When you apply for car insurance you will be requested by the insurance agent or broker to take your car for an inspection at one of the insurance company’s approved inspection centres. This will not be necessary if you are only taking out third party insurance as the insurer has no interest in your car.

The insurance company representative will advise you that until such time as they have received the inspection report you will only be covered for third party claims. This is a serious scenario so rather have it done as soon as possible after arranging the insurance. The insurance company representative will advise you of the nearest inspection centre to where you live or work.

The reason for this inspection is to allow the insurance company to see that the car they are insuring is indeed in an insurable condition. The inspector will record any visible prior damage to the car and also check that you display a valid licence. He also notes any non-standard sound equipment that you may want to insure as well as any safety equipment such as immobilisers and tracking systems. Any security system must be VESA approved to qualify for a discount on your insurance. The inspector will advise the insurance company of the details and from then on you will have full insurance cover.

Make sure that you obtain a copy of the report for your records and also confirm with the insurance company in a day’s time that they did in fact receive the report – just for your own peace of mind.