FAQ - Frequently asked questions

You should report the theft to the police and obtain a police report, which you should send to us. We will then write to you and ask you to provide us with the following:

• Original documentation for the vehicle.
• Spare keys for the vehicle.
• Photocopy of the last payment of the road tax.
• Photocopy of your identity card.
• Duly completed vehicle purchase contract. You can download it here.
• The application for the transfer of the vehicle. You can download it here.
• The application for deregistration of the vehicle. You can download it here.
• The standard police questionnaire can be downloaded here.

If your vehicle has been damaged, we will arrange for an expert to inspect it in the garage of your choice as soon as possible, depending on the type of cover you have taken out, we may or may not be able to authorise its repair and get it back on the road as soon as possible.
If the accident was caused by a third party, we will immediately inform the insurance company of the other vehicle.

You must complete the European Accident Report form which we provide with your insurance policy. This should be completed as far as possible and signed by both parties, but only if you fully agree with its contents. Correct completion of the form can go a long way towards shortening the time taken to process your claim. Once completed, please submit it as soon as possible so that we can begin the claim process. If your car is disabled as a result of the accident, you should call the assistance telephone number on your insurance documentation and they will arrange for a tow truck to transport your vehicle to the garage of your choice.

This will vary depending on the nature of the claim. However, in general, the following rules apply:

Own damage:

• Take any necessary measures to prevent further loss or damage.
• Ask for an estimate for the repair of the damage.
• Keep any items that have been damaged, as the loss adjuster may need to inspect them in order to assess the damage.

Damage caused by a third party:

• Make sure you have all the details of the other person/boat involved: name and physical address of the person responsible for the other boat, the details of the owner of the other boat (if they do not match), their insurance company, policy number and the name of their boat.
• If there are any witnesses to the incident, you should also obtain their contact details.

Damage caused to third parties:

• If you are held liable by a third party for damage to you or your property, you should provide them with your insurance policy details.
• DO NOT accept any liability or offer any form of payment.
• If you are contacted by the third party, please ensure that correspondence is forwarded to us as soon as possible.

Theft/vandalism:

• Report it to the police as soon as possible and send us a copy of the relevant police report together with a fully completed accident report form.
• Be sure to report the theft to the control tower at the port where the theft took place.

We will be pleased to hear from you by telephone and to hear from you about the incident. We will need you to provide us with a marine casualty report detailing all the circumstances in which the incident took place.

You should contact the police, report the loss, provide them with a list of the items you are missing and obtain a report. You should then inform Op de Beeck & Worth, who will arrange for a surveyor to visit your home and carry out the necessary repairs to make your home safe again.

This is a difficult question to answer, as it depends very much on what your own attitude is towards the parts and whether your policy has an excess. If the amount of the claim is less than the excess on your policy, then there is little point in making such a claim.

Most of the policies we take out include a 24-hour helpline that will take your call and deal with your claim. They will also arrange for the necessary professional to visit you, whoever it may be, to carry out the necessary repairs or provide assistance. Acting in a timely manner can minimise the impact of the incident and speed up the overall claims process. That is why we recommend that you make use of this service.

You should call our offices. We will let you know if the incident is indeed covered by your policy and how best to proceed.

• Whenever you are faced with a loss or claim, act as if you were uninsured. This does NOT mean that your insurance policy will not respond to what has happened, but reinforces the golden rule of taking every reasonable measure that can minimise the impact and amount of the loss.
• Do not carry out permanent repairs or make use of any damaged items until the insurer's surveyor has visited you and assessed the extent of the damage.
• There are no winners in the event of a claim and, depending on the nature of the claim, it can be a difficult and stressful process. Our aim is to resolve the claim as quickly as possible and help you recover with the minimum of inconvenience and disruption. To make this possible we will need your help and co-operation.
• Please ensure that you advise us as quickly as possible of any incident that may lead to a claim.
  Insurance companies are subject to frequent audits, so the paperwork needs to be done correctly when reporting a claim. It is therefore essential that you provide an invoice for any repairs or replacements made as a result of a claim.