After spending a little over a month jumping through bureaucratic hoops we have finally managed to reduce our car insurance premiums from a whopping 242,29 EUR/month to a far more palatable 67,96 EUR/month.

A word of warning to future expats… if you don’t bring a certified statement from your insurance company ***clearly*** stating what your past claims have been with them, you will be completely raped when it comes to initial premiums. Also, the further back your records go, the lower your premium.

We thought it would be enough to bring copies of our driving records with us, but noooooo… they don’t make it that easy. Our carrier (allianz) first asked for a statement from our american insurance company detailing how long we’d been with them (10 years) & that we’d never had a claim. No problem… we called & had it sent to us. Then they balked at the electronic signature… another call, another copy aus den u.s.a. Then they decided it needed to be certified. Whatever. I would have walked naked through the center of town juggling porcupines if that’s what it took.

Finally, the mail came today… and we are vindicated!! Not only did our premium drop, but they’re also crediting our bank account 538 EUR for the overage we’ve paid to date.

Now that’s what I’m talking about…

On this day..

• This just in. - 2006