insurance providers - who has given good service in a claim

[Blazeaway]

I need to insure my new boat and whilst I have searched the forum aĺl I can find is so far is 'praise' for companies for being good at time of providing a policy. The real test really what happens when a claim is made.

So question is who has experience of brokers/underwriters giving great service cover and what was your view of the premium charged and cover provied.

Edited January 24, 2015 by frankpwilson

[mrsmelly]

Hi

 

I have been with Euromarine for umpteen years I never shop around so hope if I claim they will listen. My brother in law has been with them about ten years now on my recomendation. He claimed in his first year but it was only about a grand. They paid instantly no hassle but of coutrse it was only a small amount.

 

Tim

[RichLech]

I'm with Craftinsure and had the misfortune to need to claim during the first year. They were excellent in dealing with the claim. It was a £2.5K claim and premiums were not jacked up much.

 

Highly recommended.

[Guest]

I need to insure my new boat and whilst I have searched the forum aĺl I can find is so far is 'praise' for companies for being good at time of providing a policy. The real test really what happens when a claim is made.

So question is who has experience of brokers/underwriters giving great service cover and what was your view of the premium charged and cover provied.

Cant answer your question but spot on for asking the correct question about insurance.

 

Taking your money means nothing, claim time is everything.

[thunderbird]

I put my faith in Haven Knox Johnston or in Navigator and General. Nav & Gen are always happy to help boaters with advice so hopefully their claims department is well up to speed, too.

[GoodGurl]

i am also with Euromarine since i started boating some 20 years ago and when i claimed for a break in they paid within 2 weeks a total of about £2.400, theft included outboard engine and fishing gear. can't praise them enough, plus the increase in policy renewal was minimal.

[Slim]

Some years ago when insured by St Margarets Insurance I claimed when my Drascombe Lugger (wooden John Elliot version) complete with trailer was stolen from the boat compound of my sailing club. After much negioation they settled for the sum insured having started with a much lower offer. Six months later they "declined" to insure me when I replaced it with marina based yacht. Knox Johnson Insurance gave me cover without hesitation. (Robert Knox Johnson himself at the London Boat Show)

[BruceinSanity]

The guy who had a major falling out with his builder and the boat became trashed (choosing my words carefully here as I don't think there was ever a definitive court case) had insured his boat with Towergate Mardon whilst it was in build and they paid up promptly.

 

TM are very good on contents insurance for liveaboards, too. We do a ring round about every three years but have never got a lower quote that had everything we need.

[Henhouse]

You may want to read this first;

 

http://www.nb-kelly-louise.com/2014/11/the-dream-that-turned-into-nightmare.html

 

 

A quite shocking tale of one man's battle with his insurers.

[Nightwatch]

(Robert Knox Johnson himself at the London Boat Show)

is this the same Robert Knox Johnston who sailed around the world also known as Robin?

 

Martyn

[GUMPY]

The guy who had a major falling out with his builder and the boat became trashed (choosing my words carefully here as I don't think there was ever a definitive court case) had insured his boat with Towergate Mardon whilst it was in build and they paid up promptly.

 

TM are very good on contents insurance for liveaboards, too. We do a ring round about every three years but have never got a lower quote that had everything we need.

I would think log and hard about TM

Towergate are being sold at a knockdown price as their debts exceed their equity.

Not sure if the sale has completed yet.

[Dave_P]

I'm with Collidge and Partners and I had a big claim a couple of years ago. They were excellent!

[Sea Dog]

You may want to read this first;

 

http://www.nb-kelly-louise.com/2014/11/the-dream-that-turned-into-nightmare.html

 

 

A quite shocking tale of one man's battle with his insurers.

 

Crikey, that's one long and worrying tale! Thing is, for all that information, we're no better placed to avoid either the marina who did the shoddy job or the insurance company who's level of cover was of little help. I recognise there are legalities to be considered but, if we're not prepared to name names, there's not a lot of help in telling the cautionary tales really, is there?

[frantic]

 

Crikey, that's one long and worrying tale! Thing is, for all that information, we're no better placed to avoid either the marina who did the shoddy job or the insurance company who's level of cover was of little help. I recognise there are legalities to be considered but, if we're not prepared to name names, there's not a lot of help in telling the cautionary tales really, is there?

If you read his first post of January 2015 all is revealed.

[Guest]

If you read his first post of January 2015 all is revealed.

So Craftinsure did actually settle the claim but what they wouldn't do was settle it to his satisfaction ie completely strip out the boat and it came down to the policy wording. With the underwriters being N&G they also see to be implicated too.

 

But how many policies differ in their wording from Craftinsures I wonder?

[Sea Dog]

If you read his first post of January 2015 all is revealed.

 

Ah, thanks, I didn't read beyond December's 'final' chapter because he appeared to say he was over it, bought a camper and drove off into the sunset. So he names Craftinsure or, more pertinent maybe, their underwriters Navigators and General, but when you look at the policy wording it looks pretty good to me! How do we steer through this minefield?

 

However, more importantly, we still don't know where the original (weakly insured) sin was committed - the marina who did the work which resulted in a sunken boat.

 

 

 

ETA that the policy wording specifically excludes - "the cost of making good any defect in repair, maintenance or alteration carried out for your account resulting from either negligence or breach of contract." That doesn't seem unreasonable - perhaps what was a bigger issue here was that the boatyard would not name their insurers. Surely they must in such an event?

Edited January 25, 2015 by Sea Dog

[Keeping Up]

One major part of the problem seems to be the insurance company's refusal to pay for replacement of the internal woodwork etc because that would count as "New for Old" betterment.

 

That sent me looking at the wording of my own policy (Towergate Marden) and I see that it says "Your insurer will not reduce your claim if your insurers replace old materials with new except for: sails, protective covers, running rigging, outboard motors, batteries, and personal belongings". To me, as a naive layman, that seems to read OK.

[Slim]

is this the same Robert Knox Johnston who sailed around the world also known as Robin?

 

Martyn

Yes, thinking aout it again I believe his name is Robin. If so, apologies to the man

 

Frank

[costalot]

One major part of the problem seems to be the insurance company's refusal to pay for replacement of the internal woodwork etc because that would count as "New for Old" betterment.

 

That sent me looking at the wording of my own policy (Towergate Marden) and I see that it says "Your insurer will not reduce your claim if your insurers replace old materials with new except for: sails, protective covers, running rigging, outboard motors, batteries, and personal belongings". To me, as a naive layman, that seems to read OK.

 

I would feel more comfortable if it read "where your insurers replace old materials" rather than "if"

[Sea Dog]

I've been reading the blog by the chap who's boat sank to try to identify where it is that I don't want work on my boat done. I'm none the wiser, but his home mooring was canalside near Nantwich and apparently used a local marina. I don't know how many establishments that might bracket, but it's sufficiently far away that I'm not likely to fall foul myself. If that's an area you may be having such work done, you may think it prudent to look deeper.

[Blazeaway]

So I guess I was right to ask the question in my original post.

 

Conclusions looks definitively positive response to some insurers and very significant negative for the others. I'll check carefully who the proposed underwriter is when I go forward on this and start getting quotes.

[frantic]

 

Ah, thanks, I didn't read beyond December's 'final' chapter because he appeared to say he was over it, bought a camper and drove off into the sunset. So he names Craftinsure or, more pertinent maybe, their underwriters Navigators and General, but when you look at the policy wording it looks pretty good to me! How do we steer through this minefield?

 

However, more importantly, we still don't know where the original (weakly insured) sin was committed - the marina who did the work which resulted in a sunken boat.

 

 

 

ETA that the policy wording specifically excludes - "the cost of making good any defect in repair, maintenance or alteration carried out for your account resulting from either negligence or breach of contract." That doesn't seem unreasonable - perhaps what was a bigger issue here was that the boatyard would not name their insurers. Surely they must in such an event?

If you read the comments at the bottom of the 30/11/14 post he mentions that he had used the same marina for blacking in Autumn 2009 & Spring 2012, his blog goes back that far .............

[Sea Dog]

If you read the comments at the bottom of the 30/11/14 post he mentions that he had used the same marina for blacking in Autumn 2009 & Spring 2012, his blog goes back that far .............

 

Yeah, I know, I'm googly-eyed from reading it all! See my post #20

[dor]

Following a break-in, Craftinsure have agreed my claim for a number of items of clothing, paid for in full, plus my preferred repairer who I know will do a very good job. They didn't ask for multiple quotes, where someone might have come in cheaper but done a more inferior job.

 

All done online by email following initial claim through their website. And they appear to work weekends. Following my initial reporting of the break-in on a friday night to their ansaphone, I had a phone call in reply an hour later, about 9pm.

[Shockabilly]

I'm with Newton Crum, never had a claim to put them to the test but I have to say they're lovely people to talk to on the phone!