Devitt no longer running BMW Motorrad insurance

[Deleted account 260111001]

Had this letter in the post today.

Not had to claim on my insurance but dealing Devitt wasn’t trouble free.

 

[Wapping]

Atlanta, is part of Ardonagh, who also own Swinton and Carole Nash.

They cannot be much worse than the chimps at Devitt.

 

[wessie]

Atlanta, is part of Ardonagh, who also own Swinton and Carole Nash.

They cannot be much worse than the chimps at Devitt.

Although it looks like Ardonagh is offloading Atlanta, the division that owns CN & Swinton.
https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2023/09/15/740487.htm#:~:text=Founded in 2017 from the,Partners and Madison Dearborn Partners. is from last Sept but it seems it has only just been approved by the regulator https://www.insurancetimes.co.uk/ne...arkerstudy-and-atlanta-merger/1451493.article

I wonder if the BMW unit will remain with Ardonagh or go over to the new entity merged with Markerstudy? The latter has a pretty shit reputation for customer service.

 

[Micky]

I was insured through Devitt .... they pulled the plug and wouldn't invite my renewal

 

[OnHellas]

A similar thing to when LV pulled out of the motorcycle market on their broker side.
I guess it’s just a continual merry go round of companies merging, selling, changing.

I’m with Devitt DA for my two bike and the purchasing and renewal side seems pretty good to me….hopefully I don’t have to rest their claims department.

 

[NeverRodeBefore]

The only time I came out on top was with BMW / Devitts. I was a customer of BMW insurance without knowing it was Devitts and they were by far the cheapest when I started riding. Come renewal and a couple of no claim discounts the market opened up a bit. During my renewal call to 'BMW' I was given a price via 'another option'. Not taking them up immediately I rang BMW with the other reference number only to be told the operator shouldn't have given me the other price from the BMW phone number.

Having said I didn't know that but what number could I ring back to get the other price, still not knowing it was Devitts. The call handler checked what to do next and I was kept as a BMW customer but only paying the alternative price. Skip forward a few months and I needed to sell the GS and cancel the insurance. They were sorry to see me go, hoped to hear from me in the future and they refunded the unused policy.

Turns out Devitt's had paid the difference into the BMW policy coffers and refunded me more than I'd actually paid

 

[Wapping]

I had the joy of reporting the chimps of Devitt to the ABI, the forerunner of the FCA. Debit’s incompetence knew no bounds.

 

[GSite]

Getting very difficult to know which brokers are linked for their motor insurance business as these links are not necessarily carried over to say home or other insurance products.

 

[wessie]

Getting very difficult to know which brokers are linked for their motor insurance business as these links are not necessarily carried over to say home or other insurance products.

not that difficult - scroll to the bottom of the website. There will be details of their company registration and often the name of the parent e.g. the company registration number for C Nash is 2600841. Google "company 2600841" and you get a list of brokers all operating form the same call centre owned by Atlanta. Same with the operators of the comparison websites, some of which are part of brokers etc.

 

[GSite]

Yeah, completely get that, I was more thinking up the tree, so the links between one broker in a given chain of companies and a broker in another chain and the links between chains. It could be that the parent company of a broker chain may be owned by a holding company which may not be detailed on the website of brokers in the first chain and vice versa. If I mentioned a few brokers, could you tell me if they are linked without individual research on each followed by research into their parent companies ?

 

[wessie]

Yeah, completely get that, I was more thinking up the tree, so the links between one broker in a given chain of companies and a broker in another chain and the links between chains. It could be that the parent company of a broker chain may be owned by a holding company which may not be detailed on the website of brokers in the first chain and vice versa. If I mentioned a few brokers, could you tell me if they are linked without individual research on each followed by research into their parent companies ?

Not sure how you would expect anyone to give you the information you desire without going through the steps you list. It takes a couple of minutes of effort on Google or Wikipedia. Insurance is a highly regulated business so ownership has to be pretty transparent with the info in the public domain. There are rules about who can own them e.g. Ardonagh, the parent of Carole Nash & Swinton was recently blocked from taking over Bennetts as this would give them too big a share of retail motorcycle business.

 

[GSite]

Thank goodness for regulation from the Competition and Markets Authority.

 

[GrinningGSer]

Devitt no longer able to/ prepared to insure me when their policy lapses , so Motorrad ( Jess) gave me a new quote (Atlanta ) that was hugely more expensive than Bikesure (Adrian Flux , KMD)
Furthermore , Motorrad’s new relationship, Atlanta, likes to charge 33.8%APR for monthly payments , which is further managed by ‘Close Brothers Premium Finance ‘
Thank god my fabulous 1200GSA is still cheap to insure at £22.80pcm , 10,000mls, and now with Bikesure (KMD)

 

[piebaps]

FFS what a palava. I got my BMW warning as the OP published. Then the renewal papers arrived (from atlanta) and there weren't any. It will be easier for me to go to their website and obtain a quote. I did this and it wouldn't insure me. I rang them the following day and the call handler confirmed that they couldn't insure me, but couldn't say why!! (57yo male, 1200RT 1000GSPD and full no claims and a BMW Motorrad insurance customer for 12 years). They also had been given none of my details from Devitts.

I complained to BMW Motorrad who declined responsibility and suggested I contact BMW Financial Services.

I gave up and am now happily with Bikesure.

 

[GSite]

From what I hve heard, my view is that Atlanta won't be running the BMW scheme for long, too many dissatisfied BMW owners either can't get cover or will go elsewhere due to unfavourable premiums, fees, T&Cs, service etc. Would be curious to know who the underwriters are and if they offer cover to the same declined folk but under another scheme, or at lower costs.

 

[wessie]

From what I hve heard, my view is that Atlanta won't be running the BMW scheme for long, too many dissatisfied BMW owners either can't get cover or will go elsewhere due to unfavourable premiums, fees, T&Cs, service etc. Would be curious to know who the underwriters are and if they offer cover to the same declined folk but under another scheme, or at lower costs.

it would be easy to determine if it is a general Atlanta policy or something negotiated as part of the BMW scheme

Atlanta own Carole Nash, CN Select, McKenzie Hodgson, Express Insurance and probably others. They often come to the top of the comparison site quotes with pared back policies with stupidly high excesses.

 

[Wapping]

Who really cares if the policy you receive is branded ‘BMW Motorrad’ or not? It’s not like a twat suit, which is really important to have coordinated with the bike, for ‘the look’.

Just shop around and buy the policy which suits you best, from whatever source you can get it from.