Van Insurance FAQ

This FAQ has been created to answer most of your queries on our van insurance policy. Should you not find the answer you're looking for, feel free to contact us on 0818 7 365 24.

Making a claim

  • How do I make a claim?

    The easiest way is to ring us on 0818 7 365 24. We will handle everything and try to make things as painless as possible.

  • What if someone wants to claim off me?

    Contact us and we will handle everything. Do not reply to any correspondence – instead, pass it on to us.

  • Can you settle a claim without my agreement?

    Yes, but we would only do so if absolutely necessary.

  • Can AXA discuss my claim with someone I nominate?

    Under the Central Bank of Ireland consumer protection code, we can only communicate with the policyholder for the duration of any claim. If, for any reason, you wish to nominate a representative, under the code you must give us your written permission to deal with that representative. This must be submitted as a letter or an email.

    Please contact us on 0818 7 365 24 if you have any queries.

  • If my Van is a write-off how do you work out the value?

    We will give you the market value of your van (less the policy excess).

  • My van was stolen what do I do?

    You must tell us and the Gardai. As long as you have theft cover, we will give you the market value of your van if it is not recovered.

  • What if it’s a new van?

    If you have comprehensive or third party fire & theft car insurance cover and your car was bought new, is less than 12 months old and the cost of repairs is more than 60% of the replacement cost, we will pay for a new identical model.

  • What claims do not affect my no claims discount?

    • The following claims will not affect your no claims discount;
    • Fire and theft claims where the Premier package has been purchased
    • Glass breakage
    • Emergency treatment

  • If I leave my keys in the ignition and my van is stolen am I covered?

    No. Loss or damage caused by theft or attempted theft if the keys (or keyless entry system) are left unsecured or left in or on an unattended car is not covered.

Roadside Assistance

  • What is motor breakdown assistance?

    If your van breaks down or just won’t start, one phone call to our Motor Breakdown Assistance centre will put things right. We’ll send a trained recovery technician to help you. If things can’t be fixed on the spot, we will tow your van to your home or aa local garage (whichever is nearer) and, if needs be, help you to complete your journey.

  • What can I do if I locked myself out of my van?

    If you have bought Motor Breakdown Assistance, we can help you. We will pay for one hours labour to get into your vehicle.

About your policy

  • What’s an excess?

    If you claim for accidental damage to your van, you have to pay the first portion of any claim. The amount you pay is called an excess. Please check your policy schedule to find out the amount of your excess.

    You will not have to pay an excess if the loss or damage is caused by fire, theft or attempted theft. You will have to pay the excess shown on your policy schedule for any other type of claim covered under this section. The excess amount applying to your policy will be shown in your schedule.

  • How does the no claim discount work?

    If you do not claim during the current period of insurance, we will give you a discount from your premium according to the table shown below. We will not discount any premiums for any optional extra cover. We will give you this discount for each claim-free year up to the maximum entitlement.

    Number of claims-free driving / Percentage discount allowed:
    • 0 years / 0%
    • 1 year / 20%
    • 2 years / 30%
    • 3 years / 40%
    • 4 or more / 50%

  • Can I protect my maximum no claims discount?

    You can pay an extra premium to protect your no-claims discount. This cover allows you to make one claim without reducing your no-claim discount.

  • What's the difference between Comprehensive and Third Party, fire & theft cover?

    Comprehensive
    • Damage by fire or theft.(fire and theft claims will not reduce your no claims discount under the Premier package only)
    • We will also pay any claims or expenses arising from legal action brought against you following a road accident. There is no limit on the amount of personal injury claim settlements we pay on your behalf. If you damage someone else’s property, there is a limit of €5 million.
    • Accidental damage caused by you or others
    • Malicious damage or vandalism
    • Windscreen repair or replacement cover
    • Car stereo cover
    Third Party, Fire and Theft
    • Damage by fire or theft.(fire and theft claims will not reduce your no claims discount under the Premier package)
    • We will also pay any claims or expenses arising from legal action brought against you following a road accident. There is no limit on the amount of personal injury claim settlements we pay on your behalf. If you damage someone else’s property, there is a limit of €5 million.

  • Is Windscreen cover included on my Comprehensive van insurance policy?

    Not included as standard on van, must be purchased as an optional extra.

  • Can I add someone to my policy?

    Yes, but conditions or limits may apply. Please contact us on 0818 273 372 to find out more.

  • I also have a private car how does this affect my quote?

    If your car or your spouse's/partner's car is insured with AXA you get 30% off our van insurance price or 20% off if it's insured with another motor insurer. Find out more about our Bundle and Save offer!

  • Am I covered to pull a trailer?

    Unspecified Third Party trailer cover is automatically included on the Vanfirst policy. This cover is only provided, if the Insured is meeting the licencing requirements and towing law requirements needed to tow a trailer.

    Third party trailer cover operates when the trailer is attached, or detached provided it at all times remains in the policyholder’s care, custody and control.

  • Do I need to specify what I am using the van for?

    Yes - We will not be liable for any injury, loss or damage while your vehicle is being used for any purpose not covered by the certificate of motor insurance.

  • Can I also purchase my tradesman or small business insurance with AXA?

    Yes our trades insurance policy offers cover for personal accident, legal liability and plant and tools in one handy package.

    Legal liability
    • €1.3M for public liability claims (this can be increased on request)
    • €13M for employer liability claims
    Personal Accident
    • €2000 benefit for death, serious injury or permanent disablement
    • Up to €500 per week for temporary disablement (after one month) optional
    Plant, tools & equipment
    • Contract works up to €500,000
    • Construction plant & equipment up to €25,000
    • Hired-in plant & equipment up to €50,000
    Our Small Business Insurance policy for your shop, office or surgery provides cover for
    • Your assets
    • Your earnings
    • Your legal liabilities

About your cover

  • How long does the policy last?

    Your policy will run for 12 months from the date and time shown in the schedule. If we agree to provide cover for less than 12 months, the schedule will show when your policy ends.

  • Cooling-off period

    If you are unhappy with your new policy, you can cancel within 14 days by giving notice in writing and returning the certificate of insurance to us. We will work out the premium for the period we have been insuring you on a pro rata basis plus an administration charge and refund the balance providing no claims have been made on your policy. You will be charged a pro rata premium or €35 whichever is more for the period you were on risk and this will be deducted from the full premium paid to determine the refund due to you.

  • Cancelling your policy in the first year

    If you cancel at any other time during the first year of insurance, we will work out the premium after an administration fee has been taken away for the period you were insured based on our short period rates as see in the policy summary. If you have made a claim or there has been an incident likely to give rise to a claim, we will not give any refund. The premium does not include the charge for motor rescue or the premium for injury to driver cover and we will not provide a refund for these optional items when you cancel your policy.

  • Cancelling your policy at any other time

    In the second and any future years, once you return the certificate and disc of insurance and you have not claimed or there is no incident that is likely to result in a claim during the current period of insurance, we will return the premium after an administration fee has been taken away for the period of insurance still left to run.

    The premium does not include the charge for Car and Key Rescue or the premium for injury to driver cover and we will not provide a refund for these optional items when you cancel your policy.

  • Our rights to cancel

    If we have to cancel your policy, we will send you 10 days' notice by registered letter to your last known address. As long as you return the certificate and disc of insurance to us, we will return the premium for the period of insurance still left to run.

  • Your premium

    Although you may be able to protect your no-claims discount, your premium may increase if you make claims or you receive motoring convictions.

  • The law and language of the contract

    Both you and we can choose the law within the European Union which applies to the contract. We propose that the law of the Republic of Ireland will apply. The language used in this policy and in communications relating to it will be English.

  • Terms and conditions

    As with all insurance contracts, certain terms and conditions will apply. We will be happy to discuss your insurance needs either by phone or at your local branch.

  • How can I be sure who can or cannot drive my car?

    The easiest way is to read your certificate of insurance. Paragraph Six will clearly explain who can drive. Other drivers will be named or described.

  • What am I not covered for?

    You are not covered for wear and tear, routine mechanical faults, loss in value, punctures or tyre damage and parking, speeding fines and so on.

  • How do I make a change to my policy?

    Contact us online, phone us at 0818 7 365 24 or drop into one of our 42 branches across Ireland.

  • What happens after I get a quote?

    After you receive a quote online we will send you an email detailing your price and the cover selected. If you have provided a telephone number one of our dedicated commercial customer service teams will call you to discuss your quote. If you would like to discuss your quote you can call us straight away on 0818 273 372.

  • What happens after I pay for my van insurance?

    We will send you by post a cover letter confirming receipt of payment and cover is in force. This will also give full details of your cover and outline and further documents such as your prof of bonus or driving license that you will need to forward to us.

Contact Us

  • How can I make sure the AXA.ie emails aren't blocked or put in my spam box?

    To ensure that you receive e mails from AXA.ie you may need to review your email settings for spam blockers. We have compiled some guidance on how to do this for the major commercial UK email providers. Please follow the instructions below:

    If you have a separate spam-filtering software program installed on your computer then you will need to add AXA.ie to any filters or whitelists which are specified within your particular program.

    Gmail
    • Click on the ‘Settings’ link in the top right hand corner of the page
    • Click on ‘Filters’ and then on ‘Create a new filter’
    • Type in @AXA.ie in the ‘from’ text box and click ‘Next Step’.
    • Select ‘Never send it to spam’ and click ‘Create filter’.
    Yahoo Mail / BT Internet
    • Open your Yahoo! / BT Internet Mailbox
    • Click on ‘Options’ (on the top right hand side of the screen)
    • Click on ‘Filters’
    • Click on ‘Add’. From here enter AXA as the name for the filter. In the ‘From Header’ make sure ‘this contains’ is selected on the drop down menu. Click on the text box next to this and enter @AXA.ie.
    • At the bottom of the screen you will be given the option: ‘Move the Message to’. Select ‘Inbox’ from the drop down menu and then click ‘Add Filter’.
    Hotmail
    • Open your Hotmail account
    • Click on the ‘Options’ link in the top right hand corner of the page
    • Click on ‘Contacts’ and then on ‘Safe List’
    • Type in @AXA.ie in the available text box and click ‘Add’.
    AOL
    • Open your AOL email account
    • Click on ‘Settings’
    • Click on ‘Spam Controls’
    • Click on ‘Control from whom I get Email’ link under Additional Spam Filters
    • Click on ‘Custom sender list’
    • Type @AXA.ie in the available text box and click Add
    • Click on ‘Save’ on the following two pages
    NTL

    Unfortunately it is not possible to override NTL’s automatic spam filtering mechanism. The best option we can suggest is to set up a spam folder and review its contents regularly. This would be done as follows:

    • Open your NTL email account
    • Click on the ‘Options’ link on the left of the page
    • Click on ‘Spam’
    • Click on ‘Send to Webmail Spam folder for 7 days’ and click ‘OK’

    This will send any suspected spam into the folder called ‘Spam’. You should then regularly check this folder to see if AXA.ie has been wrongly identified as spam. If it has then put a tick against AXA.ie and click on the ‘Move to Folder’ drop down list and select ‘Inbox’.

  • How do I make a complaint?

    If you are not happy with the service we give you, contact your branch. If you are still unhappy, contact our customer care team on 0818 7 365 24