Bikes not coveref for theft 500m from house

No way I would consider that.

Don't get me started.

I'm insured with them. It is piss-taking to be honest.

I have two bikes on the policy. Takes a while to work this out, but one is insured as garaged (and it is always garaged at night, the few times it wasn't I literally slept in the van with it...) the other one is insured on the driveway, as that one spends some time garaged and some time on private land (comparable to a driveway for insurance purpose) so I went for that on the contract.

I wrote on another post that the "when in use" or "when travelling" clause for overnight theft is extremely vague.
And I don't like "vague" when I'm paying a couple grand a year to insure the bikes.

The fact that insurances consider only lock ups as garages is another piss taking especially if you live in a city where you will probably have access to underground residential parking and having a lock up means being a millionaire.
Underground parking where other people (other residents from the building) will have access is considered "on the road".

Being forced to underwrite a fully comp policy, and straight away refuse to quote only for third party and fire and theft is more bullshit.

I'm not discussing the price. I know that in London insurance prices are high. Insurance is a business, not a charity. I just don't really like being forced to buy products I don't want (fully comp) or at least I'd like to see the price difference and then make a decision based on that (I know that fully comp can be cheaper sometimes).
 
Just had Devitts email me the new policy for new GS coming next week . Yep same old bit covered 500m radius. Asked why - GS is " high on the list of nicked / millennium thefts. They refunded no problem and no complaints.

Got them to re-quote based on keeping on drive i.e. remove the exclusion so covered come what may - policy was £180 more. They ended up being cheapest after doing the old web comparisons and ringing round.
I asked Devitts do my Ground anchor, pinch pin, 19mm chain anchor lock for garage door , House alarm with contact alarm points on the garage door and door that goes into house and the anchor lock for garage door itself count. Apparently not in the eyes of the underwriters.

Bit that stuck in throat was at no time was it mentioned till I got the policy documents.
 
Know it well. I went to Bruche police college. Believe its gone now.

I was there in January '79. It's a building site now, lots of houses being built. The old gate house was the only thing left standing when I called in.
 
Be a bugger if the shop was 499.99 meters away I would be well pissed off

I had that argument also. I then asked if the 500 meters, was , as the crow flys , or following the rd . Another insurance loophole. Fuckin gonks the lot of em.
 
I found this last year and mentioned it on quite a few threads. I was with IAM surety, now Cornhill, and had been for years. Ended up going to CarolNash last year as they were just about the only company not including this rediculous condition. Cornhill were adamant I would not be insured at any time if I left a bike outside within 1/2 mile of home. So not covered on my drive, round my sisters house, Tescos or just about anywhere in town. One company said up to a mile ffs!!

CN renewal has arrived, as always they're taking the piss, increase of £140 and they now want my blackbird to have an immobiliser fitted. Need to call and see why the HISS isn't good enough or if they've missed that!!

Anyone found any other multi bike insurance company's not doing it, other than CN?
 
With Carole Nash you always need to negotiate their renewal quote....they will most probably ask you how much you expect to pay!
 
It's reasonably easy to get insurance for your motorbike when it's not garaged and never will be garaged, lots of people in large towns with no garage buy it. Post #42 confirms as much.

Yes, if you want to get insurance for peanuts (the food of choice for monkeys) and you've told your insurer that your awesome steed is always garaged, as it probably reduces your premium, then it might be seen as reasonable of them to require you to garage it, might it not?

As to, well my bike won't be covered when I fill with petrol down the road or some such shite.....

(A) Do you think your motorbike is at particular risk whilst you carry out this mundane task? No? Great mate, so what the hell are you bleating on about? Yes? Then take suitable precautions, like moving.

(B) The denial of a theft claim from your sister's house 100 yards away, would - if it is to be applied by the insurer - would still have to be proved to be reasonable in law and / or reasonable in line with basic expectations. That is a pretty onerous hurdle for an insurer to leap. The webpages of the world are not full of irate bikermate Bobs from Basingstoke, piss boilingly angry that their claim for theft from their mum's house down the road has been denied, so one is drawn to the inevitable conclusion that it doesn't happen very often.

Should you ever be so unfortunate that it does happen to you, speak to a suitably qualified and interested enough solicitor... most of them will be biker friendly. Oh, and do be sure to report it here, too.

Oh and whilst you are digesting that, ponder how often bods suggest telling an insurer that the bike is kept somewhere else, other than at a primary residence.... as it's cheaper.... Then ponder how many fraudulent claims there are, when bods just get tired of their bike or just want some money. It's a dog eat dog world; just try to avoid getting bitten, too often.
 
(B) The denial of a theft claim from your sister's house 100 yards away, would - if it is to be applied by the insurer - would still have to be proved to be reasonable in law and / or reasonable in line with basic expectations. That is a pretty onerous hurdle for an insurer to leap. The webpages of the world are not full of irate bikermate Bobs from Basingstoke, piss boilingly angry that their claim for theft from their mum's house down the road has been denied, so one is drawn to the inevitable conclusion that it doesn't happen very often.

That is correct Wapping.
I always previously declared my bike a "on the road" for years, even if it was garaged. I paid more, but ease of mind.

Some insurers will still require a postcode for where the bike is kept "at night" (8pm to 8am) though.
Being a vehicle and not a bloody kettle, and insuring it for commuting and social purposes it "might" come to mind that sometimes one uses the motorbike, say, to go and visit friends, out for dinner, etc. etc.
In those cases, with some policies, you would be completely uncovered.

Yes, you can insure elsewhere, but also... yes, it is sometimes confusing.

It's reasonably easy to get insurance for your motorbike when it's not garaged and never will be garaged

No, it is not on more expensive bikes. Even when garaged. At least in bigger towns or London.
 
On mine and next year I will tell them it's kept on the drive. When I phone Devitts for the 5 day free cover the guy made it perfectly clear that if it was nicked with 500 meters of my house I was not covered, regardless of time of day. I thought it was due to it being the free cover but found the same with Hastings , who I have insured with for the year. They actually sent me an email stating this.

As I said on the above I contacted Hastings as my renewal came through and could find cover over £100 cheaper with another company. Spoke to a really helpful girl who knew her stuff and we agreed a premium reduction of over £165 and got rid of the garaged clause and now insured on the drive. I did vent my spleen about the garaged clause and she went off to speak with the underwriters to get accurate info about it. She came back and said that if I got back from a ride and went in the house to put helmet away etc and five mins later went out and bike was gone it would NOT be covered and they would NOT pay out. Underwriters confirmed even if I was popping in the house for seconds, to be covered I would have to garage it. They also said the theft within 600m of the house was measured as the radius 'as the crow flies' not by the road network meaning you're bike could be more than 600m by road away but not by radius. Her advice to me was insure it to be covered on the drive NOT garaged even if you do garage it.
 
As I said on the above I contacted Hastings as my renewal came through and could find cover over £100 cheaper with another company. Spoke to a really helpful girl who knew her stuff and we agreed a premium reduction of over £165 and got rid of the garaged clause and now insured on the drive. I did vent my spleen about the garaged clause and she went off to speak with the underwriters to get accurate info about it. She came back and said that if I got back from a ride and went in the house to put helmet away etc and five mins later went out and bike was gone it would NOT be covered and they would NOT pay out. Underwriters confirmed even if I was popping in the house for seconds, to be covered I would have to garage it. They also said the theft within 600m of the house was measured as the radius 'as the crow flies' not by the road network meaning you're bike could be more than 600m by road away but not by radius. Her advice to me was insure it to be covered on the drive NOT garaged even if you do garage it.

I'm with Bennetts and their clause for the above is between 22.30 and 06.30 next day, which to me seems fair enough.
 
I have these clauses in at least one of my bike policies. This does not make me stop filling up with fuel at Sainsbury's or buying carrots at Aldi on my way home. Both within 600m as the crow flies. If the bike gets nicked as I'm fondling tasty comestibles then the underwriter is very likely to pay out. As Wapping says, under UK law they cannot write an unreasonable clause into the policy, effectively excluding me the free choice of where I buy carrots as this would almost certainly be deemed unreasonable when I have insured the bike for social & domestic use. The policy is just a contract not an edict from a deity. It has to stand up to the scrutiny of law, not the whim of an underwriter or the wisdom of a call centre droid.
 
I'm with Bennetts and their clause for the above is between 22.30 and 06.30 next day, which to me seems fair enough.

Bennetts is a broker. Your policy will not be underwritten by Bennetts but an underwriter like Axa or Aviva. Bennetts sell policies from multiple underwriters so your terms may be different to your mate with another "Bennetts" policy.
 
I have these clauses in at least one of my bike policies. This does not make me stop filling up with fuel at Sainsbury's or buying carrots at Aldi on my way home. Both within 600m as the crow flies. If the bike gets nicked as I'm fondling tasty comestibles then the underwriter is very likely to pay out. As Wapping says, under UK law they cannot write an unreasonable clause into the policy, effectively excluding me the free choice of where I buy carrots as this would almost certainly be deemed unreasonable when I have insured the bike for social & domestic use. The policy is just a contract not an edict from a deity. It has to stand up to the scrutiny of law, not the whim of an underwriter or the wisdom of a call centre droid.

Define 'unreasonable' it's a solicitors dream. I have had several legal battles and all a contract really does is give lawyers the basis to argue and screw you for fees. Will your insurance company pay out because you were fondling your carrots, I don't know but mine were adamant that they would not. You take the risk, i don't care, me I am now insured even if not garaged and within 600m. Good luck with yer next claim :nenau
 
It really is very simple:

1. If you do not like any terms requested or imposed by an underwriter (insurer) ask if they can be amended or removed, paying an additional premium if required. If you find the underwriter's revised terms acceptable, buy the insurance.

2. If the underwriter is not prepared to amend the policy's terms (or if the additional premium is too high, aka 'a rip off') then decline the offer. Then shop around until you can (or can't) find anything better.

3. In between times, read the Insurance Act, the most substantive revision of law since the Marine Act of 1906, which previously - near enough - governed the insurance of bikermates' awesome steeds, even if they never even get wet, let alone go into the sea.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurance_Act_2015

Also acquaint yourself with the mound of consumer lead legislation, EU provisions and (if necessary) the price of fish. You'll then be excellently equipped to deal with all and any obstacles, bear pits and 'small print' man traps that may (or may not) lie in your path. With skill you may be able to plant some of your own; wouldn't that be great to really stick one to the man?

4. Having beavered away through items, 1, 2 and 3 then act in a sensible and grown-up way through the 365 days of the policy; all will then be well. You can then devote your time to more pressing matters like, finding great roads to ride, wondering about the weather in northern Germany in May 2019, securing biker friendly digs, enquiring whether your gloves look the dog's and deciding whether to lock your bike up when you leave it in central London "Just for a couple of minutes" or all day.... or indeed, on your drive, in your garage / shed or on the street outside your castle.
 
This rash of GS related theft & insurers response seems reminiscent of what happened in the 1990's to 4x4 owners, whose pride & joy was nicked so it could reversed through the full height plate glass windows of the local Spar, filled up fag's & driven away with barely a scratch.

This was addressed by taxing the working mans pleasures to oblivion, so no fags to nick in decent quantities, Tesco metro's & the like replacing local businessmen, so much fewer shops to ram raid & decent 4x4's being replaced with Nissan Cashcow's and other similar abominations that fold up like poorly executed origami on first ignored parking sensor beep.

So instead of moaning at honest insurers who are only protecting their profits in the interests of ensuring British jobs, let's have some out of the box thinking at how the GS theft crisis can be solved.
 
I just got my bike and it's safety is what I'm worrying the most. After reading this thread it seems I need to contact my insurance company.
 
IAM Surety, which I have a policy with, (actually Ageis policy) Not insured for fire, theft or malicious damage within half a mile of the house (800 metres). No option to pay extra, so go somewhere else if you don't like it :( I will be next year. So bike has to be locked in the garage at home at all times. Did say what about if I was coming home and filling up at a garage within half a mile of the house, they said they would probably cover it - yeh right. Luckily there are no shops or garages within half a mile. And this is Wiltshire.
 
I Did say what about if I was coming home and filling up at a garage within half a mile of the house, they said they would probably cover it - yeh right. Luckily there are no shops or garages within half a mile. And this is Wiltshire.

That's a classic, :blast:blast:blast :D

Then what are you worried about ?

If you have nothing within half a mile of your house then why would you be stopping, parking or leaving the bike unattended or filling up at an imaginary petrol station ?.

Did you ask if they covered your bike against an alien abduction ?... i bet they wouldn't cover you for it, robbing bastards. .
 


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