450 rs a month which as quite ok something better than nothing.. covered my BD expenses and the rest was for home..

That time there was only one Insurance company forget its name.. United Insu or New India Insu.. does not matter.. they were sort of quasi govt.. so fixed prem and such.. So all you needed was a person willing to go hand in glove with you and a maruti service center owner/manager..

This is what would happen and I was witness to this many a times. The maruti guys would have broken windshield, windows, rear windshield all glass pieces from some earlier accident, broken headlights, tail lights, dented doors, hoods, radiator (anything that will show up in a photo graph) all scraped as if ready for dent-fix/repaint saved up. It was well practiced and choreographed song and dance routine.

A car comes in in perfect condition. Its doors, hoods will be replaced with the dented ones, the windshields removed and mud and soot smeared on the car.. then it would be kept outside for some days to accumulate dust.. the steering will be removed and a broken one installed.. the shards will be sprinkled all over the seats, on the hood on the ground (mind you it is IN THE SHOWROOM and not at the supposed accident scene no shards should be on the ground!!) to recreate the accident scene. The photographer guy from insu. co. would be directing the shenanigans.. take a picture from one angle.. sweep up the shards spread it so they showup in another angle.. repeat.. it is taken from all 4 sides. No one seemed to question the even spread of shards..afterall the car was supposedly hit from ONE direction.. how come the shards spread around it evenly? Anyways the photo is taken.. job done. The showroom will prepare an estimate.. replacement of windshield, steering, windows, denting, painting, headlights, tail lights, burnt off rubber wheels (yes pre-installed for photo shoot).. thats it.. over 10-15K damage/parts.. denting painting and servicing costs boost up another few Ks.. that done, the original car is restored and given a good servicing and gone..

Tne insurance co. pays up.. thanks to the participating dude in the company. all split up the money in agreed proportion.. meet up for drinks and plan the next imaginary accident.. can't do the same one again and again right?

That is how it worked.. but with private insures, all those things don't work..

[khaski_khopari]

Thanks everyone for sharing useful info. I have got another quest, our next premium is due in a month and we would like to request another claim before paying it. We had the previous claim pretty recently, so would it be OK to apply for another one in such a quick span of time?

[GpeL]

if it is a valid laim shd be no issues

[Diplomat]

Originally Posted by GpeL

You will say this fukker is stories galore but what the heck another true story.

During my PG i.e 1987 thru 90, my father had retired so I took up a job at a maruti service center to help with expenses.. The job was easy I had to drive the cars for servicing up and down a ramp and that was it.. gave me time to study so no issues.. gave me 450 rs a month which as quite ok something better than nothing.. covered my BD expenses and the rest was for home..

That time there was only one Insurance company forget its name.. United Insu or New India Insu.. does not matter.. they were sort of quasi govt.. so fixed prem and such.. So all you needed was a person willing to go hand in glove with you and a maruti service center owner/manager..

This is what would happen and I was witness to this many a times. The maruti guys would have broken windshield, windows, rear windshield all glass pieces from some earlier accident, broken headlights, tail lights, dented doors, hoods, radiator (anything that will show up in a photo graph) all scraped as if ready for dent-fix/repaint saved up. It was well practiced and choreographed song and dance routine.

A car comes in in perfect condition. Its doors, hoods will be replaced with the dented ones, the windshields removed and mud and soot smeared on the car.. then it would be kept outside for some days to accumulate dust.. the steering will be removed and a broken one installed.. the shards will be sprinkled all over the seats, on the hood on the ground (mind you it is IN THE SHOWROOM and not at the supposed accident scene no shards should be on the ground!!) to recreate the accident scene. The photographer guy from insu. co. would be directing the shenanigans.. take a picture from one angle.. sweep up the shards spread it so they showup in another angle.. repeat.. it is taken from all 4 sides. No one seemed to question the even spread of shards..afterall the car was supposedly hit from ONE direction.. how come the shards spread around it evenly? Anyways the photo is taken.. job done. The showroom will prepare an estimate.. replacement of windshield, steering, windows, denting, painting, headlights, tail lights, burnt off rubber wheels (yes pre-installed for photo shoot).. thats it.. over 10-15K damage/parts.. denting painting and servicing costs boost up another few Ks.. that done, the original car is restored and given a good servicing and gone..

Tne insurance co. pays up.. thanks to the participating dude in the company. all split up the money in agreed proportion.. meet up for drinks and plan the next imaginary accident.. can't do the same one again and again right?

That is how it worked.. but with private insures, all those things don't work..

All because labor is cheap.

Cheap labor? Naaah.....FREE Labor in India. That is why it works. Otherwise the time spent in choreographing this dance routine is more expensive than the parts itself in the USA.

[sgars]

Originally Posted by khaski_khopari

Thanks everyone for sharing useful info. I have got another quest, our next premium is due in a month and we would like to request another claim before paying it. We had the previous claim pretty recently, so would it be OK to apply for another one in such a quick span of time?

Normally, they would have something of a low claims or no claims discount. If you have already made a claim this year, you will miss that, even if you do not make a claim, so you could as well do it. else, No claims discount used to be 15% or so about 10 years back.

[sgars]

Originally Posted by AmthaLal

Insurance for car in India....well...the whole system sucks.

Unlike US, it doesn't matter how bad driver you are. Fukkin everyone pays same.
Even if the person in an accident who is at fault and have no insurance, you get your money.
These inspectors are ek number ke chor.
Trust me on this. We had automobile dealership and we know all these crooks.
I had an accident in 1987, One Luna rider hit me head on. It was his fault. Came in wrong direction. Our own repair shop, so our shop manager told the inspector whose bike it is, and mofo inflated the bill 5 times and got us paid.
The Lunawalla....did not get in trouble at all.

87 was well before Malhotra committee was formed. The private insurers came in the second half of 2000 ( i was, you can say the witness to the first private car policy getting printed in 2001).

And now, the premiums can be decided by companies. However, getting actual claims data could be messy and what you mentioned, could still be possible. It is more because of the law of the road, the fault is always of the 'bigger vehicle'.

An unrelated incident here - i was once waiting in Hyd to go home and was not finding any Auto. I then witnessed a car hitting an Auto (the Auto guy i think backed up). I got invovled in the argument they were having and supported the car guy. I even offered that thet could call the police and i would be the witness. Theauto guy buzzed off and the car walla gave me the lift till near my home!

[khaski_khopari]

no claim bonus is something, which i find hard to reason with. why one should not claim his insurance money to get the discount/bonus? if he does not want to claim the insurgence, why should he insure this vehicle at the first place

[GpeL]

insurance is NOT for you.

Insurance is for the third party.. tum daru ghused kar kisi ka laakhon ka nuksaan karaa doge gaadi chadaa ke a. la. salmaan khaan to paisa kaun dega? Turaa chachaa?

[khaski_khopari]

Originally Posted by GpeL

insurance is NOT for you.

Insurance is for the third party.. tum daru ghused kar kisi ka laakhon ka nuksaan karaa doge gaadi chadaa ke a. la. salmaan khaan to paisa kaun dega? Turaa chachaa?

I am talking about the theory of not claiming the insurance, when your vehicle gets damaged, so that we get the no claim bonus next year (I think the percentage of bonus keeps on increasing every year, if one does not claims insurance for years). What I would like to know that what is the point of paying yearly premium and not using insurance when required, so that you have to pay lesser premium in the next year! This just doesn't makes sense to me !

[swami]

But people prefer bonus,no claim bonus is taken by the % of the no claim ie:15% people

Originally Posted by khaski_khopari

I am talking about the theory of not claiming the insurance, when your vehicle gets damaged, so that we get the no claim bonus next year (I think the percentage of bonus keeps on increasing every year, if one does not claims insurance for years). What I would like to know that what is the point of paying yearly premium and not using insurance when required, so that you have to pay lesser premium in the next year! This just doesn't makes sense to me !

[GpeL]

What makes sense to me is to not drive like a moron. Drive carefully you will be fine.. accelarator is not for stepping on it and forgeting all about it or not stepping on it and forgetting all about it. And there is another lever in the car it is called brakes.

And finally there are two most important equipments car or bekar.. it is the brain and eyes connected to it. USE IT.

Saala accident karo hi mat.. claim ka jhanjhat hi nahi hai.. then go for your no claims. Ye kyaa baat hui.. I have insurance so I will drive like an idiot and if there are no accidents inspite of that, I will go for no claim bonus.. and if I hit someone I will claim.. and if I think I can get away with it, I will not insure at all..

Koi to reasonable argument rakho!!

BTW anyone who knows the history of insurance knows that it was all a scam made legal requirement.

If you do not know I will give it to you.. it is a very very small obscure history.

[GpeL]

Originally Posted by khaski_khopari

I am talking about the theory of not claiming the insurance, when your vehicle gets damaged, so that we get the no claim bonus next year (I think the percentage of bonus keeps on increasing every year, if one does not claims insurance for years). What I would like to know that what is the point of paying yearly premium and not using insurance when required, so that you have to pay lesser premium in the next year! This just doesn't makes sense to me !

There is a logic.. if your expense justifies a claim. you claim.

This is how it works.

Say you damaged your headlights and a minor dent. Cost of fixing about 1000. Your no claim bonus is 1100.. does not make sense to claim.. go fix it up and shut up.

If your expense is 5000.. and bonus is 2000 then go ahead and claim.. and that numbers after your deductible if any and charges for insurance rep to come and inspect your car an the inconvenience of keeping it that way with out repairing till that feller comes and the risk of driving it as is with no repairs till the insu. guys comes and the day you have to take off for his welcome.. and... and... and...... you fill in the blank there.