I should have known better of course. I’ve been around for long enough and there was a time when I bought my R1100RS when my insurer refused to cover me. But, no, I expected a straightforward exchange of one machine for another – and, yes, maybe a moderate increase in premium to reflect the increased value of the bike. Silly me. I forgot all about Seneca. I did not expect them to tell me that the underwriter was refusing to cover it at all. Here we go again.
This is a repeat of what I went through with Swinton when I added the Deauville to my policy back in 2012. A reasonable premium suddenly escalated because I was making a change part way through the year. Cancelling the policy costs a cancellation fee, and the underwriter won’t cover the policy now, so you have to cancel and take out a new policy – either way, you end up paying more than just shopping around when the premium expires.
Bennetts had given me a good deal last October – half the premium Swinton quoted for renewal – and given my experience twelve months before, I was anxious to get it down again. Now, here we are, six months in and I want to take off one bike and add another and the underwriter won’t cover it. Okay, so it isn’t a cheap bike, but £15,000 for a big touring bike is not unusual and the RT range has been around for a while. It’s not a high theft risk and I am no more likely to be involved in an accident than I was on its predecessor. They tried another underwriter. The premium over quadrupled. I flatly refused to countenance that and told them I would be shopping around. I do not expect to pay over four-hundred quid for insurance with my experience and the type of machines I ride. And I won’t.
So I did an Internet search. This proved a struggle because not all of them had this bike listed and the registration number doesn’t work because it is so new. Bennetts were offering cover for around £250. Still too high, but less than they had quoted me. I asked them how this was and was told they heavily discount Internet quotes. Ah, right, so they actually rip-off telephone callers, for if they can offer the cover for that premium, they can offer it to everyone and the only reason I was calling was because I was an existing policy holder amending an existing policy.
Motorcycle Direct were able to cover it for £175 through Aviva. Again, I had to call because I wanted a multi-bike policy and we did a deal for £185, so, I was content if not exactly happy about it. My premium had just doubled and while that was going on, the dealer emailed me.
I had ordered a standard bike with my own selection of add-ons. One of these being the SatNav. But they hadn’t factored in the fitting kit. I had assumed they realised a fitting kit was required and had invoiced accordingly, but not, apparently. That will be another £200, please – oh, and BMW UK doesn’t have any fitting kits in stock.
I fired off an irritable email expressing my displeasure – they had caught me at a bad time. In short order they decided that they would not be charging me the £200 as it was their mistake – so they did the right thing as I sort of expected them to do when I let them know I was annoyed.
All I then had to do was go back to Bennetts and cancel my cover and ask for proof of no-claims. That will be another forty quid, please. And, there is nothing I can do about this. I’ve given them a full year’s premium, used only half of it and then had to pay another half again for the privilege of them clicking a button on a computer to terminate the cover because they couldn’t provide it at a reasonable price.
The whole thing is legalised extortion, frankly – so, no, I do not want accident cover, legal expenses cover or any of the other stuff they try to sell me. I have no choice but to have this cover but apart from that I avoid insurance like a dose of Ebola. Given my experience yesterday, following three hours on the phone and significantly worse off with nothing to show for it, is it any surprise? A plague on all their houses.
Tell me about it!
I’ve long got used to ignoring renewal notices and re-insuring via the internet. This has often been with the same company, but at a much better rate than their renewal offer. And I don’t even have a ‘phone call to pay for…
The problem is that they have you over a barrel if you try to make any changes mid-term.
Yup: a couple of years ago Best Beloved’s much-loved little Atoz was diagnosed with a corroded front subframe. Beyond economical repair for a “T” reg car. Found another (“V” plate) on eBay, some 120 miles away and as BB really wanted it, arranged to fetch her. All value well under £1250.
One train trip later, got there (“V” plated Atoz was really immaculate, and less than 32,000 miles genuine) and the only problem was calling AA insurance for a change of vehicle, who wanted to up the premium by £40 (already paying £480 for a non-employed housewife only driving) with a £30 documentation fee.
She passed the ‘phone to me…
Anyway, one icy-cool rant later, no premium increase, doc. fee waived (big of them), but four months later at renewal time, they’d lost a customer. And one who won’t go back there until Hell freezes over.
XX I avoid insurance like a dose of Ebola. XX
Ach come ON!
Ebola is not THAT bad! Few days off work, lie in bed reading a book or ten, and NO problem. Insurance cover, though, lasts for life.
TALKING of insurance, your quotes appear quite reasonable, even the double the price one.
1995, after 15+ years no claims, aged 35, ex Police motorcyclist (“Ex?”, went back to it here), for a ratted Z-650, living way up in the hills behind Bathgate, I was getting charged between 2 and 300 quid TPFT.
It’s relative – I was paying £75 fully comp for both bikes class 1 business insurance, so nearly £200 is expensive. Over £400 is out of the question.
Watch out for the likes of Aviva. Despite having knowledge of over a decade of no claims discount, they refused to pass on evidence of more than 5 years of NCD. I was fortunately able to use evidence from a previous insurer to prove this NCD, but Aviva’s attitude is that of arseholery for the sake of it (and had I not been able to get around this foolishness, I would have taken legal advice on whether taking the bastards to court for the loss caused by being unable to prove this NCD).
Basically, beware of these bastards, and don’t use them. Insurance is necessary, but is being used as legalised extortion; welcome once more to rip-off Britain and rip-off insurace companies.
I’m not sure that Aviva are any better or worse than any of the others. They are all rip-off merchants. As for NCB evidence, I have that from several years back, so not a problem next year.