Auto insurance premium not paid
Premiums for car insurance are becoming less frequent. This can lead to the car no longer being insured and the damage having to be paid directly by the motorist. In addition, you then receive high fines from the RDW. If you let it go even further and are expelled as a defaulter, this leads to an entry in a national database, which can cause problems in obtaining insurance for 5 years.
Payment reminder and suspension
If your car insurance premium is not paid on time, you will receive a payment reminder from your insurer within 14 days. If payment is still not made after that, there may be unpleasant consequences. If after the reminder is not paid within the stipulated period, the insurer will suspend the insurance 30 days after the invoice date.
Suspension: consequences and penalty
During the suspension, your insurance is stopped: you are not insured, are not allowed to use the car on public roads, and damage is not compensated. In the Netherlands, it is mandatory to have at least third-party insurance.
The RDW actively checks whether all cars are insured. If it turns out that a car is not insured, the license plate holder is immediately fined € 500 (for mopeds and mopeds € 460). Because the RDW can impose this fine a maximum of three times a year, this amount can rise to € 1,500. If the car subsequently remains uninsured, the RDW can hand the case over to the public prosecutor. The owner can then be criminally prosecuted.
Expulsion for non-payment
If arrears continue to accumulate after the suspension, the insurance company may proceed to cancel the policy. The motorist is then permanently removed from insurance and registered in a national database. This makes it difficult to be accepted with a new insurer.
Recovery after payment
If you pay the premium and any collection costs within the time limit set by your insurer, coverage is usually restored within 24 hours of receiving payment. Even during the suspension, you remain obligated to pay premium. If you fail to do so, the insurer can terminate your car insurance retroactively.
Please note that insurers often process payments at set times each day. As a result, it may appear that your payment was processed later. However, coverage is always restored from the time your payment is received.
Consequences of not paying car insurance
If coverage is suspended, the car is no longer insured. Nevertheless, many people continue to drive uninsured. Besides the fact that it is illegal to drive uninsured, damage caused by an accident is then also not reimbursed by the insurance company. As a result, the motorist is always held personally liable for the cost of the damage, which can amount to several thousand or even tons of euros in the case of personal injury to an opposing party. This can have serious financial consequences.
Evading fine not possible
Some motorists think they can avoid a RDW fine by showing proof from the insurer. However, when coverage is suspended, the insurer does not provide this proof. Thus, the fine must simply be paid, even if the premium is still paid later.
Prevention is better
Auto insurance is usually paid by direct debit. If the direct debit fails, you will receive a payment reminder. If still not paid after that, suspension follows and a fine may follow. Not paying the premium for car insurance has really only disadvantages. Therefore, prevention is always better than cure.
Never underinsured
Put together your own package
A wide range
We compare all insurers for you, saves time again
Help from our experts
Can't figure it out? Our experts are always ready to help you
We can be reached via chat, WhatsApp, phone or email
Questions? Contact us if you want to know more.
We are here today until 6 p.m.