Good experience cancelling an insurance contract

Okay, so I got my second letter today from Generali Versicherung asking me about the renewal of my health insurance. I began to see red as I have by now written to them three times in total since the end of July asking them to cancel same as unfortunately we have to go home.

So I telephoned again today and I was speaking to someone on the phone in Generali and after a minute or so I understood they had already canceled my contract and I would have the letter in the post early next week. I thanked the gentleman and being quite a forgiving person did not complain about the slow response to my letters and emails. I mentioned casually that I was hoping to come back to Germany next year and that I just had to finish one year of studies. Between the jigs and the reels we had a lovely conversation for the next five minutes, he was telling me that he had visited Dublin and ten years ago and was back there more recently and how it had changed. Then he was telling me about other parts of Ireland he had visited...the conversation was a mis-match of German and English and he told me that my German was far better than his English. That is the first time that has happened and am chuffed, as usually I can't string more than a few words together but I guess my year here did do me some good. But he had really enjoyed his time in Ireland and had lots of nice things to say.

But I felt I had to post as there are so many people posting about negative experiences with canceling contracts and here I had a very nice one, albeit after three communications. But sure they don't necessarily do things any quicker back home either.

Mind you, we will see if that letter appears next week

two tips on the legal side of this:

1) a German health insurance will cease to be effective immideately when you give up your legal residence here. It is therefore enough to send in the copy of your de-registration from the "Einwohnermeldeamt" and the contract and the liability for payments stop without hustle
2) however: most private German health insurances will cover you for 1-3 month (some even for up to 6 month) abroad as long as you have NOT given up your residence yet. I therefore recommend to keep residence and thus insurance coverage as long as you have not set up a new insurance at your new place of residence. According to me experience you can de-register from abroad, too, to stop the German insurances later...

Cheerio