Frequently asked
car insurance questions

The retail value is the highest of the 3. Simply put, it's the average price for which a dealer would sell a car, taking into account its age, condition and mileage. The trade value is what a car dealer would pay you for your car, should you trade it in for another. And the market value is what you'd be able to sell your car for, should you sell it privately. A fair market value is usually based on the difference between the retail value and the trade value. As the king and his court only have your best interests at heart, we advise you to insure your car for its retail value. Should your car then be stolen or hi-jacked without being recovered, or written off in an accident… We'll pay you out according to your car's retail value at the time of the loss, less the basic excess amount and any other relevant excess amounts payable by you, as well as the amount that you still owe the finance institution (if applicable). This will enable you to replace your car with a similar model. We know that your car means the world to you, but in reality it's what it's worth in the Auto Dealers' Guide that counts! So to determine your car's retail value at the time of the loss, we will refer to this guide. Should your car not be listed there, we'll obtain its value from a suitable source.

As a valued King Price policyholder you're covered not only in South Africa but also in Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

Please note: You'll only be covered for private use, and should an incident occur while you're outside of SA an additional excess will be applicable.

‘Private use’ is for private or social purposes, including driving between your home and regular place of work. (And shopping on the weekend, visits to your mom and the occasional drive to KFC.) ‘Business use’ includes private use with additional cover, for instance if your car forms an essential part of any work or function. (It basically means that without your car you can’t really make a living.) Then there’s also ‘occasional business use’. This includes private use with additional cover for the limited use of your car for business purposes such as buying stock once a month or weekly deliveries. If you make more than 7 business trips a month, you should rather insure your car for full business use.

As is the case with most insurers, King Price doesn't offer cover for cars that weren't originally registered in South Africa.

Need a ride? We've got you covered! As a precious member of the King Price royal family, you may choose to pay a little extra for optional cover so that we can provide you with a hired car if your own car is damaged and being repaired, is damaged and isn’t drivable, is stolen or hi-jacked. The rental car is available until your claim is finalised (for a maximum of 30 days).

If you make use of the rental car that we offer while your car is repaired or replaced, then you’ll need to pay the:

• Fuel and security deposit.
• Running costs.
• Collection and delivery fees.
• Excess amount that's applicable if there's a claim for the loss of, or damage to, the rental car.

Taking out insurance couldn’t be simpler! At King Price, there’s no need for loads of paperwork. All our voice calls are recorded and serve as part of your legal contract with us. So you may apply for cover, make changes to an existing policy and lodge your claim telephonically. The fact that the calls are recorded ensures the safety of the info you provide and protects both your rights and ours.

The road to peace of mind insurance cover is a 2-way street. For insurance to be fair, both you and the insurance company have some responsibilities. An excess amount is part of your responsibility and refers to the first portion that’s payable in the event of a claim. Like all insurers, King Price requires you to pay a basic excess amount in the event of a claim, before we pay out the rest of the claim. In some instances (that will be stated on your policy schedule) there’s also an additional excess amount payable by you. These amounts are all based on risk. When compared to the risk we carry on your behalf, the excess is a small price to pay in exchange.

Our policyholders are members of our royal family and deserve only the best. For this reason, King Price offers you the choice of picking a higher excess when you take our your insurance policy with us. Should you select this option, it lessens risk on our side... And the benefit to you is that the lower the risk on our side, the lower your insurance premium.

To help us help you settle a claim as quickly and efficiently as possible, we ask that you pay the excess upfront. As soon as the third party or his/her insurance company has settled the claim in full, we’ll pay you back.

In the event of a valid claim, we’ll either:

• Pay out cash to you.
• Repair the damage at a repairer of our choice.
• Replace the insured item at a King Price-approved supplier.

Please note: If the insured item’s financed, we’ll first pay the finance company before we pay you.

Stats prove that alarms and tracking devices lower the risk of theft and home burglaries. So if you consider how much it would cost to replace your car or home contents, then installing a security device is a small price to pay.

If you’re required to have a car tracking device or an alarm installed, it’s your responsibility to make sure it’s fitted and always in working condition. No device/alarm = no cover.

In the case of an accident or breakdown, there’s no need for a meltdown… A King Price-approved towing operator will come to your rescue as soon as possible. The time it’ll take for the operator to get there will depend on the distance to be travelled and the availability of the towing operator. But remember, we always have your best interests at heart, so all our towing operators have been hand-picked to ensure that you get the royal service you deserve. As long as you call us on the emergency assist line and only make use of the towing operator and storage facility we’ve recommended and approved... We've got you covered!

We take pride in our royal treatment. As a valued King Price policyholder, you can have complete peace of mind, knowing that we’ve made lavish provision for the emergency assistance services you may need. The number of times that you’re able to make use of them depends on the type of emergency assistance service required. Let us explain...

The king's roadside assist:

In the case of a roadside emergency the king and his court are at our comprehensive car insurance client's beck and call unlimitedly. The only exception is when you run out of petrol, in which case we’ll come to help you out twice a year. So, to be sure that you’re not left high and dry, keep an eye on your petrol gauge.

The king's accident assist and medical assist:

Let’s hope you’ll never need it but when you do, there’s no limit to the number of times that the king and his court will come to the rescue of our comprehensive car insurance clients.

The king's home assist:

For emergency home and outbuilding repairs, our building and home contents insurance clients may make use of our home assist services 3 times a year.

The king's cab:

Your safety is our concern, always. If you're planning on celebrating with a drink or 2, we’ll be at your service (to take you and your car home safely) 6 times a year. Should you need the king's cab more than that, it’ll be available to you at your own expense. Fortunately, as a King Price policyholder, you’ll get this service at a discounted rate.

As is the case everywhere else, King Price’s emergency assist services only apply to the insured car that’s stated on your policy schedule.

The king’s annual renewals take place once a year, on the date when your policy first started. So, if you took out a policy on 28 April, your cover will be renewed on 28 April every year.

Your policy renewal can be influenced by many things. Here are a few factors:

• Rising costs of repairs and replacements.
• Inflation.
• our claims history.
• Policy changes, change of address, regular driver, etc.
• A general increase related to a certain risk. For instance, if the area you live in is suddenly affected by floods, the risk for that cover automatically goes up. Which influences your premium.

We adjust your premium to keep up with the rising costs of repairs and replacements (neither of which have anything to do with the value of your car). The good news? Once your premium has been adjusted, it’ll decrease as usual if you have comprehensive cover.

Your renewed premium is determined by things that are beyond our control, like an increase in labour costs, repairs, replacements and more, as well as changes to your risk profile.

You can influence your premium (and your annual increase) by:

• Always being honest about your details and claims history.
• Installing an alarm in your home or business to reduce the risk of theft.
• Parking your car in a locked garage, instead of on the sidewalk.
• Insuring all your valuables under 1 policy. (The king offers up to 20% off when you insure 2+ cars!)
• Maintaining a good credit score.

Get in touch with our retentions team by calling 0860 50 50 50 or send an email to [email protected] We’re eager to assist.