Insurance Issues

I phoned Footman James yesterday to renew Scamp Insurance.
As it said on renewal form I could get a futher discount if I was a member of a car club, I proudly told them I am a member of the Scamp Owners Club.
After a minute or two of music the lady informed me that Footman James does not recognise the SOC. I ended the call to rethink a cunning plan.
I phoned and suggested that as I am also a member of the Mini Marcos Club and the GTM Owners Club, that would perhaps enable me to get a discount.
I will speak to a Supervisor came the reply . A few more minutes listening to music. We do not recognise those clubs came the reply
What do we have to do to get our club recognised, I asked as I know several members use Footman James. They told me they would tell their marketing dept
who would sort this. How many years have these clubs been around? Is it that FJ wants to attract the larger and more expensive kit cars.
I accept the premiums are not bad, but if they offer a discount for club members,We should be entitled to them too
Hopefully they will contact the club and offer a discount to our members.

Footman James are complete morons, I wouldn't entertain even ringing them for a quote after I called them some years ago for a quote on the 110. They wouldn't insure it as it had more than 8 seats. I informed them that the image in their advert in the land rover magazine was also a 110 station wagon and would have more than 8 seats and that this was very mis-leading. The 'computer says no' girl on the other end of the phone wouldn't even debate the subject, she just gave me the "sorry sir we can't insure your vehicle" line.

Frank Pickles (01943 850 999) are great to deal with and good on price for me. Proper little independent specialist broker.

I think that all the shows we attend that has a Footman James stand we need to hassle them.

I have been with Adrian Flux for about 7 years and it only costs me about £110 fully comp.

Dont get me started about Footman James..................................

SUMB wrote:Frank Pickles (01943 850 999) are great to deal with and good on price for me. Proper little independent specialist broker.

Great right up to the point they told Leanne that she won't retain her NCD After she took out the insurance and then wanted to charge her £25 to cancel the policy on the same day she took it out! they don't appear to understand the 14 day cool off period concept.

Incidentally Pick Everard would match there price and retain Leanne's 8 years NCD.

Then the cheeky so and so included a load on his business cards in with the paperwork. Needless to say we won't be renewing with (something that rhymes with) Frank Pickles next year.

TRR Motorsport wrote:Great right up to the point they told Leanne that she won't retain her NCD After she took out the insurance and then wanted to charge her £25 to cancel the policy on the same day she took it out! they don't appear to understand the 14 day cool off period concept.

Incidentally Pick Everard would match there price and retain Leanne's 8 years NCD.

Then the cheeky so and so included a load on his business cards in with the paperwork. Needless to say we won't be renewing with (something that rhymes with) Frank Pickles next year.

Oh

I went with Frank Pickles (Chaz's recommendation ) for the Scamp ......and they were very cheap.....even compared to Flux.

If want a laugh try Sureterm.....advertise in most of Mags etc.

They were at a recent VW show and they had stand......but did very little business....they will insure Campers but only if they're "Standard"
Try find a unmodified camper .....especially at a show

Going back to the NCB thing - I used to insure my normal car with the NFU (Will be going back to them for the Discovery) but when I changed the new insurers went up to 9 years no claims, however NFU maximum NCB is 5 years so when everything went through my new insurers would only give me 5 years because that was what NFU had told them I had.

Long story short, quick phone call to NFU and they were happy to write a letter explaining that I had been insuring my car with them for 10 years + and had never made a claim and also stating they only go to 5 years for their NCB discount. New insurers were happy to accept this as proof of 9 years NCB.

I am sure, based on my NFU experiences, that if needed someone like Pickles would, if asked, provide a letter stating how long you'd been insured with them and if you had made a claim.

Just insured the Discovery with Perfornamce Direct - they also do Kit Cars.

Based on my experiences so far - what a shower of - Now on my third attempt to get them to get all the details right on the document.

I never realised that my 5 door Discovery was actually an 4 seater cabriolet Range Rover

Makes you wonder what they would be like for paying up if you had an accident

OK, so they have now got all the vehicle details correct

However, the underwrighters limitation to annual milege is 6000, as stated it the Schedule of motor insurance they they have issued. But, Grove & Dean (Performance Direct) are stating the mileage limit as 12000 in their Statement of Insurance.

Now call me a cynic but I'm tempted to believe the paperwork issued by the underwrighters rather than the broker.

Really, really starting to get bored now. But I will say if you do go to Performance Direct (Grove & Dean) for a policy make sure you read you policy documents very carefully

Now finally all sorted - correct vehicle, valuation and mileage limitations

That has been bloody hard work.

Five weeks ago I was parked in Peterborough Services eating my lunch, when a gentleman in a passat reversed out of the space beside me.
As he went back his front bumper made contact with side of my Picasso. Damage was minimal but as it is a company car we exchanged details.
I returned to work to show my boss the damage and we decided not to make a claim. Most of the marks cleaned up with T cut
I phoned passat man to say not to worry about a claim. He had already informed his insurance company and said he would let them know
there would be no claim. Alls well that ends well


Had a phone call from Passat man last week. While he had been abroad his insurers sent him a letter saying a claim had been made against him.
As it appeared to be his fault they would sort out the claim. If he disagreed,he had seven days to notify them.The letter arrived after he had left
the country and he was away for more than seven days. I phoned my office to see if boss had changed his mind about claim. Apparently Passat mans
Insurers had contacted my company and were told we would NOT be making a claim. I informed Passat man of this and now he trying to sort this up with his insurers.
Rant over.

It's probably not the case here (never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence) but suppose something dodgy were going on? I've heard of insurance companies settling questionable claims, to the detriment of the insured's NCB, because it was cheaper than contesting them in court. But surely this would make them a party, or at least an accessory, to fraud.

Where would one get help in such a situation - the Citizen's Advice Bureau, the Financial Services Ombudsman? The Daily Mail agony columns perhaps?

Used to be insured with Footman James but to me the service became poor and quotes high after they were sold off.

I know some people in the Imp club recommend http://www.peterjamesinsurance.co.uk/

I have not used them but probably a good bet as these are the people that were behind Footman James, hence the name....

M

Adrian Flux - £107.01 fully comp,£100.00 excess,£2000.00 value,3000 limited miles 35 days continental cover,no problem.
Footman James for the equivalent - £227.00

Whilst I can guess at engine size and age of driver, occupation, convictions etc, it may be of use to others to fess up to these details. Otherwise it does not mean too much. Did you tell them about the triple superchargers?

Age 17,2 counts of drink driving and 5 offences of exceddiding the 80mph,Oh sorry,70mph,maximum speed limit,not bad huh!! (I wish I was 17 again!!) Still,further away from 60 than you John!! Not by much, but still further away!!

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/the-cheapest-cars-to-insure.html

My daughters started with Escorts, Micro's and Fiesta's.

People forget the reason for having a car is to get from A - B

I'll add it before you lot do

BAR HUMBUG

"I don't believe it" the cost of the insurance on my North Korean 4x4 (Hyundai Santa Fe) is exactly the same as last year, how can that be in these days of inflation and 6% IPT, I remember when you got 10% discount each year and your premium went down, then premiums went up by 10% which cancelled your NCD, it has jumped by at least 25% to pay for those b*****s who don't have insurance, so I was pleasently surprised to pay the same, I did however have to point out to the nice lady that the renewal said I had a Landover Discovery ???

Martin & Nettie wrote: it has jumped by at least 25% to pay for those b*****s who don't have insurance,

It is those "b******s that have got a great deal to answer for. If insurance was a great deal cheaper,the less well off would be able to afford it,but with insurance companies quoteing £2000.00 for first time buyers on a little 1 litre car,you can't wonder at it.

You'd be doing well to find an example of most of that list. My first car 12 years ago was a Nova Trip and they were quite rare then

I had a mini clubman for my first car, insurance was 5 weeks pay as an apprentice, 22 years ago. As a comparison in todays market it would be 9 weeks pay.

Bought a renault 19 16v chamade, with wipe clean leather seats at the age of 19. Insurance was 3x the nova 1.3sr i had at the time !

Neil