Biggest insurance joke so far!

[Bernard]

If any of you remember last year I posted this thread about O'Malley Griffin brokers in Limerick.
I got a brilliant quote of €680 for a fully protected comprehensive policy from Setanta, in fact they proved to be the best for a few members here too.

This year my renewal came in at €522... even better?
They asked if all the details were the same and other than my employment status changing from "unemployed" to "car valeter" (the new business myself and Dragonheart started) they were.
Still no points, accidents, claims or convictions... the usual.

Now Setanta have refused to cover me and the best (and only) quote the broker came back with was from AXA for €1100.
They excuse is that I'm now in the motor trade and it's in Setanta's criteria that they don't cover people in the motor trade, so I can't even force them to quote.

I'm in the process of ringing around but I'm completely sickened!

There's a moral in there somewhere.

[Dilogoat86]

Because you clean cars you're in the motor trade? That's a farce.

Because I drove to work in a car does that make me part of the motor trade? Or if I drive around as part of my job? That has annoyed me. I HATE insurance companies.

[Bernard]

Because you clean cars you're in the motor trade? That's a farce.

Apparently so.
The fact that it's a mobile service and my own business meaning that I won't even be using the car to drive to work doesn't matter.
If anything the risk has gone down because I'll using the work van during the day, not that 20,000 miles in 3½ years is much risk!

[TopCat]

That is ridiculous, if not entirely unexpected. The second you mention car or motor, this is what you're faced with. I'm assuming you're just using it for personal use, so really your occupation shouldn't have that much impact. Sometimes these things go completely against logic..

[Dragonheart]

Bernard just thinking there, I really can't see how they have a right to know what you're occupation is when its down on your insurance form that the car is for social and domestic use only. I mean why don't they ask what your hobbies are? Cause thats what they should be interested in technically.
I'd seriously consider taking it further like to the ombudsman and demand why they have a right to do that, and why they even need to know your occupation as it has nothing to do with your insurance quote or your car.

[Muad_dib77]

Totally agree... it'd be a different matter if you were to use the fto for work.
As it stands your profession is completely irrelevent to your current situation.

[colm_mcm]

Aren't you a company director?

[Bernard]

Aren't you a company director?

Technically yes, and I see where you're going.
If all else fails I'll see about transferring the car to the company and putting it under the business insurance.

[Dave]

What kind of insurance have you got for the business? Is it just a commercial vehicle/fleet policy or a motor trade policy?

[Bernard]

It's commercial vehicle for the van and we have employers & public liability.

[Dave]

Hey Bernard, you could have gotten an automotive policy, it would have done the lot, which would have covered, EL & PL, any premises and also the vehicles, not only the van, but any vehicles registered in your/company's name and any vehicle that you were driving in the course of the motor trade business, so effectively you'd be covered to drive anything.

Give me a shout offline if you want to talk more or if you'd like me to have one of our sales guys to give you a shout and talk you through your options (for next year's renewal perhaps)

[optical illusion]

I see where you're coming from. The only reason your employment status is relevant is for credit vetting. Plus they never look into it anyway.

Couple of options:

Get a motor trade policy.
Tell them you've gone out of business.

[Bernard]

@ Dave

Hindsight is great but at the time (and given some of the business quotes we were getting) the policy we went for seemed the best option.
I never expected to have this much hassle reinsuring the FTO.

Couple of options:

Get a motor trade policy.
Tell them you've gone out of business.

Both non runners.



Having spent the best part of the day on the phone, my insurance is finally sorted.
Nearly all the quotes I got were through AXA and they were all around the 1K mark and up to €1200 (bear in mind my renewal should have been €500).
I also rang AXA directly who quoted just over 1K but at the last minute declined the offer.

I got a quote of €950 from the AA, again through AXA, but beat it through their website at €750 the only trouble being that the small print said the car couldn't be an import.
When I rang back to query it I got a really helpful guy called Eamonn who had a friend in AXA. He managed to get the original web quote to stand and knocked another 20 off it.

So the final figure is €730, not ideal but better than the rest.

[optical illusion]

AXA are full of BS, because they told me that when I'm 30 with FNCB they will insure me.