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Excess

Insurance is not rocket science. We explain everything you need to know about exess in this glossary article.

What does excess mean?

An excess is the part of the cost that you pay yourself as a customer in the event of an insurance claim.

At Getsafe we distinguish between a general and a variable excess.

The general excess applies to most insurance policies. When you take out a policy, you choose the amount you want to pay yourself in the event of a claim. For example, if you have an excess of €150, you have to pay €150 yourself for every claim.

Variable excess is used with Getsafe legal insurance. Here, your excess is fixed at €300 for the first insurance year. If you don’t file any legal claims, your excess will be reduced by €100 every year. Therefore, if no claim is made, you have an excess of €300 in the first year, €200 in the second year, €100 in the third year, and no excess at all in the fourth year.

Why should you opt for an excess?

By contributing to the costs yourself, you pay a lower insurance premium every month – which can be beneficial for a comparatively more expensive insurance policy like legal.

When is the excess due?

The excess is due every time you make a claim. This means that every time you have to use your insurance, you pay the agreed deductible. The remaining costs are covered by your insurance.

When does your excess not apply?

With Getsafe legal insurance, there are some special features regarding the excess. In certain cases, it can even be waived.

For example, if your legal issue is resolved in an initial consultation session with a lawyer and you require no further support. In this case you don’t have to pay your excess amount. You also don’t have to contribute to the legal costs via your excess if your claim amounts to less than €250 (including VAT).

You already have legal insurance and want to change providers. In this situation both contracts should merge seamlessly into one another. If you can prove this, you can get started with Getsafe Legal, without having to pay an excess.

Please note: We will only check if you have to pay your excess in the event that you make a claim.

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