Comfort Insurance - Take CARE

[gatvol]

I got a quote from these guys a few weeks ago and it sounded reasonable. I today phoned to commence cover.

I was horrified :censor to hear that:

if the vehicle was unattended for 36 hours whilst away from home for any reason at all, there is no cover. So if you park up and spend a couple of nights in a hotel you are screwed

it may be that all this is all quite normal, but I think that this "small print " type stuff could bite a Cali owner very, very hard should you ever have to claim from these people

i need to get some more quotes in now

 

[KernowLad]

I had my BMW cover change in a very sly way recently - there was a small endorsement on page 11 stating it wasn't covered anywhere but a locked garage. On the main cover page it said "parked on driveway"

I hate to know what would have happened if I'd claimed - so I changed companies immediately.

That's a bit worrying though - will bear it in mind!

In my experience, if you need to claim, you're stuffed. And even if you claim from someone else's insurance (as I did once) in a no fault claim, you're still stuffed.

 

[CaliTess]

The Devil is indeed in the detail :headwall

 

[BerndRos]

Careful if you get a quote off Safeguard

 

[BerndRos]

Careful if you get a quote off Safeguard as with them if your van is in Europe, your NOT covered unless you sleep in it !.....

 

[stephen]

I think generally the insurance on a California is very reasonable indeed, considering these vehicles are priced in the region of £50,000.
We are currently with 'NFU' probably the most respected insurance company out there, it does cost a little more then companies like 'red star' or 'comfort' which currently are a bit cheaper,

 When one makes a claim, then the true  value of a good insurance company is realised, and indeed our mini cooper diesel, is more expensive to insure then the £50,000 California which one really hasn't any excuse to go to a cheap backstreet vendor for their insurance, and then one finds in the small print there's several get out clauses, making it very apparent why the insurance was cheaper in the first place, and most probably too late for the poor unfortunate consumer! Once he makes a claim.
:doh

 

[DavidofHook]

I too am considering going to Comfort. Seeing this 36 hours problem I down loaded the policy from the Internet and have also rung them.
The 36 hours loss of cover does NOT apply if you are with the vehicle. so if you are at a hotel and the van is outside then you are covered. Just as if you were using it as a car.
If you leave on your driveway and go on holiday it is still covered as long as you said that you would be parking it there.

However if you, for example, camp in Spain and leave it on the camp site and say, fly home because of illness in the family at home then, UNLeSS YOU INFORM THEM , the cover lapses after 36 hours.

So I'm still probably going to go with them..... It is an Aviva policy who are quite reputable.

David

 

[bjornv]

My insurance with Comfort is up for renewal in 10 days. This is a good heads up. Anyone got any good alternatives?

Bjorn.

 

[KernowLad]

Its easy to think spending more means better service. In my experience it makes no difference. Just get the minimum acceptable cover and expect pain should you ever dare to claim.

Motor insurance is very much a necessary evil.

 

[CannellWalker]

David, that was my take on the Comfort policy. I guess you would have to inform them if you were going to leave the van for a few days. For instance walking a high Alpine route whilst on holiday.

 

[BerndRos]

NO....I checked with Comfort last year, if your going to leave it unattended they have to approve the site where it will be. When I flew to UK all I could do was leave it on a camp site in Portugal with of course NO cover....

 

[MickyBlue]

The daft thing is, both Comfort & NFU policies are underwritten by Aviva IIRC when I looked closely at them.

I would be wary of assuming that the NFU policy is much different (if at all). The devil 'is' in the detail.

I am 'comfortable' with my Comfort policy.

Many MH'ers have been with Comfort for years, including having had claims dealt with really professionally.

If you don't believe me, then pop over to http://www.motorhomefacts.com and do a search for "comfort Insurance", but be prepared for years of reading :lol:

 

[DavidofHook]

I didn't ask her about that CanellWalker (leaving it while you go walking for an extended period) but the implication was that if you leave it for more than36 hours you should tell them. What they will do once they know she didn't say.
What Bernd says was really confirmed when I rang.

David

 

[MickyBlue]

My insurance with Comfort is up for renewal in 10 days. This is a good heads up. Anyone got any good alternatives?

Bjorn.

Try the Caravan Club. They have really good policies, and were matching renewal prices (was an offer I don't know if they are still doing this) BUT you may have to join to get the best deal (again I can't remember as I'm a member anyway)

Well worth a phone call though.

 

[swigle]

Re 36 hour issue, does this apply in UK too or just abroad? What about if you leave the Cali parked at an airport whilst jetting off to sunnier climes?

 

[BerndRos]

No, does not apply to UK....

 

[gatvol]

Having spoken to a really helpful insurance broker, I ended up putting my Cali on a regular car policy.

The whole 36 hour thing just stuck in my throat as to me the whole point of a Cali is that you can use it as a normal car. I don't want to have to start worrying about which car to drive due to insurance endorsements

I went for a multicar policy so I can use either of my cars for any journey, anywhere, business and personal use, park them at the airport if I want to etc etc etc

With Admiral multicar you get 90 days European cover to boot which was a nice surprise

 

[Freeley]

Gatvel if you've put it on a car policy do you get your contents and gas cover etc?

 

[gatvol]

That is a great question, especially on the gas

Admiral told me that I will be covered on the gas unless I was negligent in some way with it. Every fire woudl be investigated. In terms of contents, all the original VW contents are included in the policy - thinks like the chairs etc. Things like ipod, computer, jewellery is not covered by either Admiral or Comfort so you get that covered on your household if you want to insure them

My fundamental issue with Comfort was caused as I have two addresses. One is a village in rural nowhere where insurance is very very cheap and that is my home. This is where the Cali will live 99% of the time. But as I am a named driver on the policy and as I also have a small city centre flat for occasional weekday use, Comfort wanted to charge a premium based on the high risk address. And then the haymaker - not cover the Cali if it is parked up at the City Centre address unless it was a transit point on another journey (ie stopping off to go the the Lakes for instance).

Thus Comfort would cover me if the camper was on the drive in the village. It would cover me anywhere in Europe including the most dangerous inner city areas in the UK, but NOT at my gated car-park at the flat. I did not want to exclude ever parking this vehicle at the flat, and this sent me towards Admiral

 

[DavidofHook]

Thank you gatvol.
I've just gone to Admiral who were easy to deal with, treat your camper like a car so no silly things like you can't leave it at the airport carpark for 2 weeks (Comfort) or requiring a post sunk into the ground in the drive in front of the van (Camping Club) or not permitted to do voluntary unpaid driving (Saga)
I tried doing the Multicar quote on the Internet which was easy to do but....... the result said that they couldn't give me a quote as the vehicle is too specialised!!! Aaagh! It also said but ring us and we may be able to help,which I did and they were very good. Use the van as a car and a camper, no problems.The price was £290, not as low as Comfort but lower than the camping Club and Saga but As someone else said, having spent all,that money to skimp on insurancene is daft.
So, it's Admiral Multicar policy for me, he's ringing back tomorrow at 3 pm
In fact, when you consider the cost of the van the insurance cost is not excessive is it?
Again, thanks gatvol for sending me to Admiral.

 

[gatvol]

glad i could be some help to someone. as a new owner I have been doing a lot of asking so far on the forum

 

[Andy]

Admiral .... be ware they are SHOCKING when it comes to making a claim. I had a non fault accident (third party was a off duty cop & admitted liability, rear ended me whilst I was stationary) on a car in 2008 with Admiral insurance. They would do nothing unless I chased them constantly on a daily basis. Fortunately I was working in the office at the time so could do so easily. Eventually months later they paid out. I would never use them again. Plus side was I had a new hire car for ages.
Ironically about a month later I was hit whilst on my BMW motorbike, insured through Carol Nash, which was settled before the car accident !! They were a pleasure to deal with, which is why they have such a good reputation.

 

[DavidofHook]

Big problem today gatvol. I rang Admiral back and disaater struck! Bbecause of a previous claim on the second car (multi car so you have to put all your cars with them) suddenly the price for the Cali went from £290 to £490! And it wasn't a major claim.
Start again!
Went back to the Camping Club and took up their offer of £340 , who I'd been with before. Happiness!
And after reading Andys warning re claims maybe it was a good thing.(sorry gatvol).

And finally, after reading someones post , as part of my research I spoke to Comfort about leaving the van at a hotel at the airport to go on holiday for a fortnight . Not good folks....... They will want to carry out a major review of security of the parking area before use and for that they would charge £15 each time!

 

[Gazellio]

I think we need a definitive list of when the Van' is NOT covered by Comfort. No point in insurance that does not cover you....

 

[keacal2705]

Hi Gatvol

Been reading your post with interest. Admiral, who I was already with, refused to insure as they say it is commercial vehicle. Not sure how you managed it as they didnt offer me any solutions?