Spent a day with insurance companies

[GAVLAD]

Went to insure my new M/H yesterday as I now have a reg.
A bit about me. I have a clean UK driving licence held for more than 25years 5 years+ NCB no pending convictions and no medical stuff.
Am with the NFU and have been for the last six years no problems and my premium is around £300 a year, not too bad so they were the first choice. Gave them a call and to cut a very long story short they would only give me insurance if I insured my house with them as well and this was not going to happen, the guy did say they did not want to insure my van.
And so it began, this is a list of insurance companies that would not insure my M/H for one reason or another. Some of the reasons I got were quite funny, Comfort never want to speak to them again.
Motorhome Protect Safeguard , Admiral, Comfort, AIB, Saga, LV, Caravanwise., Caravan Guaard and a few more I can’t remember. When I talked to Comfort, they came away with a list of things I had to have. They wanted a tracker fitted Cat # 5, security fitted I think it was cat #1, I told them I would have this done as soon as I got the van however I required insurance on my M/H to take it to the installer VanBitz, they said no, they would not insure till I got them fitted and suggested I get the installer to come to the M/H to fit them. AIB pulled my house up on street view said I see you have a long driveway have you got 24Hr security locked gates, I said no, they said sorry we need you to have 24Hr locked gates.
I think the main reason I was knocked back was the M/H value, they do not want to insure you if your M/H is over £100000k.
I now have insurance with A-Plan (Ageas) and has only cost me £1900. Overall A-Plan agents were very helpful. The Caravan Club would also insure me through Ageas but it was well over £2000.

You have my commiserations.
The whole Motorhome industry needs to have a word with itself in my view.
Dealers won’t honour warranty work unless they sold you the van, insurance companies seem to charge what they want, even the Motorhome magazines don’t cater for everyone and think that unless you’re retired with a dog they’re not interested in you.
Spending the day repeating yourself with the endless list of questions for a quote is a right pain. I hope you can get off somewhere nice and start enjoying your purchase.

 

[corconx]

Went to insure my new M/H yesterday as I now have a reg.
A bit about me. I have a clean UK driving licence held for more than 25years 5 years+ NCB no pending convictions and no medical stuff.
Am with the NFU and have been for the last six years no problems and my premium is around £300 a year, not too bad so they were the first choice. Gave them a call and to cut a very long story short they would only give me insurance if I insured my house with them as well and this was not going to happen, the guy did say they did not want to insure my van.
And so it began, this is a list of insurance companies that would not insure my M/H for one reason or another. Some of the reasons I got were quite funny, Comfort never want to speak to them again.
Motorhome Protect Safeguard , Admiral, Comfort, AIB, Saga, LV, Caravanwise., Caravan Guaard and a few more I can’t remember. When I talked to Comfort, they came away with a list of things I had to have. They wanted a tracker fitted Cat # 5, security fitted I think it was cat #1, I told them I would have this done as soon as I got the van however I required insurance on my M/H to take it to the installer VanBitz, they said no, they would not insure till I got them fitted and suggested I get the installer to come to the M/H to fit them. AIB pulled my house up on street view said I see you have a long driveway have you got 24Hr security locked gates, I said no, they said sorry we need you to have 24Hr locked gates.
I think the main reason I was knocked back was the M/H value, they do not want to insure you if your M/H is over £100000k.
I now have insurance with A-Plan (Ageas) and has only cost me £1900. Overall A-Plan agents were very helpful. The Caravan Club would also insure me through Ageas but it was well over £2000.

You don’t add your age. But about 45? Assuming you’ve been driving since passing test.

We have stopped this year after 33 years motorhoming - why - age husband 80 in May insurance had already got stupid and knew it would be even worse this year.

Sad really isn’t it

Carol

 

[The Wino]

There seems to be a feeling that insurance companies ought to provide cover at a "reasonable" premium but then people seem unwilling to carry some of the risk themselves with motorhomes that are worth more now than when purchased or of the windscreen amount would leave the owner paying a big chunk of any claim themselves. It seems a very strange thing to expect a buisness to take on risks that the owner doesn't fancy. I do have a lot of sympathy with anyone finding compulsory third party insurance very expensive but on the actual value of the vehicle if you buy something really expensive and a target for theives it wouldn't be surprising if anyone taking the risk asked a big premium.
On the case of previous claims is it high afterwards because they want to get some money back or because the stats show people who have been targets once are likely to become targets again I don't know. One seems unfair the other reasonable after all differing occupations carry different risk etc.

 

[gwyntaxi]

Went to insure my new M/H yesterday as I now have a reg.
A bit about me. I have a clean UK driving licence held for more than 25years 5 years+ NCB no pending convictions and no medical stuff.
Am with the NFU and have been for the last six years no problems and my premium is around £300 a year, not too bad so they were the first choice. Gave them a call and to cut a very long story short they would only give me insurance if I insured my house with them as well and this was not going to happen, the guy did say they did not want to insure my van.
And so it began, this is a list of insurance companies that would not insure my M/H for one reason or another. Some of the reasons I got were quite funny, Comfort never want to speak to them again.
Motorhome Protect Safeguard , Admiral, Comfort, AIB, Saga, LV, Caravanwise., Caravan Guaard and a few more I can’t remember. When I talked to Comfort, they came away with a list of things I had to have. They wanted a tracker fitted Cat # 5, security fitted I think it was cat #1, I told them I would have this done as soon as I got the van however I required insurance on my M/H to take it to the installer VanBitz, they said no, they would not insure till I got them fitted and suggested I get the installer to come to the M/H to fit them. AIB pulled my house up on street view said I see you have a long driveway have you got 24Hr security locked gates, I said no, they said sorry we need you to have 24Hr locked gates.
I think the main reason I was knocked back was the M/H value, they do not want to insure you if your M/H is over £100000k.
I now have insurance with A-Plan (Ageas) and has only cost me £1900. Overall A-Plan agents were very helpful. The Caravan Club would also insure me through Ageas but it was well over £2000.

Just WOW. I just can't believe it, though it does seem that insurance companies don't want any risk whatsoever, so it begs the question of why are they in the business of insuring vehicles/property in the first place.
Just sayin........

 

[Pausim]

though it does seem that insurance companies don't want any risk whatsoever,

No risk? They stand to pay out £100,000+ if someone loses a new motorhome and possibly £millions if something really tragic happens. OK tragic accidents don’t happen very often thank goodness but there are still thousands killed on our roads every year. Motorhomes are easily damaged in accidents and often have to be written off. Not saying they don’t make good profits but they do take the risks. Values over £100,000 do seem to make a big difference but premiums of 1% to 2% of the value doesn’t surprise me.

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[Coastal Cruiser.]

I tried NFU for a quote before I got my current and first van, the price they gave me for my pick up was way over what I was paying so declined.
A while later when I got my van from Germany due to the value and this being my first van NFU were the only ones who even gave me a quote!!
The quote was on a promise that I would let them look at the insurance on my rental properties when due.
Spoke to them when the renewals were due and surprisingly they were cheaper than the firm I had been using
Think a lot depends on what NFU branch you go to, my local one is Chichester and they do high value vans only negative is the girl who was brilliant at sorting out my policies has left so have to deal with someone else who is not as helpful

Forgot to say NFU replace with a new van if a total loss up to 2 years old…

 

[Pukka]

We did this over the weekend. Anything over 64k wanted a tracker fitted. Our new motorhome is more than this. ended up going with www.performancedirect.co.uk they included a tracker with the policy. most other were quoting 600+ and the tracker was extra. performancedirect quote £390.00 underwritten by LV

 

[DT]

Plenty of companies issue insurance for 24 hrs enough time to drive to get your alarm fitted.

 

[headlight]

This year my insurers decided that my drive is not in fact a drive and would not renew my insurance.
That's despite the fact it is parked on the same drive as they insured it on last year.
I had to go with another company.

 

[GAVLAD]

I was with Comfort for 8 years. Same van, same storage facility (Cossa Silver standard) used but this years quote was exactly double the premium of last years. Previous years increases were what you'd expect.
When queried, the surly response was that the storage facility is high risk.
I spoke with the storage facility and they advised that they'd had no crime issues and that nothing had been highlighted to them to indicate such a massive increase in premiums due to anyone using their facility and if anything, they were more secure than previous years with updates to their facility.
Went back to Comfort - again, matter of fact response and disinterested.
So my misgivings aren't about accepting what level of risk an insurance company will take on against what I'm not willing to take on myself - more about being recognised as a loyal customer and expecting a 'decent' quotation in return along with a better explanation regarding why a premium would double other than the lame excuse given when pushed. Incidentally, I shopped around and managed to beat last years premium on a like for like cover basis with someone else.

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[canopus]

It’s nigh on impossible to get a ‘like for like’ comparison quote as its not a level playing field.

 

[MGDavid]

That OP is an eye-opener. Has there been a recent spate of MH thefts we don't know about?

Yes; I read somewhere recently they have quadrupled since before Covid.

 

[MichaelT]

Comfort gave us 30 days i think to get tracker sorted, I think others got cover but theft not insured so slept on their drive till it was sorted. Not many new vans under 100k now I think.

 

[stevec]

Comfort wanted alarm and tracker fitted before I drive from the dealership. No grace period at all.

 

[Razamataz]

I am in the process of buying an A class Frankia .
most insurance want a tracker fitted .
What is the price of subscription to tracker companies??
been quoted £149 per year

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[Tonks]

Deleted post.

 

[BobJayne]

bilM have you tried LV?
I couldn't get on with their clunky website but try phoning them.

 

[urban_biker]

Comfort gave us 30 days i think to get tracker sorted, I think others got cover but theft not insured so slept on their drive till it was sorted. Not many new vans under 100k now I think.

I like the idea of sleeping on the drive

 

[HengistPod]

I tried LV yesterday and they declined to quote as the van is not kept at my house.
It is stored at a Cassoa Gold facility – go figure!

 

[Pausim]

I tried LV yesterday and they declined to quote as the van is not kept at my house.
It is stored at a Cassoa Gold facility – go figure!

Seems to make little sense but value and post code make big differences. NFU Brockenhurst 01590 624744 have no problem with storing away from home. They don’t care about CASSOA either it all seems to be based on post code.

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[HengistPod]

At the point they declined we had not even discussed make/model/value. They told me it was purely because the van was not stored at my house.
Planning to call them back and redrive the quote and see if I get the same response. It makes no sense to me.

 

[Emmit]

They may be flying a 'One Year Special Offer' to try to clobber me next year
but the C and CC gave me a good quote this year (for the first time) (I check
every year) on our Burstner A Class.
£305.
Parked on the drive at home behind Two Drop through security posts.

 

[Van Weasel]

I am in the process of buying an A class Frankia .
most insurance want a tracker fitted .
What is the price of subscription to tracker companies??
been quoted £149 per year

Try Grove and Dean my tracker was included and premium was ok

 

[Ade S]

There is a road near me with no houses, used as storage yard I am sure they have all told their in insurers they park unattended miles from their homes. I pay nearly £1000 per year for a secure compound. These vehicles never seem to get stolen or damaged sometimes I could just spit. I bet they are the same ones who are ignorant on campsites

 

[GMLS]

Comfort gave us 30 days i think to get tracker sorted, I think others got cover but theft not insured so slept on their drive till it was sorted. Not many new vans under 100k now I think

Yup. Had to do that when I picked up my last van and expecting to have to do the same again

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[Pausim]

There is a road near me with no houses, used as storage yard I am sure they have all told their in insurers they park unattended miles from their homes. I pay nearly £1000 per year for a secure compound. These vehicles never seem to get stolen or damaged sometimes I could just spit. I bet they are the same ones who are ignorant on campsites

When I spoke to NFU about our storage compound security they said nothing special was required, the risk is all based on the post code. I am reassured that our compound has some security but I don’t think any level of security achieves much more than stopping casual nosing around. The only device NFU took any notice of was a Thatcham rated tracker which earned me a discount.

 

[stevec]

Yup. Had to do that when I picked up my last van and expecting to have to do the same again

Comfort would not give me any grace period when I asked for a quote recently. Had to have alarm and tracker fitted before it left the dealership.

 

[GMLS]

Comfort would not give me any grace period when I asked for a quote recently. Had to have alarm and tracker fitted before it left the dealership.

I've be moving insurance provider in that case.Thanks

 

[bilM]

When I spoke to NFU about our storage compound security they said nothing special was required, the risk is all based on the post code.

So the NFU, I had been insured with them for 7 years with my M/H and 2 cars I never had a claim so clean record. Last year when we were away in my M/H for 3 months I asked them to communicate via email. My son checked our house and discovered my car insurance had lapsed. I rang them and asked why they did not email before policy expired they told me they had left a message on my home number and sent me a letter. I asked why did they not email me they told me email was not in the how to contact me details, I know! So I asked to reinsure my car they told me they would have to treat me as a new customer and it would go up from £300 odd pounds to over £900 so told not to bother. However I still had my M/H and a car with them. When I went to get insurance for my new M/H they told me they were not wanting to insure a M/H of the value mine was however they would maybe consider it if I was to insure my house with them as well. I no longer have insurance with the NFU. I live in a farming community and we have one of the lowest crime rates in Scotland so they can’t use high crime as an excuse.

(Aberdeenshire has one of the lowest crime rates in Scotland, according to a new study.
Research from A-Plan Insurance has found that the region has the fifth lowest levels of crime in the country based on Scottish Government data.This was despite Aberdeenshire having the seventh-highest population of all 32 local authority areas.)

I leave my M/H between my house and storage and have done since I first got insurance with the NFU however as I found out the NFU is not alone in not wanting to insure M/Hs.

 

[Pausim]

So the NFU, I had been insured with them for 7 years with my M/H and 2 cars I never had a claim so clean record. Last year when we were away in my M/H for 3 months I asked them to communicate via email. My son checked our house and discovered my car insurance had lapsed. I rang them and asked why they did not email before policy expired they told me they had left a message on my home number and sent me a letter. I asked why did they not email me they told me email was not in the how to contact me details, I know! So I asked to reinsure my car they told me they would have to treat me as a new customer and it would go up from £300 odd pounds to over £900 so told not to bother. However I still had my M/H and a car with them. When I went to get insurance for my new M/H they told me they were not wanting to insure a M/H of the value mine was however they would maybe consider it if I was to insure my house with them as well. I no longer have insurance with the NFU. I live in a farming community and we have one of the lowest crime rates in Scotland so they can’t use high crime as an excuse.

(Aberdeenshire has one of the lowest crime rates in Scotland, according to a new study.
Research from A-Plan Insurance has found that the region has the fifth lowest levels of crime in the country based on Scottish Government data.This was despite Aberdeenshire having the seventh-highest population of all 32 local authority areas.)

I leave my M/H between my house and storage and have done since I first got insurance with the NFU however as I found out the NFU is not alone in not wanting to insure M/Hs.

Depends on the NFU agent. I get lots of stuff by email and no silly business about insuring the house. The agencies are tied but independent businesses. Find one that wants your business or complain to NFU Mutual about your agents attitude.

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