Insurance and the C&MC

[TR5]

Wow, I have never on my life had a worse insurance experience than today, with Devitt Insurance, the Caravan & Motorhome Club brokerage.

I had a quotation from them on 4th May for my motorhome, all details completed, and accepted and paid as per the quotation.

When the documentation came through I queried the value put in the box marked Purchase Price, as this was the same as the current valuation – on an 8 year old van. I gave them the correct purchase price.

Today I get a letter asking for nearly £70 more money. I have spoken with them at length today, and have had THREE different excuses for the additional cost.

• The increased purchase price – totally irrelevant.
• Price matching my existing insurer – irrelevant too, as it wasn’t price matched, or even the same values.
• Due to a storm damage claim on my private car 4 ½ years ago.

I now find out this evening, they have actually cancelled the policy (due to start on 22nd May) and if I had been abroad or away and had no contact, and would have been away until after 21st May, they would have left me uninsured.

What an absolute shower.

They firstly accuse me of not giving the correct purchase price – when there is NO option to do so online. Then they accuse me of trying to price-match a renewal from my current insurer, which is also untrue. Then they say it is due to a storm claim 4 ½ years ago. Checked other insurers, and if it made a difference, the maximum was £8.

Anyone else had this sort of treatment from the C&MC insurers?

 

[RollingRog]

Got me a bit worried just insured with them

 

[SteveandSueJ]

Tbh I insured with them, they were the cheapest and were not bothered about van location as ot on my drive but on a farm storage Not high standard security. Felt they were very professional but I did not arrange online, I called them....

 

[headlight]

I find that insurance companies are a law unto themselves and often there is no rhyme or reason to their decisions.
My previous insurers refused to renew my cover a couple of years ago as for some reason the underwriters had decided that my drive now wasn't a drive but a communal parking area.
I changed insurers to get cover but then later when I moved my van from my drive to a CASSOA platinum storage site they refused to continue covering me.
I had to change insurers to one that would cover me.
Then upon renewal, no claims made just another year of NCD, they doubled.my premium and when asked why just said it was the market.
Another change of insurers to one that was less than half my renewal quote.
Who knows what will happen next year when the policy is due for renewal again ?

 

[SteveandSueJ]

I think the moral of the story is never just renew at first offer... first try the compare sites to set a benchmark. Then call those you think may accept you if your needs is awkward, such as long, heavy or in storage not cassoa standard... just put the time in and get the most appropriate deal.

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[hja]

We had bad service from CAMC insurance for van. But going back to about 2018. Brand new Autosleeper van with tracker installed by dealer, can’t remember the make but it was a “proper” one. Had always insured caravans with them. Tried to get quote on line, wouldn’t recognise the tracker. Phoned, continued to tell me tracker didn’t exist, turned out it was “too new” for their list! Got some sort of quote which turned out more expensive than anyone else. Part way through refused to talk to me because I wasn’t the keeper of the vehicle, OH is but he has hearing problems and can’t to complicated phone calls. Every other company I deal with just asks to speak to him briefly to confirm they can speak to me and put it on file. CAMC wanted a written request.
Insured with Comfort, exactly the same details etc, better price than anyone else, speak to me, answer questions on the phone, always very pleasant. Recently no issue with changing me to main driver whilst Ian is still the keeper and has insurance in his name. And this year premium “only” went up from £301 to £360.

 

[Jev88]

Speak to the Insurance Ombudsman

 

[pelican]

Quote and paid yesterday CMC £317 comfort £745!
Like for like.
How does this work?

 

[SpeedyDux]

Quote and paid yesterday CMC £317 comfort £745!
Like for like.
How does this work?

Does like for like also include Europe-wide breakdown cover?

 

[pelican]

Does like for like also include Europe-wide breakdown cover?

No, I did ask.

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[TR5]

UPDATE:

Later in the day on Monday, I had a phone call telling me they were cancelling the policy and refunding me - WHAT!! I could have been out of the country, and been left uninsured!

Monday evening I wrote listing all the WRONG accusations, and showing how they were wrong, and also threatened with the Ombudsman if I didn't hear back by 10:00am today.

At 10:40 today I had an email, apologising for their mistakes, saying they hadn't cancelled and issued a refund, and were honouring the original quoted price - and so they should. They also sent through all the corrected documentation.

Some serious staff training is required, and re-evaluation of their online form questions....

What a shower!!

 

[pagey]

That's the problem we want to pay peanuts but don't want the monkeys but I'm with you on this one

 

[tacr2man]

Been with NFU for years ,always spot on service ,does for me

 

[Whiskeymac]

I have been insured with the C&CMC for a number of years and have had two big claims with absolutely no problems

 

[danpen]

Wow, I have never on my life had a worse insurance experience than today, with Devitt Insurance, the Caravan & Motorhome Club brokerage.

I had a quotation from them on 4th May for my motorhome, all details completed, and accepted and paid as per the quotation.

When the documentation came through I queried the value put in the box marked Purchase Price, as this was the same as the current valuation – on an 8 year old van. I gave them the correct purchase price.

Today I get a letter asking for nearly £70 more money. I have spoken with them at length today, and have had THREE different excuses for the additional cost.

• The increased purchase price – totally irrelevant.
• Price matching my existing insurer – irrelevant too, as it wasn’t price matched, or even the same values.
• Due to a storm damage claim on my private car 4 ½ years ago.

I now find out this evening, they have actually cancelled the policy (due to start on 22nd May) and if I had been abroad or away and had no contact, and would have been away until after 21st May, they would have left me uninsured.

What an absolute shower.

They firstly accuse me of not giving the correct purchase price – when there is NO option to do so online. Then they accuse me of trying to price-match a renewal from my current insurer, which is also untrue. Then they say it is due to a storm claim 4 ½ years ago. Checked other insurers, and if it made a difference, the maximum was £8.

Anyone else had this sort of treatment from the C&MC insurers?

Hi TR5, wow that’s bad news. Does that go against your insurance record if they cancel your policy, and do you have to declare that on future quotes….?

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[SpeedyDux]

My Comfort renewal due this month (policy started via CAMC insurance a few years ago) had a sting in the tail.

Last year I wasn't asked this question, but this year Comfort wanted to know if I had any claims in the past 5 years on any vehicle insured by me or registered to me. The Moho with me driving has never had a claim. I had to declare one minor at-fault claim on the car insurance 2 years ago. Not me driving, I hastened to explain. That small car bump involved a named driver - who isn't even a named driver on my MoHo policy. Made no difference. The original Comfort renewal quote got jacked up by about £66 for what I consider to be no added risk under the MoHo policy, because I wasn't the driver who was responsible for that claim.

Comfort's Underwriters are Aviva. Aviva weren't involved in any way in the claim relating to the car. That was LV. It looks like another excuse to rinse me at renewal time. Free £66 extra munny for Aviva for no real risk. Grrr.

And another thing - modern automatic emergency braking systems appear only to mitigate damage. They don't actually prevent low speed collisions. I think these high-tech safety systems are being mis-sold by car manufacturers, because they don't really work well enough in the real world. Such driver aids promote a false sense of safety. The reality doesn't give me any confidence in autonomous self-driving cars, that the stupid government seems to think will cut road deaths.

 

[starquake]

And another thing - modern automatic emergency braking systems appear only to mitigate damage. They don't actually prevent low speed collisions. I

I would wager they cause accidents too. Our 2014 B class had the EBS system to spot and emergency brake (only) if someone walked out in front of you etc, it triggered "daily" at a certain point in Sunbury London... noone NEAR the side of road. I still have no clue why, but it resulted in the car suddenly braking and the car in front potentially rear ending you every single morning. Once I knew the corner I knew to override it with the press right foot to floor click on the pedal, which overrode it. This car did not have full on auto-cruise control, just a EBS collision avoidance system

However the system on the current EV is thankfully far better, doesn't (seem to) false flag on any road (including the above one) and it only gets "confused" on a 4 way junction where you have priority and it thinks an approaching car from left on a crossroads is going to drive into you and as such slows until it can confirm they will not side swipe you.. Thankfully this too is rare, but in the EV there is also a button to turn this particular element of cruise control off.

Having seen some of the videos on youtube of the new Tesla autopilot beta, I think I would actually trust that to drive me with almost zero overrides in the US, it's REALLY good and drives as safe as you can in US with the (some of) mad drivers over there. It's certinally a step above the commercial off shelf system most cars use now. I doubt it's ever going to work as well on UK roads with the varying markings and even traffic light configurations over here.

 

[TR5]

Hi TR5, wow that’s bad news. Does that go against your insurance record if they cancel your policy, and do you have to declare that on future quotes….?

It wouldn't have done, as the insured period had not begun. However, it would still have been a 'kick in the teeth'. Turned out it was a threat and they hadn't actually cancelled. It got sorted in the end, with both emailed and a letter of apology - and honouring the original quote, with an admittance of their wrongdoings. Not a good situation from a long standing organisation, though.

 

[TR5]

And another thing - modern automatic emergency braking systems appear only to mitigate damage. They don't actually prevent low speed collisions.

My Audi Q3 does, in fact it can be a pain when putting the car in the garage, and you know you are very close to an object - it puts the brake on suddenly. It has sensors that wrap around front and rear bumpers, so close at the corners it operates and warns too.