Bennetts insurance attempted ripoff...

Hello,

Well it goes like this ...

I insured the 748 with/Via Bennetts last year. Reasonable cost. Informed
them of my no claims years etc. all OK.

This year, renewal arrives, and its DOUBLE last years despite now having
another years no claims.

A slight increase I was expecting as per the norm, but not a 100%
increase.

Any ways, rings around gets instantly better quotes. I even redid the
quote on Bennetts website and reduced their renewal by 60 quid with
exactly the same info!

Thats not the ripoff part though. I noticed whilst checking the renewal
that they had not added my additional year ncb. So I contacted them
regarding this only to be told that they only recognise a maximum of 9
years hence I cant have an additional year to make it 10!!

Ok, I know and accept that different companies have maximum discounts
etc. but they should still give and quote the true ncb years.

They wont (they say cant) even type a simple letter stating I have 10
years ncb. The best I can get from them (if it arrives) is a letter
stating I have not made any claims during the period I was insured with
them.

The new insurance company I am with do actually accept more years than 9
(albeit only one more at 10+) but this resulted in a quote that is
cheaper than last years and has more added benefits. The new company
Carole Nash.

Oh and the ultimate Irony? Both these companies are brokers, and I ended
up with a new policy with the same actual insurance company, "Groupama"
as I was with Bennetts.

So be warned, all you with 20 odd years ncb, insure with Bennetts and
they will instantly halve it for you...

 

Bennetts are cunts, and I told them so in an email survey they once
asked me to fill out.

--
Lozzo the velologist
Suzuki SV650S K5
Honda CBR600 FW trackbike
Yamaha SR250 Spazz-Trakka
Suzuki GSXR750 L
Suzuki TS50X
Suzuki TS50X

 

They tried that with me last year. I fucked 'em off and went with Swinton.
Totally incompetent cunts there too, but less than half what Bennets were
charging.


--
Beav

VN 750
Zed 1000
OMF# 19

 

<snip>

Just done a quick check on the Carole Nash site on insuring my K1200GT
stunned at a quote of £124 fully comp!!! I think Bennetts may not be getting
my business at renewal time


--
Steve Parry
BMW R45, 01 Kawasaki ZX12-R, 07 K1200GT SE
95 BMW F650, 87 Yamaha FS1, Sukida SK90PY, 91 Kawasaki AR50,
07 VW Passat SE Estate for comfort
www.gwynfryn.co.uk

 

AOL. And for me they seem to try and charge roughly twice compared to
what everybody else charges.

 

They all do that sir. I can't find any of them to print anything
relating to my 25 years ncb and it's not an issue. Most Ins Cos only
care up to about 4 or 5 years anyway.

 

Well, exactly. I'm not sure whether the OP is just a bit naive, or is
ignorant of the way motor insurance works, tbh.

First year claim-free gains you 30% off the following year's premium.
Second year, another 10%
Third year, another 10%
Fourth year, another 10%

That's 60% (theoretically) off the gross premium which is another
theoretical and negotiable sum - and that's where most InsCos stop.
Some may offer 70% and I had a flier through the door today offering
75% off with Liverpool Victoria, but again, that's theoretical and
I've rarely had success with finding an actual reduction in the
premium payable. These days I go for value for money in policies with
useful add-ons like free travel insurance, breakdown cover, that sort
of thing.

The bottom line is, as Tim says, four (or mebbe five) years and you
top out your NCD, so you can take your 10 years and stick it where the
InsCo can't see it.

The other side is that all the InsCos talk to each other anyway these
days, so if you state that you've had 10 years claim-free, they'll run
a check on you and see if you're telling them porkies.

20 years - who are you kidding?

 

Neither, but I am no expert on insurance either.
As you can see in my original post I understand and accept that they may
only apply upto a certain number of years for the actual discount.

I am currently receiving a 74% discount on my car insurance. So they are
available.

My car insurance company state exactly how many years ncd I have even
though it is way over the maximum they apply.

My point is Proof (and maybe a little bit of pride). Also who are they
to say that just because they only accept x no years that another ins co
doesnt accept more?

Also I have been asked in the past to provide written proof of my stated
ncb (not because I was fibbing or anything like that but simply because
of a claim due to another drivers idiocy).

I know this as well, because I was asked to confirm my previous
insurance policy details.

Not sure if this is a dig at me or Tim. I certainly Don't have 20 years
(I did say I had 10 in my original post).

 

I do actually have 25 years without (here I go tempting fate) me or
another person making a claim against my policy. Any claims I have made
have been against the other party.

 

They are in cahoots. It's not in their interest so they don't and as
they all talk to each other therefore none of them will do as you'd
like. Ages ago I wrote to an InsCo and asked for a statement for ncb and
they completely refused. Perhaps the only thing you can do is keep past
documentation and demonstrate so many years each showing an amount of
ncb. But then it's not going to get you any more discount.

 

I didn't have a bike insured in my name for the last couple of years
(although I was a named rider on one) so lost my then 11 years NCB.

We ran some comparison quotes with and without the (lost) NCB and it
actually made little difference?

All the best ..

T i m

 

Ahem... Saddo alert...

I have an electronic (read scanned images) archive of all my important
documents/pay slips/bills and insurance certificates/tax/v5 etc. going
back for ooohh 20 years. So could theoretically prove it.

My first insurance premium was gbp1179.12 for an 18month old cbr600f
eek!

If I've hit the maximum discount then great, wonderful, all I have to do
now is grow old(er) (disgracefully) and hope that age may offset the
increases

So apart from the ncd thing, the 100% increase is ridiculous.

PS. I have just finished laying a slab of concrete in the garden and
it's now pissing down like there's no tomorrow It's covered up but I
need a break in the rain to polish the top.

 

Hmmm, I was going to do that .. one day .. till she decided to run
most of it through the shredder. "When do you think you are ever going
to get round to that?" sorta thing ... ;-)

Ouch indeed!

Maybe that's the key with me then. At 52 yro and around here, the
CB250, parked on the front with no approved alarm, physical security
[1] or Datatagging, Comp and with my full NCB was £128. With no NCB it
was £136 and I saved an extra bit by also not needing NC protection.
;-)

It is. A mechanic mate has recently turned 60 and his health insurance
doubled in cost. He rang around, got an alternative quote at the
original price and then his existing Co agreed to match it??

Isn't that the way. :-(

That's posh. ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[1] There's plenty of physical security.

 

I told them to their face (well, down the phone) when they asked why I
was off to CN.

 

This may not be entirely true.

A few months ago, I replaced the car. Exact details irrelevant, so
I'll skip that, but on sorting the insurance I found a considerably
cheaper quote elsewhere compared to that offered by Auntie Carole (old
car was insured with them, they accepted my bike NCD against the car
too so all was good). The new insurers (Local Broker, actual name not
a description) wanted confirmation of my NCD so I got CN to send me it
in writing so I could pass it on to Local Broker. However, Local
Broker wanted confirmation directly from CN, who would not give LB any
information over the phone, even with my specific written permission.
I then went to another company (Swinton, if it's of interest) who were
quite happy to accept written confirmation of my NCD. It seems inscos
only talk to each other when it suits them.

In short, all insurance companies are cunts, but we know that anyway.

 

Not just Bennetts, Another 'well known insco' tried it on too with a
"Groupama" quote.

Internet price plus another bike, with the same company came in lower
than renewal.

Get your fingers clickin' at renewal time guys 'n' gals.

P.

 

AOL.

1200 Bandit + 900 Monster. 3 years NCB. 1 x SP30
Bennetts = £240
Carole Nash = £152

And its renewal time now...

 

Perservere, I did eventually get a letter stating that I had 10 years
ncb which is all I actually wanted, did take over half a dozen (free)
calls though.

 

*ding*

Carole Nash tend to be rather good at that.

It's a shame NFU Mutual don't do cover for bikes - they're by far the
best car insurance company I've ever used and whilst they tend to be a
little dearer than some of the quotes you get off of sites like
Confused.com etc, the customer service and benefits you get by
insuring with them far outweigh said extra cost.