Having lived in Spain for six years, and owned a house here for nearly 20 years, there are many times when I have asked ‘Do these Brits leave their brains at Malaga airport?’
Countless times I have heard of people being ‘ripped off’ but then find that they have paid out for something without checking it out as they would have done back in the UK. Likewise people decide not to bother with Insurance, although they would not have thought twice about the need for insurance back in the UK.
For most of us our property here, whether a holiday or permanent home, or business represents a major investment. Surely it makes sense to protect that investment and insurance is part of that protection policy to give us peace of mind. Likewise we would make arrangements to plan for our retirement and for the future in general.
When we looked at Insurance for our property I realised that, as with any product, value for money had to be considered as much as the basic cost. We chose Santalucia because the cover provided was better than other Companies that we looked at, particularly their concern for ‘Customer Care’. Value for money gave Santalucia the edge over other Spanish insurers and the ‘Ex Pat’ type policies. In addition their size and history guaranteed that they had the experience and resources to meet the needs and expectations of their customers.
Santalucia subsequently asked me if I would be interested in working for them, not just to sell Insurance to other Ex Pats, but also to provide a similar level of Customer Support as they have traditionally provided to their Spanish customers.
Having a policy in English was a start, but realising that making a claim, dealing with loss, repairs or damages following for example a burglary or burst pipe involves speaking Spanish, Santalucia recognised that many customers would need additional support. To provide this support they realised they needed an English & Spanish speaker with knowledge of how Insurance works. Their policies are very similar to English type Insurance policies but with the additional benefits of Legal Assistance, Third Party Cover and a clause for Assistance to the Home. This last clause enables customers to use the services of tradesmen for a wide range of needs not covered by the policy. Customers only have to pay for materials and labour in excess of three hours.
These benefits, in addition to the Basic Cover, which includes a wide range of Extraordinary Risks such as landslides, the cost of extinguishing a fire etc. means that Santalucia’s 1 million ‘Combined House Insurance’ policy holders benefit from a Comprehensive Insurance policy for their home. Our Small Business policy holders form part of a total Customer base of 3.7 million policy holders.
In addition to these major areas, where Santalucia are among the market leaders, we also offer policies in English to cover Accidents and necessary Funeral costs. Our Family Assistance policy is the leading ‘Death’ insurance policy in Spain with nearly 2.5 million customers. Not only does the policy cover for the costs of a funeral, but Santalucia will help you take care of all the necessary paperwork etc. This is again the ‘peace of mind’ Insurance which the Company prides itself on.
Santalucia also offer a range of Life Insurance, Pension & Retirement plans all backed up by over 80 years experience. In addition they provide the local support, in Velez Malaga, of one of a network of 350 offices throughout Spain.
Probably for many of us, Insurance is not a particularly interesting subject, but nevertheless it is an important subject. Whether you are interested in protecting your investment or planning for the future, Santalucia have a range of policies to meet your needs. For more information please contact Ian Scott on 699 996 652.
