Budapest, 16 September 2015 – MABISZ will accept the MTPL insurance claims of the Hungarian policyholders of the Romanian Astra Insurance Company that have not yet been settled with Astra Insurance Company, and also cooperate in the damage evaluation procedure. To reduce further Astra damages, Astra is offering policyholders the possibility of ending the contracts by mutual agreement. Policyholders with home insurance and MTPL insurance policies have the power to sign a new contract with another insurance company.

Starting from today, the Assigned Department of the Association of Hungarian Insurance Companies (MABISZ ESZE) is accepting from Hungarian policyholders of the Romanian insurance company Societatea Comerciala de Asigurare-Reasigurare Astra S.A. (Astra Insurance Company) MTPL insurance claims in relation to damages occurring later than 17 August 2015 which have not yet been settled with Astra Insurance Company. MABISZ shall accept these claims, register them, organise the car damage examinations and call in all of the necessary documents needed for the preparation of damage evaluation.

The contact details of MABISZ ESZE are the following. Address: H-1062 Budapest, Aradi u. 65-67., postal address: MABISZ ESZE, H-1381 Budapest 62., Pf. 1297, Phone.: (+36 1) 802-8400. Claim settlement via e-mail: kar@mabisz.hu, by fax: (+36 1) 802-8499. Opening hours: Mon-Tue-Thu: 8 am - 4 pm, Wed: 8 am - 8 pm, Fri: 8 am - 1:30 pm.

This is not the case for non-MTPL insurance policies. Non-MTPL insurance policyholders can settle their other damage claims with the Romanian Insurance Guarantee Fund (FGA) operating in conjunction with the Romanian Supervisory Authority. The related compensation claims (Román Garanciaalap káriratok magyarul) and a short consumer information notice of the Romanian Financial Supervisory Authority (Román Garanciaalap GYIK) can be accessed in Hungarian on the website of the Hungarian branch office of Astra Insurance Company. Astra Insurance Company is no longer able to accept claims since this Monday. Customers can still obtain information from the customer service and call centres of the Astra branch office via the normal channels (www.astrabiztosito.hu).

To reduce further Astra damages, the Astra branch office will send a letter to all Hungarian policyholders about the possibility of ending their contracts by mutual agreement in the following days. If the policyholder agrees, he or she should sign the agreement and return it via post or as a scanned attachment of an e-mail to Astra branch office in the letter as soon as possible, so the costumers can sign new MTPL contracts with another insurance company effective on 1 October.

The materials will contain an agreement signed by Astra branch office, dated 30 September 2015, terminating the currently valid insurance contract by mutual agreement. If the policyholder agrees, he or she should sign the agreement and return it via post or as a scanned attachment of an e-mail to one of the contacts indicated by the Astra branch office in the letter as soon as possible.

It is important to note that policyholders with home insurance and Casco insurance have the power to sign a new contract with another insurance company – as stated previously – thus their own risk can be reduced.

The Magyar Nemzeti Bank representing the Hungarian consumers constantly publishes information for the policyholders of the Romanian Astra Insurance company on its website under Astra link.

Magyar Nemzeti Bank                Magyar Biztosítók Szövetsége