ferny
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 984
Club RR Member Number: 13
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Jan 31, 2021 13:02:25 GMT
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I've had the cars relevant to Retro Rides with the same insurance company for yonks - the years with Peter James must be into double digits. They send me a renewal and I pay. Works well for both of us!
The van (15 years old, so modern?) gets moved around for cheap quotes. I joined this latest company in the middle of December. I had to provide the normal NCD discount info and DVLA license code at the start. A few emails were sent to me saying I hadn't uploaded my stuff but took it as paths crossing etc. On 16th Jan I get the following text message, "We are due to CANCEL your insurance. To avoid cancellation please call us". Bum squeaks, I expect to not be able to get through to them on a Saturday but do and they want mileage photos. An email says the same and I have 7 days to send it, but doesn't say where to send it. Anyhoo, it's sent, no big deal. Bit heavy handed and poor communication from them but no bother.
Yesterday I get a text message, "We are due to CANCEL your insurance. To avoid cancellation please call us". This time they want a copy of a valid MOT certificate. They've also sent the same email as before stating I've not sent requested documents, despite this threat (?) being the first mention of it and no details of how or where to send it. The issue is I don't have one as I've been working on the engine top end so missed the date.
I can't help feeling they're trying to grab policy money and work a way to get you off their books with demands and short time limits. I'll be calling them and writing an official complaint tomorrow. The policy says nothing of needing an MOT and if it did it'd be the only company I know of who cancel a policy if a car fails....
Anyhoo, I fancied a moan to kill time whilst my mum gets a Covid jab. It's OK, I'm in the Acclaim so this has retro content! 🤣
Stuff like this really makes you appreciate the better companies!
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Last Edit: Jan 31, 2021 13:36:40 GMT by ferny
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Jan 31, 2021 13:08:58 GMT
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Interesting - especially given that an unMOTed car still has to be insured in order to be driven to the (pre-booked) MOT test...
If no luck with the complaint, may be worth taking it to the insurance ombudsman.
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Jan 31, 2021 14:02:52 GMT
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I was insured with Aviva for the non-retro standard work van, This presented an issue with the Astravan as it would have been underinsured (because what’s “market value” on a 25 year old van) so I moved companies whilst in lockdown. To a modified commercial policy with agreed value. Got a similar letter from new insurer because I had an undeclared accident. Someone hit side of my van in Oxford and put a 6” scratch in the clear coat. I informed Aviva at the time but someone had pressed/not pressed the right button and it showed up as unsettled claim instead of notification. Because lockdown I got batted around departments of skeleton staff who did nothing, I had been CCing all my emails to new company. Then I got a text saying as I hadn’t sorted they were going to cancel policy. I phoned, they agreed it wasn’t my fault and could see I was trying to sort but underwriters were refusing to insure without resolution. So I paid the difference, which was the difference between 11 years no claims and zero no claims, and pretty much doubled the policy. Then sent an arsey email to Aviva.... and obviously triggered something as I got the resolution I needed within half an hour! Contacted new insurers and they refunded straight away. But was a real kurfuffle!! The thing that worried me at the time was that they ask if you’ve ever had insurance cancelled, and so I really didn’t want to add that as an extra hoop to jump through! All seems good since though, photo is some retro electrician vans
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Jan 31, 2021 14:21:40 GMT
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love the ha
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Jan 31, 2021 15:13:05 GMT
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Insurance ........we could spent hours putting the world to rights with these charlatans I will get quotes of classic line this year they seem to be getting great reviews here My modified van is with greenlight they are excellent I won’t name the big ones to avoid they are well known for there underhand tactics by most car enthusiasts
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Last Edit: Jan 31, 2021 15:13:45 GMT by Mercdan68
Fraud owners club member 1999 Jaguar s type 1993 ford escort
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Jan 31, 2021 18:23:43 GMT
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Dan, I used classic line for the mx5 and they were great. A real person on the phone, we spent more time talking about cars than it took to arrange the policy! Shame they couldn't insure my daily or I'd still be with them.
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Jan 31, 2021 18:35:53 GMT
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Love the HA johnthesparky , see it about locally on occasion. Brings back memories of my first job working at a commercial dealership and registering hundreds of the buggers we sold to Eastern Gas at Potters Bar. They had a low power engine option for EG which could run on 2 star petrol, about 25Hp iirc.
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Needs a bigger hammer mate.......
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Jan 31, 2021 19:44:26 GMT
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An elderly freind of a neighbour drove down the side of my wife's mx5, not too much damage and they admitted liability and paid up in full, next renawal was fine as were the other classics but when my daughter added my wife to her policy they insisted on loading it because apparantly even if it's parked somehow my wife is now an increased risk of having an accident!
This was Admiral.
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bazzateer
Posted a lot
Imping along sans Vogue
Posts: 3,653
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Jan 31, 2021 20:03:10 GMT
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I've been with Peter James for my classics for a good 10 yrs or so now. The policy is so reasonable I've never felt the need to shop around.
Unfortunately the insurance company will increase the risk even if it's a no fault accident as "It's happened once so it could happen again", or words to that effect.
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1968 Singer Chamois Sport 1972 Sunbeam Imp Sport 1976 Datsun 260Z 2+2 1998 Peugeot Boxer Pilote motorhome 2003 Rover 75 1.8 Club SE (daily) 2006 MG ZT 190+ (another daily) 2007 BMW 530d Touring M Sport (tow car)
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Jan 31, 2021 20:10:03 GMT
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Love the HA johnthesparky , see it about locally on occasion. Brings back memories of my first job working at a commercial dealership and registering hundreds of the buggers we sold to Eastern Gas at Potters Bar. They had a low power engine option for EG which could run on 2 star petrol, about 25Hp iirc. He’s based in Bletchley, had a chat with him and he has 4 of them the same. He and his wife both drive about in them so i guess don’t be surprised if you you see it and then see it again and we’re wondering how fast it was going A 25hp version would be hard work by 1984 I reckon!! Especially with a 4 speed box
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Jan 31, 2021 21:37:08 GMT
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Bedford (Vauxhall) were selling the HA up to about '81, some were registered just after. They were still selling them at the same time they had the Chevanne (Chevette estate without windows) in service. they were really cheap and actually good at being a small van!
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Needs a bigger hammer mate.......
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filmidget
East Midlands
Mostly Lurking
Posts: 1,652
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I was searching for potential insurers for my two lads (they turn 17 in March) and had some amazingly reasonable quotes for classic cars from Sterling Insurance (same group and HIC and Adrian Flux?).
Fearing them to be too good to be true I searched for reviews... 'Sharp practice' doesn't cover it IMO, with VERY similar problems to those Fenny is encountering.
I wouldn't consider using them at any price.
All our cars are with Direct Line at the moment - not the cheapest but when I have needed customer service they have been excellent.
Peter James were also great for me when I was insuring a small fleet of minor/borderline classics.
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'79 MG Midget 1500 - Still patiently awaiting attention '02 Vauxhall Astra 1.8 Elegance(!) - Better than you might think '03 Mazda MX5 - All new and shiny looking (thanks to Antony at Rust Republic) '09 Renault Clio - Needs to go.
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I was searching for potential insurers for my two lads (they turn 17 in March) and had some amazingly reasonable quotes for classic cars from Sterling Insurance (same group and HIC and Adrian Flux?). Fearing them to be too good to be true I searched for reviews... 'Sharp practice' doesn't cover it IMO, with VERY similar problems to those Fenny is encountering. I wouldn't consider using them at any price. All our cars are with Direct Line at the moment - not the cheapest but when I have needed customer service they have been excellent. Peter James were also great for me when I was insuring a small fleet of minor/borderline classics. Having been insured via the NFU since Noah was a boy, all of a sudden in January 2020, they decided that they no longer wished to provide cover for my 1998 Defender 90. I had notified them of all modifications, etc..., but just told me to take a hike. On the recommendation of NFU, I approached Adrian FLUX. They were an absolute nightmare to deal with, and this was despite physically going to their HQ in Norfolk and speaking face-to-face with the person supposedly processing my application. In the end it came almost up to day that the policy had to be renewed and I just went with what was offered; I was NOT happy with the overall cover, telling them that I would not be renewing with them in 2021. January 2021, telephone call to FOOTMAN JAMES, explained what I was looking for, and especially an agreed valuation. Absolutely no problem, unlike the episode in 2020. Policy sorted, money paid and job's a good un. ADRIAN FLUX told the good news, and just couldn't seem to grasp the fact that they had lost my business. Would I recommend Adrian FLUX - most definitely not. It would appear to be a call-handling centre, where getting the same person twice is a lottery.
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fulvia1436
Club Retro Rides Member
Finally started a thread for my Fulvia life
Posts: 341
Club RR Member Number: 63
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Don't over-estimate the effectiveness of the FoS in resolving a dispute on your claim! Do employ an expert like Tim Kelly (https://www.motorclaimguru.co.uk/)
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'59 Austin A40, '59 VW Beetle, '63 Mk1 Cortina, '57 Austin Gypsy, '68 Fiat 850 Coupe, '68 Alfa Duetto Spider, '72 Lancia Fulvia 1.3S, '73 Lancia 2000 Sedan ie., '72 Lancia 2000 Sedan, '67 Lancia Fulvia 1.3, '83 VW Passat GL5 Estate, '81 Volvo 245 Estate, '85 Lancia Thema 8V Turbo Estate, '99 Lancia Kappa 20V Turbo Estate, '00 VW Sharan VR6, '06 Fiat Multipla 1.9 JTD, '10 Fiat Multipla 1.9 JTD, '66 Lancia Fulvia 1.3
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ferny
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 984
Club RR Member Number: 13
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So I've spent over an hour on hold trying to speak to someone today. Gave up and decided to rush getting the van ready for an MOT on Wednesday afternoon. If it fails I can hopefully sort it by the next day as those are the only slots my test station has.
Stressed, me? Nah.... 😖
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I have two cars needing their renewals in the next two weeks.
I've used HIC a few times as they used to be good with modified vws. Last year they wanted hundreds more for my unmodified daily than the next cheapest. Yet they were cheapest for my heavily modified golf. I think they are how owned by Flux.
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Just re-insured my daily, The automatic renewal quote from the current company (Esure) was £40+ dearer than last year so naturally I did the compare thingy and found a quote £60 less, so I showed that to Esure who magically managed to knock down their original price to match. I know they don't have the best reputation for customer service but on this particular occasion I got what I needed and wasn't even kept on hold for ages. Never had to make a claim (fingers crossed) so I can't vouch for them in that way.
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I have two cars needing their renewals in the next two weeks. I've used HIC a few times as they used to be good with modified vws. Last year they wanted hundreds more for my unmodified daily than the next cheapest. Yet they were cheapest for my heavily modified golf. I think they are how owned by Flux. Well there you go; introduce Adrian FLUX into the equation and no telling where things will end up.
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ferny
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 984
Club RR Member Number: 13
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We have a pass with no advisories and a snotty email fired off with a copy of the certificate to the insurance company.
I'll get to the complaint as soon as I can, but the stress is eased for now!
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skinnylew
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,546
Club RR Member Number: 11
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I've been contemplating bunging a few of my on a fleet policy but struggling to find someone who doesn't want the earth for what is essential a bunch of retro bangers.
My ax Gti turbo and $06 are insured through Graham Sykes and they've been pretty good all said and told.
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