Has anyone ever had a renewel letter saying unfortunately, we are unable to offer a renewel quote
based on your current details?
In 26 years never had that before. Have been with the co-operative insurance for the last three years and the only thing that has changed is a mk2 mazda 6 replaced a mk1.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 24 Jan 15 at 18:13
|
|
Not with those words but I have had an insurer ceasing to cover a market sector and had to find a new one on that basis.
|
>> Has anyone ever had a renewel letter saying unfortunately, we are unable to offer a
>> renewel quote
>> based on your current details?
do not tell the next company you have been refused insurance!!!!
The co-op is in deep deep financial foo foo, probably only looking at really high profit very low risk cover.
|
That is potentially dodgy advice! The question is usually specifically asked and to lie, even by omission is not a good thing.
But if the letter says as quoted, it's not a personal refusal, it's a cessation of work in the market sector. As such, it ought to be clear from the letter, but I'd be tempted to ask them to re-write it in language that won't invoke a huge penalty from the next insurer. You will not be the first person to ask in that case.
I have a refusal that I have to declare. I'm sick of it and any insurer will get that message too.
In the early 1980's a broker arranged a policy that when my details were read thoroughly by the insurance company caused them to point out to the broker that they did not cover BBC employees. Instead of sorting out another policy from an insurer who did as when first pointed out, the policy hadn't yet started, they argued. For about two months! The first I knew about it was an urgent request from the broker to go in to see them and cover was arranged with another insurer who was happy with my occupation.
I don't mince my words now and give that explanation along with the fact that refusal only arose due to the utter incompetence of the broker as the policy should never have been offered in the first place. Other than ink and time though, has not cost me anything and is not really relevant to cover in 2015, at least 30 years later.
|
|
Well I'd interpret it as a refusal to quote, not a refusal to insure. So I'd have no qualms in telling an insure I'd never been refused insurance!!
|
>> Well I'd interpret it as a refusal to quote, not a refusal to insure. So
>> I'd have no qualms in telling an insure I'd never been refused insurance!!
I agree with that.
Even using comparison sites you will get companies declining to quote. Direct Line, in the early days, was very selective - which is how it disrupted the industry so quickly. DL declined to quote me for several years, fo no obvious reason. It went for the low risks/high profit business, leaving the old guard with unprofitable segments.
|
I agree that refusal to quote is the correct interpretation I had companies refuse to quote for my Berlingo but reason was I wanted to include The Lad as a permitted driver.
In OP's shoes though I'd ask current insurer for a clear written explanation (assuming reason is withdrawal from a market sector). Just a thought, but does OP have some particular characteristic such as a health problem that might be the issue?
The Mazda car is fairly mainstream so cannot see that as an issue of itself.
|
No health issue,no accidents or points. Been on co-operatives web site and did a new quote different name and house number and date of birth, the quote came
Back over a thousand pounds. So I take it im not the kind of clientele they are after.
Tesco bank has quoted the best at £253,upgrade courtesy car, add legal cover and keys
Takes it to £297 so happy with that.
Last edited by: mazda chris on Fri 23 Jan 15 at 16:28
|
>> In OP's shoes though I'd ask current insurer for a clear written explanation
I wouldn't, just in case it does end up with a statement that insurance has been "refused" - unlikely maybe, but why do you need to do it?
A few years ago I asked Hiscox for a home insurance quote. There was a lot of toing and froing with questions about whether we ever had puddles in the garden, whether neighbours houses had been flooded and so on. When they said they were going to refer to the underwriter for the second time I dropped the proposal before it could get any worse!
|
Each year when insurances come up for renewal, I use an online search engine thing to get umpteen quotes. Normally I find that about 100+ submit a quote and 20 or 30 do not. Those 20 or 30 could be construed as 'refusals' and perhaps if I pursued those companies I could get a formal 'refusal to quote', but obviously, I don't bother.
Why the dedication to one company? They certainly aren't dedicated to you!
|
>>Why the dedication to one company? They certainly aren't dedicated to you!
I applied because the policy terms and limits are excellent and the satisfaction rating very high.
They seemed concerned about flood risk - we are on the edge of a flooding zone - and it went no further.
|
>> They seemed concerned about flood risk - we are on the edge of a flooding
>> zone -
How very strange of them.
Near to me, in early 2000 they built a small estate of houses in a flood zone. They have been flooded three times since then,
I have no idea how they get insurance.
|
>>
>> I have no idea how they get insurance.
>>
Don't worry about them - you will be effectively subsidising them under a levy imposed under the new Flood Re. scheme that Insurers have agreed wiht the government and which begins this year.
|
I would first ring the insurance company and ask for a quote. Different postcode, name and don't give the reg number.
If they [hopefully] refuse a quote then ask why. I presume it'll be a market reason and if so I'd never worry about it again, never disclose it, never think about it.
If, however, they give a quote then you would probably be best to find out why your own renewal was not offered. If you can. then get them to offer you a quote for renewal, even if its 10 squidrillion quid. A ridiculous quote is not a refusal.
I do suggest you get to the bottom of it. I doubt that there is anything "real" behind it, but if it is aimed at you personally then its better to find out now before it really matters. I actually doubt that it is aimed at you, and in the unlikely even that it is, I expect its duff info. But better faced now than later.
On the other matter, I certainly wouldn't be disclosing a insurance difficulty from 30 years ago. Nobody could ever claim that it is material.
|
On the comparison sites I have had a few "we are unable to quote" messages but that doesn't stop me getting insurance for £40 fully comp, including business, a Manchester post code and two accident (one fault, one none fault).
Some will quote me £6k, some will quote me £250 but I always end up spend quite a bit more to get an insurance policy that is fit for purpose. Is the same with my business insurance, I pay a lot more than the cheapest, but the policy I have is fit for purpose and not just a paper exercise.
|
Quoted by a "old person's insurer" about £100 less for house & contents - enough for me to change.
On trying to take policy out they asked if there were any rivers, stream with 1/4mile - YES - Does it flood - YES
They refused to take my money despite being told my house is 124 ft above sea level and the burn 200 yards away was roughly 30 feet above sea level. Flooding 90+ feet deep would be considerable achievement for a burn that is normally 2/3 feet deep.
|
>> On trying to take policy out they asked if there were any rivers, stream with
>> 1/4mile - YES - Does it flood - YES
We have had similar issues, our postcode is apparently a flood zone. Certainly the Nene has flooded badly in the past, particularly Easter 1998, and the brook occasionally breaches it's banks and floods gardens.
Both are at least 50feet closer to MSL than chez B and the river at least has had substantial alleviation work.
But apparently my house is still in a flood zone.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 24 Jan 15 at 10:40
|
>> But apparently my house is still in a flood zone.
You can do as much flood alleviation work as you like, sooner or later, if you live in a natural flood zone you will get wet. Maybe not in your lifetime,but in someone else's.
|
>> You can do as much flood alleviation work as you like, sooner or later, if
>> you live in a natural flood zone you will get wet. Maybe not in your
>> lifetime,but in someone else's.
Food zones are properly delineated by geographical factors, primarily the one shown on a map by contour lines. The problem FB and I both have is where insurers use postcodes as a proxy for contours.
|
But that's not necessarily what they ask.
Often they ask "Are you within x hundred metres of a water-course?"
A water course is defined as any channel that permanently or seasonally carries water.
The moment you ask whether the ditch you have dug to channel rainwater off your yard is a water course, they say "Yes, if it sometimes carries water".
|
>>They refused to take my money despite being told my house is....
But presumably if there's no chance of being flooded, you could just exclude flood cover from the policy?
|
>> But presumably if there's no chance of being flooded, you could just exclude flood cover
>> from the policy?
Up to a point Lord Copper....
The issue is about placing whole of this village on same risk level as property on the banks of the Nene.
One would still want cover in case of the sort of once in lifetime or longer inundation by storm that overcomes the drainage. We had such a thing in Aireborough and Horsforth when I was a kid. We were OK but some of the older terraced places with doors straight onto the street were not.
|
>> One would still want cover in case of the sort of once in lifetime or longer inundation by storm that overcomes the drainage.
So basically you are now admitting to there being a possibility of flooding to your house?
|
I had a telephone operative tell me my house was at risk from subsidence as it was built on clay. I suggested she dug my garden as she'd rapidly see the house was built on gravel. There are patches of clay not far away, and I assume she was using that information.
Present insurer though doesn't even ask.
|
>> So basically you are now admitting to there being a possibility of flooding to your
>> house?
I never denied the remote possibility. My issue is with it being treated as a probability.
|
|
In a straight-line I am less than a mile from a stretch of the Mersey which can flood. But my house is about 250 feet above see level and the Mersey about a 100 feet lower. A lot of properties around here will be 1/4 from the Mersey but no chance of it flooding their properties!
Last edited by: rtj70 on Sat 24 Jan 15 at 22:41
|
Insurance renewel - Slidingpillar
