M/H Insurance Renewal "Declined"

BlueVanMan
BlueVanMan Forum Participant Posts: 382
100 Comments
edited August 2016 in Motorhomes #1

My M/H Insurance has just been renewed. I obtained quotes from my existing and quite  longstanding insurer, the Clubs brokers and SAGA. the clubs quote was slightly more or a lot more depending on the exact cover but it is the SAGA experience that I want
to query. They were very searching in the details they took e.g. exact cost of alarm instalation. The van is stored on a commercial storage site which was rated CASOA Gold and is integral to a large Caravan dealership. The owner came out of CASOA last year.
SAGA referred the matter to their underwriter who declined cover because "there were no arrangements to inspect the van weekly". They would not discuss the point. 

Obviously SAGA can insure or not insure as they wish but I explained that I believe this was a "decline" which I would have to disclose on future proposals. SAGA say it is not and that a "decline' is when cover is cancelled or withdrawn by the insurer".
Perhaps this won't actually be a problem.

One for Wildwood I suspect.

Comments

  • MeatHome
    MeatHome Forum Participant Posts: 54
    edited August 2016 #2

    Several years ago I approached SAGA for a quote on buildings and contents insurance.

    Standard questions : detached or semi, how many bedrooms, etc

    Quoted premium less than half my existing

    Question : how much cover for buildings and how much for contents?

    Reply: this is our standard cover

    How much?

    The eventual figure quoted would not have even covered the cost of re carpeting the house never mind anything else

    This is the cover I want buildings £### contents £###

    Ah - this will be a special quote : result 3 times my present premium

    I wonder how many SAGA customers still think this is a company which is aimed a helping the aged: and how many just accept the policy without questioning the amount of cover

     

  • Stevesie
    Stevesie Forum Participant Posts: 73
    edited August 2016 #3

    My M/H Insurance has just been renewed. I obtained quotes from my existing and quite  longstanding insurer, the Clubs brokers and SAGA. the clubs quote was slightly more or a lot more depending on the exact cover but it is the SAGA experience that I want
    to query. They were very searching in the details they took e.g. exact cost of alarm instalation. The van is stored on a commercial storage site which was rated CASOA Gold and is integral to a large Caravan dealership. The owner came out of CASOA last year.
    SAGA referred the matter to their underwriter who declined cover because "there were no arrangements to inspect the van weekly". They would not discuss the point. 

    Obviously SAGA can insure or not insure as they wish but I explained that I believe this was a "decline" which I would have to disclose on future proposals. SAGA say it is not and that a "decline' is when cover is cancelled or withdrawn by the insurer".
    Perhaps this won't actually be a problem.

    One for Wildwood I suspect.

    I went to Saga for a quote on the new MH, spent about 30 minutes on the website before being directed to make a phone call.  Then had to repeat all the info, despite it being on the call handler's monitor.  After another lengthy call I was told that they
    couldn't offer cover, no reasons given.  The best bit was when he finished the call with the standard "Is there anything else that I can help you with today?"!!!!  I suspect that their insurance dept is just a vehicle for gathering marketing info!  Either
    that or the Club is paying them to p#ss people off, so that they snatch at the Devitt quote.  Insuring with the club was a delight in comparison.

  • BlueVanMan
    BlueVanMan Forum Participant Posts: 382
    100 Comments
    edited August 2016 #4

    The best bit was when he finished the call with the standard "Is there anything else that I can help you with today?"!!!!  I suspect that their insurance dept is just a vehicle for gathering marketing info!  Either that or the Club is paying them to
    p#ss people off, so that they snatch at the Devitt quote.  Insuring with the club was a delight in comparison.

    That IS interesting because I initially tried to get the quote online and I too had to phone. The call-handler mentioned taht she would process a house insurance quotation as part of the overall process and I made it clear that I did not want to do that
    because pefectly truthfully and coincidentally I had just got an acceptable house renewal quote from my broker.

    I am not however persauded that your conspiracy theory is correct not least because in the relatively distant past I did have a van insured with SAGA subject to exactly the same (apparently problematic) storage arrangements) however it is clear taht they
    were not interested in my business on this occasion. 

  • Stevesie
    Stevesie Forum Participant Posts: 73
    edited August 2016 #5

    "I am not however persauded that your conspiracy theory"

     

    The truth is out there!

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2016 #6

    The Club declined to quote me for motorhome insurance due to my wife having a claim on her car insurance within the last two years. Some insurers only want the minimal risk cover and will then charge excessively for it. Had no problem with Safeguard even
    though the high value Motorhome is basically stored on a farm with no security.

  • BlueVanMan
    BlueVanMan Forum Participant Posts: 382
    100 Comments
    edited August 2016 #7

    Just to be clear my issue is not that SAGA did not want to insure me it is a query about the probable affect/hassle factor/need to disclose that refusal when I seek other quotes in future.

  • Stevesie
    Stevesie Forum Participant Posts: 73
    edited August 2016 #8

    Just to be clear my issue is not that SAGA did not want to insure me it is a query about the probable affect/hassle factor/need to disclose that refusal when I seek other quotes in future.

    I asked the Saga rep about this and was told that being unable to quote is not a "refusal of insurance".  

  • BlueVanMan
    BlueVanMan Forum Participant Posts: 382
    100 Comments
    edited August 2016 #9

    Just to be clear my issue is not that SAGA did not want to insure me it is a query about the probable affect/hassle factor/need to disclose that refusal when I seek other quotes in future.

    I asked the Saga rep about this and was told that being unable to quote is not a "refusal of insurance".  


    As I said above SAGA said something similar to me but I am not sure that they are correct hence the post 

  • Martel
    Martel Forum Participant Posts: 1
    edited August 2016 #10

    SmileI also tried to insure my MH with Saga on line. After filling in all the relevant details they declined but gave no reason????

    I think they should always say or give a reason as to why they won't insure you. Was accepted by Caravan Gaurd and they were brilliant, very helpful and informative, very good reviews too.

  • Stevesie
    Stevesie Forum Participant Posts: 73
    edited August 2016 #11

    Just to be clear my issue is not that SAGA did not want to insure me it is a query about the probable affect/hassle factor/need to disclose that refusal when I seek other quotes in future.

    I asked the Saga rep about this and was told that being unable to quote is not a "refusal of insurance".  



    As I said above SAGA said something similar to me but I am not sure that they are correct hence the post 

    it is a Catch 22, but the guy said that refusing insurance is when the type of cover is on offer, but refused to a particular applicant for some reason.  

  • Mooseles
    Mooseles Forum Participant Posts: 5
    edited August 2016 #12

    I can only say that I have recently switched from "standard" car insurance, to a policy specifically designed for motorhomes (through the Caravan Club). When I obviously decided not to renew my car insurance, I received an email from them saying my renewal
    had been "declined". They say it is standard to send out these "Declined" statements when not renewing as a matter of course. These do not have to be declared to new or different insurers, when they ask if insurance cover has at any time been refused for any
    reason.

  • hitchglitch
    hitchglitch Forum Participant Posts: 3,007
    1000 Comments
    edited August 2016 #13

    I think "declined to quote" more aptly describes the situation, not "refused insurance" but it is not obvious to me what circumstances are covered by "refused" apart from obvious things like fraudulent claims.

  • Unknown
    Unknown Forum Participant
    edited August 2016 #14
    The user and all related content has been Deleted User
  • InaD
    InaD Club Member Posts: 1,701 ✭✭
    500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited August 2016 #15

    We tried Saga a some years ago and they wouldn't insure our MH due to its value.  OK, it wasn't a cheap MH, but neither was it at the top-end.  A few years after that, we decided to try again (different MH) and they did give a quote; value of MH then was
    about the same, so they must have changed their "rules".

    We're now with Comfort, and have been for 3 years.  

    Different insurance companies also appear to have different requirements for security, some only want an alarm, some want a tracker, others insist on both if the MH is over a certain value.

     

  • Blackdeath
    Blackdeath Forum Participant Posts: 69
    edited August 2016 #16

    The bottom line is, it pays to shop around. The insurance market is a complete jungle