Read and ask questions!
 

I thought I’d just like to post a warning to anyone insured with ‘Carole Nash’ in the UK. Check the wording and ask questions when insuring/renewing with them, a couple of years back I noticed that cover did not include ‘commuting’ when I questioned this I was told I had not asked for that, but they could add it at NO extra cost, this year, BTW I am ‘fully comp’ upon renewing they went over the details of my bikes and one of them is down as ‘not covered for pillions’?. This cover was also added at NO extra cost! Then it was pointed out to me that the insurer (Norwich Union) in the event of a ‘total loss’ accident claim I would not be entitled to buy back the salvage, I pointed out that on 2 of my bikes this would be ok but not for my BMW or Diesel machines, the broker would not budge on this issue so I informed them that if ever this scenario arose I would pursue it through a solicitor, possibly theirs, as I have 50k of legal protection with the policy. Although I have enthused about the ‘Carole Nash’ European breakdown cover, to which 4 of my friends have been grateful for, I believe they either have ‘ill’ trained staff or have dubious ethics, at another renewal I found out that after I’d had a bike removed from my policy due to selling it they had also removed another, although they apologised and said ‘I would have covered’ in the event of a claim, I found that sentence was fine at renewal time but feel I’d have had a major problem had a claim been lodged.
BEWARE!

Just can't get the staff nowadays!

I believe a problem is that everyone and anyone is an insurance agent nowadays: a few years ago, you just walked into the local branch of Norwich Union, or one of the others, and did it yourself. Now you can't deal with an ins company direct.

Hence, I like eBike Insurance - Bike and Classic Bike Insurance from eBike Insurance because I have complete control over my own insurance, albeit that it is still through a broker, ebike.

The last time I changed my bike, I did the whole insurance thing myself online and I didn't charge myself for my time either: neither did ebike charge me.
This was at around 01.00 am - try getting a broker to do that for you.

Remember the good old days,;) when there was only a choice of two insurances to buy with NU, up to 350cc and unlimited cc

Now it is a mine field. You have to be on the ball as it is complicated. I have queried this pillion cover as I thought this was a requirement by law.

I can't see things being simplified, some time it appears that they just add these clauses just to get out of a claim,
Other thing to consider choosing a company,
Green cards.
Annual mileage resrictions
Time limits on continental cover & number of trips.
Accessories and modifications.

Still surprises me the number of riders who don't know the difference between a broker and insurance company.

Steve

If you frequent any of the other bike forums (eg Visordown etc) you'll see loads of posts slagging off just about all the brokers so I'm not sure any of them are better than the others.

As a friend of mine knows Carole Nash pretty well I thought I'd try them first (even though she's now sold the business) for the five bikes I wanted to insure recently but they were hopelessly expensive with loads of restrictions that Footman James at a third of the price didn't have.
When the policy arrived I spent an hour going through the small print trying to work out what hidden catches were submerged in it. The pillion restriction is a new one on me though.

Four of the bikes are classic bikes and on one policy with FJ. Reading the reams of paper that they sent me it seems that they've used three different insurance companies to put together a kind of "pick and mix" policy and that different bikes may be insured with different companies (something that the sales guy told me on the phone might be the case). When they're doing something as complicated as this in real time on the phone I'm not surprised odd conditions creep in.