A review on OUTsurance ”Comprehensive car Insurance.”
What Does “Comprehensive” Really Mean for Your Car?
When you hear “comprehensive car insurance,” think of it as the full package for your car. It’s designed to protect your ride from a whole lot of unexpected headaches, not just the obvious accidents. It’s about giving you proper peace of mind on our busy South African roads.
Here’s a straightforward look at what’s usually covered:
- Damage to Your Own Ride: This is the big one, If you get into a bump or a more serious crash, OUTsurance will step in to cover the costs of fixing or even replacing your car.
- Example: Imagine you’re cruising along, and suddenly, some taxi swerves, causing you to swerve and hit a pole. Your car’s looking a bit sad. With comprehensive cover, OUTsurance will chip in for those repairs to get your car back on the road. No stress!
- Damage to Someone Else’s Stuff (Third Party Liability): Accidents aren’t always just about your car. If you’re the one who caused the accident and you damage someone else’s car, their garden wall, or even their house, this part of the cover takes care of those bills.
- Example: You’re trying to reverse out of a tight parking spot and accidentally scrape the side of a parked car. Your comprehensive policy will cover the cost to fix that other car’s damage. Sorted!
- Theft and Hijack Protection: The thought of your car being stolen or hijacked is a proper nightmare. Comprehensive cover means you’re financially protected if that terrible thing happens.
- Example: You park your car at the mall, grab a quick coffee, and when you come back, it’s gone. Or, sadly, you get hijacked on your way home. OUTsurance will cover the financial loss of your vehicle in these tough times. Ag shame!
- Fire, Explosions, and When Nature Gets Naughty: This includes damage from things like fires, explosions, earthquakes, big storms, hail, floods, or even heavy snow.
- Example: A massive hailstorm hits, leaving your car looking like it’s been in a fight with golf balls. Or, a huge tree falls on your car during a gale-force wind. These kinds of events are typically covered. Eish!
- Towing and Storage After an Incident: If your car can’t be driven after something happens, it needs to be towed and maybe stored somewhere safe. Comprehensive cover usually includes these reasonable costs.
- Example: Your car konks out on the N1 after an accident and needs a tow to the nearest mechanic. OUTsurance would cover those towing fees. Lekker!
- Lost or Damaged Car Keys: Replacing modern car keys can cost an arm and a leg! If your keys go missing or get stolen, this cover helps with the replacement costs.
- Example: You lose your car keys while out jogging. Your policy can help cover the cost of getting new keys and reprogramming them for your car. Thank goodness!
- Medical Help for Passengers: If anyone riding in your car gets hurt in a covered incident, OUTsurance can help with their medical bills.
- Example: In an accident that’s covered by your policy, your friend, who was a passenger, gets a minor injury and needs to see a doctor. The policy would contribute to their medical expenses. Good one!
The Money Side: Costs and Benefits
The price you pay for your comprehensive car insurance, called your premium, is unique to you, just like your fingerprint. It’s calculated based on things like your car’s value, where you live (a busy city versus a quiet town, for example), your driving history, and who drives the car most often. OUTsurance aims to keep their premiums competitive, so you’re getting good value.
One of the standout benefits with OUTsurance is their OUTbonus. This is a proper lekker feature that gives you a cash refund of a portion of your premiums if you don’t claim. It’s their way of saying “cheers for being a safe driver!”
- Example (OUTbonus): Let’s say your premium is R800 a month. If you manage to go a certain period without making a claim, you could get a percentage of those premiums back in cash. It’s like a little bonus for being careful on the roads! How cool is that?
- Excess: Don’t forget about the excess. This is the amount you pay out of your own pocket when you make a claim. It’s your contribution to the repair or replacement cost.
- Example (Excess): If your car needs R25,000 worth of repairs after an accident and your excess is R3,000, you’ll pay R3,000 directly to the repairer, and OUTsurance will cover the remaining R22,000. Simple as that.
Let’s Talk Fine Print: Terms and Conditions
Now, for the really important bits, the terms and conditions from the OUTsurance policy document. These are crucial because they set the rules for your cover. I’ll quote directly from the document (in “inverted commas”) and then explain what they mean in plain, English, with practical examples.
- “If any information has been withheld or misrepresented, this will affect the validity of the agreement and the outcome of any claim. All premiums paid will be forfeited.”
- What it means: This is super important, You need to be completely honest and accurate when you apply for insurance and whenever you update your details. If you hide something important, or if you give false information, OUTsurance can say your policy isn’t valid, and they might not pay out a claim. Plus, you could lose all the money you’ve already paid. No chancers here!
- Example: If you tell OUTsurance your car is parked in a secure garage every night, but you actually leave it on the street in a high-crime area, and then it gets stolen, they might reject your claim because you misrepresented the parking situation. Ja, no, that’s not gonna fly.
- “If the premium is not paid on the payment date, you have a 15 day grace period after which we will automatically deduct the premium from the same account to ensure continuous cover. If this premium is also not paid you will have no cover for the period for which you did not pay.”
- What it means: Life gets busy, and sometimes you might forget to pay. OUTsurance gives you a little tydperk (time period), a 15-day grace period, to catch up, so your cover doesn’t just stop. But if they try to deduct it again after those 15 days and it still doesn’t go through, you’ll be without cover for that time. Don’t get caught napping!
- Example: Your car insurance premium is due on the 5th of the month. You forget. You have until the 20th. If they try to take the money on the 20th and it still fails, you won’t have had any cover from the 5th of that month. Best to set a reminder, hey?
- “You need to report your claim or any incident that may lead to a claim to us as soon as possible, but not later than 30 days, after any incident. This includes incidents for which you do not want to claim but which may result in a claim in the future.”
- What it means: Don’t skaam (be shy) or delay! If something happens that could lead to a claim, even if you’re not sure you want to claim yet, you must tell OUTsurance within 30 days. This helps them keep track of potential future claims. Better safe than sorry!
- Example: You have a tiny scrape with another car, and there’s no obvious damage. You think it’s nothing and don’t report it. A month later, the other driver claims they have a serious injury. If you didn’t report the initial incident within 30 days, your claim could be affected. That’s a bit of a pickle.
- “Never admit guilt nor offer settlement to any other party involved in an incident in which you are involved. We will not be bound by any admission or offer you make to any person in relation to any incident.”
- What it means: After an accident, it’s easy to feel a bit skrikkerig (frightened) and flustered. But don’t go saying “it was my fault” or offering to pay for anything. Let OUTsurance handle the legal side of things. Anything you say might make it harder for them to help you. Zip it, bru!
- Example: You accidentally reverse into someone’s car in a parking lot and immediately blurt out, “Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry, I’ll pay for all the damage!” OUTsurance won’t necessarily be held to that promise, and it could complicate their ability to defend you. Keep quiet and call your insurer!
- “If you or anyone acting on your behalf or in your interest, or any person who is covered by this policy submits a claim, or any information or documentation relating to any claim that is in any way fraudulent, dishonest or inflated, we will reject that entire claim and cancel your policy retrospectively to the reported incident date or the actual incident date, whichever date is earliest.”
- What it means: Honesty is truly the best policy when it comes to claims. If you try to tsotsi (cheat) the system by making up a claim, lying about the details, or trying to claim for more than the actual damage, OUTsurance will not only reject your claim but also cancel your policy from the date the incident happened. This means you’d have no cover for that period. Don’t try to pull a fast one!
- Example: Your car has a small dent, but you try to claim it was a huge smash from a recent accident to get more money. If OUTsurance finds out, they’ll reject the entire claim and cancel your policy from the accident date. That’s a big no-no.
- “If you, members of your household, the regular driver, or anyone with your consent or knowledge, or the consent or knowledge of members of your household or the regular driver, drives the vehicle: without a valid driver’s licence or permit for the specific vehicle type… [or] is under the influence of alcohol or drugs…”
- What it means: This is a huge one for obvious safety reasons. If the person driving your car at the time of an incident doesn’t have a valid license for that type of vehicle, or if they’re dronk (drunk) or under the influence of drugs, your claim will be rejected. This applies to you, family members, or anyone you let drive your car. No ways, man!
- Example: You lend your car to a friend who doesn’t have a valid driver’s license, and they get into an accident. Or, you’re involved in an accident after having too much to drink. In both cases, OUTsurance would not cover the damage. You’ll be in deep water.
- “Where the vehicle is used for: racing or competition; driving instruction, towing and hiring for which the driver or the owner receives payment.”
- What it means: Your comprehensive policy is for regular, everyday driving. If you use your car for things like racing, professional driving instruction, or if you’re getting paid to tow things or rent out your car, these activities are generally not covered. It’s not a taxi or a race car, hey?
- Example: You decide to enter your car in a local amateur race, and it gets damaged during the event. Your comprehensive policy won’t cover those damages. That’s on you, boet.
Wrapping It Up
So, there you have it, a proper look at OUTsurance comprehensive car insurance. It offers a broad range of protection for your vehicle, covering everything from accidental damage and theft to natural disasters and even when you accidentally damage someone else’s property. The OUTbonus is a lekker extra that rewards safe drivers, which is always a bonus.
But remember, just like anything in life, it comes with important terms and conditions. Being honest from the start, reporting things quickly, keeping quiet about guilt, and making sure the driver is licensed and sober are all super important for your cover to work when you need it most. Always take the time to read your specific policy schedule carefully to understand the full scope of your individual cover and any optional extras you’ve chosen or speak to a professional adviser. Stay safe out there on the roads, Mzansi!
Read the our previous article on OUTsurance home insurance.
