As I said in my opening post, modern motorcycles are now only possible if you have a ‘classic’ (ie old’ish) motorcycle to insure, too.
Several years ago, I moved to RH as they were one of the very few insurance providers that could offer a true and competitive ‘multi-vehicle’ single policy. This was when they operated out of offices in Brentwood, Essex. They offered excellent service. I had nine vehicles with them, including a 1932 Frazer Nash, all on one policy. Things went awry last April when RH failed to send me a renewal offer, I had to chase them with only days to go. They then ‘forgot’ to insure two of the vehicles on the multi-vehicle policy, culminating in me receiving a letter from Essex constabulary saying I was driving an insured vehicle.
They then, in the autumn, rang me up demanding that I pay them an additional premium, dating back to April. It transpired that the premium they had quoted me, which I had accepted and paid, was wrong. In a word, I refused. They became increasingly heated, whilst admitting that they had cocked-up. A broker’s cock-up is not my problem, I wasn’t (many months after inception) going to shell out more money, just so their inefficient books would balance. I was obliged to write to their senior manager, to have the matter resolved and closed. She, very apologetic, assured me that it was all down to a change in ‘systems’ and would not happen again.
Roll on to last week. My policy renews at the end of the month. Last Friday I added another ‘modern’ bike to the policy, no problem, paying a small additional premium to the end of the month. At the same time, I expressed some surprise that, with about two weeks to go, I had not received a renewal offer…..
By yesterday morning, I still had not received a renewal offer, so I contacted the same senior manager and reminded her of the fiasco of last year. By return, a renewal offer came in and….. yup, several vehicles were missing again! Back I went to RH, pointing out that history was repeating itself.
Back came another quote, this time with more vehicles on it. I checked it and spotted that the motorcycles were all missing. I was then glibly told that ‘modern’ motorcycles (without a classic bike) were no longer possible.
In short:
Two years of late renewal quotes, which I (the customer) had to chase for.
Two years of missing vehicles, which I (the customer) have had to spot.
Two years of premium quotations that are wrong, requiring me (the customer) to point out their errors.
The unannounced dropping of the insuring of modern motorcycles. I (the customer) had to spot that the bikes were missing from the schedule and then ask why.
All this from a supposedly bespoke insurance provider. This is despite me being promised, last August, by a senior manager that the system error had been fixed (she told me lots of people were affected) and everything was being moved from Cardiff back to head office, where a bespoke service would resume. That proved not to be the case. It is unacceptable on any level.
RH come under the A-Plan (part of the Howden group) banner. I shall be writing to tell them. That I can assure you.
I quite happily recommended RH on the UKGSer forum, as a bespoke insurance provider, capable of issuing a single ‘multi-vehicle’ policy, including a vintage car valued at close on £400,000. I had no hesitation in doing so. But, by the same token, when things go badly wrong twice in two years, then I have no hesitation in telling the same forum. I have written to the head of RH, explaining my frustration and disappointment. Let’s see what happens next.
PS There is no doubt the bizarre circumstance that, if I were to buy a car boot sale, non-running, old ‘classic’ - classic being dictated by age, nothing more - motorcycle or moped and add it to the schedule, keeping it in a hedge on my brother-in-law’s farm, then the two ‘modern’ bikes would be insured. That makes no sense whatsoever.
