Car Insurance FAQs

Car insurance is insurance that will cover you for sudden, unforeseen and unintended damage or loss during the period of your insurance.

At this stage you are unable to purchase a car insurance policy if you or any regular drivers of your vehicle are on a learner licence.

Cove is constantly reviewing their underwriting rules so this may change in the future.

At this stage there is absolutely no policy cover for anyone under the age of 21 – this includes non regular drivers of your vehicle that are not named on your policy.

Cove is constantly reviewing their underwriting rules so this may change in the future.

Cove does not provide any form of commercial cover for vehicles. This includes using or registering your vehicle with a ride sharing or delivery service – Uber, Ola, Zoomy, Uber Eats, it doesn't matter who.

Please be aware that using the vehicle for these pruposes invalidates all cover under your policy and any claims raised will not be paid, no matter if you were driving the vehicle for Uber (or the like) at the time or not.

Don't run the risk of ending up with no cover when you need it most. If your vehicle is registered to be used to carry fare paying passengers or to make deliveries you must choose another insurance provider.

Insuring your vehicle under a private use policy, like what Cove offers, when you use it for Uber or Uber Eats is quite simply fraud and there at Cove they have a zero tolerance policy for fraud. If they suspect your vehicle is registered for these services and you raise a claim, expect them to investigate your claim closely. They may ask you for evidence of your income and proof from Uber that your vehicle is not registered with them. Fail to satisfy the policy requirements and you may find yourself out of pocket.

Because not everyone needs or wants breakdown cover with their car insurance they offer roadside assistance as an optional benefit.

They outsource this service to New Zealand Roadside Assistance who have a fleet of vehicles nationwide and ready to assist should you breakdown, run out of petrol, or have a flat tyre. Assistance is available 24/7 by calling them on 0800 268 437

Cove's car insurance policy is a comprehensive policy that covers your vehicle for accidental damage and theft. It also provides cover for damage you may cause to another person's car or property when using your vehicle.

They don't cover commercial use, and they only cover standard cars, SUVs, and utes, less than 3,500kg and up to $80,000 in value.

There are also a number of automatic benefits included in the policy like emergency accommodation and towing cover, and you can extend the base cover by choosing to include their optional benefits too.

For an overview of the policy benefits click here. And to see the full policy wording simply complete a no obligation quote to get a personalised policy wording created just for you.

Unsure about anything? Simply contact them to discuss.

The simple answer is you should buy the car insurance policy that suits your personal needs the best. This means not immediately buying the cheapest car insurance available in NZ, but taking into account the extra benefits you may need, and buying the car insurance policy that most closely aligns with these.

Car insurance prices don't necessarily drop suddenly once you turn 25, but many drivers do start to notice that they can get cheaper insurance and they gain experience and progress through the different stages of holding a drivers license.

As with most insurance products, car insurance policies in New Zealand have an excess. Your excess is the amount you are required to pay when you make a claim.

In a simplified example, if your car insurance policy has an excess of $300, and the damages bill for your incident is $7,000, then it is your responsibility to pay $300 when making a claim, and the responsibility of your insurance company to pay the remaining $6,700.

Adjusting the excess on your policy is one of the simplest ways to get cheaper car insurance premiums. If you are confident in your driving ability or can afford to pay more in a crash, you can increase your excess. This means you pay slightly more in the event you need to make a claim but results in your monthly premiums decreasing.

Cove is here to help you save time, money, and hassle. Buying insurance through Cove is simple and intuitive, and their claims experience is designed to settle straight–forward claims quickly.

If you like the idea of a digital self service proposition from a company that is 100% paperless, then Cove could be the right choice for you.

And don't worry there's still real people behind the machines – you're always welcome to contact us via telephone or live chat to interact with one of our customer service representatives.