Caravan Insurance recommendation
Looking for caravan insurance recommendation, especially interested in positive experience with claims.
Comments
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I had a very positive claims experience, last year, when I had to make a claim of about £1500 against my CAMC Caravan Cover after some oik fired an air rifle at the side of our van.
From the outset, the staff at Devitts were understanding, helpful and sympathetic. An assessor arrived at our house less than 24 hrs after submitting the claim and immediately authorised repairs. When there was a delay in getting spares from Germany, the assessor again jumped in and got things moving within a couple of days.
After the repairs had been completed, I submitted a claim for the fuel used to transport the van to and from the repairer (my dealer in Cumbria - and a total of 600 miles). Not only did I receive a cheque within 48 hrs of sending an email, but it was actually for £40 more than I had claimed since rather than my precise calculation of exactly how much diesel I used, they calculated it on a straight pence per mile basis.
I renewed my CAMC insurance at the end of last year because of this very positive experience and noted that they had not hiked up the premium as a result of my claim.
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I thought the club no longer offered its members insurance for caravans and now use something called Caravan Cover. For the moment we will stick with insurance companies even though we had no issue with a claim we made a few years ago and using Devitts.
I am told that Myinsurance and Ripe Insurance are very competitive so may consider them when it is time for renewal.
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Read the second line of my post
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Defaqto ratings can be useful but don't tell you about claims that have been dealt with. I had a quote this year that I thought was very reasonable. I checked out who the companies claim handlers were and found some terrible reviews. I went with another company!
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The principle difference between the current offering and that of the past is that this is not insurance in the normally accepted sense and is unregulated.
Not true about it being unregulated David, perhaps you missed the post from club staff?
Anyway I think that a few people have posted that their non club insurance did not pay out, I believe if I remember correctly it was something like the club paid out (as reported) 4 times to 2 non club reports not paying out
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I certainly will not use Caravan Cover, preferring Insurance which will pay out, not 'may' My experience of Devitts was not a pleasant one and their prices are ridiculously expensive. A simple comparison search will reveal same cover at nearly half the price.
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The thing is you can have all the will pay you want, but breach one of the conditions, as has been reported, and any insurance won't pay out.
The use of may was a legal requirement due to the nature of the cover as given by the club. This was all explained in a post many weeks or months ago, including it being having access to the insurance 'overseers' (can't remember what they were called).
But one pays one's money and takes one choice based on trust or whatever. More people have reported a good experience with the club compared to those who reported that their insurance would not pay out.
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Well, I am from Yorkshire and I can tell you that when I was looking for cover for our new Knaus, 18 months ago, whilst quite a few companies wouldn't insure it because of the value, CAMC were helpful, accommodating and extremely competitive as compared with those who had provided quotes. No suggestion, whatsoever, of them being 50% more expensive.
And - on a couple of occasions, I had to temporarily suspend the discount clauses due to problems with the alarm and fitting the wheel locks and all it took was a quick phone call and no suggestion of any 'admin charges' which some companies would have imposed.
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Think you have missed the point completely, the club does not use some broker, it is done all by the club, that's why it is called cover not insurance. One is dealing directly with the club.
As I have said above But one pays one's money and takes one choice based on trust or whatever
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Charlie25, Over a long lifetime I have had to claim from various insurance companies - for car and household building problems as well as for caravans. The claims were all genuine, within the terms of the policies, and all were all settled fairly - some of them very generously.
I make a wide choice of insurance companies and always look at Defaqto ratings, but tend to avoid companies which I have never previously heard of. For the caravan I avoid those companies who want me to instal alarms and trackers and fit wheel clamps or wheel locks, so I have to pay more because of doing that, but I don't mind.
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Like you David, as soon as a non-U.K. built caravan is mentioned, a lot of insurance companies either refuse cover or charge excessively. This was my scenario with CAMC 'insurance' through Devitts. A couple of hours research and I saved £300 on an annual policy. I was disappointed having to take my business elsewhere, preferring to stay with the Club, but I 'will' not be over charged 😉
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Hi charlie, may be a bit late and you may have tried but when I had my Hobby the most competitive insurers were the NFU.
We now use Cover4Caravans which has been among the cheapest quote, I always compare, for a number of years now but that's with a Lunar.
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That's strange. Our van is a Knaus - quite a few companies declined to quote since the value was over £30k. A couple of others didn't know the difference between body length and shipping length and declined on the basis that at 8.1m, it was too long and another insisted on a tracker being fitted
On the other hand, I didn't have any problems at all with the CAMC Cover and I was able to pick and choose which security devices to fit and therefore which discounts to earn. And as I said earlier, their quote was not quite the cheapest, but certainly up there with them.
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I tried NFU because both of our cars are with them and I know they have an excellent reputation for settling claims. When I enquired, however, they told me they could only insure a caravan if it was done in conjunction with House insurance - I think it was called 'Lifestyle' policy or something similar. The combined quote was something like £1200 for the year and obviously totally out of the question.
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Really???
From the Club website: "Our permitted business is advising and arranging general insurance contracts" No mention of underwriting the business and if you need to make a claim:
Send in your claim form
Email your completed claim form to: caravanclaims@devittinsurance.com
Alternatively, post it to: Caravan Cover Claims, Devitt Services Ltd, North House, St Edwards Way, Romford, Essex, RM1 3PP
Strange that 🤔
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I think you'll find Devitts handle claims on behalf of the club.
There's a long thread on the subject somewhere with an official explanation.
Corners is correct.
Edit: Here you are - good luck.
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RandR.
I thought it strange too, which is why I was disappointed not to be able 'to take advantage' of the Club's 5 star rated cover. I, too, came across many insurers who didn't know the differences in caravan lengths and shipping lengths (to be fair, some breakdown companies also struggle with that one!) but the final straw with one of said companies was when I was asked if I had 'other' security devices. When I replied "Yes, Smart Water" the reply came "What's that?!" I put the phone down.
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When I googled caravan club and your quote it took me to the pages for 'Other Insurance' as opposed to Caravan Cover. For Caravan COver it states:
Caravan Cover is provided directly by the Caravan and Motorhome Club.
What's the difference between Caravan Cover from the Caravan and Motorhome Club and caravan insurance?
As we are a membership organisation, and caravan cover is not a legal requirement, we have been able to establish a product just for our members where all aspects of cover are dealt with by the Club.
For example, if you make a claim you would be dealing with the Club rather than a third party organisation.
We provide Caravan Cover on a discretionary basis which means our Board has full discretion over whether to agree to pay claims and the amounts to be paid. They may also agree to pay claims outside the terms and conditions of the cover if they feel the circumstances justify it. It is not a contract of insurance.
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Thank you Easy....and to Tinners for the link.....to your post.
Frankly I'm glad now I didn't go with CAMC as it's misleading.
"For example, if you make a claim you would be dealing with the Club rather than a third party organisation" Not true, unless Devitts are part of the Club!
Judging by the number of replies to your post Easy, it's a can of worms I don't want to open!
Happy travels everyone 😀👍
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I was never truly satisfied with the club's responses Jon. When I reported that the Financial Ombudsman Service had reported to me that they could not act in regard to the CMC Cover the CMC spokesman said that he would speak with them and sort it out. I think that the club had been running their cover for around 15 months at that point. He came back later to say all was sorted and that the FOS would amend their information as a complaint could be made against the insurer that the club has. However in the info supplied by the club this insurance is contracted to the club in the event that the club is financially unable to meet claims due to a financial shortfall. Nowhere does it state otherwise. So I remain unconvinced that should the club be financially sound that such insurance would operate in the event of a claims dispute in the first instance particularly as I would be a third party. To me as clear as mud. As I felt that the club has worded responses carefully ..... but not always clearly and fully I shall simply give the go by
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As you say Easy, all as clear as mud. Thanks for taking the trouble to respond at such length, with so much information. Having worked in the industry, I'm surprised at how many people are prepared to risk their obviously cherished and expensive leisure vehicles in such an ad hoc way! Furthermore, the OP asked about insurance and many posts on here are recommending something which is not insurance. "Oh the Caravan Club take care of everything" doesn't wash with me either, especially now following lockdown and the loss of a reported £20 odd million in revenue. Only needs an influx of claims (how many will there be on the next 3 days?) to put the Club under further financial pressure and then more price hikes will be likely. The bean counters don't like it up em Mr Mainwaring!
ps Corners, if you're reading this 'Actuary' is what you were searching for 👍😀
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