SOMPO Motor vs Your Current Car Insurance: Which Is The Winner For You?

According to Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister, there are approximately 30,000 accidents every year on Malaysian roads. As a motorist, you want to be well protected in the case of an inevitable accident. 

Obtaining car insurance can be a fairly easy process, though it does not mean you have to settle for anything less than the best. Choosing the best available car insurance is important for so many reasons.

Take into consideration how certain parts of Malaysia are very prone to floods and landslides. Also consider the occasional tremors we experience. The chances of your vehicle being damaged by one – or all – of these cannot be ruled out. But do you know what your car insurance covers?

During last year’s flash floods in several states, many motorists discovered that most car insurance policies require motorists to pay extra for such comprehensive coverage.

In the event of an unwanted accident or disaster, you would definitely want the insurance claim process to be a walk in the park, as opposed to an arduous roller coaster ride.

If you’re looking to buy car insurance, read on, this article may help you find the best available option out there. If you already have car insurance, let’s see if your insurance already provides a comprehensive coverage or if you can upgrade to a better plan.

Does your insurance cover special perils, aka natural disasters?

Natural disasters are unavoidable. Because of its unpredictable nature, a lot of car insurance plans do not offer extensive coverage for special perils. Special Perils is an additional coverage provided by the insurance company to protect you against unexpected natural tragedies that may befall you. 

This is where SOMPO Motor comes in. One of the best things about SOMPO Motor is that it provides you with a claim amount of RM10,000 or up to 20% of the Sum Insured, whichever is lower for any loss or damage to your vehicle caused by Special Perils and this is something that most other insurance companies do not provide.

Some insurance providers only cover floods, some provide up to 25% coverage, while others don’t even take this category into account. If you own a car in Malaysia, it’s always best to get an insurance provider that takes special perils into consideration as you never know when natural disasters will strike and blow a hole in your pocket.

What happens when your car breaks down and you’re stranded?

When your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, say when you’re on your way back from the airport – what are you going to do? You can call your dad for help, but you are more likely to get your insurance company to tow your car to the nearest panel workshop.

At this point, you’re probably wondering who’s going to bear the towing charges. By right, it should be covered by your insurance company; but the rate varies according to different providers. Some offer towing services by the hour, some by distance – obviously the latter is better because it potentially covers more.

On average, insurance providers in current the market provide a standard towing rate of RM200, while some cover up to RM300. Of course, the higher the subsidy rate for towing, the better.

SOMPO Motor’s 24-Hour Rakan Auto Assist covers up to RM300 per incident for towing and labour for roadside repairs, in case your car breaks down in a galaxy far, far away.

What if you weren’t driving your car at the time of accident?

This can be a tricky situation. Many car insurance policies in the market require policyholders to declare other authorised drivers for their vehicle but this rule can prove to be difficult in real life.

Many Malaysians now live with their extended family so on any given day, the car might be driven by the policy owner’s wife, brother, sister, uncle or even grandfather. Not to mention that we often let our friends drive our cars.

What happens if someone borrows your car and gets into an accident? Do you still get to claim your insurance?

If you’re protected by SOMPO Motor, lucky for you, you are not required to provide the names of all authorised drivers (unless the driver is under 21 or still under learner-driver’s license) as all drivers are covered.  

How will you get around while waiting for your car to be repaired?  

This is perhaps the most torturous part of it all – waiting for your car to come back to you. If you can use your parents’ or spouse’s car while waiting, then that’s great news. Otherwise, you probably have to resort to carpooling, taking public transport, or use e-hailing services on a daily basis.

The option of e-hailing is becoming a more common default option for many. Which is why SOMPO Motor includes e-hailing reimbursement up to RM2000 sum insured coverage while your car is being repaired in the workshop.

What happens in the event of replacing new parts for your car?

In the event that your car is almost totalled and needs extensive replacements, you might have to contribute to the cost of the repair. This is referred to as ‘betterment’, whereby your vehicle has been badly damaged and replaced with new parts extensively.

Many insurance providers would require the insured to contribute to the cost of the repair if newer parts are used as it is done to improve the condition of your car.

However, you won’t have to face the hassle of coming up with a single sen if you have SOMPO Motor coverage which offers complete waiver of betterment – you don’t have to bear the cost at all – as long as your car is not more than 15 years old.

Look for a comprehensive motor insurance without the hassle of add-ons

SOMPO Motor provides you with a peace of mind and it’s a private car comprehensive insurance policy which extensively covers accidental or fire damage to your vehicle, theft of your vehicle, liability to other parties for injury or death as well as damage to other parties’ property – and it also includes other new additional benefits as well.

Find out more from Berjaya SOMPO Insurance now to enhance your vehicle protection with a more comprehensive private car insurance plan today.