I have recently purchased a Transit Herald CK and contacted my insurance company to advise of change of vehicle.After answering several relevant questions,I was asked,"what was the original cost of the modification?"as they are the original vehicle was a Transit Flatbed.I replied that the vehicle was registered from NEW as a coachbuilt motorhome,and has NEVER been registered as anything else.After a few minutes wait while the advisor spoke to her supervisor,I was told " we need the original cost of the modification to pass onto our underwriters so they can quote the correct premium"
I then said that this question did not arise when I insured my Renault Trafic campervan as clearly it would have been "modified" from the original panel van to the Autosleeper Campervan,the reply given " it must have been a glitch in the system,as you should have been asked"
Has anyone ever come across this before ????
I am still waiting on a reply from the insurance company as I emailed their customer services with this.
Extremely confused !!!!!!!!!
------------- You may get there faster.....but we have beer in the fridge
Its the min wage call centre staff that are confused, it don't take much. If you rang 'out of hours' ie over Easter wk/end try another call in normal office hrs tomorrow & they should be able to find somebody in charge who knows what they are talking about.
What I would guess has happened is that the van was registered as a chassis cab & then delivered new to conversion company so reg no. is showing on their computer as flat bed truck. Presumably Autosleeper gets their base vehicles unregistered as they are a large concern but Herald was much smaller I think, so may have had their base vehicles delivered already registered?
Its possible if you can find the orginal price new of the complete motorhome & quote them that it should satisfy their computer system.
Could possibly have been,but this was thursday of last week a hour before their specified closing time,but what confused me even more was I couldnt access my account on line and a number was listed on the bottom of my account page.Called it,on hold for several minutes(free call!!) and was greeted by "all our pet insurance advisors are busy,can I take your name and contact number"!!!!!!!
had to explain I had called for Motorhome Ins and she seemed totally suprised at this.Read out the number I had dialled,totally different to the one she was on!!!!
I will see if I get an email reply tomorrow,If not,on the phone I will be,if not satisfied,alternative insurers will be looked for.
------------- You may get there faster.....but we have beer in the fridge
Well,had my reply from Saga.Basically they have asked me the same questions regarding the motorhome,all of which I answered last week !!!!!
I have sent them this info,now waiting to see what they come back with as no doubt there will be something wrong.
No mention of the original "modification & cost",just any relevent modifications.
Watch this space :)
------------- You may get there faster.....but we have beer in the fridge
Look at the registration papers. They will tell you what the vehicle was registered as. If anything other tham Motor Home you will have to request DVLA to amend them. Time consuming.
Most prob they put wrong reg in PC and came back as flatbed, cant see motor home builder buying pre-reg flatbeds to build on unless first owner supplied flatbed for them to build on as private job.
Sounds to me for some reason they don't want your custom and making lame excuses.
I had the excuse they had never heard of me and was never insured by them I must have got wrong company
(Insinuating I was senile) But had received by post the renewal papers and rang to ask why renewal had gone up by £300 when I reached 70 after 10 years no claims with them.
Was previously insured with Lifesure,but their premium went up by a shocking amount from last year.
The base unit came straight out of the factory in Southampton (where it was built)onto VFS(vehicle conversion specialists) again in Southampton and was registered from new as a motorhome when it was delivered to Herald up north.Never been listed or registered as anything other than a motorhome,so cant understand whats going on.Still waiting on their reply to the info supplied to them too.Patience is wearing thin now.
------------- You may get there faster.....but we have beer in the fridge
Well I have had a reply from SAGA,
They are still insisting on whether the vehicle has been converted professionally or from a van !!!
Does it have permanant cooking and sleeping facilities !!!
What was in initial conversion cost !!!
I have sent then a strongly worded reply(couldnt phone as they close at 5.30)and a picture of the Herald literature that came with the motorhome.
I have tried unsuccessfully to get the initial conversion cost,but I think that is totally irrelevant for insurance purposes.I have quoted the cost I would like it insuring for,as I have done for EVERY vehicle I have ever insured.
I am quite a patient person,but these people are starting to seriously irritate me.....now have to wait 1 to 2 working days for a reply.Not expecting good news,so starting to look at alternative insurers....watch this space...
------------- You may get there faster.....but we have beer in the fridge
A bit of info that might help you. Herald were based in Poole. Previously Autohomes, who went bust & then restarted as Herald. Then they went bust & were bought out by Elddis, Compass comes into it somewhere as well. but if name Herald does not exist on Saga database as a motorhome manufacturer then its difficult to know what you can do. There is an owners club here so worth a contact perhaps?
Thanks Billy,I have emailed the owners club last week,but had no reply.
Saga website promotes they have a dedicated motorhome insurance section which clearly is not as good they promote it is in my view.Looks like I will start looking for alternative insurers who know about motorhomes and are not just "playing at it".Makes me wonder whether my Renault Trafic Autosleeper is properly insured with Saga atm as the conversion question never came up then and its clearly converted from a van,from new as too.
------------- You may get there faster.....but we have beer in the fridge