Bennetts - me not happy

ssray

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Before I decided on tiger or gs I rang bennetts and got quotes, tiger +£500 gs +£200
So I bought a gs, 1100 1994. Rang to arrange the swap, can't insure that on your current policy they said, seems they quoted a 2017 gs.
The only options given were new policy at £250 or £50 cancellation fee and use somebody else.
Hastings quoted £162 fully comp and £442 tpft(odd that), so i'm better paying the £50 fee and using hastings and never using bennetts again
 
Before I decided on tiger or gs I rang bennetts and got quotes, tiger +£500 gs +£200
So I bought a gs, 1100 1994. Rang to arrange the swap, can't insure that on your current policy they said, seems they quoted a 2017 gs.
The only options given were new policy at £250 or £50 cancellation fee and use somebody else.
Hastings quoted £162 fully comp and £442 tpft(odd that), so i'm better paying the £50 fee and using hastings and never using bennetts again
Look at classic bike insurance, agreed value and no no claims bonus to transfer either.

I can recommend Footman James, you'll need to be member of recognised bike club.

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Before I decided on tiger or gs I rang bennetts and got quotes, tiger +£500 gs +£200
So I bought a gs, 1100 1994. Rang to arrange the swap, can't insure that on your current policy they said, seems they quoted a 2017 gs.
The only options given were new policy at £250 or £50 cancellation fee and use somebody else.
Hastings quoted £162 fully comp and £442 tpft(odd that), so i'm better paying the £50 fee and using hastings and never using bennetts again

I use Hastings, very good, and always price match every year.
 
Not unreasonable to change bike (and no doubt pay their admin fee for the privilege). If the current insurer won't insure your new bike it is they who are choosing to cancel so the £50 cancellation fee shouldn't apply (you aren't choosing to cancel the current policy - they are imposing it on you). You've also got additional grounds for complaint that they quoted you to change the bike before later telling you they couldn't. I hope you've got a note of the date/time/name of whoever quoted you the "+£200" (although it shouldn't be fatal if u haven't - you're clearly not making it up).

A very calm and reasoned letter of complaint might get you your £50 back and maybe even something for the duff info you were given (don't hold your breath though). You should also check that they haven't charged you 'time on risk' on a 'short period scale' (charging you - say - for 10 months when you've only been covered for 6 or 7) again because it is their limitations which are forcing the cancellation. You should only be charged pro rata ie for the number of days cover which you have actually had.

If no joy, you might have a fair chance with whichever ombudsman deals with insurance these days (if you've the time, energy and inclination to draft a complaint and escalate it to said ombudsman). Bennetts are obliged to spell out how you can contact the ombudsman in their response to your complaint.

Or just put it down to experience and avoid them like the plague in future. They are mostly a bunch of fookers though and much depends on which muppet you get on the phone on any given day. Chances are if the same thing happened tomorrow you'd have a different experience again.
 
Thanks, I did speak to them today and they said they were under no obligation to wave the £50 as they could offer me alternative insurance, putting it down to experiance
 
I don't want to pee on yer cornflakes, but I wouldn't count on hastings being much better.

I may be wrong but they may be one of several bike insurers whose garage clause says if bike not in locked garage when at your usual address, no cover. So: washing bike, phone rings or you go for a jimmy or the wife asks you just to ...., bike gets half inched: not covered. Same if you nip back to get or forgot something, pop back for lunch or whatever.....

Maybe worth checking.
 
Not unreasonable to change bike (and no doubt pay their admin fee for the privilege). If the current insurer won't insure your new bike it is they who are choosing to cancel.

But they are not cancelling, they will happily insure the original bike as long as the policy runs.
 
Telephone, insurers not brokers and ask to speak to compliance department not complaints, they'll probably not heard of them but they do exist and are usually very friendly Discuss Insurance code of practice (condition of their licence to trade) the part about treating customer fairly normally works.

Although the insurers maybe great, Bennett are a bunch of f*ckwits.
Thanks, I did speak to them today and they said they were under no obligation to wave the £50 as they could offer me alternative insurance, putting it down to experiance

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I don't want to pee on yer cornflakes, but I wouldn't count on hastings being much better.

I may be wrong but they may be one of several bike insurers whose garage clause says if bike not in locked garage when at your usual address, no cover. So: washing bike, phone rings or you go for a jimmy or the wife asks you just to ...., bike gets half inched: not covered. Same if you nip back to get or forgot something, pop back for lunch or whatever.....

Maybe worth checking.

Hastings are on my "do not use" list after the way they treated a mate when his bike was nicked.
 
Re. the garaging cover - check the policy documents as the condition is set by the underwriter not the broker.

I have 2 policies - as I was leaving my RS outside for 2 hours between rides I checked its policy today. Bought from Bennetts but underwritten by Aviva. No such nonsense in this policy.

The other policy for the Explorer does have a garage clause - I am covered for theft if the bike is nicked from the drive but the excess is increased massively. This is an MCE policy, underwritten by them and sold direct.

Other policies have had, "not covered if outside the house between xPM and yAM."

Is there actually a policy that says, "no theft cover if parked on your drive"
 
But they are not cancelling, they will happily insure the original bike as long as the policy runs.

Cos most bike owners tend to change their bikes only when their insurance falls due for renewal and exactly on the day it expires. Doesn't address bennetts quoting to change the bike then later saying they wouldn't cover it. OP isn't asking for anything special, just to be treated reasonably.


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Other policies have had, "not covered if outside the house between xPM and yAM."

Is there actually a policy that says, "no theft cover if parked on your drive"

Mine has the former. There are policies with the latter but I've never bought one. Some exclude theft if not garaged within x yards of the home address. So if your corner shop or filling station are within x yards and bike gets nicked while there, u might be left high and dry.



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Cos most bike owners tend to change their bikes only when their insurance falls due for renewal and exactly on the day it expires. Doesn't address bennetts quoting to change the bike then later saying they wouldn't cover it. OP isn't asking for anything special, just to be treated reasonably.


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Sorry why have you quoted my post and not addressed anything in it?
He has been treated in line with their policies, which he agreed to.
 
All insurance companies have there negative points....we don’t get to see them until people like the OP bring them up...Bennetts do seem to be getting slagged off a lot recently for being greedy twunts.
 
Spoke to a helpful lady at AXA, she said their bike insurance is all online and they can`t adjust or change anything. also as the bike is older and worth less is another possible reason
 
All insurance companies have there negative points....we don’t get to see them until people like the OP bring them up...Bennetts do seem to be getting slagged off a lot recently for being greedy twunts.

I had hoped the Saga takeover would lead to improvements. Bennetts have had a bad press for a long time. Mind you, I think Saga is no longer the bastion of good customer service it once was since it became a plc listed on the Stock Exchange that has the requirement to maximise profits for shareholders as the primary objective.
 


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