Europa Bike insurance.

[jaca2865]

I’m having a terrible time trying to get a contact that works with this company. Used to be AA Bike insurance.

Each avenue for Comms fails: chat, web site change, calls, claim line. All don’t work.

They operate under 4th Dimension based in Surrey who I contacted today but them simply put me through to an unanswered call line. The complaint line email address fails too.

Anyone had a similar experience with them or a better one in which case what worked!!!

Cheers folks

Jim

 

[Wapping]

Is this breakdown insurance or motor insurance or something else?

 

[wessie]

I don't think the 4th Dimension connection is correct. 4D is a claims management and repair service.

Europa Bike is part of https://www.europa-group.co.uk/about-us/our-brands.php based in Thornbury

Try contacting one of the other brands listed on the link above to see if they are operational and able to help.

Europa is just the broker. If you have no luck contacting them, have a look at your documents and for the name of the underwriter. Contact that company direct.

 

[jaca2865]

Cheers wessie
In their opening gambit on the futile telephone call line, they mention being part of 4D hence I called them and they confirmed that.

Terrible experience.

Jim

 

[jaca2865]

Cheers walling
When I took the policy out I changed the reg number and they wrote to say it was done at their end but the letter still had the old reg number showing.

Trying to get a real human contact so I can speak to someone pointing out their error or make the change on their web site or use the chat facility or write an email to complain, all failed.

I tried all this in between my work matters - at one point I had a contact who gave me 47 seconds to get to him then he closed the chat BASTARD!

From 0900-1750hrs today!! What a waste

 

[Posh Pete]

Write a letter addressed to The Compliance Officer at the insurance company's registered address. Send it first class and proof of receipt. Itemise your complaint (as above but omit the bastard bit or maybe not, that's up to you!) and give them say 5 working days to sort it out or you will move to complain to the Ombudsman.

 

[Wapping]

I take it this is something to do with Motor insurance, so I’ll move it.

Richard

 

[jaca2865]

I take it this is something to do with Motor insurance, so I’ll move it.

Richard

Bike insurance.

 

[jaca2865]

Write a letter addressed to The Compliance Officer at the insurance company's registered address. Send it first class and proof of receipt. Itemise your complaint (as above but omit the bastard bit or maybe not, that's up to you!) and give them say 5 working days to sort it out or you will move to complain to the Ombudsman.

Thanks PP. it’s on my to do list.

Hope you’re both well

Jim

 

[Wapping]

Wessie is correct, as far as I can see.

It looks / sounds like Europa Group Ltd, Europa House, Midland Way, Thornbury, Bristol, BS35 2JX sold you a Motor policy for your motorcycle, shoved in a jacket with an AA label on it. In short, Europa Group are a broker or intermediary, nothing more. The actual insurer could be the AA’s own insurance company or some other insurance company, it is impossible to tell.

However, your cover note should tell you who the insurance company is.

Contacting the insurance company straight off, is quite possibly a waste of time as there is a pretty good chance that they will have never heard of you as an individual. You need to start with Europa. How did you contact them:

A. Initially when you bought the policy?

B. More recently, to change the registration number?

Apparently, Europa Group’s head of compliance is apparently a fellow by the name of:

Andy Coles
Risk & Compliance Director at Europa Group Limited and Deputy Chair of the National Accordion Organisation of the UK

Yup, he’s a lover of the squeeze box.

But you don’t need Andy (Accordion) Coles just yet. Start by retracing your steps to the person or persons you contacted to change your bike’s registration.

 

[jaca2865]

Wessie is correct, as far as I can see.

It looks / sounds like Europa Group Ltd, Europa House, Midland Way, Thornbury, Bristol, BS35 2JX sold you a Motor policy for your motorcycle, shoved in a jacket with an AA label on it. In short, Europa Group are a broker or intermediary, nothing more. The actual insurer could be the AA’s own insurance company or some other insurance company, it is impossible to tell.

However, your cover note should tell you who the insurance company is.

Contacting the insurance company straight off, is quite possibly a waste of time as there is a pretty good chance that they will have never heard of you as an individual. You need to start with Europa. How did you contact them:

A. Initially when you bought the policy?

B. More recently, to change the registration number?

Thanks Wapping.
I was insured by AA insurance but in August, just at renewal time for me, they handed over/were taken over by europa. All letterheads and websites in AA colour and name changed to europa bike.

When I called the numbers for them today, they announced 4D in their preamble for options etc.

Way back I bought the insurance direct from AA.

I’ll try the line you’re all saying here. Thanks guys.

Jim

 

[wessie]

The 4th Dimension element could just be the claims handling line which AA/Europa outsourced to them like many other insurers

If you do not have a phone no. for Europa Bike, ring the parent company on 01454 415566 which is from https://www.europa-group.co.uk/contact-us/

 

[Wapping]

I have done some digging about. Assuming what I have found is correct, up-to-date and relevant, here goes:

AA Insurance branded policies are administered and sold by Europa Group.

The reference to 4D is (as Wessie says) probably only relevant to claims. You are not making a claim, so they can probably be ignored.

Somewhere in the blurb you received with your policy, there will be a sheet of paper which maybe looks a bit like this:

https://www.europa-group.co.uk/aadocs/aa_tob.pdf

It might not be exactly the same but it’ll tell you how to make a complaint. The relevant section may well look something like this, taken from the document linked to above:



As you can see, all roads lead to Europa Group. The complaints telephone / contact details are given in the screenshot.

But, you are not yet at the formal complaints time. All you need is the number plate change corrected.

What to do:

1. Call or contact the people you made contact with to request the change in the number plate. It seems from post #5 that you told someone about the change, but they simply forgot to register it. Or maybe they did and you are perhaps muddling up some papers.

2. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Go back to the people you started with. Will they be open 24 hours a day? Probably not. Call them in office hours.

3. If for whatever reason course of action 2 fails. Try calling the number in the screenshot above.

4. Whoever you speak to, always have to hand:

A. Your full name, address and post code.

B. Your policy number and any reference numbers contained in the blurb you received.

C. The policy inception date ie. The date from when it started.

D. Your own contact details ie. phone and / or email address.

Having A to D ready will save you scrabbling about looking for them during any calls you make.

Let us know how you get on, please.

 

[jaca2865]

The 4th Dimension element could just be the claims handling line which AA/Europa outsourced to them like many other insurers

If you do not have a phone no. for Europa Bike, ring the parent company on 01454 415566 which is from https://www.europa-group.co.uk/contact-us/

This is all very kind guys. Thank you so much.

I won’t be renewing with them, that’s for sure.

All the very best

Jim

 

[Posh Pete]

Thanks PP. it’s on my to do list.

Hope you’re both well

Jim

All good ta Jim. Pulses still active!

 

[jaca2865]

Hi guys
Update:
Tried the parent company number selecting option for the HQ Office. Rings, then disconnects.
Looks like a FSA complaint needs lodged.
Jim

 

[Wapping]

From the posts above, it reads like your policy renewed in August of last year, along with which you requested a change in your registration number. They, presumably at the time, confirmed the change but your paperwork apparently shows an incorrect registration number. Is that correct?

You can check if your vehicle is on the Motor Insurers’ database here:

askMID

I’d suggest:

A. You put in your current registration number.

If the vehicle’s registration number is on the database, the positive answer from the Motor Insurers’ database should look like this:



That is the screen I see for my Royal Enfield Himalayan. It confirms that it is insured, along with the make and model of the vehicle.

If the database replies yes, then at least you know that the vehicle is appearing on the database as insured.

B. If it does not appear, try putting in your old registration number. Does that appear?

 

[jaca2865]

Hi Wapping

The plate that's been on the bike since August, which Europa Bike had acknowledged in writing was a change from the original at that time albeit they didn't do it, isn't showing on the MID. The old one still is.

I can't even change the plate on the Europa Bike Customer Portal as when I do - it says "Oops something has gone wrong. Please use Live Chat to discuss this with us." Oh really!!!! NOBODY ANSWERS YOUR LIVE CHAT.

DVLA has the plate that's currently on the bike showing on their records. In effect MID has one thing and DVLA has another.

I tried AGAIN to reach out to the insurers all day today to no avail. Even the Europa Group HQ number just rang out and then disconnected.

I've now lodged a complaint with FSA given I cannot, by all fair means available to me, get the company to communicate.

So much for easy riding huh??

 

[Wapping]

You cannot officially start with the Insurance Ombudsman until you have exhausted the insurer’s (or in this case their agent’s) own complaints procedures. I am not sure that being unable to contact Europa qualifies as exhaustion, but you never know. Anyway, you’ve lodged the complaint, so let’s see what happens next.

The complaints procedure should be in the blurb you receicived. Failing that, here it is from Europa’s website:

Europa Bike Insurance

www.europabike.co.uk

Have you tried:

1. Going through the ‘Customer Portal’?

2. Emailing them, at the address given?

The failure to get through on the phone is very strange, not least as every indication (at least on the internet) is that Europa are still live and trading.

Just as one idea, try calling their new business telephone number. Who knows, they may connect you with the existing business department. At least that way you’ll be in.

 

[Wapping]

OK, so we now know that the broker (Europa) has not made the change or, at least has not updated the Motor Insurers’ database. One step forwards, half a step backwards.

PS I see that everything seems to be done through ‘Live Chat’….. that alone is very annoying.