Insurers - who are you with?

[Ocean Spirit]

I settled with Comfort, unlimited milage £358.
Next year when the dust should have settled on all my recent upheaval, I will likely go for Safegaurd as I'm planning on getting away more over seas.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I would check on the “ No mileage limit “ clause. From what you have said if you exceed about 5,000 miles/ year in the first 3 years the “ New for Old “ is void.
When I enquired there was a mileage limit.

Thanks WG. You are right. I should have been clearer.

The points in my post were meant to be read separately:

• No mileage limit (as in general insurance cover)
• 3 year new for old (but only if less than 15k miles in that three years)

I am not overly worried about the 3 year new for old aspect as I intend to use my cali!! I have already covered more that 10k since Feb so I expect I have already have fallen foul of that clause!

 

[T6 CFO]

Thanks WG. You are right. I should have been clearer.

The points in my post were meant to be read separately:

• No mileage limit (as in general insurance cover)
• 3 year new for old (but only if less than 15k miles in that three years)

I am not overly worried about the 3 year new for old aspect as I intend to use my cali!! I have already covered more that 10k since Feb so I expect I have already have fallen foul of that clause!

Your alright until you hit the 15k then it ceases.

Mike

 

[Jabberwocky]

Your alright until you hit the 15k then it ceases.

Mike

Thanks Mike.

 

[BillyCasper]

C&CC quote £900! Double renewal premium of existing insurer.


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[Hantshog]

Comfort was the one for me. Additional driver and Business Class 1 use for £360. Not many companies offer business use for the California in my experience.

 

[Cpbrodie]

Caravan & Motorhome Club . £277 with 8,000 miles declared lowered suspension, side bars and 18inch alloys which did not alter price. Also no difference in price if kept in garage or driveway.

 

[Amarillo]

C&CC quote £900! Double renewal premium of existing insurer.


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We used C&CC at their extortionate rates, though about half your quote: they were the only one we found offering 270 days fully comprehensive EEA cover. Insurance starting on 1 March 2017, and departing UK on 5 June 2017, we will very nearly use every single one of those 270 days by renewal.


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[2into1]

Just some up to date info. I'm moving from my £32k T5 to a £50k T6. Postcode not great and I really wanted occasional business use (although I could hire if necessary). II'm old enough to be a good risk. One tiny 'at fault' recent incident, but they all count.

I was paying £640 with business use at Lifesure. They were great. Really listened and the variations of cover offered all were sensibly reflected in the price. I could get non-business priced at around £476. Lifesure's 'extra' was small enough to make me use them and not need to hire for business.

Move forward to now with a van worth £20k more.....
Lifesure would be £844 with business use. That seemed a realistic increase given the change in risk.
Comfort wanted £694 (with the club discount) but without business cover.
Directline wanted £870 with business use included if you got quoted on-line
Safeguard wanted £453 without business, with the 17% (12 months for the price of 10) first-year club offer.
Caravan and Camping Club (who used to be great).......£2,200 without business use!
Confused.com said it was a commercial van and their best was £1100
Liverpool Victoria want £404 including business use! Quite why they wanted £740 last time I asked I don't know).

So the moral of the story is just that you really have to do the leg-work. The Cali insurance market makes no sense and if you have an abnormal situation (business use or postcode), then your effort may be rewarded.

If I don't read / hear anything scary about Liverpool Victoria in the next day or so, I'll be accepting their quote. I've used them for cars in the past and the service is fine. The documents indicate they fully understand what the van is although I wonder if there has been some chat / fear here about them not covering the interior properly.

 

[JRD]

I have used LV to insure most of my cars and made a big claim once which they handled very well. I didn’t insure the Cali with them as they did not seem to know what it was and they couldn’t do more than 6 months cover for use in Europe.

 

[sensisuperstar]

Arghh...I’ve just got off the phone with Comfort & Safeguard who both told me they won’t insure a Cali for Business use.

Safeguard put me on to Scenic Insurance, but quite frankly it would be more cost effective buying a cheap runaround!

Adrian Flux were much more friendly and helpful, but the quote is much higher than I want to pay out.

One of my issues is coming off a fleet car policy after 12 years I haven’t any no claims, just a letter saying I’m accident free...apparently this just won’t do, so all my quotes are astronomical.

I will give LV a call as their name keeps popping up on the forum...wish me luck!

 

[andyinluton]

NFU cover business use....

 

[Hantshog]

Arghh...I’ve just got off the phone with Comfort & Safeguard who both told me they won’t insure a Cali for Business use.

Safeguard put me on to Scenic Insurance, but quite frankly it would be more cost effective buying a cheap runaround!

Adrian Flux were much more friendly and helpful, but the quote is much higher than I want to pay out.

One of my issues is coming off a fleet car policy after 12 years I haven’t any no claims, just a letter saying I’m accident free...apparently this just won’t do, so all my quotes are astronomical.

I will give LV a call as their name keeps popping up on the forum...wish me luck!

I wonder if they've changed their stance. I am insured with Comfort for the very reason the provide Business use insurance. it expires in May so interested to see how you get on. Good luck.

 

[sensisuperstar]

I wonder if they've changed their stance. I am insured with Comfort for the very reason the provide Business use insurance. it expires in May so interested to see how you get on. Good luck.

Maybe, but I did point out other members are have business use through them, but they told me it’s not something they do...very strange.

 

[Wongo]

Safeguard gave me business use. Comfort not interested as I don’t have a drive but a shared car park, LV won’t insure above a certain value, NFU won’t do London postcode.

 

[SimonB]

What I find really strange about the whole aspect of insurance is the complete inconsistency of it.
The insurers give a reason for not covering one vehicle and then another member says that theirs is covered by the same company and is just the same situation as the one they had refused for someone else.
Whilst accepting post codes, parking on or off the road, etc it just seems a bit of a lottery. Is it the member of staff you talk to, how you answer the questions, or what?

 

[sensisuperstar]

I find it very odd that Comfort come up on the price comparison sites as the lowest, but over the phone they tell me this must be a glitch and they don’t do business use at all...seems they don’t know their **** from their elbow.

VW recommend Aplan, but although they were really helpful my lack of NCD meant that they couldn’t help me.

Called LV who were helpful and gave a better quote, plus they’ve told me to try their website as that gives 10% discount. I’ll give that a go next.

NFU told me they don’t do business use, I queried this and the underwriter said they won’t quote and that’s final!

The lady I spoke to at Admiral told me they only do cars, so speak to Gladiator instead?!?

Not bothered with the Caravan Club after reading earlier posts.

 

[mccp]

I find it very odd that Comfort come up on the price comparison sites as the lowest, but over the phone they tell me this must be a glitch and they don’t do business use at all...seems they don’t know their **** from their elbow.

VW recommend Aplan, but although they were really helpful my lack of NCD meant that they couldn’t help me.

Called LV who were helpful and gave a better quote, plus they’ve told me to try their website as that gives 10% discount. I’ll give that a go next.

NFU told me they don’t do business use, I queried this and the underwriter said they won’t quote and that’s final!

The lady I spoke to at Admiral told me they only do cars, so speak to Gladiator instead?!?

Not bothered with the Caravan Club after reading earlier posts.

Admiral will insure the Cali, they quoted me to transfer from my old Land Rover. Direct line also, very good quote, but they are a pain with eu cover - you need to arrange and pay for this each time you need it. In the end LV= were easy online and gave me me a good quote including business cover. It’s useful to know exactly how insurers describe a Cali - see this post: Insurance Recommendations

 

[DM]

I find it very odd that Comfort come up on the price comparison sites as the lowest, but over the phone they tell me this must be a glitch and they don’t do business use at all...seems they don’t know their **** from their elbow.

VW recommend Aplan, but although they were really helpful my lack of NCD meant that they couldn’t help me.

Called LV who were helpful and gave a better quote, plus they’ve told me to try their website as that gives 10% discount. I’ll give that a go next.

NFU told me they don’t do business use, I queried this and the underwriter said they won’t quote and that’s final!

The lady I spoke to at Admiral told me they only do cars, so speak to Gladiator instead?!?

Not bothered with the Caravan Club after reading earlier posts.

What sort of business use do you require. I have business use with Comfort. I renewed 2 weeks ago and confirmed business use with them at that time. I have ‘standard’ business use for myself and my spouse at minimal additional cost for a 10,000 miles per year policy. Does your business use qualify as commercial travelling or do you have to carry tools? Either of those moves your business use to a different (and more expensive) category I’m afraid.

 

[sensisuperstar]

What sort of business use do you require. I have business use with Comfort. I renewed 2 weeks ago and confirmed business use with them at that time. I have ‘standard’ business use for myself and my spouse at minimal additional cost for a 10,000 miles per year policy. Does your business use qualify as commercial travelling or do you have to carry tools? Either of those moves your business use to a different (and more expensive) category I’m afraid.

All I’m asking for is cover for 10,000 miles per year including 1,500 business miles, no commercial travel and I don’t carry tools...unless you count one of two of my colleagues

I didn’t even get the chance to tell Comfort what I do for a job as they point blank refused to talk to me about business cover because *in their words* they don’t cover business use. They just gave me the name of another broker and bid me farewell.

I realise now that insurance is a bit smoke & mirrors, so I’ll try again tomorrow and hopefully get to speak with someone who can help.

Interestingly I went on another comparison site and it gave me two quotes from Comfort, same policy, same excess, but £60 apart and with different logos and phone numbers...nothing surprises me now.

 

[sensisuperstar]

Finally got sorted and guess what...we are now insured through Comfoft Insurance

I initially got a quote through Confused.com, then called Comfort to make sure I was getting the correct cover. After a conflab with his gaffer I was told I’d be insured for business use, excluding any equipment.

It was worthwhile calling as not only did I get club discount, I was able to remove breakdown cover which I won’t need. All in all, from the highest quote to Comfort’s policy, we have reduced the price of insurance by £500...which is a huge relief.

Why they initially told me that I couldn’t get Class 1 Business cover is beyond me, but the chap who dealt with me today couldn’t have been more helpful...chapeau sir!

 

[SimonB]

Well done @sensisuperstar good result. In light of my comments above, it would seem it is who you speak to at a company not just the company.
With my cynical old head on, make a note of the time of your call today & keep it on file with your insurance. If they record all calls, as they claim, they will then be able to trace your call and their member of staff saying it was OK.
I had to have business insurance many years ago, before the age of all calls being recorded, and was assured on the phone that their quotation was good for business use as well as domestic. I wrote to make sure and had a letter back to say it no wasn't covered for business.
It was a long time ago, but when you see how some companies wriggle when you claim nowadays I always feel it pays to make sure.

 

[Wongo]

A cynic would think this ‘inefficency’ Is there to give them that wriggle room. Can’t we ask Comfort et al to actually post what cover they do or don’t offer? I went with Safeguard in the end as they seemed to know what they were talking about.

How can any ‘motorhome specialist’ not know what a California is????

 

[sensisuperstar]

Well done @sensisuperstar good result. In light of my comments above, it would seem it is who you speak to at a company not just the company.
With my cynical old head on, make a note of the time of your call today & keep it on file with your insurance. If they record all calls, as they claim, they will then be able to trace your call and their member of staff saying it was OK.
I had to have business insurance many years ago, before the age of all calls being recorded, and was assured on the phone that their quotation was good for business use as well as domestic. I wrote to make sure and had a letter back to say it no wasn't covered for business.
It was a long time ago, but when you see how some companies wriggle when you claim nowadays I always feel it pays to make sure.

Thanks, the whole process was so frustrating, but I got the right result in the end and what looks like a robust policy from a specialist insurer.

Taken you advice too about noting the time of taking out the policy, as it took some explaining to make sure both parties knew what was being insured.

 

[sensisuperstar]

Here are a few tips and things I picked up during this episode that may be of some interest to club members who use their Cali for work:

1. A number of the brokers had a dim view of the internet based quote generators / comparison sites and suggested calling up even if you were happy with the price, just to make sure you have the correct cover. Several suggested people taking out internet quotes may not be covered properly.

The price comparison site I used generated a quote based on commuting to work, not travelling from office to office / site to site, even though I’d selected business use. I’m glad I checked with the broker as the internet quote would not have covered me for business use.

2. Business Class 1 seems possible with some of the insurers, but it can be expensive, so shop around as the difference between my lowest & highest quote was an eye watering £500.

Also, as mentioned in an earlier post, they may not cover other business classes.

In my case the insurer made it quite clear that then Cali is covered, but not any work equipment, this is okay in my situation but might not suit all. The tip here would be to have equipment covered under your employers policy or your home insurance.

3. Don’t assume that the motorhome specialists know what the California is, I’ve lost my voice describing the camper to brokers over the last two days. Two insurers would only cover motor homes for business use, but not vans with pop up roofs...I thought this was very odd and made me wonder if the Cali is an MPV car, van or motor home.

4. Make sure the policy includes the fixtures, as some brokers I spoke with were a bit vague about this. I’ve seen it written on here that you want a policy that covers everything that is bolted down.

5. Persevere, be prepared to stand your ground and question the brokers. After getting plenty of knock backs yesterday, by calling back Comfort today I saved a good £150 from the next lowest quote...that will pay for a mattress and a nodding Mr T.

6. These insurers gave me quotes over the phone for Class 1 Business Use: Comfort Insurance, LV=, Adrian Flux and Scenic Insurance.

Good luck