Honda ADV 350 Insurance Refused: 'No Post Codes Accepted Within M25 Area'

[Kitsilano]

... That was the statement made to me on the 'phone today from a Compare The Market respondee. It appeared to apply to all bikes.

Made no difference that I have an active Datatool tracker fitted, plus toughened D-lock.

Never even went beyond the first to characters of my west London post code before callin-out "Stop!"

Finally found a BeMoto rate - and one that was actually £125 cheaper than BikeSure.

 

[Bigcats]

Labour London will soon be Labour Britain

 

[Wapping]

Things like this come and go. In the 80’s I had to insure my ‘airport car’, an all but worthless Vauxhall Astra. They were being nicked, one after the other, and nobody would touch it with a London post code.

That being said, Compare the Market is not an insurer per-se, it is simply an aggregator or a ‘lister’ of potential insuers who subscribe to their on-line platform. It works on the perfectly simple principle of pile it high and sell it cheap, to the simplest ABC customers they can find. They give not one fig that nobody on their list of insurers wants to touch a Honda 350, within the M25, irrespective that it’s kept in Fort Knox. For every 350 owner they upset, there will be 1,000 happy Mr and Mrs ABC’s.

 

[EVskiy]

BeMoto for me. Been with them for the past 5 years.
Call them and speak with a person that even foreigner like me can understand.
Van Been insured with Howden (formally A-Plan) for the past 7 years. Same thing, just have to call Thatcham number and speak with a UK based person...

Meercats, the fat singing Welshman, even MCN Compare can .....

 

[er-minio]

Hey Paul, have a look here, I had the same issue. And without using comparisons sites:

While everyone is complaining about insurance price increases...

Just got this from BeMoto, as my policy is up for renewal: I live in NW3 for the record, not exactly Baghdad :D Well... down to doing quotes I guess...

www.ukgser.com

First thread. You can ignore my rants later on

 

[longdog]

I bought a Yamaha Tracer9 GT+ at the beginning of December. I am insured through Bennett’s and I have maximum no claims, a SP30 and 3 points on my licence and I was changing from my Yamaha XT1200Z.
All I wanted to do was notify of a change and pay whatever it cost me. I was refused. So then I asked the person in Bennett’s why, and he said my current insurer did not and would not give a reason. So then I had to apply to a different insurer, again through Bennett’, accept the new quote and I was given a refund from the outstanding balance on my previous insurance minus admin charges of course.
Needless to say I was less than happy and I doubt that I will stay with Bennett’s when my current insurance is up for renewal.

 

[Wapping]

No insurer is obliged, whether by law or common practice, to offer you insurance.

You, not your insurer, requested a mid-term amendment to the contract, by you asking them to remove your Yamaha XT1200Z and replace it with your Yamaha Tracer9 GT. Your insurer refused the change. Sometimes, that is just the way it is. Whether the insurer explained the reason or not to the chimp in the call centre and / or whether the chimp understood the reason(s) or was willing or even able to articulate it to you, is another matter entirely. Luckily, your chimp was able to offer you an alternative insurer, all be it at a cost.

There was a belief expressed on this forum that all insurers should be the same and offer identical terms ie. that it should be a homogenised product. Thankfully for you, that can’t happen.

 

[er-minio]

No insurer is obliged, whether by law or common practice, to offer you insurance.

Yes but… All insurers are refusing insurance on the grounds of increased risk of theft.

Nothing to do with Third Party insurance that is the only legal requirement to drive/ride.

They would normally refuse to quote third party as well, as it happened to me. Just one quoted it alongside third + fire. And it’s the insurer I choose (with third + fire).

And living in a high theft risk area should not affect your risk as a rider/driver based on years of experience/license/etc.

 

[Wapping]

All insurers are refusing insurance on the grounds of increased risk of theft.

All? Mine isn’t.

The reason that many insurers refuse to give TP only cover, is that it removes the strong possibility that:

A. Some call centre chimp will mis-sell the product

B. Some other chimp (who bought the policy) will complain like buggery (to anyone foolish enough to listen to them) that they didn’t understand what it meant and demand compo, to use the popular expression.

That it also makes the insurers’ administration easier and therefore cheaper, for 99% * of the country’s customer base, is a given.

My own insurer, on a multi-vehicle policy, with vehicles garaged, un-garaged, located at home or away from home, is pretty much flexible, up to and including, removing the Road Risk (the one compulsory element) if and when I request it. But, there again, I pay for it and just about understand it.


* I made that figure up.

 

[the woodster]

... That was the statement made to me on the 'phone today from a Compare The Market respondee. It appeared to apply to all bikes.

Made no difference that I have an active Datatool tracker fitted, plus toughened D-lock.

Never even went beyond the first to characters of my west London post code before callin-out "Stop!"

Finally found a BeMoto rate - and one that was actually £125 cheaper than BikeSure.

It happened to me last year with the GS and my SE London postcode - albeit with a Kent on the end. In the end, I found one insurer who would quote me - and was baffled when they offered me a price quite a bit lower than my previous insurers !!!! And don't talk to me about Fkn car insurance.

 

[Pukmeister]

To paraphrase Forrest Gump:

Insurance quotes are like a box of chocolates.....you never know what you're gonna get.

 

[the woodster]

To paraphrase Forrest Gump:

Insurance quotes are like a box of chocolates.....you never know what you're gonna get.

Tell me about it. I mentally prepare myself for both car and bike insurance every year as the renewal approaches. I also quickly skip posts that start with, 'Can someone recommend a good bike insurer'. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

 

[Pukmeister]

I own a Tmax, a 1250GSA and a VW Campervan....... Probably the three most stolen vehicles in the UK besides a Range-Rover.

My renewals are due on or around 19th February and I'm dreading it .

 

[Kitsilano]

I own a Tmax, a 1250GSA and a VW Campervan....... Probably the three most stolen vehicles in the UK besides a Range-Rover.

My renewals are due on or around 19th February and I'm dreading it .

@Pukmeister...if you are still living outside of the M25, you might be worrying needlessly (I certainly hope so!).

 

[Pukmeister]

I use the term 'dreading' loosely, its not that bad.

 

[er-minio]

Not all, but a very large amount.

The reason that many insurers refuse to give TP only cover, is that it removes the strong possibility that:

A. Some call centre chimp will mis-sell the product

Train/pay staff better. Not my problem.
Also, on the same line, if they are worried (I know this is an assumption on your part ) so much they shouldn't use chimps to collect very detailed data for quotes that most times seems to be wrong on the actual insurance document (I had to call to amend multiple times).
Get better staff. Admittedly, some have.

B. Some other chimp (who bought the policy) will complain like buggery (to anyone foolish enough to listen to them) that they didn’t understand what it meant and demand compo, to use the popular expression.

That's the client issue.

That it also makes the insurers’ administration easier and therefore cheaper, for 99% * of the country’s customer base, is a given.

Yes, but the issue remains that (and I said this multiple times, I agree this is my grudge):

- only third party is a legal requirement to operate a motor vehicle in the UK
- most insurers make it impossible/difficult to obtain a third party quote
- they make it difficult to insure due to security grounds (like what is happening in London right now) yet refuse to insure just for third party even with lower value vehicles because apparently that means a higher risk profile.
This is a conversation I've had over the years multiple times as I always try to ask for third party only since the first time I was refused that with a bullshit response

It seems to me that motor insurances force their hand into having their clients buying more/different financial services than the one they'd need.

My own insurer, on a multi-vehicle policy, with vehicles garaged, un-garaged, located at home or away from home, is pretty much flexible, up to and including, removing the Road Risk (the one compulsory element) if and when I request it. But, there again, I pay for it and just about understand it.

I tend to avoid "discount" insurers, I avoided (until this year when I found myself in a difficult situation at renewal) comparisons sites.
I would generally go direct to bigger brand name insurers, I'm happy to stay with my insurer year on year and don't jump companies to save 50 quid on a policy as I tend to value service over cost.

All these years (17ish) I've always had all my bikes fully insured third party + fire and theft and then I've been "forced" to have Comprehensive since the HP2 arrived. Not a big issue, even if never claimed for self damage because I can budget for bike repairs

It's just that the few times I have had issues insuring (this year being one of those) and I tried to resort to the third party only I was almost always denied with some stupid excuses on the other side.
A few other people besides me had the same experience.

So, reasonal doubt, that's all.