Car insurance

[PBH]

I am in the process of re insuring the Stag and as a Previous TR Owner I changed the insurance when I bought the stag it but was still with the TR Register insurance Towergate so I am looking for a competitive quote. I was amazed to find the SOC insurance policy was the most expensive and did not contain breakdown cover I can get cover from Footman James £30 cheaper and including breakdown. Why does the club not negotiate with a main stream insurer to get a really good deal. I am a new member so dont know if politics are involved. Silence on replies might indicate the case. Who else should I try have had quotes from Adrian Flux, Lancaster,Carole Nash. The prices are still way above what I was paying with the register on a 4A.

Peter

[RogerP]

Hi Peter

I am somewhat mystified, the clubs insurance does cover both UK and European breakdown, in fact when our deceaseded president had an accident in Switzerland it was the only company that would return the vehicle to the UK..Rac, AA and a few others don't cover Switzerland.....Maybe you got hold of somebody that doesn't know what's what try again.

Roger

[Andrew S]

Peter, the club scheme does include European. It may not be the cheapest, although there isnt much in it comapred to ithers. but iwhen it coms to an accident, the cheaper ones will show their colours. As Roger has said, you may have got the wrong person and I can assure you that the European cover is there. If not, give me a PMCheersAndrew

[aerosilver]

I have always been with the club insurers, and have breakdown cover included. I agree they are not the cheapest, but I've only heard good things about their service and when I ring them up I always get through to someone pretty much straight away, which is rare for insurance companies in my experience.

[Another Peter]

Peter

I understand that Towergate now insure other Triumphs too.

I use them for my TR4, and use RH for the Stag, but when the Stag is due for renewal I'll get a "multi-Triumph" quote from Towergate and see if RH will quote on both too.

Like the others have said, my Stag's insurance does include European breakdown.

Regards

Peter

[Registrar]

I understand that the average premium paid on the SOC scheme is £123. Can't believe that Footman James are quoting £93 on the same basis as RHS. If the quote is way above £123, then either they are quoting their general insurance scheme and you need to ask about the Club scheme. or you are deemed a bad risk or cannot comply with some of the standard requirements and they have loaded the premium (i.e. not garaged, young driver, recent accidents/points, live in an 'iffy' area, etc)

I was insured with AON with multiple cars (not just Triumphs) - until they bought Footman James and set them up as their specialist 'classic team'. A few years ago my wife was going to Manchester on a very nice day in July in her XJS (yes, I know, not a Stag - but it's a cheaper classic and who can resist owning a V12 engined car). On a nice straight 60 mph road with half a mile visibility she pulled out to overtake the car in front and continued to pass a 40 mph lorry. As the lorry driver saw my wife coming he decided to speed up (6 litres in a truck can also be quite potent) to close the gap between him and the car in front - which left my wife and daughter in no mans land. She braked hard to fall in behind the lorry, the lorry (or the trailer part anyway) slid up the inside catching the XJS and rippling the bodywork quite nicely, while another lorry coming in the other direction had to pull hard to the left to miss hitting the XJS. Nice work Mr. lorry driver, totally ignoring all the Highway Code instructions on giving way to faster moving traffic and being overtaken, putting the life of my nearest and dearest at huge risk - just because he didn't like being overtaken by a sports car. Marilyn stopped at the next junction but the driver just continued onwards. She reported the driver to the police at Sleaford and they later interviewed the driver but couldn't do anything as there was no independant witness (my daughter with 15 years driving experience is not suitably independant). We put together a three page report to the insurance company with three diagrams to explain what had happened - the lorry driver reported 'that he saw a car overtake six other cars in a queue and it then ran into the side of his truck' - that was it, total statement. Our insurers were good enough to admit liability - without even receiving a claim from the other side. I was livid and am in the process of moving five classic car policies on 13 cars away from Footman James/AON. I had been with AON or its predecessors for over 25 years without any claims against us but remember, good insurers really come to the fore when there is a problem - quoting a cheap premium is the easy bit, the follow through is the real tester.

Finally, watch out for the 'its not insured if its outside the locked garage (i.e. on the drive or in the road nearby) between 22.00 and 6.00' That would have caught me thirty years ago when I had moved a car out onto the road while I shuffled things about - only for a drunk in an Escort to run into the back of my Mercedes and push it onto the towbar of my T2000 estate sitting in front of it. The police had the driver in court and sentenced within six weeks, it took over a year to have my Mercedes repaired and a £5k bill to Norwich Union (his insurers) who had to be taken to the courtroom steps before they gave in.

Be very careful out there - cheap insurance policies aren't always what they seem.

Good luck

Peter

[PBH]

Hello Peter I felt that £164 3k limited milage without breakdown even UK cover was not competitive and Footman James was £133 but I will contact them again as I feel I may have been misquoted I know I am a sinner and had 3 points in 2007 but as so many have come to the defence of the SOC scheme I will contact again.
Thanks for the feedback.

Peter

[Registrar]

Let us know how you get on Peter


Peter

[aerosilver]

Hello Peter I felt that £164 3k limited milage without breakdown even UK cover was not competitive and Footman James was £133 but I will contact them again as I feel I may have been misquoted I know I am a sinner and had 3 points in 2007 but as so many have come to the defence of the SOC scheme I will contact again.
Thanks for the feedback.

Peter

I just paid RH £160 to renew but that includes having my 23 year old son on the policy, so I didn't think that was bad.

[Rubce]

Do RH insure other classics apart from Stags on the SOC policy? Does the SOC policy also allow the cars to be used for business use?

Both our Stag and GT6 are currently with Footman James on the same policy and both are covered for unlimited mileage and business use for £264 pa. The policy is due for renewal later this month so I need to start shopping around again.

Regards

Bruce

[Andrew S]

Hi Bruce. Yes, they do all sorts of classic car clubs and specialise. The coverage I beleive covers you for from and toa work place but not directly connected with your business. Peter, (PBH) Please let me know how you get on and tell them about other members quotesAndrew

[Rubce]

Hi Andrew

Thanks for your reply. We need both cars covering for business use, not simply travelling to and from place of work. My wife's work involves visiting lots of schools in Cheshire. I will call RT and see what they can offer.

Regards

Bruce

[coldstreamer]

i have just had a quote from rh , £139.00 3,000 miles limit ,continental and uk breakdown cover ,car not covered for fire or theft between 10pm and 0600hrs if not in my garage , i dont think that is too bad

andy

[Ian Durrant]

i have just had a quote from rh , £139.00 3,000 miles limit ,continental and uk breakdown cover ,car not covered for fire or theft between 10pm and 0600hrs if not in my garage , i dont think that is too bad

andy

Check that doesn't mean it's not covered when you are way from home and it's not in your garage.

[StagnJag]

I have gone for Peter James Insurance. Unlimited Mileage, European Breakdown cover, car lives outside in a non-secured residential car park. No alarm mentioned, although I do have one. £151 - about half of what I paid elsewhere last year. i was quite happy with that.

Rgds

Dave