CAR INSURANCE

[Nige]

Hi Folks,

Can anyone reccomend a car insurance company who are happy to deal with liveaboards and who have no bricks and mortar address?

 

I use a PO Box for mail and the few quotes I've had so far are stupidly high - just because I don't have a residential address..

Cheers,

Nige

[carlt]

Hi Folks,

Can anyone reccomend a car insurance company who are happy to deal with liveaboards and who have no bricks and mortar address?

 

I use a PO Box for mail and the few quotes I've had so far are stupidly high - just because I don't have a residential address..

Cheers,

Nige

My insurance went to the localpost office. I told them it wasn't my home address and they didn't seem bothered. It was dial direct btw. Not the cheapest but that was more to do with not having a credit card so couldn't take advantage of internet discounts. Now I'm nolonger liveaboard everything's cheaper!

[pagan witch]

As a driving instructor I have a commercial policy with a firm called Mid Cornwall Brokers who also do a lot of BIG stuff like oil rigs if their web site is to be believed. They have no problem with my being on a boat.

 

My better half uses Sheilas Wheels, again, no problem but many insurers don't like us, including ASDA who are still moer than happy for us to shop at their store and fill the car they won't insure at their filling station.

[tired old pirate]

Direct line dont bat an eyelid at a poste restante address, my local post office has an actual address and if you dont stress the c/o bit (like just dont say the word!)thats fine, choose a post office in a posh place to minimise expense and bob is the relative of your choice. Mine came thru last week along with my new driving license which says co the post office!

[Breals]

I went with a brokers (A1 insurance) who were brilliant at finding suitable insurance at the best price. Yes they take a small commission, but they take all the hassle out of the process and will be there to help if I need to claim. If I need to change my details I can just tell them, no more sitting waiting on the bloody 'Tesco Insurance' automated phone line, and they fill out all the forms for you. The actual insurance company I'm with is Highway Insurance.

 

I was uncomfortable about fibbing about the postal address situation because of what might happen if I had to claim and the insurance company found out I had been economical with the truth. Call me paranoid.

[pagan witch]

I was uncomfortable about fibbing about the postal address situation because of what might happen if I had to claim and the insurance company found out I had been economical with the truth. Call me paranoid.

 

Very wise too.

 

Insurance companies are good at 2 things.

 

1) Taking money from you

2) Finding ways of not paying anything out.

 

Friend of mine was recently in a car crash when a large van side swiped her on a roundabout. The van's insurers tried to cop out by quoting Paragraph 36 from the Highway Code and quoting that as my friend wasn't driving in accordance with that principle she was by default in the wrong.

 

Shame Para 36 deals with cyclists then. Still it was worth a try, they've since coughed up after I wrote them a letter explaining the error of their ways and quoting my assorted driving qualifications.

 

If they find any factual inaccuracy (like why wasn't the car parked 'at home') they will try and cop out.

[carlt]

I'm with Dial direct for the modern rubbish and Footman James for my classic stuff. Neither were concerned about the post office address.

[anhar]

Direct line dont bat an eyelid at a poste restante address, my local post office has an actual address and if you dont stress the c/o bit (like just dont say the word!)thats fine, choose a post office in a posh place to minimise expense and bob is the relative of your choice. Mine came thru last week along with my new driving license which says co the post office!

I think this might cause a problem in the event of a claim, especially if it was for serious money such as an injury or death to someone.

 

By leaving out the "c/o" and choosing "a post office in a posh place to minimise expense" you are not telling the insurer the correct facts about the location of your car and driving. One of the conditions of insurance is that it is in good faith. Concealing important facts or giving misleading information may get you the cheaper premium but it's asking for trouble on a claim in my view and may enable them to avoid payment. You can be certain that on a claim, especially a substantial one, they will go to great lengths to try and find a reason to avoid payment. They would be on quite good ground in this case.

 

regards

Steve

Edited August 8, 2007 by anhar

[carlt]

I think this might cause a problem in the event of a claim, especially if it was for serious money such as an injury or death to someone.

 

By leaving out the "c/o" and choosing "a post office in a posh place to minimise expense" you are not telling the insurer the correct facts about the location of your car and driving. One of the conditions of insurance is that it is in good faith. Concealing important facts or giving misleading information may get you the cheaper premium but it's asking for trouble on a claim in my view and may enable them to avoid payment. You can be certain that on a claim, especially a substantial one, they will go to great lengths to try and find a reason to avoid payment. They would be on quite good ground in this case.

 

regards

Steve

I had to claim last year and had no problems at all. I agree that you should giveall the facts, though. My address was Nb Usk, poste restante, etc. and I told them where I lived and where the vehicle was stored.

[anhar]

I had to claim last year and had no problems at all. I agree that you should giveall the facts, though. My address was Nb Usk, poste restante, etc. and I told them where I lived and where the vehicle was stored.

That's not the same thing though Carl as you would agree because as you say you made the truth clear. Tired Old Pirate was suggesting positively misleading the insurer by giving a post office address in an area where the premiums are low and moreover, pretending that the PO was the actual base, rather than merely an accommodation address. Two highly misleading statements which I'm almost certain would enable them to avoid payment under the utmost good faith rule.

 

I don't know how large your claim was, but in the nature of things a small claim might well be paid even where someone had made a misleading declaration because they might not bother to investigate. And anyway you say that there would be no fault with your declaration. But with a large claim they most certainly will investigate. Injury or death claims could easily be high five figure, six or seven figure sums and extensive damage to property could be very expensive too.

 

Consequently I think Tired Old Pirate's comment is dangerously unacceptable advice

 

regards

Steve

Edited August 8, 2007 by anhar

[pagan witch]

Direct line dont bat an eyelid at a poste restante address, my local post office has an actual address and if you dont stress the c/o bit (like just dont say the word!)thats fine, choose a post office in a posh place to minimise expense and bob is the relative of your choice. Mine came thru last week along with my new driving license which says co the post office!

 

 

Direct line wouldn't touch us when we told them we lived on a boat. Even the fact we have a ressi mooring and a locked car compound with CCTV wouldn't make them budge.

 

This leads me to believe that they would try a cop out if they could should you be unfortunate enough to need to claim.