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Where you’re more likely to be a victim of smash and grabs

Where you’re more likely to be a victim of smash and grabs

Mar 3, 2020 | Blog, King Price

It happens in a matter of seconds. Your window’s suddenly shattered and your valuables have disappeared. Criminals of the smash and grab variety work swiftly and are gone before you realise what’s happened. They usually (and we say ‘usually’ because some are daft and don’t put much effort into the crime they’re committing) choose their surroundings and victims meticulously.

 

Here’s what smash and grabbers are looking for in a victim:

  • Female or single drivers.
  • Distracted drivers (like those lighting cigarettes or using phones).
  • Cars parked in areas with relatively low foot traffic, with valuables visible.
  • Belongings on the passenger seat.

In addition to what makes a person ripe for targeting, there’s also the surroundings. What we mean by this is that these criminals will choose specific hunting grounds and it’s good to be aware of the hotspots. This way you can be on alert or avoid the area altogether.

 

Here are a few smash and grab hotspots across 4 different cities in South Africa:

  • In Pretoria: Pretoria Central, Pretoria Road, Eeufees Road, corner of Garsfontein Road and the N1 Freeway, corner of Garsfontein Road and Philadelphia Road, corner of Cussonia Ave and Meiring Naude Road, and Watermeyer/N4.
  • In Johannesburg: Corner of Boeing and William Nicol Bedfordview, corner of William Nicol Drive and Main Road, corner of Joe Slovo Drive and Abel, the bridge at the intersection of Bowling and Witkoppen, and the Grayston on ramp and off ramp in Sandton.
  • In Cape Town: Jakes Gerwel Drive, Kromboom Road, and Jan Smuts Drive.
  • In Durban: N2-M41 intersection coming off the N2, the southern freeway as you approach the Victoria Embankment in the Durban city centre, the intersection of South Coast Road and Grimsby, and the N2-Inanda intersection on both sides of the bridge and the traffic lights near the Engen garage in Riverside Road.

Obviously these are just a few areas in only 4 cities, but don’t let the unknown scare you into staying home. Rather be prepared and use these helpful tips to avoid smash and grabs.

Here are things you can do to avoid a smash and grab situation:

  • Put your belongings in the boot, because thieves know to reach under your seats.
  • Don’t wind down windows for vendors as this is often a means of distraction.
  • Don’t get out of your car to move objects in the road, rather drive around them.
  • Leave 2 or 3 gaps between yourself and the car in front to give yourself an exit strategy.
  • At night, drive slowly towards a red traffic light and drift through on the green so you don’t stop and become a sitting duck.

Becoming a smash and grab victim is certain to ruin anyone’s day, so be aware, be alert, and stay safe on the roads. You should also consider what your car insurer can do for you. For example, these guys over here actually include roadside assistance with their super cheap car insurance policies. This way, you can call them to come and help you through the trauma of the situation because it’s not fun to handle it all on your own.

 

The 1 fact about portable possessions insurance you didn’t know

The 1 fact about portable possessions insurance you didn’t know

Jan 22, 2020 | Blog

The 1 fact about portable possessions insurance you didn’t know

 

People be spending in December. And then people be spending again in January (January sales, yo). No, really, it’s a thing that happens every year. People buy the stuff that they want for their holidays, items they planned to buy specifically at the end of year (because of year-end bonuses or year-long savings) and of course, they buy gifts for their loved 1s. Usually it’s stuff that has some proper financial value, like a new tablet for school, laptop for university studies, or earbuds for your special holiday-alone-time. The list of what and where the whats will go is simply endless. The only thing you know for certain is that these items will go out and about with you, whether it’s to school or work and back, visiting family in a different province, going on a romantic getaway, or heading out on a business trip.

And the last thing you want is for your new possessions to get lost or stolen. Unfortunately, these things happen. That’s why portable possessions insurance is often encouraged. It’s not a hugely expensive insurance product, but still… Many of us forget or turn a blind eye to this product, even though we travel with our expensive goodies a fair amount.

Here’s some important info on portable possessions that you might not have known. Hopefully by the end of it, you’ll be interested in checking out how much cover for your laptop, cellphone, handbag, sunglasses, and other items will cost and get some protection so that you don’t have to pay the price right out of your own pocket when something ends up going awry.

Portable possessions insurance is worldwide

It’s generally true for South African insurers that your portable possessions cover will extend to wherever you are. Of course, you need to check this out with your insurer… But most of them will do that. This means that if you’re going to the North Pole to find Santa, exploring Greece, or heading down the road, your stuff should be covered.

You don’t have to get extra cover from some random insurance company just before your trip, although if you’re not convinced then we do suggest that you call your insurer and check with them.

Misplaced possessions in a foreign country

Yes, if you lose your luggage or your possessions have vanished while you’re in Moscow or Zimbabwe, then your stuff is covered by portable possessions insurance. You just need to report it to the relevant authorities in that country and then log your claim with your insurer within 30 days of the incident. Again, this applies to most insurers, so just check with yours. If they don’t offer this kind of cover, you may want to think about getting insurance from a company whose policy does go the extra mile.

But you do need to specify your expensive stuff

Some valuables (normally worth less than R3,500) don’t need to be explicitly stated. Other stuff, like an expensive designer dress, fancy watch, or the latest Apple laptop should be specified. And when we say ‘specify’, we mean that you need to tell your insurer about these items and insure them by name for the correct replacement value on your policy. You might also need to keep the receipts for these items (good to know in January, when all the holiday purchases were recently made and receipts are easy to track down).

This ensures that your possessions are under the correct cover (and for the correct amount).

So, if you travel a lot and your portable possessions aren’t insured yet, get a quick and super cheap online quote today from an insurer who offers cover that’s good-to-go wherever life takes you.

 

 

 

 

5 Essential Tips for Driving Safely with Children

5 Essential Tips for Driving Safely with Children

Sep 10, 2019 | Blog, King Price

Keep your little 1s safe on the road.

 

March madness means different things to different people. To us in sunny South Africa, it refers to the increase in accidents on our roads over the March and April holidays. This is meant to be a glorious time with friends and family before launching back into school and work, but can often end in tragedy and financial hardship.

To change this and make it safer for you and your family to travel, we’ve researched the best tips for driving with children in the car.

Tip #1: Obey the car seat rules and regulations.

International research shows that the use of a properly fastened car or booster seat significantly reduces the chance of death or serious injury in crashes. In South Africa, new legislation was added to the National Road Traffic Act in 2015, stating that all children who are 3 years old and younger must be strapped into a car seat when travelling in a car.

Unfortunately, not many have heeded this legal requirement, with less than 7% of children in cars using car seats.

As parents, caregivers, and responsible adults, we need to step up, buckle up, and protect our children in the car. There’s no reason good enough, not even… “I’m only driving a short distance” or “I’m going to be driving overnight so the roads will be quieter.”

Tip #2: The best car seat to use.

Not only is the use of a car or booster seat a legal requirement, but it just makes sense. To help you find the best seat for your children, we’ve narrowed down which seats are suitable for the different age, height, and weight ranges.

There are 3 main types of car seats:

  1. Infant car seats: Rear-facing seats suitable for newborns up to 10 or 15 kilos, or up to 70 or 80cms, depending on the brand. These seats usually have a handle for easy carrying.
  2. Convertible car seats: Larger and heavier, these seats are known as 3-in-1 or all-in-1 models because they are rear-facing at first for newborns and can be turned forwards for toddlers up to 130cms in height or up to 18 or 36kilos, and lastly, can be converted into a booster seat for children weighing up to 45kilos. These ranges depend on the brand.
  3. Booster seats: These seats use the car’s seat belts to secure the seat and child, and are designed for children ages 4+, who weigh at least 18kilos (depending on the brand).

Helpful hints:

  • Check that the car seat has a certification sticker displayed somewhere on the seat, showing the important numbers and codes, including the required ECE and the regulation number, R44-04.
  • You can save more by buying a convertible car seat and use it at the newborn stage and then when your child grows up and becomes a toddler.
  • It can also be cheaper to buy a travel system, which is when you get the infant seat and pram sold together.

Tip #3: Correctly positioning everyone and everything in the car.

We all know by now that car seats and booster seats are placed in the backseat. But what about your older kids? The general guide here is that if your child is under 12 years old or under the weight and height of the average for a 12-year-old, they should also ride in the backseat. Not only can this age be extremely vulnerable in the front seat, but they can also be fidgety and distracting to the driver.

You should also consider where items are placed in your car. You don’t want to place a heavy or easily moveable item (even if it’s light) directly behind where your children are sitting. If you brake hard, these objects could fall onto them. If you have no alternative, then consider using cargo anchors to secure these items.

Tip #4: Insurance that includes emergency roadside assistance.

An accident, no matter how small, can have serious emotional, physical, and financial consequences. Having the right insurance in place will help you deal with the situation. What can really help you in these moments is access to a roadside assistance service that you don’t have to pay for.

King Price Insurance, for instance, includes a roadside assist service with their comprehensive car insurance. This service will tow your car to an approved destination if you’ve broken down or been in an accident and can’t drive. Through their roadside assist service, King Price will also send help if you’ve had a mechanical or electrical breakdown, flat tyre, flat battery, or if you’ve run out of fuel. They’ll even pay for accommodation for the night if you’ve broken down more than 100kms from home.

If you don’t currently have car insurance or if your current policy doesn’t offer this service, it’s worth getting a quote from King Price. Not only do they include roadside assist with their comprehensive cover, but your premiums will also decrease every month in line with the depreciating value of your car.

You can get a quote online, call their sales team on 0860 50 50 50, or send them an email using [email protected]

 

Always insure your car for its retail value

Always insure your car for its retail value

Jul 2, 2019 | Blog, King Price

Always insure your car for its retail value
 
When you insure your car, you can choose how much you want to insure it for. We don’t mean that you can choose the exact value. Like, you can’t go and choose to insure your 2009 Hyundai i10 for R180,000. Rather, you’re given 3 types of values for your car and you can choose between them. These 3 options include the market value, the trade value, and the retail value. Usually, you’ll read up on this info and be told what each is and then you get to decide which 1 is better for you. That can be useful… But knowing what the words mean isn’t always the most helpful guidance you can receive.
We’re going another way with this. We’re going to unpack what retail value means and then tell you why we think it’s a good value to choose when insuring your car.
 
What retail value is
An easy way to remember what retail value means is to think about ‘sales’. Because the retail value is the price that your car can go on sale for. Or if that’s too complicated and you don’t need a story to remember what this means, then basically, the retail value is the average amount that a dealer would sell your car for if it is stolen or written off in an accident.
The retail value of a car is generally higher than the market value, which takes into account factors like mileage, your car’s condition, service history, and accident reports. This results in a value that you could likely sell your car for if you were to do it privately.
 
Why retail value is good
Even though the retail value of a car is generally higher than the market value, it isn’t (as some people might think) a way to make you richer after an accident. You see, car insurance is intended to indemnify you, which is to bring you back to the same financial position you were in before the accident or theft.
And you usually can’t do that when you choose market value.
When it comes to retail value, your car will be insured for its full retail value at the time of the incident. So you’ll receive a pay-out equal to the amount that your car is worth when it was stolen or written off. Not the value it had when you originally bought it. So if you claim for your car, you’ll get the best pay-out if you insured your car for the retail value.
Some insurers will only insure your car for its full retail value, like King Price, because they so thoroughly believe that it is the fairest value to offer consumers. And because they’re big believers in keeping things fair, they don’t just look at the true value of your car when it comes to its insurable value. They also look at its value over time and how this impacts your car insurance premium.
To this end, King Price automatically calculates your car’s depreciating retail value and passes these savings onto YOU every month. This way, your car is still insured for the best possible value, at a super cheap premium that will decrease monthly. And why on earth should you pay the same premium every month for a car that only ever loses value?
If you want to save money on your insurance without having to lift a finger or do the calculations yourself, then get a King Price car insurance quote today.
We found the cheapest insurance in South Africa

We found the cheapest insurance in South Africa

Mar 26, 2019 | Blog, King Price

We found the cheapest insurance in South Africa

Everyone is on about finding the absolute cheapest insurance around… But this can often be a bit more difficult than we think because so much goes into creating a person’s monthly premium. Your age, where you live, how long you’ve been driving for, how many accidents you’ve had, how often you go out with the valuables you want to cover, etc. There are just so many details that help an insurance company calculate an accurate premium to insure your possessions. Of course, we can’t avoid the fact that some (not all) companies still want their pound of flesh, so there’s that, too.

How do you find the cheapest insurance around, then? Well, the obvious answer is to compare quotes and then choose based on the lowest price for the best value. And that’s the best advice you can ever receive. But for right now, before you head out on the hunt, we can point you in the direction of the actual cheapest insurance we’ve ever seen: R1 insurance.

That’s right. R1 insurance. You know how the oldies are always moaning about how ‘back in the day’, you could go to the movies for 17c, buy a coke for 5c, or pay a R15 deposit on a car? Well, this should make them pretty happy. And you, naturally, because everyone wants to pay the cheapest price.

What is R1 insurance?

You’re probably thinking, what’s the catch? There doesn’t seem to be a ‘catch’ so to speak, because this is an add-on product. This means that you take out the bigger insurance policy and add cover for just R1 per month. After that, it’s pretty straightforward.

The insurer in question is King Price, and the bigger insurance policy is comprehensive car insurance, and the R1 cover is for expensive valuables that you tend to take out with you, like your hearing aid, shiny new bicycle, or prized golf clubs.

Why does it exist?

These are some pretty specific items that are listed, however they’ve been intentionally selected from a range of items that you might not always think to insure. While it makes sense to consider cover for your laptop or cellphone, we don’t always remember to cover a hearing aid or bicycle. How often have you heard of your friend/uncle/sister/colleague’s bicycle being nicked?

It’s for that reason that the royal insurer decided to help people out by offering the cheapest possible cover for items that might not be obvious to insure, and yet are really costly and inconvenient to repair and replace.

Is their car insurance worth the R1 offer?

Look, this is totally your call. King Price’s comprehensive car insurance does come with all the bells and whistles, they’ve been in the business for a number of years and they’re reinsured by Munich RE (which is a big deal in the industry). Let’s not forget that they also decrease your comprehensive car insurance premium every month, in line with the depreciating value of your car.

When you weigh all these benefits up against how much your premium would cost if you were to insure your bicycle/golf clubs as a separate portable possessions policy, to your (non-decreasing) car insurance from another insurer, it makes sense to get a commitment-free quote, to see how you (and your budget) could benefit from the king’s royal touch.