I am a claims manager for a big uk broker and the old saying you get what you pay for is very true . It’s only when you need to use insurance when the terms of the policy are known which 9 times out of 10 is too late ! Make sure you are happy with the policy cover before taking it out or just renewing .. it can take more time but we’ll worth it if you can have a choice of repairer etc
I was also Managing Director of an Insurance Company - A good insurer will want to pay claims to use as collateral with new clients for claims testimonials and industry stats - In fact all we want is a reasonable loss ratio (circa 70% is usual) to mean we are pricing underwriting well - any more than 30% profit is high. Some of these low cost insurers expect to get 50% profit plus despite underwriting below mkt rate. The smaller specialist are more likely to wriggle as the larger boys just consider overall loss ratios over hundreds of thousands of claims - Feefo and other rankings are meaningless because 80% of rankings are based on the underwriter performance eg getting your paperwork quickly - as you say claim settlement is the ONLY worthy indicator.
I had an old boxster insured with Footman James for £5k. The retail value of the car. I crashed in the ice. They paid the full value no worries, paid the recovery, and even asked if I wanted to keep the private registration. Brilliant 👏
Coincidentally, this is also about a Lockton's policy... 5 yrs ago I bought my dream car, an early Aston Martin DB9. Admittedly the paintwork was in a terrible state - bubbling on EVERY single panel - which I was slowly addressing by hand with an airbrush (respray quotes were way too exhorbitant for my budget!). I joined the AMOC and nervously approached Lockton's for an insurance quote, with a good record as a 57yo male driver, BUT with multiple sclerosis and a wheelchair user! I was very pleased with the response of £400pa for fully comprehensive! Two years later my wife was forced off the road by some clown racing in the dark who almost hit her head-on in icy conditions very early one winter's morning and it was written off. This tragedy was considerably ameliorated by Lockton's actions.... An almost immediate payout of the full value with no quibble! We didn't need a courtesy car as it was a weekends/special occasions car and there were no injuries fortunately. I am currently on the hunt for a Rapide S (way easier to fit a wheelchair in than the DB9!) and I will be 110% going straight back to Lockton's for my insurance. No question whatsoever! Also, having an assigned agent to deal with adds a HUGE personal first-name connection which takes it a million miles away from the typocal customer service interactions you normally get from other even very good companies! 10/10
Mark…a friend has a Rapide S and noting your mobility needs (my father was in a wheelchair for 16 years so I understand some problems that arise) May I advise that you actually sit in one as there is a strange quirk…the front door armrests are very far forward of the seat and all but unusable…that might sound minor but I find it rather awkward and do recommend you try before you buy…other than that, you will really love it!! 😀
@@markchip1 I find it to be much further forward in relation to the seat and my elbow lands about four inches behind the moulding in the door panel…I think you just have to try it to see if it works for you…it is the shorter door that I think makes the difference compared to the two door cars. 🙂🙂
Peter, I’m so glad you did a video about this very issue. I feel it’s a bigger problem than most people realise. I experienced something similar to you when my car was damaged beyond economical repair. It was a nightmare but having had extensive motor insurance experience of 25 years I managed to resolve the issues and also claim compensation. I’d checked the company out before parting with my money, but what I was not aware was the company changed hands just months after purchasing my policy. the new owners and no one knew what process or procedures to follow. Wouldn’t touch this large company with many brand names with a barge pole.
Really sorry to hear this story. 4:12 According to the Financial Ombudsman Service, the insurer can only invalidate your insurance due to mods if they would normally have refused insurance on the grounds of those mods. Otherwise, they must pay out on a claim but can reduce the payout by the same percentage you've underpaid on the premium. So, if the premium was £800 but with the mods would have been £1,000 then they can reduce the claim by 20%. Many insurers will try it on, but the FOS will be the point of recourse.
When I worked for an insurance company, we were always told that the shop window of any insurance company is the claims department. You only know how good a company is when you make a claim. So so true.
Great advice Pedro. I tend to go for the cheapest big name I've heard of. My story is as follows... I bought a BMW 335d for £28,500 and managed to drown it in a rather deep puddle. About 11 inches deep to be precise. Of course, being a 335, the air intake is very low at the front, and so it sucked in water and hydrolocked the engine. I was insured through LV, who gave a reasonable premium at around £550. I was 45 at the time, and may have had 3 points. The guy I spoke to at LV said it was an accident, and that it was covered. My car was recovered to the BMW dealer, who stripped it and came up with a repair bill of £27,600. New base engine from Germany (£10,000), 2 Turbos (£900 & £1100), Intercooler, Fuel Pump (£1000), 6 x Injectors (£2400), labour etc. Naturally, LV wrote the car off. The assessor first offered me £26,000 to replace, having showed me an Autotrader advert for a basic spec car. I argued, and provided a lengthy list of the options it had, sent to me by the dealer. After reconsidering, he offered me £28,000. So in the 2 months I had owned the car, I had only lost £500, not counting my excess. I was over the moon with LV at that point, and managed to save some more cash and go out and buy another 335d, but slightly newer and better spec. I have been with LV ever since, as they handled the whole thing pretty well to be fair.
We've had good experiences with LV and we seem to variate our insurance on one car between them and Quote Me Happy. LV , when we bought a new car , even didn't charge for number plate changes , which others can charge an admin fee of £35 . I just wish they stayed competitive every renewal , but seems a common situation of asking a large premium increase but then win you back the following year.
I agree LV might not be the cheapest but a friend who works for a rival company said they are pretty much the best when handling claims. I have a multi car policy with them for 3 fairly sporty machines.
Good piece tonight Peter , getting the correct insurer and policy for your needs is paramount, the extra cost if any at times , is worth every penny , after experience of an attempted hit and run from another driver years ago has always left me looking skyward and thanking my lucky stars for choosing the right insurer . But first rules for everyone is read , read and read some more , then be open honest and transparent when they ask everything of what you have done to the vehicle, what you use it for and what your needs are . After that select the company that suits your needs best wether that’s a race / track insurer or a distance tourer covering thousands of miles , or just a shuttle daily , you pay for great professionalism and service and swift responses and availability. And peace of mind .
You are so good at presenting, how you sit down and talk 15 minutes in one take with no cuts or edits that I can see, and progress through start to finish, I’m impressed, wish I could do it.
I work for probably one of the uks largest insurance company and for legal reasons I’m not allowed to say, but you’ve absolutely nailed it with this video. You’re 1 million percent correct. Great information and very educational for those who may find insurance as just a ‘requirement’ legally. Fantastic vid mate
I got a quote from porsche insurance and the one thing that stuck was windscreen cover ! Its one thing putting a new screen in and another about the damage the shattered screen did to the rest of the car , so the expensive insurance put a Porsche screen in and the fragments of glass also covered like the shards of glass in the carpet or seats etc or the body that was also damaged, you do get what you pay for in life
There is an element of context with this subject in that some people can only afford the cheapest they can find and not everyone needs multi driver and track day cover. I totally agree with the point about reading the small print. I like to have 'driving other vehicles' included, even at a Third Party level, and this is often buried way down DEEP in the small print. My experience with insurance claims is just as frustrating after some fool reversed into my car and simply drove away. I used the Claim Line number and was referred to another department. Rang this number and was referred to a third 'Department'. They referred me back to the original claim line. 4 days, several laps of this 3 way loop and several requests for a manager they finally figured out which way was up and authorised the repairs. Granted this was during lockdown so some flexibility has to be given to the overworked insurance company staff. Part of my policy included an upgrade to a larger car to carry my wife's mobility scooter. They 'forgot' to book one for me and offered me a Citroen C1??? They suddenly changed their minds and supplied a seven seater C5, which was delivered the same day, when a polite but firm reference to the Ombudsman was made. Suffice it to say I am not insured with that company anymore. As a side note the insurance company I renewed with gave me a better policy, with better cover and despite losing my No Claims Bonus the quote was actually cheaper! Shopping around is worth it!
At the very heart of the Car Insurance game in the UK is a price fixing SCAM. I relate an experience. My wife had a fender bender, cosmetic damage. I priced the parts to repair it myself £150. I spoke to the local garage and they said they would do it for £300. But my wife said "why do we have insurance?" and so she took the claim to the insurer....who would only allow the repair to be done at their approved body shop.......a half day job took 4 days and they charged our insurer £1500! No direct cost to us, but ask yourself why car insurance is so expensive in the UK?... and there is your answer..... the bigger body shops have a monopoly on repairs, have queues of cars lined up outside, while smaller garages are cut out of the market so that the body shops can rig their charges and stick it to the insurers....who ultimate pass the costs onto us. ITS A SCAM that should be subject to regulation, but its not!
Peter another superb video. I have currently been with my insurer for 18 years . I have a lot to insure and they are brilliant. I had a new RR which was crashed into by a Government car in London at 6am one morning . My first ever accident . I phoned the number and a lady answered. Within a 10 minute call she had asked I wasn't hurt , taken the other car details , arranged collection for my badly damaged vehicle and confirmed that a 4×4 courtesy car would be with me within that day at my flat . I was contacted the next day to check everything was OK. I drove home a week later and that evening the insurer rang me to say car was a write off and I could either arrange a new like for like replacement myself or they would order and deliver it to me . The whole process took 6 weeks to have my new RR delivered same model, spec and even colour . I don't even bother comparing because I know not only for me but my partner in the event of a problem it will be sorted . Peace of mind !!
@@PetrolPed Yes thanks Peter . I've been to Maranello to look into buying a Supercar from the prancing horse. Will keep you posted about progress hopefully soon
This is so true, I am with Locktons for my Aston Martin, they have great service and are always available even if your personal manager is away their manager is available and things get sorted. Top marks, I pay £440 a year including, any driver over 35, AMOC trackday cover and full recovery, an absolute bargain 👌
My bugbear is the automatic price increase which forced a shop around attitude. I use comparison sites but I look very closely at each quote and I don’t take the cheapest I take the one that suits my needs. I’m also keen on knowing the brand and researching their reputation and customer feedback.
Very wise tips & information from Peter. We all need to remember Peter 's experience from his last appalling insurance company, the next time we renew ours. Great video & happy motoring from now on Peter. 👍
You're so right Peter. I'm insured with LV, and last year in the early hours of Saturday morning, a drunk driver crashed into my car whilst it was parked on the road outside my house, writing it off. By Monday afternoon LV sorted out a courtesy car and my car had been taken away for assessment. I received the valuation at the beginning of the following week and by the end of the week the payout was in my bank account. The customer service was excellent and incredibly helpful. It's not the cheapest insurance out there but I would rather pay more and have the peace of mind that I'm in good hands if I ever need it.
I can recommend LV highly as well. I had a claim on my 911 and it was dealt with brilliantly. The repair was done at a specialist bodyshop that was full of Ferraris, Rolls Royces etc. And I now have a lifetime guarantee on the repair that gets me an annual inspection with a free valet and wash from the garage! I couldn't have asked for anything better. I have three cars insured with them and my total premium is £550 per year, all modifications declared.
Very informative Pete, I was rear ended last August and within 2 hours their insurance company had phoned me admitting liability and offering to take care of the whole claim from start to finish, as I have not been involved in an accident for over 20 years I was somewhat shocked at this wonderful customer service, I accepted their offer and I had my car back fully repaired in 5 days. Ironically the accident was caused by a police X5 chasing a car down a country lane which caused me to do an emergency brake.
Very Wise Words. For my very unexciting but long-distance cars (Lexus and Volvo) we lean towards LV. Mainstream but exceptional service. They have rescued the Lexus in Italy when it was 4 years old, so outside of the Lexus recovery. Similar service to that described in the video. IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE ££££££££.
I've been insured through a well-known company that rhymes with "Lirect Dine" for several years. Our Son decided to get my little Pug 208 written off last year. Courtesy car the next day, payout within a week. Really happy with the service I received and the price I pay. Can't say as much for the other person's insurance company - 10 months later we're still waiting for them to come to an agreement on fault.
I had to claim years ago when insured by them, and it was not a great experience. Never again. Eagle Star, on the other hand, were fabulous when my car was written off after an accident. The accident was the other driver’s fault, and perhaps that helps, but they handled everything swiftly and considerately. I now always check reviews before taking out a policy.
I work for a major insurance company in the US. The biggest issue I see is that people have no idea what coverage they have. Then get mad at me for not having it or the deductible is too high. You are responsible for reading your declaration page when we mail it, upload it to your account and app. No one forced you to pick a $2,000 deductible. Or they make the choice to carry no collision/comprehensive coverage and say we are bad because we can’t pay for the vehicle damage.
Good video, Pete👍👍 In recent years I have used the comparison sites for a ballpark figure, having googled the cheaper options and been put off by the comments. I have also found that by the time the like for like additions have been added the cheap options are not that cheap anymore. The problem is you don't know unless you claim..
Great video!! I learnt the hard way after having taken out insurance with UK company that is quite naval sounding 😉. Their windscreen cover only covered the first £50 of the £1000 bill I was saddled with in order to fit OEM g glass to my car which otherwise would have invalidated my Porsche extended warranty 😢
We've had similar experiences in the past with claims dragging on and on. We don't choose the cheapest insurer but not top end either. However we always select zero excess option. It might cost a little bit more, but that way your car is fixed and you don't need to wait 12-18mths to get your excess back, nor the countless long phones calls that involves.
The same goes here in the states. There are so many insurance companies that will sell you the cheapest car insurance just to have, but aren't willing to actually do anything for you. I've had Progressive for about 9 years yes I pay just a little more because we have a 2016 Mercedes-Benz SLK 300 & a 2019 Fiat 500X Trekking Plus. With my policy, I've literally had no issues. I've been in some finder benders, road hazard situations, some road rage incidents, & stranded places (not all in one time either) They have literally had my back throughout the years recovering me from Laughlin, NV back to Vegas, or when others don't pay attention. I'm sure there are others on here that have a saying, "you get what you pay for". I'm a hug fan of your channel & thanks for sharing your experience with different insurance companies. This was an interesting one.
I had my House insurance and Defender through NFU They were reasonable in terms of costs. Year on year reduction for loyalty. Great. Till I needed to make a claim. Horrendous. I was waiting for a hip replacement and not very mobile. They were supposed to give a curtesy car. Never materialised. It was a terrible experience all round it was over Christmas too. So not able to do proper shopping etc. I’m no longer insured on the house, with No F@&£ing Use and now my vehicles (Merc SL & Lexus) are with others too. Defender was sold as it was bodged and wrong. They had it back twice as I rejected it. Great Advice and nice to see how you can and should be treated.
Thank you for the video. I personally go with the absolutely cheapest insurance i can get with all mods declared, an excess of £1000 (maximum) and limited mileage 3000 miles on each of the two cars. I have modified them both so extensively that i'd have to value the mx5 at close to £30.000, which i won't as it'll put my premiums well into the thousands. Only reason i do that is to be barely legal, have the minimum required cover to not be arrested if stopped and checked, and to not have it void in the event of as you said, hitting something very expensive. That's it. In the event of an accident, wether at fault or no-fault, it would be cheaper to just tow the car home (i'm with the AA, £15 a month), strip all the expensive bits and install them on a different car that i can find for 1200-1500... in the event of a no-fault totalling, i'll take the market value payout, buy a new stock car/shell, buy the car back from the insurance and do the afforementioned proccess.
Great information Pete, a very worthwhile message. One point in the comments is don't come unstuck by using your vehicle for business if its only insured for private milage. Its easy to come unstuck on this one if you are self employed and fancy taking your weekend toy to a meeting as its a nice day! Ive put 2k business miles on my 911 for that reason, cost went up but I'm covered.
Wise words and Most certainly read the small print as insurance providers are making repairers use some rubbish ‘alternative parts’ to keep the costs down which include used parts to which clients don’t realise.. Bodyshop staff always feel the brunt of it as ‘the client’ generally is angry A because it’s their fault B it’s going to cost them money C the inconvenience that someone has hit their vehicle. Buy the insurance that suits you for sure. 👍🏼
Absolutely agree with you, a insurance company I found on comparison website, was so good so not all doom and gloom there, I had an accident with a fallen tree, it was dark and around a bend on a national speed limit road, I was doing around 40 around the bend in my Ford kuga, the whole front passenger side was taken out, I was in shock and actually drove the car home, spoke to the company and they told me I shouldn't have driven, but they sent someone to pick the car up and drop off a replacement car, few weeks and after I paid my deductible the car was back, it was over £4000 worth of damage, next time it came to renewing they hadn't brought my insurance up much, maybe £30, I stayed with them out of respect and service, I have changed now due to more powerful car and will be modding it.
Having once been stranded in a small provincial town in the South of France for 3 days with 2 young children a few years ago, this video resonated hugely. When our car came back to the UK 2 weeks later our local garage fixed the car in 5 minutes. If only the R*C had competent people to asses the vehicles in France our nightmare would have been avoided. 😭
Been there buddy. Van broke outside Geneva last week. Broke down Monday, van picked up Friday by R*C. I’m now at the mercy of a £4K bill to repair. The stress caused by that useless company. 7hrs on the first day making calls trying to get action and answers. I travel to Europe a lot and now need to find a proper company for future breakdown insurance…
@@PetrolPed Not only did we suffer 3 incredibly boring days at Brive La Gillard we also lost the value of our 3 day Disney Paris trip which was £1000.00. Our travel insurance didn’t cover this as it was part of our onward journey . 😢
Thanks for this video Peter. It’s easy to forget about notifying insurer with mods & upgrades over time, especially if done by previous owners. Your video prompted me to list everything non-standard on my cars and email to my insurer for their records & mine. I’m also with Locktons who were super helpful & actually it didn’t change my premium at all, but I’m now safe in case something does happen in future.
As an aside ref insurance, if you have personal plate and car is written off and taken to garage/scrap yard a letter needs to go to your insurance company informing you own the plate, otherwise once car is sold on plate will go with it.
Pete, that's actually one of your best vids in ages. Thanks. I too learned the hard way, 2 big cc bikes nicked in France and not a penny from the policies, wiggled out of everything. B*stards.
Very interesting again Peter. I have always stayed clear of “Branded” insurance and others with rather silly names so have stayed with major insurers like LV and for my wife Saga. Both are very good but my only claim experience was when a disabled driver reversed into the front of the C5, admitted liability immediately and the whole thing was done under his Motability cover. Having sold insurance at one point in my life, I learnt a lot about cheap cover…most of it “covers” themselves!! Linked thoughts. Tyres and age. Hilary’s C3 is on 15500 miles and was new September 2011. The tyres looked brand new and barely worn…Michelin Primacy 3 date coded 11/11. I kept them because of this recent 18 month house restoration and wanted to avoid buying new tyres because of nails and visits to the recycling centre. However they were far past their use by date…. This week with an MOT due, I replaced them and chose a slightly cheaper set of Goodyear tyres…driven by the fact that we were going to change the car later this year. However…these Goodyears are astonishingly better in every way…they have transformed the car…BUT…what the reason is, is age…the old tyres were iron hard and I doubt have had much grip for years. Would our insurers have invalidated any claims???….probably. So linked to this Insurance video…check the tyres because they could be the loophole they fix on when a claim comes your way!! 😬😬😬😬😀😀😀😀Stay safe! Richard😀😀😀
Brilliant video. Same issues here in NZ. Some companies will ping you if you change the head unit out - considered a modification🤷. Here we have to pay extra for a rental car....Never assume it's part of the policy. Took six months of fighting a company, who eventually said my car had to be repaired, would not write it off. Broken rear axle, body out of alignment and panel beater didn't want his name attached to the job. Yes you pay for what you get, but basic service, i.e. Not dealing with a keypad to get to a human, dealing with a human who is actually in the country and can understand your localisms, and actually speaks your language is so important.🤦 Must give a heads up to Mini Roadside assistance. I triggered it, next thing a lovely lady answers, asks me if I'm alright, what do I need, and what can she do. Wow!!! I explained it was a mistake, she confirmed everything was ok. Wished me a good day. That is service. I appreciate it came as part of my new car package. But I will be renewing. Comparing that to phoning my insurance company on the side of a road with a blown out tyre after hitting a rock, an hour wait for a human, I had 30 mins battery left. Then to be told as it wasn't a mechanical issue or accident damaged (🤦) they wouldn't send a recovery vehicle. Apparently a good defensive driver would have avoided the rock. 😡 Another great video PP, 10/10 👏👏
So...you have just helped me make up my mind. Am 14 days away from renewal, been with them 5 years, but quote up 20%...online to find quotes elsewhere, for less than last years premium, but...it would mean a new start and no-one knows me in the new firms. I'm going to stick with the current insurer, pay up the extra cash and trust they will look after me, if things go awry. Whatever anyone is thinking about being smart with a lower quote, there are ALWAYS downsides...sleep on it before you decide.
Very good friend with a Ferrari found out that the insurance company could use second hand parts to repair it!!! They are now with the same as you to cover Ferrari and their Porsche. Thank you for sharing.
During times of being a 'bit skint' shall we say, I went through a similar senario with one of the big branded companies, who's moto is that their insurance is easy. Well, I can tell you that they maybe , as long as you don't make a claim. We had a broken screen in our Volvo and it took them 3 months to get this resolved. Basically if we were stopped with the screen we had, could have cost us points, but we had no other vehicle at the time to use. The reg was on a Ford Focus once and 2 years it was on the Volvo. At one point they said they couldnt find the Focus to replace the screen , when parked outside my office. Yes, they still had the focus on their system as the vehicle, even though the insurance docs showed it as the Volvo. Then the to-ing and fro-ing started. My wife knew them almost by their first names , when calling to try and get the screen changed. They eventually appeared , changed the screen, broke all the plastic clips that held the screen finishing strips in place and duly used the same screen adhesive to put them on . So, if we ever needed to change the screen again, it could destroy the colour coded parts. It was a lesson and now I only use named insurance companies who underwrite themselves. It is looking at feedback for some of these larger supermarket type companies , as its not all as it 'should' be.
An interesting difference between the UK and a lot of Europe is that in the UK you insure the person to the car. Where i am in Norway (and in other European countries) you just insure the car. So every standard policy here is "Any licensed driver over the age of 23", and you pay extra for under 23's. So here anyone over 23 can just climb in my Tesla and drive it, no need to call the company, no hassle. In contrast, in the UK my insurance was "these specifically named drivers on this specific car", and a lot of hassle to get someone extra added. I also get full European breakdown cover, and if my car is written off in the first 3 years i get a new one. As with the UK though, some companies here have better reputations than others for paying out in the event of an accident.
Thank you for the good advice and we are sorry to hear all the trouble you had with your claim. We tend to stick to the company we are with already but will check them out to make sure they are likely to be reliable should we need them.
Excellent video, great points, my company here in Australia is pretty good as have hit two kangaroos on two different occasions (ouch)in two different cars and they have been most efficient, not the Roos, the company!😂Not the cheapest or most expensive company but was pleased with the outcomes. Miss just worrying about hitting rabbits when I lived in the UK…some of these Roos are 6ft tall!👍🇦🇺🇬🇧😅
A very interesting and useful video. Having had several Porsche Boxter / Cayman cars I had used a variety of insurers carefully checking the policy cover. Recently that had been with Aviva but this year they have increased the premium by 26% for no change in my circumstances and other members of our local Porsche club have had similar increases from Aviva. Having approached Lockton's I concur they have professional and courteous staff and easy to contact. However Locktons also use Aviva as the insurer and the premium was the same as Aviva at £620. Locktons can also agree a value for your car if you need to claim for a right off under the policy, so many useful aspects to their policy. In the end I could not see sufficient difference in the comparisons between LV and Aviva / Locktons to warranty a 100% increase in cost. Time will tell if I have made the right choice. As you point out, you only find out when you really need it!
Good point, well made. I have 2 vehicles and my BMW is modified and with everything declared, it's approximately 40% more but at least I know I'm covered. Another thing to check is both my cars are fully comp including European cover however in the small print on one of the policies it states I'm only 3rd party only in Europe which isn't immediately obvious and as I do drive in Europe a few times a year so it's important to check!
Really depends on what you drive. If i had flash Porsche like you id be using the best insurance too. But i think the majority of us buy the cheapest because we have to manage our running costs as best we can ....struggling to fill it up with fuel some weeks
I had a nightmare with my car when a van cut me up on the motorway and we both ended up in the crash barrier. I had GAP insurance so the insurance company said they would fix the £9k damage to my car as it was worth £21k to replace the car. The first problem I had was the insurance company (lets call them not so Straight Line) insisted my car go to a repair shop over 50 miles away. When I said "No way" they said "oh there is a local repairer 2 miles away". I agreed thinking the car was to be written off but GAP "supposedly" saved me. It took over a month to get parts from Korea and fix the car. I collected it one evening and it looked OK. The following morning I noticed scratches on the roof which were not there at the time of the accident, the front bumper gaps were all different and the steering wheel wasn't straight. The repairer sorted these issues but a day after collecting the car I noticed the bumper colour didn't match the wing on one side. "Straight Line" insurance sent an engineer to look at the car and said it was "commercially acceptable". I asked the paint supplier to look at the car as well and the engineer stated the bumper had not been blown into the existing original wing. The insurance company still dug their heels in until I threatened legal action stating it wasn't the right colour. I won the argument and loved driving the car again until 9 months later at the MOT. The steering rack on the side of the accident was leaking a little fluid. The main dealer garage knew the history of the car as they had supplied many of the parts and in their opinion the steering rack "could" have been damaged in the accident but could not be sure. I traded the car in for a different make of car and have never used the insurance company since.
Cheers Peter. These are the types of videos that make you one of the best motor TH-camrs going. No crap, no bullsh/t, just the facts & numbers of how it all happened.. Just the cost of a recovery vehicle & hotel on short noticed has more than payed for the extra cost in insurance. The only thing missed I think, was naming the Mini’s insurance company. Any company that acts like that should be named & shamed. There is quite a big margin of possibility that some viewers are currently insured by that insurer. That may in the future get stung by them. You still have some of the best content going 👍 Regards Pete
Sorry to hear of your poor experience. I wrote-off a Mini a couple of years ago when it hit a raised manhole cover, fractured the sump and the engine got destroyed before the oil warning light came on. I was with LV and they were excellent. I still have 2 cars with them, but they are over £1K more expensive for the car I'm about to buy (quotes start at under £600 and LV are £2K!). Much as I'd like to insure with them, I can't justify paying that as there are about 50 quotes below £1K and they can't all be from bad providers. The price difference isn't down to the excess or add-ons such as NCD protection and legal protection.
Another piece of advice; if you're modifying your car, as you say, tell the insurance company BEFORE you do it. I've seen several cases of people informing their insurance company that they've had it done and having their policy cancelled!
Good video and advice , i must be one of the saddos that reads all the small print and never goes with the cheapest unless it includes everything I want , cheapest is not always best !
Nice video! My father had a small bump at a junction, someone ran into the back of him thinking he hadn’t stopped. I can’t remember the name of the insurance, but they advertise as specialists for old age drivers, they sorted everything out so efficiently, car was repaired at the local village garage in the middle of southern Scotland.
That sounds a cracking policy you've got there 👍🏼 OMG Hitting the rock in the Porsche must've felt like Charley Clubman all over again. So glad you were sorted out.
Hello Again. 'Dear Mr Petrol Ped', your experience is 'spot-on', whether it be insurance, products or anything, buying 'cheap' always, yes always will cost more, thats why the products were cheap to start with, however it is not always the highist price that offeres the best deal, always read the 'fine print'. Regards, RichardA.
I can’t really comment on car insurance because I’m on Motability & it’s part of the agreement. However, when it comes to home insurance. I never auto renew. I get my renewal letter, then I go to comparison sites. I always add emergency call out & legal assistance, accidental damage on buildings & contents because I am disabled. I’ve been with the same company for 10-15 yrs. Never made a claim. My one bed flat has never been more than £200pa. This year I chose to increase my excess to reduce my premium.
Very interesting.It's true,you never really know about a policy until you need it.My policy is due for renewal next month so I will be looking a bit more closely at it now.Your insurers really did a good job for you when you were in France.
Great advice mate, I keep telling my nephew about declaring all his mods but does he listen? I'd get him to watch your video but I know he wouldn't...you can't tell him! Another thing to look out for in the small print is the 'protected no claims discount'. I had PNCD and never thought anything of it! When it was up for renewal I went through the small print for comparison with another company...I was shocked to see that even though it was protected, it could still be reduced if I had a run of bad luck and made more than one claim in a set period of time! The company I moved too was £25 more, BUT their policy said: "If your NCD is shown as protected on your schedule, it won’t be reduced irrespective of the number of accidents/claims made". A good tip for people with multiple cars and drivers all living at the same address: Rather than paying £30 each per policy for legal protection, you can buy the same amount of cover direct from a well know breakdown company for £15, that covers up to 5 people under one the policy. So £15 between 5 rather than 5 lots of £30 :)
Hopefully you never get the opportunity to say ‘To You So’. Basically he is driving uninsured and breaking the law. An accident could cost him more than not getting paid out. It will get him into bother with the boys in blue 😢
Top consumer tip Pete! insurance is one of those things we all need but hope we never have to use. I know mine comes with most things, breakdown, hire car, expenses, legal etc... it isn't the cheapest, but it does cover peace of mind !👍
Absolutely agree... my recent claim, my insurance- Covea prestige - were excellent. I had a choice of hire car and they dropped me off a Range Rover Vogue for a month whilst my car was being repaired. All within 24 hours. Being insured fully comp on any car is also a great thing. You get what you pay for! Buy cheap now, repent at your leisure!
I usually take the cheapest for my family battle bus but for my weekend toys I go with one of the Porsche specialists. Every quote is always more expensive than the high street ones. However, whenever I want to speak to someone to discuss my policy I’m able to speak straight away to a human being, the actual policy is much more comprehensive and I get a good quality breakdown cover thrown in. It’s well worth the extra premiums.
I always call the claims number for a potential new insurer. If they don’t answer quickly, maybe after a couple of tries, I move down the list. Great tips in the video too.
Good advice Ped. Luckily, I have not had to claim on the car front. On the house front I use Hiscox. Comfortably 2 or 3 times more expensive than other companies for household insurance. I've done this since 10 years ago my shed was emptied shortly after moving house, with plenty of new garden equipment. Hiscox paid in full abouut £5k within 4 days of me notifying them. Fast forward to this feb when we had the storms; 2 field shelters flipped, loads of garden furniture lost (that had been in the field shelters). Aside from a slightly officious loss adjuster, Hiscox paid out a significant sum in a few weeks. You get what you pay for (and the renewal wasnt as big a jump as I was expecting).
Great vid, good life lesson. People should also bare in mind that if they do not declare mods (and performance mods are the ones that will matter, not tyre brand, nor adding a dash cam), if the insurer does identify that, opts to react and either void the policy or deny any own damage, it will make getting Ins in the future more difficult. You may choose to not declare 'had ins denied etc", but there is an industry database, and you'll be on it PS driving other cars, any driver on yours and track day cover plus European cover for a grand more, given it's a Porsche over a Mini is a cracking deal (and a business expense for you of course....)
The problem with the insurance market is it’s based on price. Customers need to focus on the cover they need (demands and needs) and ensure they read through the IPID (Insurance Product Information Document). Check what options are available as these may be useful. Use an insurer you’ve heard of, and personally I’d avoid any which are not based in the UK. My policy, purchased direct from one of the largest UK insurers, was actually the cheapest for the cover I wanted.
That was a great video and very informative, great to hear about your new insurance being so helpful. I do remain sceptical about how policies are calculated though. My son who is 21 and has had NCD since he started driving at 17. Last year whilst sat in stationary traffic on a dual carriageway he got hit up the back. 100% non fault and the other person admitted full liability so their insurance paid out as my sons car was written off. Anyway, come renewal this year, he has had to declare a non fault claim and his current insurer (who he has been with since he started driving) refused to insure him. This seems very unfair, he did nothing wrong, lost his car and now had to faff about finding another insurer and to rub salt in to the wound, he now has to declare that he has been refused insurance so that bumps his premium up even more. It all seems very unregulated and inconsistent.
Great video. I’m looking forward to seeing your “finance a car” video as I’m looking to purchase my 1st Porsche (Cayman) soon and have been reviewing finance options and costs.
Brilliant video Ped very interesting I found this out a few years ago I had an accident in East Germany and it too 9 months to get paid out the insurer did everything possible to avoid paying out luckily my uncle works for Lloyds of London and one of his specialists was kind enough to take the insurance company on they paid out after 3 letters from him and he was giving me the same information as you have just given others. Nowadays I do not have to worry about insurance as I have a Motability car I was in lucky about 5 years ago I had 2 write offs in a year neither my fault and the insurance company could not have done moor as soon as the insurance company wote the cars off I was told to go order new cars and they paid for hire cars fire the whole time I was without a car and because of my disability they arranged for a large roomy car because I can’t get out of a low car but they were brilliant so I agree with you don’t skimp on your insurance 👍🏻
It’s an interesting point you bring up, I’ve always seen it as a tick box requirement but now we have some valuable cars in the household, it’s perhaps worth considering an alternative next time around
First off all the adds where car insurance adds 😆. 2nd I’ve had great experiences with State Farm. Good rates good insurance and in the one accident claim I made and plenty of roadside assistance calls they’ve helped out with I can say I’m very happy with State Farm! A fantastic video Sir Pete. Sorry that was such a piss poor experience. Last thing! I bought a truck with a massive v8 engine 8.1L v8!
Here is why I agree with all you say. Over 4 decades ago, a colleague insured his car through the company that our trade union heavily promoted because it was dirt cheap. He was subsequently involved in an collision and had no end of trouble with the claim. Conversely, I have always paid a bit extra, only dealt with reputable companies and bought many of their add-ons which have resulted in very satisfactory outcomes for the four claims (only one of which was my fault) I've had in over 40+ years - touchwood!
Evening everyone. Great insight Pete. I was on a driving tour with a friend in his McLaren and we ended up stranded on the top of the Stelvio pass. Fortunately there was a hostel, so we were able to get a place to stay for the night. The car was undrivable so had to get a taxi to the nearest airport, which was a 5-6 hr taxi ride.
This is the first time i have felt compelled to comment on a post but really wanted to contribute on this video... Disclaimer: I don't drive a fancy car, (i wish i did), I live my motoring dreams through channels like this, I actually have a 65 plate insignia, i can quickly skip past the 'non factor fitted' section when choosing my insurance, and I was guilty of exactly of what you said, I felt it was a necessary evil to find the money to insure my car so I could drive my motor to and from work, so I didn't want to pay a penny more than i had too, especially when there are so many others on the road that don't even bother with insurance/tax .. or would just plump for 3rd party to keep the costs down even more.. . BUT .. this video has really made me stop and think, and reflect on the "what if.." point(s) you made... i have a family to consider, i need to be working to look after us all and I would need to be back on the road asap, and a few pound saved on my motor insurance may not be the wisest saving i could make... insurance is there for peace of mind.. you have raised some great points, yes we roll in different circles but the principles are all the same, you get what you pay for and when you need it... you need it (we would certainly need help on our side).. great video, thank you so much for talking about it.
Hi PetrolPed, Great video! Going through a similar thing myself at the moment... Last week a stolen car decided to write off my Alfa Romeo Giulia, thankfully I am okay however the car is in a bad way. Currently waiting for my insurance company to call me back regarding the claim, not going to name any names but they have been slow at responding, and even though my policy includes a courtesy car they won’t issue me one as my car is a write-off. Hopefully, it all resolves itself in the coming weeks, and I’m 100% going to be buying another Giulia. I will certainly be looking for better insurance companies going forward.
Me and Mrs McVitie have been fortunate for the past 10 years as she works for a well known insurance group, so we got the full cover with staff discount and whatever deals were being offered at the time of renewal, so our cars are insured with her company. Sadly, at the end of the month she’s being made redundant, so we’ll be shopping around once again. Our son’s car is with another well known company because they were cheaper than my and the wife’s provider. We’ve never had a problem with my son’s provider after he had a prang in his previous car, but when Mrs McVitie was in a serious crash, then she ended up making a complaint in person to the CEO of the company as he was based in the same building as her and it was all sorted out, 2 members of staff were given additional training and she was compensated!!
I work in disaster restoration. We work predominantly for high net worth policyholders. We work to the same standards for all other insurance company’s too. Yes it’s true that you get what you pay for but unfortunately there is a massive gap in customer service the less paid
Guy took off my wing mirror on way to work in May. He stopped, we exchanged details. His insurance company (the green a yellow one starting with A) within 2 hours they’d called me, organised repair, had hire car delivered to my home that evening and picked up my car at same time. Car was repaired within 3 days and returned (and cleaned!!) That is how car insurance should work, sure the guys policy wasn’t cheap but no hassle for either us.
Hi Pete, this is all very important stuff! Any two bob company will be happy to take your money for premiums but of course it is how the company treats you for any insurance claim and then you quickly find out what is not covered. I am happy to pay a bit more for insurance which means that my car is covered comprehensively for the life of the vehicle, provided I bought it new and continue to insure with the same company. I don't have to worry about market valuations or sum insured figures. Tailoring your policy is also very important, particularly who can drive it etc; amount of excess you wish to pay and it is often overlooked by many people that you are paying for features on a policy that don't apply to you. Also, a smooth trouble-free claim procedure is very important - my company handles claims over the phone and I also have choice of repairer. Many thanks for highlighting all these facts.
I use my Tesco rewards points to pay for my RAC coverage and if you haven't got enough points you can pay the difference yourself at the discounted rate
Another great video Pete, really enjoyed this, informative and entertaining 🙏👌👏I’m a firm believer of you get what you pay for. I’ve had some great experiences (Admittedly in New Zealand) in insurance companies that go the extra mile. Such a difference, if you’re in the position that you need to make a claim
Great video. I fully agree, I have had huge differences in the quality of service between insurers. My tip, if using comparison sites look at the minimum excess required. Often the cheapest will require a huge excess, sometimes equal to a fair chunk of the total cost of the insurance premium. By going with a more expensive provider, perhaps a well reviewed one with extra benefits, adjusting the excess lower, or even to zero, adds only a relatively small amount to the initial outlay. However the fact that you don’t need to pay out a large excess when claiming actually makes the policy better value.
I am a claims manager for a big uk broker and the old saying you get what you pay for is very true . It’s only when you need to use insurance when the terms of the policy are known which 9 times out of 10 is too late ! Make sure you are happy with the policy cover before taking it out or just renewing .. it can take more time but we’ll worth it if you can have a choice of repairer etc
This is good timing… my policy expires on Friday! I’ll look closer at the wording!
👍
I agree, the best policy does not have to be the most expensive so long as it gives you the cover you need or want.
Never met an insurance company that doesn't try and pay out as little as possible.
Including all the majors.
I was also Managing Director of an Insurance Company - A good insurer will want to pay claims to use as collateral with new clients for claims testimonials and industry stats - In fact all we want is a reasonable loss ratio (circa 70% is usual) to mean we are pricing underwriting well - any more than 30% profit is high. Some of these low cost insurers expect to get 50% profit plus despite underwriting below mkt rate.
The smaller specialist are more likely to wriggle as the larger boys just consider overall loss ratios over hundreds of thousands of claims - Feefo and other rankings are meaningless because 80% of rankings are based on the underwriter performance eg getting your paperwork quickly - as you say claim settlement is the ONLY worthy indicator.
I had an old boxster insured with Footman James for £5k. The retail value of the car. I crashed in the ice. They paid the full value no worries, paid the recovery, and even asked if I wanted to keep the private registration. Brilliant 👏
Good to know.
Great 👍
As a club we have always had a good connection with Footman James 👍
Coincidentally, this is also about a Lockton's policy...
5 yrs ago I bought my dream car, an early Aston Martin DB9. Admittedly the paintwork was in a terrible state - bubbling on EVERY single panel - which I was slowly addressing by hand with an airbrush (respray quotes were way too exhorbitant for my budget!). I joined the AMOC and nervously approached Lockton's for an insurance quote, with a good record as a 57yo male driver, BUT with multiple sclerosis and a wheelchair user! I was very pleased with the response of £400pa for fully comprehensive!
Two years later my wife was forced off the road by some clown racing in the dark who almost hit her head-on in icy conditions very early one winter's morning and it was written off. This tragedy was considerably ameliorated by Lockton's actions.... An almost immediate payout of the full value with no quibble! We didn't need a courtesy car as it was a weekends/special occasions car and there were no injuries fortunately. I am currently on the hunt for a Rapide S (way easier to fit a wheelchair in than the DB9!) and I will be 110% going straight back to Lockton's for my insurance. No question whatsoever!
Also, having an assigned agent to deal with adds a HUGE personal first-name connection which takes it a million miles away from the typocal customer service interactions you normally get from other even very good companies! 10/10
Great to hear 👍
Mark…a friend has a Rapide S and noting your mobility needs (my father was in a wheelchair for 16 years so I understand some problems that arise) May I advise that you actually sit in one as there is a strange quirk…the front door armrests are very far forward of the seat and all but unusable…that might sound minor but I find it rather awkward and do recommend you try before you buy…other than that, you will really love it!! 😀
@@HQBProductions - I had an early DB9 and had no issues with the door... Is the Rapide that much different?
@@markchip1 I find it to be much further forward in relation to the seat and my elbow lands about four inches behind the moulding in the door panel…I think you just have to try it to see if it works for you…it is the shorter door that I think makes the difference compared to the two door cars. 🙂🙂
@@HQBProductions - thanks for the input. I will certainly bear this in mind!
Peter, I’m so glad you did a video about this very issue. I feel it’s a bigger problem than most people realise. I experienced something similar to you when my car was damaged beyond economical repair. It was a nightmare but having had extensive motor insurance experience of 25 years I managed to resolve the issues and also claim compensation. I’d checked the company out before parting with my money, but what I was not aware was the company changed hands just months after purchasing my policy. the new owners and no one knew what process or procedures to follow. Wouldn’t touch this large company with many brand names with a barge pole.
Thanks Gerald 👍
Really sorry to hear this story.
4:12 According to the Financial Ombudsman Service, the insurer can only invalidate your insurance due to mods if they would normally have refused insurance on the grounds of those mods. Otherwise, they must pay out on a claim but can reduce the payout by the same percentage you've underpaid on the premium. So, if the premium was £800 but with the mods would have been £1,000 then they can reduce the claim by 20%. Many insurers will try it on, but the FOS will be the point of recourse.
Good to know
When I worked for an insurance company, we were always told that the shop window of any insurance company is the claims department. You only know how good a company is when you make a claim. So so true.
Indeed 👍
Great advice Pedro. I tend to go for the cheapest big name I've heard of. My story is as follows...
I bought a BMW 335d for £28,500 and managed to drown it in a rather deep puddle. About 11 inches deep to be precise. Of course, being a 335, the air intake is very low at the front, and so it sucked in water and hydrolocked the engine. I was insured through LV, who gave a reasonable premium at around £550. I was 45 at the time, and may have had 3 points. The guy I spoke to at LV said it was an accident, and that it was covered. My car was recovered to the BMW dealer, who stripped it and came up with a repair bill of £27,600. New base engine from Germany (£10,000), 2 Turbos (£900 & £1100), Intercooler, Fuel Pump (£1000), 6 x Injectors (£2400), labour etc. Naturally, LV wrote the car off. The assessor first offered me £26,000 to replace, having showed me an Autotrader advert for a basic spec car. I argued, and provided a lengthy list of the options it had, sent to me by the dealer. After reconsidering, he offered me £28,000. So in the 2 months I had owned the car, I had only lost £500, not counting my excess. I was over the moon with LV at that point, and managed to save some more cash and go out and buy another 335d, but slightly newer and better spec. I have been with LV ever since, as they handled the whole thing pretty well to be fair.
We've had good experiences with LV and we seem to variate our insurance on one car between them and Quote Me Happy. LV , when we bought a new car , even didn't charge for number plate changes , which others can charge an admin fee of £35 . I just wish they stayed competitive every renewal , but seems a common situation of asking a large premium increase but then win you back the following year.
I agree LV might not be the cheapest but a friend who works for a rival company said they are pretty much the best when handling claims. I have a multi car policy with them for 3 fairly sporty machines.
Good piece tonight Peter , getting the correct insurer and policy for your needs is paramount, the extra cost if any at times , is worth every penny , after experience of an attempted hit and run from another driver years ago has always left me looking skyward and thanking my lucky stars for choosing the right insurer . But first rules for everyone is read , read and read some more , then be open honest and transparent when they ask everything of what you have done to the vehicle, what you use it for and what your needs are . After that select the company that suits your needs best wether that’s a race / track insurer or a distance tourer covering thousands of miles , or just a shuttle daily , you pay for great professionalism and service and swift responses and availability. And peace of mind .
Exactly 👍
You are so good at presenting, how you sit down and talk 15 minutes in one take with no cuts or edits that I can see, and progress through start to finish, I’m impressed, wish I could do it.
Thanks mate. Glad someone spotted that 😜😂
I work for probably one of the uks largest insurance company and for legal reasons I’m not allowed to say, but you’ve absolutely nailed it with this video. You’re 1 million percent correct. Great information and very educational for those who may find insurance as just a ‘requirement’ legally. Fantastic vid mate
That’s great to hear mate 👍
I got a quote from porsche insurance and the one thing that stuck was windscreen cover ! Its one thing putting a new screen in and another about the damage the shattered screen did to the rest of the car , so the expensive insurance put a Porsche screen in and the fragments of glass also covered like the shards of glass in the carpet or seats etc or the body that was also damaged, you do get what you pay for in life
There is an element of context with this subject in that some people can only afford the cheapest they can find and not everyone needs multi driver and track day cover.
I totally agree with the point about reading the small print. I like to have 'driving other vehicles' included, even at a Third Party level, and this is often buried way down DEEP in the small print.
My experience with insurance claims is just as frustrating after some fool reversed into my car and simply drove away. I used the Claim Line number and was referred to another department. Rang this number and was referred to a third 'Department'. They referred me back to the original claim line. 4 days, several laps of this 3 way loop and several requests for a manager they finally figured out which way was up and authorised the repairs. Granted this was during lockdown so some flexibility has to be given to the overworked insurance company staff. Part of my policy included an upgrade to a larger car to carry my wife's mobility scooter. They 'forgot' to book one for me and offered me a Citroen C1??? They suddenly changed their minds and supplied a seven seater C5, which was delivered the same day, when a polite but firm reference to the Ombudsman was made. Suffice it to say I am not insured with that company anymore.
As a side note the insurance company I renewed with gave me a better policy, with better cover and despite losing my No Claims Bonus the quote was actually cheaper! Shopping around is worth it!
At the very heart of the Car Insurance game in the UK is a price fixing SCAM. I relate an experience. My wife had a fender bender, cosmetic damage. I priced the parts to repair it myself £150. I spoke to the local garage and they said they would do it for £300. But my wife said "why do we have insurance?" and so she took the claim to the insurer....who would only allow the repair to be done at their approved body shop.......a half day job took 4 days and they charged our insurer £1500! No direct cost to us, but ask yourself why car insurance is so expensive in the UK?... and there is your answer..... the bigger body shops have a monopoly on repairs, have queues of cars lined up outside, while smaller garages are cut out of the market so that the body shops can rig their charges and stick it to the insurers....who ultimate pass the costs onto us. ITS A SCAM that should be subject to regulation, but its not!
Peter another superb video. I have currently been with my insurer for 18 years . I have a lot to insure and they are brilliant. I had a new RR which was crashed into by a Government car in London at 6am one morning . My first ever accident . I phoned the number and a lady answered. Within a 10 minute call she had asked I wasn't hurt , taken the other car details , arranged collection for my badly damaged vehicle and confirmed that a 4×4 courtesy car would be with me within that day at my flat . I was contacted the next day to check everything was OK. I drove home a week later and that evening the insurer rang me to say car was a write off and I could either arrange a new like for like replacement myself or they would order and deliver it to me . The whole process took 6 weeks to have my new RR delivered same model, spec and even colour . I don't even bother comparing because I know not only for me but my partner in the event of a problem it will be sorted . Peace of mind !!
Wow. Great service. I trust you are well mate 👍
@@PetrolPed Yes thanks Peter . I've been to Maranello to look into buying a Supercar from the prancing horse. Will keep you posted about progress hopefully soon
This is so true, I am with Locktons for my Aston Martin, they have great service and are always available even if your personal manager is away their manager is available and things get sorted. Top marks, I pay £440 a year including, any driver over 35, AMOC trackday cover and full recovery, an absolute bargain 👌
Great to hear 👍
My bugbear is the automatic price increase which forced a shop around attitude. I use comparison sites but I look very closely at each quote and I don’t take the cheapest I take the one that suits my needs. I’m also keen on knowing the brand and researching their reputation and customer feedback.
Very wise tips & information from Peter. We all need to remember Peter 's experience from his last appalling insurance company, the next time we renew ours. Great video & happy motoring from now on Peter. 👍
Thanks Dude 👍
You're so right Peter. I'm insured with LV, and last year in the early hours of Saturday morning, a drunk driver crashed into my car whilst it was parked on the road outside my house, writing it off. By Monday afternoon LV sorted out a courtesy car and my car had been taken away for assessment. I received the valuation at the beginning of the following week and by the end of the week the payout was in my bank account. The customer service was excellent and incredibly helpful. It's not the cheapest insurance out there but I would rather pay more and have the peace of mind that I'm in good hands if I ever need it.
Wow that’s great to hear 👍
My BMW was written off by a stolen car. LV= were fantastic. Everything sorted really quickly and they even let me haggle (a bit) about the value.
I can recommend LV highly as well. I had a claim on my 911 and it was dealt with brilliantly. The repair was done at a specialist bodyshop that was full of Ferraris, Rolls Royces etc. And I now have a lifetime guarantee on the repair that gets me an annual inspection with a free valet and wash from the garage!
I couldn't have asked for anything better.
I have three cars insured with them and my total premium is £550 per year, all modifications declared.
Very informative Pete, I was rear ended last August and within 2 hours their insurance company had phoned me admitting liability and offering to take care of the whole claim from start to finish, as I have not been involved in an accident for over 20 years I was somewhat shocked at this wonderful customer service, I accepted their offer and I had my car back fully repaired in 5 days. Ironically the accident was caused by a police X5 chasing a car down a country lane which caused me to do an emergency brake.
👍
Very Wise Words. For my very unexciting but long-distance cars (Lexus and Volvo) we lean towards LV. Mainstream but exceptional service. They have rescued the Lexus in Italy when it was 4 years old, so outside of the Lexus recovery. Similar service to that described in the video. IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE ££££££££.
👍
I've been insured through a well-known company that rhymes with "Lirect Dine" for several years. Our Son decided to get my little Pug 208 written off last year. Courtesy car the next day, payout within a week. Really happy with the service I received and the price I pay. Can't say as much for the other person's insurance company - 10 months later we're still waiting for them to come to an agreement on fault.
The very same company who used to give people either worse spec cars as replacement or bid you in the nuts for your payout?
@@ricbrook7059 Not my experience. I got more than I thought my car was worth and the whole experience was good.
I had to claim years ago when insured by them, and it was not a great experience. Never again. Eagle Star, on the other hand, were fabulous when my car was written off after an accident. The accident was the other driver’s fault, and perhaps that helps, but they handled everything swiftly and considerately. I now always check reviews before taking out a policy.
I work for a major insurance company in the US. The biggest issue I see is that people have no idea what coverage they have. Then get mad at me for not having it or the deductible is too high. You are responsible for reading your declaration page when we mail it, upload it to your account and app. No one forced you to pick a $2,000 deductible. Or they make the choice to carry no collision/comprehensive coverage and say we are bad because we can’t pay for the vehicle damage.
Good video, Pete👍👍
In recent years I have used the comparison sites for a ballpark figure, having googled the cheaper options and been put off by the comments.
I have also found that by the time the like for like additions have been added the cheap options are not that cheap anymore.
The problem is you don't know unless you claim..
Thank you 🙏 im due to pick up a new 718 GTS later this year and insurance was one place I didn’t know where to start, i now have a great lead ☺️
Great to hear. You are gonna love the car 👍
Great video!! I learnt the hard way after having taken out insurance with UK company that is quite naval sounding 😉. Their windscreen cover only covered the first £50 of the £1000 bill I was saddled with in order to fit OEM g glass to my car which otherwise would have invalidated my Porsche extended warranty 😢
Ouch 😣
We've had similar experiences in the past with claims dragging on and on. We don't choose the cheapest insurer but not top end either. However we always select zero excess option. It might cost a little bit more, but that way your car is fixed and you don't need to wait 12-18mths to get your excess back, nor the countless long phones calls that involves.
The same goes here in the states. There are so many insurance companies that will sell you the cheapest car insurance just to have, but aren't willing to actually do anything for you. I've had Progressive for about 9 years yes I pay just a little more because we have a 2016 Mercedes-Benz SLK 300 & a 2019 Fiat 500X Trekking Plus. With my policy, I've literally had no issues. I've been in some finder benders, road hazard situations, some road rage incidents, & stranded places (not all in one time either) They have literally had my back throughout the years recovering me from Laughlin, NV back to Vegas, or when others don't pay attention. I'm sure there are others on here that have a saying, "you get what you pay for". I'm a hug fan of your channel & thanks for sharing your experience with different insurance companies. This was an interesting one.
Thanks Charles 👍
I had my House insurance and Defender through NFU
They were reasonable in terms of costs. Year on year reduction for loyalty. Great.
Till I needed to make a claim. Horrendous.
I was waiting for a hip replacement and not very mobile. They were supposed to give a curtesy car. Never materialised.
It was a terrible experience all round it was over Christmas too. So not able to do proper shopping etc.
I’m no longer insured on the house, with
No F@&£ing Use and now my vehicles
(Merc SL & Lexus) are with others too.
Defender was sold as it was bodged and wrong. They had it back twice as I rejected it.
Great Advice and nice to see how you can and should be treated.
😥
Thank you for the video. I personally go with the absolutely cheapest insurance i can get with all mods declared, an excess of £1000 (maximum) and limited mileage 3000 miles on each of the two cars.
I have modified them both so extensively that i'd have to value the mx5 at close to £30.000, which i won't as it'll put my premiums well into the thousands. Only reason i do that is to be barely legal, have the minimum required cover to not be arrested if stopped and checked, and to not have it void in the event of as you said, hitting something very expensive. That's it. In the event of an accident, wether at fault or no-fault, it would be cheaper to just tow the car home (i'm with the AA, £15 a month), strip all the expensive bits and install them on a different car that i can find for 1200-1500... in the event of a no-fault totalling, i'll take the market value payout, buy a new stock car/shell, buy the car back from the insurance and do the afforementioned proccess.
Great information Pete, a very worthwhile message. One point in the comments is don't come unstuck by using your vehicle for business if its only insured for private milage. Its easy to come unstuck on this one if you are self employed and fancy taking your weekend toy to a meeting as its a nice day! Ive put 2k business miles on my 911 for that reason, cost went up but I'm covered.
Wise words and Most certainly read the small print as insurance providers are making repairers use some rubbish ‘alternative parts’ to keep the costs down which include used parts to which clients don’t realise.. Bodyshop staff always feel the brunt of it as ‘the client’ generally is angry A because it’s their fault B it’s going to cost them money C the inconvenience that someone has hit their vehicle. Buy the insurance that suits you for sure. 👍🏼
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Absolutely agree with you, a insurance company I found on comparison website, was so good so not all doom and gloom there, I had an accident with a fallen tree, it was dark and around a bend on a national speed limit road, I was doing around 40 around the bend in my Ford kuga, the whole front passenger side was taken out, I was in shock and actually drove the car home, spoke to the company and they told me I shouldn't have driven, but they sent someone to pick the car up and drop off a replacement car, few weeks and after I paid my deductible the car was back, it was over £4000 worth of damage, next time it came to renewing they hadn't brought my insurance up much, maybe £30, I stayed with them out of respect and service, I have changed now due to more powerful car and will be modding it.
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Having once been stranded in a small provincial town in the South of France for 3 days with 2 young children a few years ago, this video resonated hugely.
When our car came back to the UK 2 weeks later our local garage fixed the car in 5 minutes. If only the R*C had competent people to asses the vehicles in France our nightmare would have been avoided. 😭
Ouch 😣
Been there buddy. Van broke outside Geneva last week. Broke down Monday, van picked up Friday by R*C. I’m now at the mercy of a £4K bill to repair. The stress caused by that useless company. 7hrs on the first day making calls trying to get action and answers.
I travel to Europe a lot and now need to find a proper company for future breakdown insurance…
@@PetrolPed
Not only did we suffer 3 incredibly
boring days at Brive La Gillard we also lost the value of our 3 day Disney Paris trip which was £1000.00. Our travel insurance didn’t cover this as it was part of our onward journey . 😢
So true. So many people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
Great video, not something that gets brought up often but is really important
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Thanks for this video Peter. It’s easy to forget about notifying insurer with mods & upgrades over time, especially if done by previous owners. Your video prompted me to list everything non-standard on my cars and email to my insurer for their records & mine. I’m also with Locktons who were super helpful & actually it didn’t change my premium at all, but I’m now safe in case something does happen in future.
Great to hear 👍
As an aside ref insurance, if you have personal plate and car is written off and taken to garage/scrap yard a letter needs to go to your insurance company informing you own the plate, otherwise once car is sold on plate will go with it.
Yep. Good point 👍
Pete, that's actually one of your best vids in ages. Thanks. I too learned the hard way, 2 big cc bikes nicked in France and not a penny from the policies, wiggled out of everything. B*stards.
Thanks mate 👍
Very interesting again Peter. I have always stayed clear of “Branded” insurance and others with rather silly names so have stayed with major insurers like LV and for my wife Saga. Both are very good but my only claim experience was when a disabled driver reversed into the front of the C5, admitted liability immediately and the whole thing was done under his Motability cover. Having sold insurance at one point in my life, I learnt a lot about cheap cover…most of it “covers” themselves!!
Linked thoughts. Tyres and age. Hilary’s C3 is on 15500 miles and was new September 2011. The tyres looked brand new and barely worn…Michelin Primacy 3 date coded 11/11. I kept them because of this recent 18 month house restoration and wanted to avoid buying new tyres because of nails and visits to the recycling centre. However they were far past their use by date…. This week with an MOT due, I replaced them and chose a slightly cheaper set of Goodyear tyres…driven by the fact that we were going to change the car later this year. However…these Goodyears are astonishingly better in every way…they have transformed the car…BUT…what the reason is, is age…the old tyres were iron hard and I doubt have had much grip for years. Would our insurers have invalidated any claims???….probably. So linked to this Insurance video…check the tyres because they could be the loophole they fix on when a claim comes your way!! 😬😬😬😬😀😀😀😀Stay safe! Richard😀😀😀
Good point about the tyres 👍
Brilliant video. Same issues here in NZ. Some companies will ping you if you change the head unit out - considered a modification🤷. Here we have to pay extra for a rental car....Never assume it's part of the policy. Took six months of fighting a company, who eventually said my car had to be repaired, would not write it off. Broken rear axle, body out of alignment and panel beater didn't want his name attached to the job. Yes you pay for what you get, but basic service, i.e. Not dealing with a keypad to get to a human, dealing with a human who is actually in the country and can understand your localisms, and actually speaks your language is so important.🤦
Must give a heads up to Mini Roadside assistance. I triggered it, next thing a lovely lady answers, asks me if I'm alright, what do I need, and what can she do. Wow!!! I explained it was a mistake, she confirmed everything was ok. Wished me a good day. That is service. I appreciate it came as part of my new car package. But I will be renewing. Comparing that to phoning my insurance company on the side of a road with a blown out tyre after hitting a rock, an hour wait for a human, I had 30 mins battery left. Then to be told as it wasn't a mechanical issue or accident damaged (🤦) they wouldn't send a recovery vehicle. Apparently a good defensive driver would have avoided the rock. 😡
Another great video PP, 10/10 👏👏
Wow 😮
So...you have just helped me make up my mind. Am 14 days away from renewal, been with them 5 years, but quote up 20%...online to find quotes elsewhere, for less than last years premium, but...it would mean a new start and no-one knows me in the new firms. I'm going to stick with the current insurer, pay up the extra cash and trust they will look after me, if things go awry. Whatever anyone is thinking about being smart with a lower quote, there are ALWAYS downsides...sleep on it before you decide.
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Very good friend with a Ferrari found out that the insurance company could use second hand parts to repair it!!! They are now with the same as you to cover Ferrari and their Porsche. Thank you for sharing.
Great to hear 👍
During times of being a 'bit skint' shall we say, I went through a similar senario with one of the big branded companies, who's moto is that their insurance is easy. Well, I can tell you that they maybe , as long as you don't make a claim. We had a broken screen in our Volvo and it took them 3 months to get this resolved. Basically if we were stopped with the screen we had, could have cost us points, but we had no other vehicle at the time to use. The reg was on a Ford Focus once and 2 years it was on the Volvo. At one point they said they couldnt find the Focus to replace the screen , when parked outside my office. Yes, they still had the focus on their system as the vehicle, even though the insurance docs showed it as the Volvo. Then the to-ing and fro-ing started. My wife knew them almost by their first names , when calling to try and get the screen changed. They eventually appeared , changed the screen, broke all the plastic clips that held the screen finishing strips in place and duly used the same screen adhesive to put them on . So, if we ever needed to change the screen again, it could destroy the colour coded parts.
It was a lesson and now I only use named insurance companies who underwrite themselves.
It is looking at feedback for some of these larger supermarket type companies , as its not all as it 'should' be.
An interesting difference between the UK and a lot of Europe is that in the UK you insure the person to the car. Where i am in Norway (and in other European countries) you just insure the car. So every standard policy here is "Any licensed driver over the age of 23", and you pay extra for under 23's. So here anyone over 23 can just climb in my Tesla and drive it, no need to call the company, no hassle. In contrast, in the UK my insurance was "these specifically named drivers on this specific car", and a lot of hassle to get someone extra added. I also get full European breakdown cover, and if my car is written off in the first 3 years i get a new one.
As with the UK though, some companies here have better reputations than others for paying out in the event of an accident.
Interesting 👍
So true. I worked in the insurance industry for a long time. You are spot on.
Thanks Richard 👍
Sound advice as always - thanks Peter! Great content - keep up the excellent work.
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A very serious and informative video Pete. I’m in that same dilemma as my insurance is due in a week and a bit.
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Thank you for the good advice and we are sorry to hear all the trouble you had with your claim. We tend to stick to the company we are with already but will check them out to make sure they are likely to be reliable should we need them.
Excellent video, great points, my company here in Australia is pretty good as have hit two kangaroos on two different occasions (ouch)in two different cars and they have been most efficient, not the Roos, the company!😂Not the cheapest or most expensive company but was pleased with the outcomes. Miss just worrying about hitting rabbits when I lived in the UK…some of these Roos are 6ft tall!👍🇦🇺🇬🇧😅
A very interesting and useful video. Having had several Porsche Boxter / Cayman cars I had used a variety of insurers carefully checking the policy cover. Recently that had been with Aviva but this year they have increased the premium by 26% for no change in my circumstances and other members of our local Porsche club have had similar increases from Aviva. Having approached Lockton's I concur they have professional and courteous staff and easy to contact. However Locktons also use Aviva as the insurer and the premium was the same as Aviva at £620. Locktons can also agree a value for your car if you need to claim for a right off under the policy, so many useful aspects to their policy. In the end I could not see sufficient difference in the comparisons between LV and Aviva / Locktons to warranty a 100% increase in cost. Time will tell if I have made the right choice. As you point out, you only find out when you really need it!
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Good point, well made. I have 2 vehicles and my BMW is modified and with everything declared, it's approximately 40% more but at least I know I'm covered. Another thing to check is both my cars are fully comp including European cover however in the small print on one of the policies it states I'm only 3rd party only in Europe which isn't immediately obvious and as I do drive in Europe a few times a year so it's important to check!
Wow 😮
Really depends on what you drive. If i had flash Porsche like you id be using the best insurance too. But i think the majority of us buy the cheapest because we have to manage our running costs as best we can ....struggling to fill it up with fuel some weeks
Hi Pete, Been with Lockton for 12 years now 👍😎
Cool 😎
I had a nightmare with my car when a van cut me up on the motorway and we both ended up in the crash barrier. I had GAP insurance so the insurance company said they would fix the £9k damage to my car as it was worth £21k to replace the car. The first problem I had was the insurance company (lets call them not so Straight Line) insisted my car go to a repair shop over 50 miles away. When I said "No way" they said "oh there is a local repairer 2 miles away". I agreed thinking the car was to be written off but GAP "supposedly" saved me. It took over a month to get parts from Korea and fix the car. I collected it one evening and it looked OK. The following morning I noticed scratches on the roof which were not there at the time of the accident, the front bumper gaps were all different and the steering wheel wasn't straight. The repairer sorted these issues but a day after collecting the car I noticed the bumper colour didn't match the wing on one side. "Straight Line" insurance sent an engineer to look at the car and said it was "commercially acceptable". I asked the paint supplier to look at the car as well and the engineer stated the bumper had not been blown into the existing original wing. The insurance company still dug their heels in until I threatened legal action stating it wasn't the right colour. I won the argument and loved driving the car again until 9 months later at the MOT. The steering rack on the side of the accident was leaking a little fluid. The main dealer garage knew the history of the car as they had supplied many of the parts and in their opinion the steering rack "could" have been damaged in the accident but could not be sure. I traded the car in for a different make of car and have never used the insurance company since.
Thanks for this 👍
Cheers Peter. These are the types of videos that make you one of the best motor TH-camrs going.
No crap, no bullsh/t, just the facts & numbers of how it all happened.. Just the cost of a recovery vehicle & hotel on short noticed has more than payed for the extra cost in insurance. The only thing missed I think, was naming the Mini’s insurance company.
Any company that acts like that should be named & shamed. There is quite a big margin of possibility that some viewers are currently insured by that insurer. That may in the future get stung by them.
You still have some of the best content going 👍 Regards Pete
Thanks Dude 👍
Excellent video. Well worth worth watching. Wise advice indeed Peter.
Cheers Jon 👍
Sorry to hear of your poor experience. I wrote-off a Mini a couple of years ago when it hit a raised manhole cover, fractured the sump and the engine got destroyed before the oil warning light came on. I was with LV and they were excellent. I still have 2 cars with them, but they are over £1K more expensive for the car I'm about to buy (quotes start at under £600 and LV are £2K!). Much as I'd like to insure with them, I can't justify paying that as there are about 50 quotes below £1K and they can't all be from bad providers. The price difference isn't down to the excess or add-ons such as NCD protection and legal protection.
Excellent advice. My Porsche is insured through LV - very good. Also Porsche warranty and Porsche Assistance which I used once and found first rate.
Another piece of advice; if you're modifying your car, as you say, tell the insurance company BEFORE you do it. I've seen several cases of people informing their insurance company that they've had it done and having their policy cancelled!
Yep. Good shout 👍
Good video and advice , i must be one of the saddos that reads all the small print and never goes with the cheapest unless it includes everything I want , cheapest is not always best !
Very relevant and informative video as always. Insurance isn't always covered off by most car reviewers.
Thanks Tim 👍
Nice video! My father had a small bump at a junction, someone ran into the back of him thinking he hadn’t stopped. I can’t remember the name of the insurance, but they advertise as specialists for old age drivers, they sorted everything out so efficiently, car was repaired at the local village garage in the middle of southern Scotland.
Saga maybe ?
@@PetrolPed Could have been.
That sounds a cracking policy you've got there 👍🏼
OMG Hitting the rock in the Porsche must've felt like Charley Clubman all over again. So glad you were sorted out.
It did 😥
Hello Again. 'Dear Mr Petrol Ped', your experience is 'spot-on', whether it be insurance, products or anything, buying 'cheap' always, yes always will cost more, thats why the products were cheap to start with, however it is not always the highist price that offeres the best deal, always read the 'fine print'. Regards, RichardA.
Indeed 👍
I can’t really comment on car insurance because I’m on Motability & it’s part of the agreement. However, when it comes to home insurance. I never auto renew. I get my renewal letter, then I go to comparison sites. I always add emergency call out & legal assistance, accidental damage on buildings & contents because I am disabled. I’ve been with the same company for 10-15 yrs. Never made a claim. My one bed flat has never been more than £200pa. This year I chose to increase my excess to reduce my premium.
Brilliant. This is exactly why I watch your channel. Keep up the excellent work.
Thanks Andrew 🙏🏻
Looking forward to your video on car finance Pete. Something I have never done myself but will be doing in the near future!
Very interesting.It's true,you never really know about a policy until you need it.My policy is due for renewal next month so I will be looking a bit more closely at it now.Your insurers really did a good job for you when you were in France.
They sure did 👍
A really good peace of advice Pete. Talking of Porsche I’ve seen one guy putting remoulds on a Porsche cayenne. As they say you get what you pay for.
No way 😳
Great advice mate, I keep telling my nephew about declaring all his mods but does he listen? I'd get him to watch your video but I know he wouldn't...you can't tell him!
Another thing to look out for in the small print is the 'protected no claims discount'. I had PNCD and never thought anything of it! When it was up for renewal I went through the small print for comparison with another company...I was shocked to see that even though it was protected, it could still be reduced if I had a run of bad luck and made more than one claim in a set period of time! The company I moved too was £25 more, BUT their policy said: "If your NCD is shown as protected on your schedule, it won’t be reduced irrespective of the number of accidents/claims made".
A good tip for people with multiple cars and drivers all living at the same address: Rather than paying £30 each per policy for legal protection, you can buy the same amount of cover direct from a well know breakdown company for £15, that covers up to 5 people under one the policy. So £15 between 5 rather than 5 lots of £30 :)
Hopefully you never get the opportunity to say ‘To You So’. Basically he is driving uninsured and breaking the law. An accident could cost him more than not getting paid out. It will get him into bother with the boys in blue 😢
@@PetrolPed Told him that mate, but he knows best!
Top consumer tip Pete! insurance is one of those things we all need but hope we never have to use. I know mine comes with most things, breakdown, hire car, expenses, legal etc... it isn't the cheapest, but it does cover peace of mind !👍
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Absolutely agree... my recent claim, my insurance- Covea prestige - were excellent. I had a choice of hire car and they dropped me off a Range Rover Vogue for a month whilst my car was being repaired. All within 24 hours. Being insured fully comp on any car is also a great thing. You get what you pay for! Buy cheap now, repent at your leisure!
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I usually take the cheapest for my family battle bus but for my weekend toys I go with one of the Porsche specialists. Every quote is always more expensive than the high street ones. However, whenever I want to speak to someone to discuss my policy I’m
able to speak straight away to a human being, the actual policy is much more comprehensive and I get a good quality breakdown cover thrown in. It’s well worth the extra premiums.
Yep 👍
I always call the claims number for a potential new insurer. If they don’t answer quickly, maybe after a couple of tries, I move down the list.
Great tips in the video too.
Great idea 👍
I have a saying “buy nice or buy twice”, live by it
Yep 👍
Good advice Ped. Luckily, I have not had to claim on the car front. On the house front I use Hiscox. Comfortably 2 or 3 times more expensive than other companies for household insurance. I've done this since 10 years ago my shed was emptied shortly after moving house, with plenty of new garden equipment. Hiscox paid in full abouut £5k within 4 days of me notifying them. Fast forward to this feb when we had the storms; 2 field shelters flipped, loads of garden furniture lost (that had been in the field shelters). Aside from a slightly officious loss adjuster, Hiscox paid out a significant sum in a few weeks. You get what you pay for (and the renewal wasnt as big a jump as I was expecting).
Great to hear 👍
My wife’s MX5 got damaged when a runaway car crashed in to it when parked on our drive, the service we had from Admiral was excellent.
Great to hear 👍
Great vid, good life lesson.
People should also bare in mind that if they do not declare mods (and performance mods are the ones that will matter, not tyre brand, nor adding a dash cam), if the insurer does identify that, opts to react and either void the policy or deny any own damage, it will make getting Ins in the future more difficult.
You may choose to not declare 'had ins denied etc", but there is an industry database, and you'll be on it
PS driving other cars, any driver on yours and track day cover plus European cover for a grand more, given it's a Porsche over a Mini is a cracking deal (and a business expense for you of course....)
The problem with the insurance market is it’s based on price. Customers need to focus on the cover they need (demands and needs) and ensure they read through the IPID (Insurance Product Information Document). Check what options are available as these may be useful. Use an insurer you’ve heard of, and personally I’d avoid any which are not based in the UK. My policy, purchased direct from one of the largest UK insurers, was actually the cheapest for the cover I wanted.
For what it's worth. Best video so far. Most useful. Thank you.
Thanks Paul 👍
That was a great video and very informative, great to hear about your new insurance being so helpful. I do remain sceptical about how policies are calculated though. My son who is 21 and has had NCD since he started driving at 17. Last year whilst sat in stationary traffic on a dual carriageway he got hit up the back. 100% non fault and the other person admitted full liability so their insurance paid out as my sons car was written off. Anyway, come renewal this year, he has had to declare a non fault claim and his current insurer (who he has been with since he started driving) refused to insure him. This seems very unfair, he did nothing wrong, lost his car and now had to faff about finding another insurer and to rub salt in to the wound, he now has to declare that he has been refused insurance so that bumps his premium up even more. It all seems very unregulated and inconsistent.
That’s not good 🤬
Great video. I’m looking forward to seeing your “finance a car” video as I’m looking to purchase my 1st Porsche (Cayman) soon and have been reviewing finance options and costs.
Brilliant video Ped very interesting I found this out a few years ago I had an accident in East Germany and it too 9 months to get paid out the insurer did everything possible to avoid paying out luckily my uncle works for Lloyds of London and one of his specialists was kind enough to take the insurance company on they paid out after 3 letters from him and he was giving me the same information as you have just given others. Nowadays I do not have to worry about insurance as I have a Motability car I was in lucky about 5 years ago I had 2 write offs in a year neither my fault and the insurance company could not have done moor as soon as the insurance company wote the cars off I was told to go order new cars and they paid for hire cars fire the whole time I was without a car and because of my disability they arranged for a large roomy car because I can’t get out of a low car but they were brilliant so I agree with you don’t skimp on your insurance 👍🏻
Wow 😮
It’s an interesting point you bring up, I’ve always seen it as a tick box requirement but now we have some valuable cars in the household, it’s perhaps worth considering an alternative next time around
Yep 👍
First off all the adds where car insurance adds 😆. 2nd I’ve had great experiences with State Farm. Good rates good insurance and in the one accident claim I made and plenty of roadside assistance calls they’ve helped out with I can say I’m very happy with State Farm! A fantastic video Sir Pete. Sorry that was such a piss poor experience.
Last thing! I bought a truck with a massive v8 engine 8.1L v8!
Here is why I agree with all you say. Over 4 decades ago, a colleague insured his car through the company that our trade union heavily promoted because it was dirt cheap. He was subsequently involved in an collision and had no end of trouble with the claim. Conversely, I have always paid a bit extra, only dealt with reputable companies and bought many of their add-ons which have resulted in very satisfactory outcomes for the four claims (only one of which was my fault) I've had in over 40+ years - touchwood!
Exactly 👍
A very sobering tale, thanks for the heads up.
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Evening everyone.
Great insight Pete. I was on a driving tour with a friend in his McLaren and we ended up stranded on the top of the Stelvio pass. Fortunately there was a hostel, so we were able to get a place to stay for the night. The car was undrivable so had to get a taxi to the nearest airport, which was a 5-6 hr taxi ride.
Ouch 😣
That Porsche looks great. With regards insurance, 'Sharks' the lot of them.
Thanks Phil 👍
This is the first time i have felt compelled to comment on a post but really wanted to contribute on this video... Disclaimer: I don't drive a fancy car, (i wish i did), I live my motoring dreams through channels like this, I actually have a 65 plate insignia, i can quickly skip past the 'non factor fitted' section when choosing my insurance, and I was guilty of exactly of what you said, I felt it was a necessary evil to find the money to insure my car so I could drive my motor to and from work, so I didn't want to pay a penny more than i had too, especially when there are so many others on the road that don't even bother with insurance/tax .. or would just plump for 3rd party to keep the costs down even more.. . BUT .. this video has really made me stop and think, and reflect on the "what if.." point(s) you made... i have a family to consider, i need to be working to look after us all and I would need to be back on the road asap, and a few pound saved on my motor insurance may not be the wisest saving i could make... insurance is there for peace of mind.. you have raised some great points, yes we roll in different circles but the principles are all the same, you get what you pay for and when you need it... you need it (we would certainly need help on our side).. great video, thank you so much for talking about it.
Thanks for this 🙏🏻
Hi PetrolPed,
Great video! Going through a similar thing myself at the moment... Last week a stolen car decided to write off my Alfa Romeo Giulia, thankfully I am okay however the car is in a bad way. Currently waiting for my insurance company to call me back regarding the claim, not going to name any names but they have been slow at responding, and even though my policy includes a courtesy car they won’t issue me one as my car is a write-off.
Hopefully, it all resolves itself in the coming weeks, and I’m 100% going to be buying another Giulia. I will certainly be looking for better insurance companies going forward.
Me and Mrs McVitie have been fortunate for the past 10 years as she works for a well known insurance group, so we got the full cover with staff discount and whatever deals were being offered at the time of renewal, so our cars are insured with her company. Sadly, at the end of the month she’s being made redundant, so we’ll be shopping around once again.
Our son’s car is with another well known company because they were cheaper than my and the wife’s provider.
We’ve never had a problem with my son’s provider after he had a prang in his previous car, but when Mrs McVitie was in a serious crash, then she ended up making a complaint in person to the CEO of the company as he was based in the same building as her and it was all sorted out, 2 members of staff were given additional training and she was compensated!!
Sorry to hear that mate 😢
I work in disaster restoration. We work predominantly for high net worth policyholders. We work to the same standards for all other insurance company’s too. Yes it’s true that you get what you pay for but unfortunately there is a massive gap in customer service the less paid
Great video ,i am afraid you are right like most things in life you only get what you pay for!!!!!
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Guy took off my wing mirror on way to work in May. He stopped, we exchanged details. His insurance company (the green a yellow one starting with A) within 2 hours they’d called me, organised repair, had hire car delivered to my home that evening and picked up my car at same time. Car was repaired within 3 days and returned (and cleaned!!) That is how car insurance should work, sure the guys policy wasn’t cheap but no hassle for either us.
I heard you mention a certain broker when you did the vid on collecting the Boxer. At the time I thought….we’ll I hope he’s read the small print!
Hi Pete, this is all very important stuff! Any two bob company will be happy to take your money for premiums but of course it is how the company treats you for any insurance claim and then you quickly find out what is not covered. I am happy to pay a bit more for insurance which means that my car is covered comprehensively for the life of the vehicle, provided I bought it new and continue to insure with the same company. I don't have to worry about market valuations or sum insured figures. Tailoring your policy is also very important, particularly who can drive it etc; amount of excess you wish to pay and it is often overlooked by many people that you are paying for features on a policy that don't apply to you. Also, a smooth trouble-free claim procedure is very important - my company handles claims over the phone and I also have choice of repairer. Many thanks for highlighting all these facts.
Cheers David 👍
£400 for breakdown cover is crazy money. I haggle with AA annually and it hovers around £150 for Home and Relay and I’m a Gold member of the AA
I use my Tesco rewards points to pay for my RAC coverage and if you haven't got enough points you can pay the difference yourself at the discounted rate
Another great video Pete, really enjoyed this, informative and entertaining 🙏👌👏I’m a firm believer of you get what you pay for. I’ve had some great experiences (Admittedly in New Zealand) in insurance companies that go the extra mile. Such a difference, if you’re in the position that you need to make a claim
Thanks 👍
Great video. I fully agree, I have had huge differences in the quality of service between insurers. My tip, if using comparison sites look at the minimum excess required. Often the cheapest will require a huge excess, sometimes equal to a fair chunk of the total cost of the insurance premium. By going with a more expensive provider, perhaps a well reviewed one with extra benefits, adjusting the excess lower, or even to zero, adds only a relatively small amount to the initial outlay. However the fact that you don’t need to pay out a large excess when claiming actually makes the policy better value.
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