Estimated Mileage. Does It Matter?

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32143

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We have a quote from Safeguard for our renewal, they are saying £402, for a PVC. Higher than last years which was about £340, reason given new van is newer so higher cost.
Said would think about it and look at other companies as aware they give high renewal quotes.
Called AIB went through all questions asked for our estimated mileage said 15,000 to 20,000 a year.
This seemed to cause a problem and she said at that figure would have to go to under writers. When they called back quote was over £500.
Can't remember if we gave an estimate of mileage last year to Safeguard, but how honest do you have to be?
Based on last 11 months usage we have done 17,000 miles is this going to result in extortionate quotes across the board?
What do others say for mileage and if we under estimate does it matter?
I would like to stay with Safeguard and just wanted a lower quote to negotiate their offer, concerned now if they ask same question about mileage their quote will rise again.

Thanks

Lin
 
We recently insured with Safeguard.......... mileage is unlimited (y)
 
Safeguard do not have a mileage limit so therefore they don't ask the question! Other insurers do as you have found out ... if you underestimate and have to make a claim in effect it gives them a get out clause to not pay.

Remember you are entering into a contract with them when you take out insurance and saying you'll do no more than X amount of miles so if you go over that you are in breach of contract. They use the mileage to assess the risk and thereby set the premium accordingly.
 
um, looks like staying with Safeguard then, which is ok as very happy with what they offer, just hoped to be able to go back with another quote to assist getting them to lower theirs.
Not used to being unable to negotiate, always got lower price with our car insurances as soon as we gave them a comparable lower quote :(
 
Try other companies and then go back to them ... sometimes it works!

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When I went with them a few weeks back, I 'yelped' at the first price............ they quickly dropped £100 or so off the quote :eek:

Always worth asking, the worst that can happen is 'NO' (y)
 
Don't be tempted to underestimate your mileage, if you have a serious claim they may well investigate mot / service records etc. and true to form for the whole industry will leap at the chance of avoiding settling the claim. Don't trust the bast*rds an inch, the whole lot are a bunch of shysters.!
 
MinxyGirl said:
Remember you are entering into a contract with them when you take out insurance and saying you'll do no more than X amount of miles so if you go over that you are in breach of contract. They use the mileage to assess the risk and thereby set the premium accordingly.
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Whilst they quote based upon an estimate it is just that an estimate, not the max, just a ballpark figure I suggest they would have a problem enforcing a contract based on an estimate that they accepted.
 
Thanks guys. As Safeguard have no mileage limit suit our needs.
But talking with Nige nothing to stop us asking for quotes from other companies and saying less than 9,000 miles a year then if get cheaper quotes going back to Safeguard to negotiate. As they are unlimited that element of any quote shouldn't matter.

Lin :)

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when we insured in January I was staggered at how much the premium went up per extra 1000 miles, we had previously been insured through my company with any driver unlimited mileage full business use etc etc so it was all a bit new to me

I am equally staggered at your annual mileage, that really is getting full use out of it, do you take turns in driving and the other one sleep to save on site fees :D:D
 
This first years mileage might be exceptionally high as we have travelled a lot with 5 month abroad and most of other 6 months around UK, a trip just to visit Nige's family is 500 miles a pop. Also did a long trip to Greece overland which wouldn't do again (would use ferry) that added 4,000!
Hopefully future trips will be for longer stays at places so should reduce mileage, but then again we do like to hop off and explore and now we have reduced the size of the van, can get more places. Both of us drive so it's only same as a single driver doing 8-9,000 a year which is why I was surprised AIB quoted so high.

Lin:)
 
I am insured with Camptons on a 15000 mpa limit, they take the mileometer reading every year.

Lots of the really cheap quotes that I have seen are limited to motor homes as second vehicles and very limited mileage.

From my past experience quotes of £500 for 17000mpa seem reasonable.
 
Wildman said:
Whilst they quote based upon an estimate it is just that an estimate, not the max, just a ballpark figure I suggest they would have a problem enforcing a contract based on an estimate that they accepted.
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I think to rely on them not being able to enforce a legal contract based on the mileage estimate that YOU gave them which they would then use as the MAXIMUM amount you'd do (which is why you should always go for more than you think you'll need) would be rather foolish. If it was only a few hundred miles you might get away with it, if more then I very much doubt they'd play ball.

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Discuss with safeguard
What can I do to reduce the premium quoted?
A voluntary increase of excess is a good one and I opt for the maximum. I would not dream of claiming anything small so an easy one but don't suggest it yourself let them put it to you
 
What I don't understand is that they ask for a mileage estimate but don't ask for a current mileage figure. How can they possibly tell? We've just insured again with Comfort and estimated 10k but as this is a new to us van they couldn't possibly know what we would have done in the case of a claim.
 
MinxyGirl said:
Try other companies and then go back to them ... sometimes it works!
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It certainly does! But Millie your mileage well above average. more miles equals more risk......simples
 
We went with Safeguard but increased voluntary excess to reduce cost.
Our miles are high because we are away a lot, plus it's our only vehicle.:)
 
Safeguard try it on.. !!
They quoted me high £4oo's ! I said they were way out as only paid low £300's with Comfort..
Guess what, 30 seconds on hold and it was £299....

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Mags52 said:
What I don't understand is that they ask for a mileage estimate but don't ask for a current mileage figure. How can they possibly tell? We've just insured again with Comfort and estimated 10k but as this is a new to us van they couldn't possibly know what we would have done in the case of a claim.
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You mileage is trackable at every MOT so could be checked if anyone wanted to..
 
Mags52 said:
What I don't understand is that they ask for a mileage estimate but don't ask for a current mileage figure. How can they possibly tell? We've just insured again with Comfort and estimated 10k but as this is a new to us van they couldn't possibly know what we would have done in the case of a claim.
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I had to send a signed declaration of mileage to AIB(y) I suspect in the event of a claim your insurers will check everything, Mot history etc;)
 
I am in the middle of renewing. Comfort coming out cheapest at the moment, so I have read the Ts and Cs from start to finish (sad or what)
Their policy says that in event of mileage exceeding estimate by up to 1000 miles an additional premium of £200 is payable. If more than 1000 miles additional premium is £600.
Now, if , like me, you have a van that doesn't yet require an MOT, and if you are not renewing with the same insurer, there is little your new insurer can do to check your starting mileage and will have have to rely on your honesty.
Of course if you overstate your starting mileage and then have an accident before you actually reach that mileage you might be in a sticky situation.
Likewise if you exceed the estimated mileage and then have an accident you could be in trouble.
A couple of years ago I had the situation where I realised we were going to exceed the estimated mileage and contacted the insurers. It only cost me £25 for an amendment fee, the premium didn't increase.
 
In our first year of motorhoming I phones to raise our mileage and it cost £75. I'd based it on the previous owners mileage and it was way too low. Now I go for 10k.
 
If you look at a M.O.T . it states the millage each year when the M.O.T. has been done and say you have a new Motorhome say in the 1st year and you said 5000 miles and you done 5100 and unfortuneatly you had a accident and the insurance checked the millage they could say you do over the millage you said with out telling us ?? mind you they DONT refund money back to you if you don't do any millage UNDER THE 5000 do they(n):whistle:

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We have had to sign a form with our miles reading for our limited mileage insurance cover on the car. They said we would have to be prepared send a photo at the end of the year when we are ready to renew. Not sure how common that is.

Our pattern of car mileage will not be uniform through the year as we will be away for up to six weeks at a time in the motorhome - so if say we give a limited mileage of 12,000 we could do 2,000 one month and then nothing at all for a month, then 200 in the next month. They couldn't average it and come up with an accurate figure for sure! If it does look as if we will be going over we will contact them :)
 
When we bought our first MH 3 years ago we had to tell them how many miles per annum we would do we stated 8k, later that year we hit a pigeon on the M5 ( or he hit us) and smashed the windscreen when we tel. The ins. people the first question was" can you tell us your mileage please" thankfully we had done 7,000 so all ok, but do think that had we exceeded the mileage then a bill for hundreds of pounds would have followed. Be careful insurance companies run by their rules which they write down in small print.
Etap
 
On one of our long trips we realised we'd be over our stated estimate by the time we got home, so we phoned up and told them (I think it was Saga at the time) and just got a "thank you, we'll make a note of it". No extra charge, but for the reasons in the above posts, felt better we'd done it.
 
When I got a quote from Safeguard for new business, (loosing the will to live with all the questions), when they finally came out with TaDa! THE QUOTE! , I truthfully told them they were sixty quid over, they had a think, and said they could do it for..... fifty nine quid less.

I told them "you only get one chance", they should have done this in the first place and rang off: : now I say that FIRST.

It seems to sharpen their minds, "give me your best price": no return / second chance, especially if you say they are the 4th painful call you have had that day.

FG, (trying to negotiate insurance for 4 vehicles...)
 
makems said:
Their policy says that in event of mileage exceeding estimate by up to 1000 miles an additional premium of £200 is payable. If more than 1000 miles additional premium is £600.
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I am with Comfort and I do not think that is right, as far as I am aware if you have a claim and your mileage is in excess of 500 miles your excess goes from £200 to £500, if mileage is over a 1000, excess increases to £1000.

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