Current Recommendations For New PVC Insurance? (1 Viewer)

[Langtoftlad]

In theory my new WildAx should be available this month - so about to do the mind numbing task of ringing around for insurance quotes:

So who is current flavour of the month?

On my list is:

• AIB [Insurer for my old MH]
• Comfort
• Safeguard
• ?

 

[pyro]

Good choice,

On the basis of my experiences, I favour the ABC rule:

Anyone But Comfort

 

[Langtoftlad]

Good choice,

On the basis of my experiences, I favour the ABC rule:

Anyone But Comfort

Why not Comfort?
Seem to have a few positive threads on Fun

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[abforfun]

We broke down in Spain was with comfort no problem at all

 

[pyro]

Probably best to do a search on my posts, as I have said it so many times before, but in summary:-

Comfort advertise 365 days EU cover, then rather perversely impose a condition that your vehicle cannot be left unoccupied by you (away from your main residence) for more than 36 hours (some say 48, but I was told 36). Note: Unoccupied, not unattended. So if you are in an accident and cannot occupy your vehicle because you are in hospital for a couple of days, tough, insurance void. If you break down and have to leave your vehicle unoccupied in a garage over the weekend, tough. If you fancy a weekend in a hotel cleaning up and relaxing after a long trip, you guessed it, tough - one of you has to stay in the van. In my case the frailty of my elderly mother meant a possibility of having to return back to the UK at a moment's notice. And when I questioned my concerns at what I believe to be an unrealistic restriction in the policy terms, the responses from Comfort were unreassuringly dismissive to the extent of being offensive.

And if you decide that you want to avail yourself of their refund policy after you have decided that the policy is no good for you, then don't hold your breath hoping that they will refund any part of the breakdown recovery or legal covers that are part of the premium you paid them. Oh, no. Yet they still cancel that cover and just keep the money, which is the issue that I will probably take them to court over.

Basically they are merely resellers of Aviva M/H policies, they have no flexibility. I can't speak for other brokers save AIB, who as independents were able to refer me directly to the underwriter who agreed in writing that we could leave our vehicle unoccupied (securely at our home overseas) for up to the permitted 6 months. And they were £70 cheaper to boot. Needless to say, AIB got my business.

Having said that Comfort appear to be resellers of Aviva policies, it is always possible that the specific policy offered by them has been individually negotiated by them, and that 36 hour limitation on occupation of the vehicle is therefore unique to them. It could be that others offer similar Aviva policies without this highly restrictive condition. My beef with Comfort is that I consider their advertising was/is seriously misleading, their refusal to offer the promised refund on breakdown & legal cover perverse and their customer care attitude intractable and unacceptable.

I have worked at various times in my life with many insurance companies in a legal capacity, I have also been involved in taking a large number to court for clients over disputed claims, and there are good and bad amongst them. Aviva is not one of the bad companies, to be fair, but they do things very much by the book. As with any insurer, if you step outside of their policy terms and conditions, then you leave it wide open for them to refuse any claim.

Of course those are only my personal experiences with Comfort. A few people posting in another thread found much the same, others sing their praises and rush to defend them. And of course nobody likes to hear any criticism of their judgment in choosing any particular insurer/make of motorhome/destination/dealer etc. And I am not being the least critical of people for their choices, just concerned should they base their purchase decision on false or misleading claims and expose themselves to financial risk.

It is only when a real crisis occurs, and high costs start to become involved, that people discover (unfortunately too late) the many loopholes they may exist in their insurance cover. Therefore the onus is on the person buying the policy to make absolutely certain that the cover being offered is adequate for their individual circumstances. This includes the mileage that they will probably do, where they plan to travel, how the vehicle will be stored, the security of that storage, trackers, alarms, driving convictions, etc. I recommend that people don't just buy their insurance on the basis of the publicity or a seemingly cheap quote, but instead read through all the policy details carefully. And in this day and age of increasing litigation, I also highly recommend the inclusion of comprehensive legal protection and uninsured risks.

In the event of an accident you could be facing a lot more cost than just the damage to your motorhome, pick carefully or regret at leisure

 

[Langtoftlad]

Probably best to do a search on my posts, as I have said it so many times before, but in summary:-

Thank you.
If that was "in summary", I'm glad you didn't explain in full

...but I do remember now you mentioning it before, just didn't associate it with Comfort, plus I'm not interested in EU cover, nor breakdown cover.

Dare I ask, who you are insured with?

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[pyro]

Thank you.
If that was "in summary", I'm glad you didn't explain in full

Sorry, I got distracted and thought it probably best to give it again so that my position regarding Comfort was more easily read. If it's any consolation, you should see the Particulars of Claim I am setting out against them - that's if I can be bothered to take them to court.
In answer to:

Dare I ask, who you are insured with?

Needless to say, AIB got my business.

 

[gus-lopez]

Thank you.
If that was "in summary", I'm glad you didn't explain in full

...but I do remember now you mentioning it before, just didn't associate it with Comfort, plus I'm not interested in EU cover, nor breakdown cover.

Dare I ask, who you are insured with?

in the thread.
" Needless to say, AIB got my business"