I wish I knew this before making an insurance claim!

[gus-lopez]

My car insurer, Clegg Gifford,

When I was young they were the only people who could usually get insurance for me with some of the stuff i used to buy & run. having said that You could go in the office in Ilford Lane & they'd usually come up with a cover note for something i often wondered whether the cover notes actually had companies backing them up¿ I think both of them are long retired now & they moved in to traders insurance, which I saw once on one forum was being castigated .

I think the problem is a lot of people forget that insurance companies are businesses that run on profit. They have to get a profit having paid all their admin and sales costs including comission to brokers and having paid all the claims.

No that is what they want to, & have, made it into.What it actually was, is gambling under any other name, & similar to being a 'Lloyds name' . You accept the risk & pay out if & when ,& hope that you have more non claimers against any that do claim by assessing each customer individually. That way you make a profit.
they have now offloaded all of that by going for quantity, continually paying for drivers own self inflicted damage,which in reality should be ruled out except in identified circmstances ,& should be being paid for by themselves & knock for knock which could be taken as a way of companies colluding together to ensure quick & easy settlement regardless of the claimants position & then increasing all & every thing the claimant insures? Rather than identify the guilty party & all costs are borne by them

 

[Ridgeway]

Just another perspective on this. My wife scraped her Caddy on the concrete gate post last Autumn, the scrape was very deep (4cm) and on 1 door and rear wing. I checked with the insurance company and they practically insisted we got it repaired but to me the repair cost just didn't seem reasonable vs the car value (labor cost is super high here). We were very tempted to just leave if for fear of something like what is described by the OP. In the end the insurance company agreed to pay us the repair cost (minus VAT, minus excess fee) and we kept the car "as is"

Insurance companies here typically pay out and pay out well and usually without too much issue but our premiums are high. The Caddy (1.6d) 8yrs old, full no claims (was at least..) and both drivers +50yrs = annual premium of around £1100, the Laika camper is around £1600 p/a

My dad pays around £280 a year on his Suzuki Swift and wonders why the insurance is crap, argues over any payout etc etc.....

UK car insurance is some of the cheapest in the World and that in a country with very high risk of theft and damage.

 

[Molly A]

It was the neighbour's tipsy 19yr old daughter who took his car without his permission (she didn't even have a driving licence) and also seriously damaged two adjacent cars in the narrow road. My pal did say that the father had trouble with his insurer for leaving the keys 'unsecure' on top of a fridge. It's a complex situation and I don't have every detail but the police did prosecute the daughter.

If the father was insured your friend's insurer should recover all costs as it is no way a fault claim. Therefore should not impact yr friends NCD protection in any way. Hope he resovles it, if not, an e mail to the ombudsman is in order.

 

[Reevsie]

NCD is a total scam IMHO. You have to build it up separately on all cars independently. You might have 9 years on car A and buy car B. But car B has to start off with zero NCB. But if you make a claim on 1 car it affects all cars. If that is the cast then why doesn't you NCD on the car a apply to car B.

Last year a driver delivered a parcel to my house. When he left he revered into my car that was parked in front of my house. I was not even in the car. He was totaly to blame. Yet, all my insurances went up as I was apparently at a higher risk of being in an accident as I had made a claim. I was not even involved in the accident.

 

[Coolcats]

I think the problem is a lot of people forget that insurance companies are businesses that run on profit. They have to get a profit having paid all their admin and sales costs including comission to brokers and having paid all the claims. It's always going to be way cheaper for an average person to take whatever risks they can afford to cover themselves. We always have the biggest excess that's worthwhile (if you go too big the premiums hardly reduce) don't bother with new for old on contents etc. You do need to insure things like a house that you couldn't afford to ditch but why people insure absolutely everything all risks with no excess despite never claiming for anything like my mil I can't understand.
I would not bother claiming anything less than a couple of thousand on vehicle insurance especially given I've generally got a high excess anyway.
It's like flying Ryanair the game is you try to get the cheapest deal you can they try to get the most money out of you they can.

Profit is what you are left with after a company has paid all its staff and overheads and making a profit is a sensible thing to do. What I object to is the £M’s paid to execs I really do not wish to be paying for their Caribbean holidays and the private school tuition fees.

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[plumbob]

It’s bad but not as bad as it was. I hate insurance companies always have always will. Friend of mine buying a mini in 1965 was leaving to live in Spain. Offered me a chance to buy his 1 year old mini just take over the finance it’s yours. Everything great till I had a smash car written off. Arguing with CRAVEN insurance about the final price for 6 weeks. Opened paper one morning Craven insurance gone bust.
Outcome no car no money but still had to pay off finance at 50p a month for a long time. When they had their final payment wanted to charge additional interest for the extended time it took to finish.
Tom

 

[Molly A]

When I was young they were the only people who could usually get insurance for me with some of the stuff i used to buy & run. having said that You could go in the office in Ilford Lane & they'd usually come up with a cover note for something i often wondered whether the cover notes actually had companies backing them up¿ I think both of them are long retired now & they moved in to traders insurance, which I saw once on one forum was being castigated .


No that is what they want to, & have, made it into.What it actually was, is gambling under any other name, & similar to being a 'Lloyds name' . You accept the risk & pay out if & when ,& hope that you have more non claimers against any that do claim by assessing each customer individually. That way you make a profit.
they have now offloaded all of that by going for quantity, continually paying for drivers own self inflicted damage,which in reality should be ruled out except in identified circmstances ,& should be being paid for by themselves & knock for knock which could be taken as a way of companies colluding together to ensure quick & easy settlement regardless of the claimants position & then increasing all & every thing the claimant insures? Rather than identify the guilty party & all costs are borne by them

Gus you are right in that it is a numbers game and all the actuarial info which determines premium is done by complex algorithms based on claims data. In my experience the insurers have experienced huge exposure from dodgy personal injury claims and online fraud via people inputting dodgy information in the aggregator quote engines ( like compare the bloody meerkat and the like). In fact the development of anti fraud measures is one of the big operational costs. Marketing costs often swallow any profit from the first year premium and profit is only made via sale of add ons like legal and breakdown or instalment plans. It is a complex industry whose old business model , of selling high for the first year and bringing premiums down over time was overturned by the growth of the aggregators who encouraged shopping around and made it all about selling low and trying to add profit in years two onward. I can assure you that many large insurers operate on very fine margins and a negative claims ratio, in that the premiums taken don't always cover claims costs in some years.

 

[plumbob]

While on the subject anybody had any problems with Grove and Dean seems like good price and includes legal and breakdown cover

 

[Molly A]

While on the subject anybody had any problems with Grove and Dean seems like good price and includes legal and breakdown cover

Very good insurer..got two cars with them. Good customer service. Never had to claim with them and as they are a broker, the claim will be handled by the u derwriter - they used Ageas a lot who u typically paid something like 98% of claims ( my old company)

 

[Silver-Fox]

I do wonder wether the protected ncb is actually worth doing.

I think legal cover is worthwhile given all the scams about these days.

Ive never understood how a broker can do insurance cheaper than going direct.

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[plumbob]

Thanks for that Molly A
Tom

 

[Chris_H]

Definition of Insurance: Legalised Fraud!

 

[Molly A]

Believe me, it is worth doing....

I do wonder wether the protected ncb is actually worth doing.

I think legal cover is worthwhile given all the scams about these days.

Ive never understood how a broker can do insurance cheaper than going direct.

 

[Molly A]

Yep had this when my wife hit a deer in her 4 mth old car... she claimed obviously and it affected my van insurance upon renewal as she was a named driver.... it was as you say a fault claim by her... the insurance broker even admitted she would have been better off hitting another car instead of the deer as they could make a claim against the car but they cannot against the deer.... hence why it becomes a fault claim..... my van insurance went up so much i had to remove her from the policy for a number of years...

But if she hit another car and and it was her fault she would in essence be in the same position as hitting the deer...

 

[Ade S]

Many years ago when I was but a teenager a work colleague accidentally burnt his tent down he said he wasn’t insured. I said this was a mistake on his part but his logic was all the premiums he saved over the years will pay for a new tent. Based on this logic my trailer is locked on the front garden uninsured

stay safe everyone

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[Spriddler]

Many years ago when I was but a teenager a work colleague accidentally burnt his tent down he said he wasn’t insured. I said this was a mistake on his part but his logic was all the premiums he saved over the years will pay for a new tent. Based on this logic my trailer is locked on the front garden uninsured

stay safe everyone

Not everyone can find the potentially large lump sum quickly but can budget for an annual or monthly premium.
I told my son to discontinue his dog's insurance (£83 a month) and I took it on, paying the amount into a separate account. There's more than 2 grand in it now. It could have been a false economy of course but so far so good.

 

[gus-lopez]

Based on this logic my trailer is locked on the front garden uninsured

This is where I struggle with stuff like this.It would never have occurred to me years ago to insure any of my trailers? I never knew of anyone with a caravan who insured it until recently.
I have trailers here it doesn't even occur to me to insure them but I take precations to make theft nigh on impossible.

 

[TR5]

I know someone who endured premium loading just for mentioning a small bump. It was nothing really and they wanted to know whether to claim or pay it themselves. Even though they did not put it through their insurers; the "Accident" was placed on some database that all insurers have access to.

That's very true, just mention to your insurers that you 'might' consider a claim, and they keep record.
Storm damage is another catch. We had a ridge tile come down in a storm, damaging my car. Tried to claim off house insurance but they didn't want to know as it was not a 'third party' claim, so the car insurers had to pay out. As they can't claim back from another party, they class it as a fault claim.
My own insurers tried to practically double the premium, so I moved to another that doesn't load you for a storm or flood claim.

 

[TR5]

This is where I struggle with stuff like this.It would never have occurred to me years ago to insure any of my trailers? I never knew of anyone with a caravan who insured it until recently.
I have trailers here it doesn't even occur to me to insure them but I take precations to make theft nigh on impossible.

Never under-estimate a thief. I had a 16ft flatbed triple axle trailer many years ago, outside my workshop, heavily chained to a shackle on the wall, the tow hitch locked onto a tow ball bolted to the wall. The area in front of the workshop was 3 - 4ft below the road at the side, and had an 8ft high chain-link fence around it.
Some scroats cut the fence top to bottom, peeled it back, cut the tow ball off the wall, cut the heavy chain, and they must have had a hiab or similar to lift it over the 3 - 4 ft wall.

 

[TR5]

Had my van written off in Germany 11 years ago..Blameless and did not affect my insurance policy whatsoever..Lucky.BUSBY.

They obviously recovered all costs from the other party.

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[The Wino]

When I was young they were the only people who could usually get insurance for me with some of the stuff i used to buy & run. having said that You could go in the office in Ilford Lane & they'd usually come up with a cover note for something i often wondered whether the cover notes actually had companies backing them up¿ I think both of them are long retired now & they moved in to traders insurance, which I saw once on one forum was being castigated .


No that is what they want to, & have, made it into.What it actually was, is gambling under any other name, & similar to being a 'Lloyds name' . You accept the risk & pay out if & when ,& hope that you have more non claimers against any that do claim by assessing each customer individually. That way you make a profit.
they have now offloaded all of that by going for quantity, continually paying for drivers own self inflicted damage,which in reality should be ruled out except in identified circmstances ,& should be being paid for by themselves & knock for knock which could be taken as a way of companies colluding together to ensure quick & easy settlement regardless of the claimants position & then increasing all & every thing the claimant insures? Rather than identify the guilty party & all costs are borne by them

I agree totally that it's gambling so is buying insurance. But like being in a casino the odds will always be in their favour.

 

[Molly A]

Not everyone can find the potentially large lump sum quickly but can budget for an annual or monthly premium.
I told my son to discontinue his dog's insurance (£83 a month) and I took it on, paying the amount into a separate account. There's more than 2 grand in it now. It could have been a false economy of course but so far so good.

I hope that your son's dog does not have any major issues as unfortunately 2k is not a large bill nowadays...vets fees are totally criminal. Many vets have been bought up by venture capitalists and as many pets are covered by insurance, this has allowed massive inflation in charges.

 

[Vipar]

My van is mirrored with my car insurance regards to 9 years NCB otherwise I could not afford the van insurance

 

[Molly A]

My van is mirrored with my car insurance regards to 9 years NCB otherwise I could not afford the van insurance

Yup, our also.....

 

[Spriddler]

I hope that your son's dog does not have any major issues as unfortunately 2k is not a large bill nowadays...vets fees are totally criminal. Many vets have been bought up by venture capitalists and as many pets are covered by insurance, this has allowed massive inflation in charges.

Yep, I'm aware of that from anguished local dog-owners and I can and will cover any sized bill. I underwrote the insurance because we 'share' the dog (we all live in the same village) and to relieve my son and DIL of the monthly cost which is an insignificant cost to me.
I'm retired and there's nothing I want or need so it's a pleasure to take a bit of the financial strain (for both of my lads) in many ways.
No pockets in shrouds, so forth.........

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[Molly A]

Yep, I'm aware of that from anguished local dog-owners and I can and will cover any sized bill. I underwrote the insurance because we 'share' the dog (we all live in the same village) and to relieve my son and DIL of the monthly cost which is an insignificant cost to me.
I'm retired and there's nothing I want or need so it's a pleasure to take a bit of the financial strain (for both of my lads) in many ways.
No pockets in shrouds, so forth.........

Good for you, Dad....lovely to be able to help out isn't it?..x

 

[pyro]

UK car insurance is some of the cheapest in the World and that in a country with very high risk of theft and damage.

This is not so in my experience. The identical car in the UK is on average 25% more to insure fully comprehensive in the UK that in either Italy, Spain or Portugal.

For example, Peugeot 208 is 410 Euros (Zurich) fully comp in Portugal, any driver over 18, total glass cover (no excess), breakdown recovery and guaranteed replacement loan car during repair. No NCB, but premium is guaranteed to lower annually. (If you have too many claims (usually 3 or more in 12 months), they may refuse renewal).

The UK (a UK registered 208 same year) is £430 (Aviva) fully comp, driver + named driver only, £75 excess on glass), with AA recovery (and no loaner) adding £60. Loaner 7 days £160 extra = £490 to £650. Protected NCB is £30 on top.

No nonsense about preferred repairers either. The UK is not the utopia that they would have us believe

 

[Spriddler]

Good for you, Dad....lovely to be able to help out isn't it?..x

It certainly is. I'm very lucky to be able to share their enjoyment now as it'll be too late when I'm just a bag of crisps.

 

[Pjdow]

Definition of Insurance: Legalised Fraud!

Can you actually justify a statement like that with facts, not fiction?

 

[The Wino]

I hope that your son's dog does not have any major issues as unfortunately 2k is not a large bill nowadays...vets fees are totally criminal. Many vets have been bought up by venture capitalists and as many pets are covered by insurance, this has allowed massive inflation in charges.

I think one of the reason vets seem expensive is that people have no idea of the cost of human health-care it's one of the reasons they miss appointments. A bill of£130 for a failed outpatients appointment would soon cause a rumpus

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