Insurance: Dutch customers cancel their contracts with German customers

Unigarant's letter of cancellation, which was sent to the affected owners in recent weeks, states that it is becoming too expensive to offer water sports insurance abroad. They should contact their broker to arrange new insurance for their boat.

Several hundred of those affected who had once taken out their policies directly with Unigarant, i.e. without going through a broker, received mail from the Dutch yacht insurance broker at the same time as the cancellation Eerdmans. The latter took over the portfolio of Unigarant's direct policyholders and offered them a new insurance policy under the old conditions. Those who accepted or did not object were insured via Eerdmans with another Dutch insurance company, Europeesche Yachtverzekeringen.

Out of the frying pan into the fire?

However, Dutch broker circles were quick to report that, following Unigarant's example, Europeesche apparently also wants to part with its foreign customers. However, when asked by YACHT, a spokesperson for the insurer only partially confirmed this. In a letter to the insurance brokers, it was indeed made clear that Europeesche would no longer accept foreign boat owners as customers. However, German and Belgian sailors are exempt from this.

Robert L. L. Raaman from the yacht insurance broker Data combination in Brielle near Rotterdam preferred to place his customers, who were insured through him with Unigarant, with other insurance companies. Allianz, among others. Allianz is currently more reliable than the Dutch insurance companies.

Raaman does not understand why a German customer should be more expensive than a Dutch customer. Whether the insurance tax is paid in the Netherlands or in Germany, depending on the customer, is irrelevant. That cannot be the reason. There is also no evidence that German sailors are more likely to cause costly damage for insurers.

Foreigners do not fit into the corporate concept

Unigarant, which incidentally is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the ANWB, the equivalent of the German ADAC, no longer justifies the wave of cancellations to YACHT with excessive costs. Instead, it is suddenly only said that German customers no longer fit into the company's strategy. They don't want to say any more.

Unigarant did not want to provide any information on how many German - and other foreign - boat owners, primarily Belgians, are affected by this surprising change in strategy. However, the number is estimated to be in the thousands.

If you want to look for suitable boat insurance for your vessel yourself, you can find the YACHT online insurance special The website provides lots of useful information and also an online form that can be used to request quotes from several boat insurance providers at the click of a mouse, free of charge and without obligation.