Whats the point of having insurance (1 Viewer)

[garry63]

Hi all
Been having a lovely time in irland past 2 weeks. Been down the narrowest of lanes, had to squeeze past lorries, motorhomes, in narrow high mountain passes no problem.
Driving down standard N Road lorries and coaches passing normal speed on opposite side of road, waving at fellow motorhomers not a problem. Then whilst on a long straight a line of vehicles, the last 3 a motorhome,van then motorhome are approaching, all pass bar last one. Almighty bang and there goes my full mirror everything just leaving metal bars sticking out. flip me that was loud whats happened!!
Luckily is i thought the other motorhomer had pulled in so I turned around and stopped behind motorhome and inspected damage.
Mine lost mirror a few scratches on door a couple of scuffs( poss polish out)
His lost mirror smashed quaternary light.
He was Irish man and family in hired motorhome all apologetic obviously no experience with such a large vehicle ( even so road width no excuse to hit me plenty wide enough)
Exchange insurance details, not more we could do, whats the point of ranting at him gets no where even though wanted to punch his lights out
I phoned my insurance ( what bollox) they asked did I want to claim on my insurance, no I replied it was his fault, ok then I should ring his insurance to claim, no should that not be your job to claim, well if I wanted to claim i will have to pay my excess and risk higher premiums they may try to claim back but its still on my record as claimed
WHATS THE FEKIN POINT OF HAVING INSURENCE only to pay others that claim against you not to help when you've been wronged
The only good point is that the other guy who was on here had a waking access on his hire agreement
Whats your views

 

[Jon Stewart]

No view of professional weight, but that is disgusting behaviour on the part of your insurer.

It was absolutely their issue to deal with.

Perhaps try ringing them, and next time you get the same response, ask them to escalate it.

Generally, this means raise the same issue with a manager, who may have the wit and discretion to deal with the matter appropriately.

I've had to do this any number of times with a whole range of companies in the service sector. The bottom line are limited in how they can respond, but the next level up have a lot more discretion.

Keep going until they say refuse to sort the problem out to your satisfaction, then inform them you will involve the pertinent regulator.

 

[BusyBuilder]

With our ongoing dispute with a driver who pulled onto road infront of us so close we ran into back of him. We now have the legal team onto him, but they seem more intent on getting the insureres losses back than ours. Yet it's us who pay them.

 

[garry63]

No view of professional weight, but that is disgusting behaviour on the part of your insurer.

It was absolutely their issue to deal with.

Perhaps try ringing them, and next time you get the same response, ask them to escalate it.

Generally, this means raise the same issue with a manager, who may have the wit and discretion to deal with the matter appropriately.

I've had to do this any number of times with a whole range of companies in the service sector. The bottom line are limited in how they can respond, but the next level up have a lot more discretion.

Keep going until they say refuse to sort the problem out to your satisfaction, then inform them you will involve the pertinent regulator.

Fair point. I've looked at price for new mirror and housing and repair to scratches and will be less than excess and higher premium. Insurers will just say knock for knock as can prove he hit me. Got to take best option still maddening and just shows only insured till you need to claim

 

[garry63]

With our ongoing dispute with a driver who pulled onto road infront of us so close we ran into back of him. We now have the legal team onto him, but they seem more intent on getting the insureres losses back than ours. Yet it's us who pay them.

Its so maddening, hope you get a good outcome

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[Paul.]

I only have insurance because it's a legal requirement, otherwise I would be willing to foot the bill for any damage
Paul

 

[Jon Stewart]

Fair point. I've looked at price for new mirror and housing and repair to scratches and will be less than excess and higher premium. Insurers will just say knock for knock as can prove he hit me. Got to take best option still maddening and just shows only insured till you need to claim

Unfortunately, I think you have the measure of the situation.

Sometimes it's just cheaper to settle outside of the insurance system, whst with having to state a claim for 5 years.

 

[The Wino]

Do you have an independent witness or dashcam footage? Without it it's just your word against his. Sadly having contacted the insurance company it's probably going to affect future premiums.

 

[garry63]

Do you have an independent witness or dashcam footage? Without it it's just your word against his. Sadly having contacted the insurance company it's probably going to affect future premiums.

I have till tomorrow to see if I want to claim

 

[Northernraider]

I have till tomorrow to see if I want to claim

Regardless you've now had an accident within the last 5 years regardless of fault and the scumbags use that to raise your premium

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[Jimbohorlicks]

If you want to use your insurance to make a claim for a £100 mirror they will probably oblige but it will cost you dearly in an uplift in your premiums next time.
They won't claim on your behalf for nothing. Best to go direct to the hire companies insurer . Who may also want to contact yours.
If you go through your insurers you will also lose your no claims bonus . Unless its protected.

 

[TinaLes]

If you report an accident to your insurance as you are told is a legal responsibility, whether its your fault, their fault, or ends up knock for knock, even if you decide not to claim for repairs at cost to them, its still on your record for 5 years.
We had a claim 8 years ago when on return to our car in a supermarket car park, we found someone had stoved in the side of it. It went down as a " No Fault" claim, however our premiums did increase, why?
Because the risk actuaries assume as you have made a claim, that its more likely you will make another in the not too distant future, as thats what Their Experience tells them! Argue with that if you can?
Its just so unfair to the non fault victim, and needs to be sorted out somehow, what ever happened to
" Treating Customers Fairly" as we had to in Financial Services.
LES

 

[The Wino]

If you report an accident to your insurance as you are told is a legal responsibility, whether its your fault, their fault, or ends up knock for knock, even if you decide not to claim for repairs at cost to them, its still on your record for 5 years.
We had a claim 8 years ago when on return to our car in a supermarket car park, we found someone had stoved in the side of it. It went down as a " No Fault" claim, however our premiums did increase, why?
Because the risk actuaries assume as you have made a claim, that its more likely you will make another in the not too distant future, as thats what Their Experience tells them! Argue with that if you can?
Its just so unfair to the non fault victim, and needs to be sorted out somehow, what ever happened to
" Treating Customers Fairly" as we had to in Financial Services.
LES

It's called a no claims discount not a no blame discount! In the case where there is a claim and no one to get the money back from I actually think it's pretty reasonable to have an increase in premium. In a case where everything is paid for by the other person's insurance because they are at fault I don't think it is fair.

 

[robnchris]

If you want to use your insurance to make a claim for a £100 mirror they will probably oblige but it will cost you dearly in an uplift in your premiums next time.
They won't claim on your behalf for nothing. Best to go direct to the hire companies insurer . Who may also want to contact yours.
If you go through your insurers you will also lose your no claims bonus . Unless its protected.

It cost us £325 to buy the mirror for our Ducato, fitted myself, to have someone else fit it would have doubled the cost.

 

[Chris]

My opinion of insurers in general is unprintable

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[Geistguy]

I only have insurance because it's a legal requirement, otherwise I would be willing to foot the bill for any damage
Paul

If you were at fault in a fatal road accident you could be sued for millions of pounds. That would be a big bill to foot.

 

[The Wino]

If you were at fault in a fatal road accident you could be sued for millions of pounds. That would be a big bill to foot.

It's the reason it's a legal requirement. I actually have shares in Aviva and get a fantastic return of a dividend of 6.7%. It is a bit better than I'd get in a bank account but not guaranteed it's not what I would call a huge payout to shareholders! If anyone thinks that insurance is a goldmine why not buy shares?

 

[BrianJane]

Watch this and read some of the comments.
The whole insurance business is corrupt.

 

[steve69]

This is where a dashcam can really come in handy.
It seems you have no hard evidence it was his fault if he denies his wrongdoing to his insurer.

As stated above, knock-for-knock is the insurers favoured option.

 

[gus-lopez]

It seems you have no hard evidence it was his fault if he denies his wrongdoing to his insurer.

Unless he is stupid he might as well accept it as regardless of "whose fault" as a hirer he has lost the whole 1500 or 2k deposit that he left . automatically.

As stated above, knock-for-knock is the insurers favoured option.

fortunately in decent countries like here, someone has to be blamed. why we always use the accident report form signed & dated by all concerned.

** to the OP .It is the agent/brokers job to do the claiming on your behalf.That is what they are there for.

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[The Wino]

Watch this and read some of the comments.
The whole insurance business is corrupt.

The blokes an idiot. He says he wants to self insure on what basis? Who is going to allow someone to do that without putting a few million aside in bond in case of any claims?

 

[The Wino]

Unless he is stupid he might as well accept it as regardless of "whose fault" as a hirer he has lost the whole 1500 or 2k deposit that he left . automatically.

fortunately in decent countries like here, someone has to be blamed. why we always use the accident report form signed & dated by all concerned.

** to the OP .It is the agent/brokers job to do the claiming on your behalf.That is what they are there for.

It is their job to do the claiming but if they can't prove liability it will be a claim on the policy.
On the hirer he will most likely lose the lot as it's very unlikely they will be able to hire out the motorhome to the person booked the following week. An interesting question is whether they then ought to tell their own car insurance when they are asked if they have had any accidents it's not on their policy but the database might well show them as having an accident?

 

[SpeedyDux]

On this year's MH insurance renewal I had to answer a new question regarding any claims on other vehicles. That question wasn't asked last year.

I disclosed that there had been a small claim on my car insurance 2 years ago. I pointed out to the MH insurer that I wasn't responsible as I hadn't been driving the car and wasn't even in the car that day - that claim wasn't my fault as a driver, in any possible way. I am the only driver insured to drive my MH (no other named driver) so the risk at renewal is exactly the same as before. Made no difference. The MH insurer jacked up my renewal premium anyway ostensibly to reflect the claim on the car. That is absurd.

There is absolutely no logical justification involved. Any excuse will do to to increase the premium. I am still annoyed by this.

 

[The Wino]

On this year's MH insurance renewal I had to answer a new question regarding any claims on other vehicles. That question wasn't asked last year.

I disclosed that there had been a small claim on my car insurance 2 years ago. I pointed out to the MH insurer that I wasn't responsible as I hadn't been driving the car and wasn't even in the car that day - that claim wasn't my fault as a driver, in any possible way. I am the only driver insured to drive my MH (no other named driver) so the risk at renewal is exactly the same as before. Made no difference. The MH insurer jacked up my renewal premium anyway ostensibly to reflect the claim on the car. That is absurd.

There is absolutely no logical justification involved. Any excuse will do to to increase the premium. I am still annoyed by this.

The nature of insurance is it's gambling nothing more or less. In order to decide if they want to take a gamble they ask lots of questions which lets them decide if you are a good bet and offer you the odds which they think on average will mean they win! It's like if you had third party only insurance you're address will have very little effect on the likelihood of a claim and you are still the same driver but they know people who live in certain areas are statistically more likely to have a claim.

 

[steve69]

On this year's MH insurance renewal I had to answer a new question regarding any claims on other vehicles. That question wasn't asked last year.

I disclosed that there had been a small claim on my car insurance 2 years ago. I pointed out to the MH insurer that I wasn't responsible as I hadn't been driving the car and wasn't even in the car that day - that claim wasn't my fault as a driver, in any possible way. I am the only driver insured to drive my MH (no other named driver) so the risk at renewal is exactly the same as before. Made no difference. The MH insurer jacked up my renewal premium anyway ostensibly to reflect the claim on the car. That is absurd.

There is absolutely no logical justification involved. Any excuse will do to to increase the premium. I am still annoyed by this.

Touché.
A friend of mine was in the petrol station kiosk when a mini ran into the front wing of his van and then did a runner. The police got the mini but couldn't identify a driver (he ran off and he was never found). My friends insurer then wanted to hike his insurance to cover the cost of repair (about £1000) I think. After much to-ing and froing between my friend, the police and the insurers he got a small reduction and his no-claims bonus back. Took about 2 years.

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[gus-lopez]

Touché.
A friend of mine was in the petrol station kiosk when a mini ran into the front wing of his van and then did a runner. The police got the mini but couldn't identify a driver (he ran off and he was never found). My friends insurer then wanted to hike his insurance to cover the cost of repair (about £1000) I think. After much to-ing and froing between my friend, the police and the insurers he got a small reduction and his no-claims bonus back. Took about 2 years.

I can't really see why he would tell his own insurance company if the other vehicle had cleared off ?

 

[The Wino]

I can't really see why he would tell his own insurance company if the other vehicle had cleared off ?

Because he wanted to have the repair done by the insurance and at that point didn't know that the mini driver wouldn't be identified. I think he was really lucky to get his NCB back after all there was a claim

 

[headlight]

My sister parked her 1 week old car in a carpark and when she came back from shopping it had had the side caved in so badly it was written off.
No sign of the vehicle that had hit her.
Obviously not her fault but her premiums went through the roof for several years afterwards.

 

[TinaLes]

The nature of insurance is it's gambling nothing more or less. In order to decide if they want to take a gamble they ask lots of questions which lets them decide if you are a good bet and offer you the odds which they think on average will mean they win! It's like if you had third party only insurance you're address will have very little effect on the likelihood of a claim and you are still the same driver but they know people who live in certain areas are statistically more likely to have a claim.

Unfortunately that statement is very true, the insurance company relies on the lower risk element to assure that they make money most of the time, its a business after all, that is why they are there. Its a gamble with the odds loaded on their side to make money.
It reminds me of stories of you being held responsible for a traffic accident in the middle east if you hired a taxi to take you from A-B. Their law used to say that if you hadn't of hired that taxi to take you on the route at that time, the accident wouldn't have happened, The Taxi driver even at fault was carrying out your wishes to get somewhere, you were employing him to do a task for you, therefore you are responsible, and arrested accordingly.
I'm sure I wasnt the only one told of this story years back, wonder if its the same with the likes of Uber these days over there?
LES

 

[tonyidle]

The blokes an idiot. He says he wants to self insure on what basis? Who is going to allow someone to do that without putting a few million aside in bond in case of any claims?

I think he knew that. He's making an entertaining and informative video after all.