Questions, answered from the wordings

No. Third party only never pays for your own car. If another driver is at fault, the usual route is a claim against that driver or their insurer, and how that goes is between you, them and their insurer. This site is not able to advise you on a particular claim.

No. Some countries require drivers to hold third party cover by law; New Zealand does not, largely because ACC already covers injuries from road crashes. Damage you cause to other people's cars and property is still yours to pay. Is car insurance compulsory in NZ? sets out the sources.

No. That is the difference between third party only and third party fire and theft, which adds fire and theft of your own car and nothing else.

It pays nothing for accidental damage to your own car in a crash. Only comprehensive does that. Whether that matters to you is a question about what you could afford to replace, which is why it is one of the questions in the questionnaire.

Not automatically. Fire and theft are two specific causes, and malicious damage is a third thing. Some wordings deal with malicious damage separately, so this is a question to put to the insurer and to look for in the wording.

Seven of the eight insurers listed on this site sell third party fire and theft. Cove sells comprehensive cover only, in its own words. See the compare table.

Lenders commonly require it, and often require the lender to be recorded on the policy as an interested party. The requirement is in your loan or lease agreement, not in insurance law and not on this page. Read the agreement, and ask the insurer whether it can record an interested party.

That is a judgement about your own money, and nobody who has not seen your situation should make it for you — including us. The arithmetic is: what the extra premium and excess cost, against what the insurer would pay out if the car were written off. The questionnaire walks through the same question without giving you an answer.

The amount you contribute towards your own claim. Consumer Protection puts it plainly: “Apart from some windscreen cover, you will pay an excess no matter which policy or cover type you have.” See excess explained.

We cannot tell you, and nor can anyone else without quoting you. No insurer in this market publishes a rate table, so any range printed here would be a guess, and this site publishes no premium figures at all. See our editorial policy. Get a quote at each level from the same insurer and you will have a real comparison in about ten minutes.

No. Third party only never pays for your own car, whoever caused the crash. Recovering the cost from the other driver is then a separate matter between you, them and their insurer.

We do not know, and we have found no New Zealand source that publishes it. So this site does not say.

We do not publish one, because no source we could find publishes one. Seven of the eight insurers on this site state that the figure is on your own schedule, and only State publishes a standard figure ($300). Anyone quoting a “typical” range is estimating.

On the wordings read for this page, yes — an additional excess is described as applying on top of the standard excess, not instead of it. Cove's wording says the excess “will be the total of” the standard excess and the applicable driver excesses. Check how your own wording words it.

Sometimes. A repair rather than a replacement carries no excess on some policies, and several insurers sell an optional excess-free glass benefit. What it covers varies: one wording specifically excludes sunroofs, mirrors, lights and indicators.

That is the usual trade insurers offer, but the amount is specific to your quote and we publish no price figures. Ask for the same quote at two excess levels and compare the two numbers you get back.

We do not answer that, and anybody who answers it without knowing your car and your finances is guessing. What we can tell you is what the difference is and who offers which, which is what this page does. Deciding between them is the kind of thing a licensed financial adviser can help with; we are not one.

It depends on how easy your car is to value and what you would need if it were written off. It matters most for modified, classic, imported or uncommon cars and cars with a loan on them; on a common older car the agreed and market figures usually sit close together. It only changes the payout on a total loss.

It can, because the insurer is committing to a figure in advance rather than assessing it after the loss. How much more depends on the insurer and the car, and no insurer publishes a standard difference. Ask for both on the same quote where the insurer sells both, and compare the premium with the figure you are being offered.

No. The figure is agreed with the insurer, and several insurers set a default from a valuation service. A sum insured well above what the car is worth is not something an insurer will simply accept, and it usually costs more in premium too.

Sometimes. Trade Me Insurance publishes agreed value on comprehensive and market value on third party fire and theft. AMI and others show the basis on the schedule regardless of level. Check the schedule, not the marketing page.

Cove publishes that it gives no cover at all to anyone under 21, named or not. The other seven insurers on this site do not publish an age floor on the pages we read, but they set extra excesses or exclusion options for drivers under 25. Confirm with the insurer before a young driver gets behind the wheel.

Generally yes. Consumer Protection says you will pay a higher premium for drivers who are under 25 or who do not have a full licence. We publish no premium figures, because no source publishes them in a form we could check; compare your own quotes for the same car and cover.

An extra amount you pay towards a claim when the driver at the time was under a set age, usually 25. It sits on top of the standard excess on most wordings. Vero names an “underage excess” in its wording; Cove calls its version an inexperienced driver excess.

The under-25 excess stops applying from your 25th birthday, because policy wordings test the driver's age on the day of the crash. The premium is usually reset at renewal, so tell your insurer when you turn 25 and ask whether the price changes now or at the next renewal. No insurer publishes how much it falls.

Ask each insurer for its young-driver excess in dollars, not only the premium; State publishes the same $300 excess at every age, Cove adds $500 for drivers aged 21 to 24. Choose a level of cover that suits the car's value, get a full licence, and name the main driver honestly so a claim is not declined.

Most insurers on this site sell third party and third party fire and theft as well as comprehensive. Young driver excesses and age rules can apply to any level of cover, so ask about them whichever level you choose.

Yes, if they will drive your car. Some policies cover only named drivers, and some exclude drivers under 25 unless you remove that option. Tell the insurer before they drive and ask what extra excess applies to a learner licence.

Not on the four wordings we read. AMI, Cove, Tower and Vero all exclude cover when the driver is not complying with their licence conditions, and driving without a supervisor breaks a learner licence condition. Vero says the exclusion covers liability to others too.

Yes, in two ways. Insurers can charge an extra excess for a driver without a full licence (Cove publishes $1,000), and breaking a restricted licence condition, such as driving alone after 10pm, can mean no cover for that crash.

On some policies. Cove publishes that it gives no cover at all to anyone under 21, named or not. Other insurers on this site publish no age floor in the pages we read but can add underage excesses or let you exclude under-25s, so ask before a teenager drives.

No. Third party cover is optional in New Zealand. Injuries in road crashes are covered by ACC, so the compulsory third party schemes found in Australia and elsewhere have no equivalent here. Damage you cause to someone else's car is still your responsibility.

Registration and a current warrant or certificate of fitness are what the law requires to use a car on the road. Insurance is not part of registering a vehicle here.

ACC covers personal injury caused by accident, including road crashes, whoever was at fault. It does not pay for damage to vehicles or property. That is what car insurance is for.

You are liable for the damage you caused. The other driver or their insurer can ask you to pay, and if you cannot agree they can take a claim to the Disputes Tribunal, which hears claims for damage to a car in an accident.

Usually, yes, as a listed driver on their policy. If you are the person who drives the car most, you must be declared as the main driver. Some insurers have age floors: Cove gives no cover to anyone under 21.

Yes, on most policies, as soon as it happens rather than at renewal. Tower's wording says you must tell it immediately if anyone becomes a new regular driver of your car.

Often, yes, if you have a genuine interest in it and you tell the insurer who owns it and who drives it. Insurers set their own rules, so ask before buying.

Many insurers allow it. The important part is that you are declared as the main driver if you are. Listing a parent as the main driver of a car you mostly drive can lead to a declined claim.

It depends on your policy. Some cover anyone driving with your permission; others cover only named drivers, or add an excess for unnamed drivers. The table above shows what each insurer's wording said.

Naming a lower-risk person as the main driver of a car that is really driven mostly by someone else, usually a younger driver, to get a lower premium. Insurers treat it as misrepresentation.

Not by law. The rental company insures the car, but you are liable for the excess in your agreement. Reducing that excess, with the rental company or through travel insurance or a card, is optional.

Usually not for a car you hire yourself. Check your policy wording. What many car policies do include is a hire car while your own car is repaired after an accepted claim.

It depends on the insurer and the option you chose. The wordings we read ranged from a fixed number of days to a dollar limit, and for some it is an optional extra. See the table above.

It can be, because classic policies often limit how much the car is driven. Whether it is cheaper for your car depends on the insurer, the value and the restrictions you accept.

There is no single legal definition. Each insurer sets its own, often based on age and how the car is used. Ask the insurer what its policy requires.

We cannot say what suits your car, but agreed value is the basis designed for cars whose value is hard to establish after a loss, which is why it is common on classic policies.

If your insurer asks about modifications, non-standard wheels usually count. Declare them and let the insurer decide whether they change anything.

It might, or it might make no difference. An undeclared modification can cost far more if it leads to a declined claim.

Often, but not from every insurer or for every modification. Insurers set their own limits. Ask before modifying if you can.

IAG New Zealand Limited. ASB's site says: "ASB General Insurance is arranged by ASB Bank Limited and underwritten and administered by IAG New Zealand Ltd." IAG also underwrites AMI, State and NZI.

Tower Limited. Westpac's site says its general insurance products are "arranged by Westpac New Zealand Limited (Westpac) and underwritten by Tower Limited (Tower)", and that Westpac receives commission on Tower policies it arranges.

Vero Insurance New Zealand Limited. ANZ's site says its general insurance policies are provided by Vero, and that ANZ Asset Protector policies are "underwritten and issued by Vero Insurance New Zealand Limited (Vero) and distributed through ANZ Bank New Zealand Limited (ANZ)".

IAG New Zealand Limited. BNZ's site says it partners with IAG to provide car insurance, that IAG "provides and underwrites" the policies, and that BNZ "does not underwrite these insurance policies, is not an agent of IAG".

Tower Limited. Kiwibank's site says Tower "underwrites all contracts of House, Contents, Landlord, Car, Boat, Travel and Pet Insurance cover" and that "The contracts of insurance are between you and Tower Limited."

The insurer. The bank's app may be where you start, but the claim is assessed and paid by IAG, Tower or Vero, and any dispute goes to the insurer's complaints process and dispute scheme.

Yes, under the Assurant name. Policies are issued by Protecta Insurance New Zealand Limited as agent for Virginia Surety Company Inc (New Zealand branch), the underwriter. Both are part of Assurant, Inc.

Virginia Surety Company Inc, New Zealand branch. Assurant's site says: "The insurance is underwritten by VSC."

Yes. Assurant (formerly Protecta) sells Full Cover, Third Party Fire & Theft and Third Party Only car insurance direct, plus motorcycle and classic vehicle insurance. Its MBI and GAP products are not car insurance and don't cover crash damage.

Assurant says its average claim processing time is 5 to 7 weeks, and that assessor reports, Police crash reports and parts delays can affect it.

To Assurant first, then its Internal Dispute Resolution Panel, then the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO) within 2 months of the panel's decision.

Almost certainly something changes at renewal, but we publish no figures for it: no New Zealand insurer publishes a table of what a claim does to a premium, so any number here would be invented. Ask your insurer what a claim would mean for your renewal before you decide to claim on a small repair.

We have found no official source that publishes a timeframe, and we do not repeat the ranges other sites use. Ask your insurer for its own estimate when you lodge the claim, and ask again if it slips.

That is a judgement about your own money against your excess, and it is not one we make for you. The arithmetic is: the repair cost, against the excess plus whatever the claim does to your renewal.

It depends on the wording and on whether your insurer recovers the cost from the other party. Ask your insurer directly whether the excess is payable up front and whether it is refunded on a successful recovery — the answer varies, and we publish no general rule because no source supports one.

Then a claim on your own comprehensive policy is generally the only insurance route, and recovering from the driver personally is a legal matter rather than an insurance one. Some wordings have a benefit dealing with uninsured drivers — check yours, and ask.

Report it. Without the other party's details a recovery is very hard, and what your own policy does then depends entirely on which level you hold.

Wordings generally deal with this, and the usual position is that the insurer then owns the vehicle. The detail is in your own wording, and it is worth reading before you need it.

Not necessarily — the value basis can differ between levels at the same insurer. Trade Me Insurance publishes agreed value on comprehensive and market value on third party fire and theft, for example. Check which basis your level carries.

We have found no official source publishing a timeframe and we do not estimate one. Insurers commonly wait a period to see whether the vehicle is recovered; ask yours what its period is.