Helvetia’s new total loss insurance includes all the benefits of partially comprehensive cover plus total loss following a collision caused by the policyholder – all at a significantly lower premium than fully comprehensive insurance. Initial reactions to the product, which is being offered in Switzerland for the first time, show that it is proving particularly popular among registered keepers of motor vehicles which are around ten years old.
Roughly nine out of every ten policies for Helvetia’s new total loss insurance are taken out by private individuals. The insured motor vehicles are ten years old on average and had a list price of around CHF 44,000 when they were new. Four out of every five policies taken out so far have been for passenger vehicles, with motorbikes accounting for the rest. An analysis of the initial sales figures shows that in view of rising costs, it is primarily owners of older, second-hand cars who are interested in finding the right balance between partially and fully comprehensive cover.
“We are the only insurance company in Switzerland offering this type of solution. We deliberately launched the product without any advertising at first, to get an idea of what demand would be like. The fact that total loss insurance has proved so popular so quickly anyway shows that many customers have been waiting for a solution like this – one that provides policyholders with the key elements of cover in the event of a total loss, without them having to pay a premium for fully comprehensive insurance,” explains Chrys Fischbacher, Head of Product Management for Motor Vehicle Insurance at Helvetia.
Significantly cheaper than fully comprehensive cover
Exactly how much policyholders can save varies according to their motor vehicle and their profile. Premium calculations for five typical medium-sized cars between five and nine years old show that on average, the premium for total loss insurance is around a third (33%) cheaper than that for fully comprehensive insurance. This means that policyholders could save between one hundred and several hundred francs a year depending on their motor vehicle and their profile. Yet savings aside, they still retain the key elements of cover in the event of a total loss.
The middle ground between fully and partially comprehensive cover
Total loss insurance bridges the gap between partially and fully comprehensive insurance. It includes all the benefits of partially comprehensive cover – for instance, in the event of hail, theft, glass breakage or marten bites – while also covering total loss following a collision caused by the policyholder. Minor collision damage, however, is not covered.
This makes the model ideal for registered keepers of older motor vehicles for whom fully comprehensive insurance is perhaps no longer worth it (since their vehicles have lost a considerable amount of their original value) but who still want cover against loss occurrences that could cause significant financial harm. Anyone who switches from fully comprehensive insurance to partially comprehensive insurance loses all cover for collisions they cause themselves – even in the event of a total loss.
According to Helvetia’s assessments, fully comprehensive cover is primarily worthwhile for new and high-value motor vehicles. Yet as motor vehicles age and their current values decrease, many registered keepers start to look for more affordable alternatives. This is precisely where total loss insurance comes into its own, providing a practical middle ground between partially and fully comprehensive cover.
