Be wary of ‘One Click’ insurance renewals

[HelixA5]

Please be wary of ‘One Click’ insurance renewals. For the last few years Caravan Guard have been emailing inviting me to ‘Click Here’ to renew my insurance policy if nothing had changed since the previous year - which in my case it hadn’t, or so I thought.

This year I needed to up our annual mileage, only to be told that our current mileage hadn’t changed since we took out the policy and consequently I ‘owed’ them close on 9,000 miles!!!! And that’s before I added additional miles on for next year!! And I had to pay up to be insured for the remaining term on this year’s insurance…

Each year I declared how many miles I was going to do, and each year I was under this limit, but because I hadn’t updated the current mileage year on year it didn’t make any difference.

So please bear in mind that the miles you do each year represent a change and has to be declared - begs the question how a ‘One Click’ renewal works.

I was amazed that the insurance company hadn’t spotted that I hadn’t done any miles over the past four years according to their records yet I had paid for 15,000!!!!

Needless to say, I have switched to another company!

 

[Coolcats]

If you were within the agreed limit why are they charging you extra, sounds like a case of complaint to the insurance ombudsman.

Edited to say have a look at the policy did it say the actual milage that you had agreed (3000 per year for example) if so how on earth can they ask for additional funds you could also try a counter claim for the milage you did not use within what had been agreed.

 

[The Wino]

I think I'd be asking why they offer one click renewal that assumes people drive nowhere each year and show them my mot certificates with the mileage recorded. I would certainly be asking for a refund and the procedure for reporting them to the insurance watchdog. My mother in-law had a bad experience this year when her insurance company said she wasn't insured for breakdown when she was. After a bit of phoning they repaid the cost of the call out and she got about £100 compensation for the hassle on top.

 

[Fdhadi]

Strangely enough I have just recently received my renewal from Caravan Guard. On the proposal it showed the current mileage as the mileage I gave them when I bought the vehicle in December last year.

I rang them on Monday to make a few changes, ie mileage, Weight increase from 3.5t to 3.7t & the correct make & model of the Thatcham alarm system. Also asked a simple “is that the best price”.
I was told that’s the price, if nothing else has changed, take it or leave it.

I had a similar experience with Comfort last week when ringing for a quote. A woman on the phone was very abrupt and said we cannot insure your vehicle because it’s kept inside a locked barn on a working farm. She said whilst I was speaking with her that I was doing an online quote and that it had already stated they couldn’t insure my vehicle. I was only on google getting the number for themselves that’s all, I very rarely use online quote websites in case I enter something wrongly.

I then decided to fill in an online quote to see what that would throw up. Indeed it said I needed to contact them because of the location the vehicle was stored. So I decided to leave it because I’d never in 14yrs of storing the Motorhome at this location had any problem getting quotes. It’s stored inside a locked barn with other caravans & motorhomes and hasn’t been a working farm for 25yrs.

I then received a call from another woman @ Comfort who was excellent and gave me a quote no problem and strangely enough with the Motorhome stored at the same location.

Caravan Guard £515.
5k miles but inc fully comp insurance whilst in Europe (check yours because unless you ask and pay extra you’re only the basic third party) and European breakdown cover.

Comfort £520
6k miles. Will have to read if it’s only the basic third party whilst in Europe but also includes European breakdown cover.

Will now try a few others.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Have never been sure how any of the insurance companies verify the mileage limits of a policy. Can't recall ever being asked on renewal or inception of a car or motothome policy for current mileage. I'd be showing stuff like service book stamps if asked at any claim.

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[Coolcats]

Have never been sure how any of the insurance companies verify the mileage limits of a policy. Can't recall ever being asked on renewal or inception of a car or motothome policy for current mileage. I'd be showing stuff like service book stamps if asked at any claim.

They do if there is a payout, when my vehicles were stolen it was like the third degree the assessor asked for mileage details then compared against MOT, servicing and frequency of the service the original bill of sale, had to prove how I paid and where the money came from!! where the vehicles were kept when I said I reverse park on the drive as it’s safer to drive off he even checked that against Google street view. Be under no illusion they check everything and everything you say. Cheeky wotsits even knocked on my neighbours doors to ask them questions. Because I had 3 sets of keys when I purchased one vehicle he questioned why there was a 3rd when did I have it cut and if there were other copies

They will do everything to reduce or not pay out don’t think they don’t check as they do.

 

[HelixA5]

If you were within the agreed limit why are they charging you extra, sounds like a case of complaint to the insurance ombudsman.

Edited to say have a look at the policy did it say the actual milage that you had agreed (3000 per year for example) if so how on earth can they ask for additional funds you could also try a counter claim for the milage you did not use within what had been agreed.

As part of my 'negotiations' I produced MoT certificates and service history (where the garage had recorded the mileage) so was able to agree a reduced cost.

At one point it was agreed that it would be better to start a new policy with them so we could declare the 'today' mileage, but they then said they would not give be the year's no claims that I had earnt as I had only done 11 months to that point!

I'm not sure if I would have been treated this way by other companies... it's not until you call on them that you find them wanting... all is sunny at the start of the relationship!

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

Please be wary of ‘One Click’ insurance renewals. For the last few years Caravan Guard have been emailing inviting me to ‘Click Here’ to renew my insurance policy if nothing had changed since the previous year - which in my case it hadn’t, or so I thought.

This year I needed to up our annual mileage, only to be told that our current mileage hadn’t changed since we took out the policy and consequently I ‘owed’ them close on 9,000 miles!!!! And that’s before I added additional miles on for next year!! And I had to pay up to be insured for the remaining term on this year’s insurance…

Each year I declared how many miles I was going to do, and each year I was under this limit, but because I hadn’t updated the current mileage year on year it didn’t make any difference.

So please bear in mind that the miles you do each year represent a change and has to be declared - begs the question how a ‘One Click’ renewal works.

I was amazed that the insurance company hadn’t spotted that I hadn’t done any miles over the past four years according to their records yet I had paid for 15,000!!!!

Needless to say, I have switched to another company!

It looks as though I've got the same conversation coming up in the next 10 days or so with Caravan Guard. The phrase 'nothing has changed' I would have thought refers to any changes or upgrades to the vehicle or the drivers health, not the mileage.
Like you I've never came anywhere near the insured annual mileage. My renewal document has the vehicles mileage as of July 2020 which isn't too bad, but it's still an issue. I thought I was happy with my insurance but it all seems to be a bit dodgy.
What would happen if you had to make a claim?