Insurance - refusal

[Wittsend]

Anyone been refused insurance for just a classic car policy - without having access to another car, on the policy

One long standing member has been refused by Footman James because they only have a Series 2A and don't own a modern car

Apparently "they" have just bought in this change and the 1st you hear of it is when your insurance is due they say they can't insure you  :ranting

Any similar experiences ?
Who do you insure with ?

I've just renewed with RH Insurance, it's gone up, but no mention of my modern car - not on that policy (I'm with another company)

[DogDave]

I don't have another car - although do have a motorbike and can drive the girlfriends car. Renewed with Adrian Flux in The last couple of weeks no issue (and only a tenner more than last year after a call to get them to make the quote keener) - definitely be worth him giving them a call

[Theshed]

I think most classic policies I have had stipulated access to another car.
Not sure how that would work if other car was also a Classic.
In fact on my last renewal for what I call my 'modern' the insurer suggested having it on a Classic Policy.
It is a 23 year old Mondeo.
I think the reasoning is some folks may use older cars on a classic policy to reduce insurance costs for regularly used vehicles.

[Archie]

The truth is that Insurance companies can demand anything they want.
YOU need Insurance.
Otherwise you could get 6 penalty points and £300 fine, and have the vehicle seized!

Advice: Find the company, which best suits your needs AND pocket.

[Exile]

I also insure with Flux, but always batter them to reduce the renewal quote!


I do have some sympathy with their view that classic vehicles get cheaper insurance because they are not expected to be someone's everyday car, doing many thousands of miles a year.

Land Rovers with cheap insurance, tax and MOT free are often seen as a route to cheap everyday motoring, rather than the use to which most classic cars are put to.

Which begs the question : are you at higher risk of making a claim if you do 20,000 miles a year, all year round and in all weathers, or if you only use it on Summer weekends when the weather is nice?


I guess the Insurers have come to their own conclusion......

[fv1620]

Surely the classic car policy stipulates a maximum annual mileage?

[Alan Drover]

Surely the classic car policy stipulates a maximum annual mileage?

They usually do and mine does. I'm selling the MG which has been off the road since 2019 due to overheating problems and my only usable vehicle since is the Land Rover.
No problem so far with Peter Best.

[Wittsend]

Our member was refused insurance from Footman James despite being a "loyal" customer for 20+ years, with no claims.
He also got the same answer from Carol Nash insurance who advised him to become a named driver on another car policy.

But he now has a couple of suitable quotes 

I think with most classic car policies you have "restricted" annual mileage, probably up to 10,000
You tell them how many you'll be doing. Quite what happens if you do say 50 miles more than you declared - they have no way of checking what mileage you do - more so if you don't do MoTs 

You also need to watch for excess values - some give silly excess values of a few thousand £s, more then the vehicle is worth 

I believe the excess on mine is £100

[island dormy]

  Over here in BC we have Collectors insurance 1/4 or less than the price of regular car insurance. Full coverage.
 Your collector has to be approved with the aid of 20+ pictures showing everything, it has to be in immaculate shape and period correct and you HAVE to have another everyday driver car or motorbike registered in your name.
 You can use the collector vehicle for pleasure use as much as you want, to pick up groceries go shopping etc, with no milage restriction, but never ever to work or school.

  Its a great deal by the province of BC. You even get a special plate.

  25 years ago when I lived in Alberta there was no such program, sure you could get a collectors type policy for less money but it was so restrictive that it was just not worth it. Basically car shows only.

  Victor

[AlexB]

Surely the classic car policy stipulates a maximum annual mileage?

Peter James, Dormobile, 109, Citroen Ami. Unlimited mileage, uk and eu breakdown cover, agreed value, wife and daughter also covered. £302  (up £15 from last year)

[Clifford Pope]

I'm with Peter James - unlimited mileage, agreed values, 2 vehicles on a multi-policy, just renewed at £138.

The Limitations as to use state "Use for Social Domestic and Pleasure purposes including travelling to and from a permanent place of business, but exluding use for the purpose of any profession, trade, business or employment".

That seems self contradictary, but perhaps it means I could commute to work but not if I actually did any work when at my desk - civil service perhaps?

A man I happened to speak to at Adrian Flux said they didn't have any rule about needing to have another one car on ordinary insurance and he said most insurers were the same, which makes me think I should add our every day Volvo 240 1990 to the multi policy and just have three cars on the one policy.
He also said there was no customer age limit for classic policies, but I'm not certain he actually knew what he was talking about, so I'd need to check very carefully with Peter James before relinquishing a lifetime's no claims discount.

[geoff]

Maybe the buzzword of " cost of living crisis " ( Lol ! ) has seen an uptick in drivers trying to run a classic as a daily and some insurers are trying to get it covered ?

I recall a few years back some forum members here were running a Series 2 as a daily because of the free tax no mot and cheap insurance

Gotta say when I ran a SII as a dailysome decades back and before the free tax etc  I used to say you needed a petrol bowser in permanent tow 

[w3526602]

Hi,

You can "insure yourself" by depositing a large sum of money (£1,000,000 last time I looked, several years ago) with the Attornerney General. I think its detailed in the RTA (Para 34?, Para 134?, or something like that. ...

... and Doh! ... my "Lady of the Shower" has just walked in through the front door, and donned her rubber gloves. No sense of timing! I will return after brekky.

602

[autorover1]

Hi,

You can "insure yourself" by depositing a large sum of money (£1,000,000 last time I looked, several years ago) with the Attornerney General. I think its detailed in the RTA (Para 34?, Para 134?, or something like that. ...

... and Doh! ... my "Lady of the Shower" has just walked in through the front door, and donned her rubber gloves. No sense of timing! I will return after brekky.

602

A lot of Bus companies used to do that.  I had a West Midland Passenger Executive bus run into me in the 1970's & they self insured.

[Clifford Pope]

I think any large company with a big fleet of vehicles would choose to self-insure. If you only have one car (or one house say) and you couldn't afford the cost of losing it then you'd want to insure it. But if you have 100 you'd just reckon that on average you'd only write off one of them in an accident each year so why bother with insurance?