UK insurance for a foreigner is a minefield.
I (wrongly) thought that if I left the registration in a UK resident's name, that it would be easier to have me added as an additional rider.

I had one company who said they would do it then reneged at the last minute.
I had one company that said if I got a UK licence then they would cover me. But I am not entitled to a UK licence unless I surrender my Aussie licence and apply for residency.
I had 20 companies that said a flat NO as soon as I said I was from Australia.

I was given the number of a Broker - who cut through all the red tape and got me what I needed. He is a biker himself and took care of everything with one phone call and some emailed paperwork. Too easy!
I honestly disclosed to him all my plans and did not try to bypass the system - it probably cost me a bit more but it is well worth it to avoid the headaches.

The insurance also came with AA Breakdown Cover for the UK and I paid extra to get 90 days breakdown cover in the EU

With his permission - his contact details are:
St.John Canfield-Payne
CanfieldPayne Insurance Consultants Ltd
Tel: 01342 302422 Fax: 01342 301432
The Cravens, Ship Street, East Grinstead, RH19 4DX
jcpayne.canpayne@tamcentraluk.com
We always offer competitive premiums for all types of commercial, motor, household, travel and private medical insurances


Perhaps some other travellers/ foreigners will be able to navigate the minefield more successfully with St.John's help.

The broker contact info is very helpful.
It would be even more helpful if you (happen to) know, or could find
out, what is the UK underwriter for the policy that
the broker obtained.

Aviva. But when I had rung them directly (prior to finding StJohn) they only offered 30 days coverage in EU tops. It was StJohn who understood my circumstances, listened to my needs and negotiated the contract.

That seems to be a common insurance "scam" with the UK market; I can understand why it is done - basically loads of Brits take a couple of weeks holiday/vacation in mainland Europe once, or twice, per year.


Yep, I use ebike as a totally online broker (there is not even a phone number for getting quotes etc) because the policy covers me for 365 days per year riding in Europe.
When I first took out a policy with them it did not include this, but they offered another underwriter when renewal time came around and they wanted to get the annual payment from me - that is the time to insist that you get the exact policy you need (it is then that ebike have a phone number for negotiations ;-)

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Dave

We recently took a policy with MCE. We found out when the paperwork arrived that the recovery insurance was only for a 10 mile radius of our home. When we contacted them they said that this was our problem and we should have asked for more details when we were told the policy included breakdown cover, of course it would be no problem to upgrade for MORE money sir!

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www.adventuresidecar.co.uk

I'm also with MCE. I would be tempted to call them the most dishonest bunch of thieves around, but since that description could be applied to any insurance company I won't bother.

A few months ago I changed from one 2001 Transalp to another 2001 Transalp. Exactly the same model and age. The new one had better security (alarm) and I valued it at less than the old one. At the same time I moved to a (significantly) safer postcode. MCE increased my premium. A lot. And they charged me a £40 admin fee. I gave them £40 to allow them to charge me more money.

Before that I was with Bikesure. When my bike was stolen I ended up paying £700 out of my own pocket for recovery and repairs because the hit I would have taken when making a claim would have been greater (£350 excess, loss of no claims, increased premiums and having to declare the claim on every quote for the next 5 years). £700 for being a victim of crime. Bloody marvellous. I understand that insurance companies exist to make a profit, just like any other company, and that no company can make a profit by giving out lots of money. But when someone offers to take on the risk of something bad happening I expect them to do just that, not weasel out as soon as they are called upon to provide the service they have promised.

Frankly, the only reason I have insurance is because I am legally obliged to. No other reason. It is a complete waste of money. I have reduced my policy to the bare minimum and will always search out the cheapest premium because I know insurance is just throwing my money away. I am convinced that if I ever do cause damage to another persons property through my own wrong doing my insurers will not pay for the repairs.

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Don't go right

Morning Guys n Gals,

my experience with my own insurers has been the opposite to other posts here.

I've been covered through the Be Wiser brokers for the last 5 or so years.

They were quick to offer quotations on my imported bikes (Yamaha Serows), didn't have a problem with my annual mileage of 25,000 miles (OK they did charge extra for it) and have been prompt in emailing documents directly to me.

I've got protected NCB, an all sections X/S of £250 (without any other excess's) and breakdown cover included. I had to laugh when they said I'd got handbag and gadget cover of £200 (what sort of a bloke do they think I am?).

I've been involved in two claims with them, the first where I was hit whilst stationary at traffic lights (on red) and the repairs were quickly sorted out and they arranged the uninsured loss recovery. The second when I was hit by a white van driving t**t, who did a runner and left me out cold on the road. My bike was written off in this incident and they paid me a fair price, in good time.

OK the prices have gone up a bit over the last two years but I'm more than happy to use them.

Am I the odd one out here?

Regards

Reggie

I'm not sure that I should admit this, but I worked for Aviva in a previous life (pre-pension). Aviva's direct insurance - the stuff you get from online or call centre - is the vanilla flavour: a few bells and whistles to differentiate it, and targeted at a specific audience. And that audience may change according to where the company see they can make profit (the main reason a company remains viable). They also, deep in the bowels (analogies awaited) of the offices is a small team of people who underwrite "Schemes" insurance, aiming at niche markets and sold through intermediaries. The likelihood is that your friendly broker is privy to such schemes, and has access to proper insurance underwriters (I worked there for 22years and I don't recall meeting one!).

The point of this waffle is that you need to find a broker who can provide a personal service and has access to those shy little underwriters. It won't be cheap...

Hi all, just a quick note of my experiences today as a UK subject/ EU citizen looking for medical insurance on a Africa trip.

Navigator Travel and PJ Hayman, motorcycle rider specific health insurance, underwriter of both is 'Global Voyager'.

Global voyager quoted me £573 for silver level, 5 months cover. But will not honor a claim made from a country with a UK Foreign Office travel advisory. Eg Mauritania not covered. Tho policy remains valid in countries either side.

'Holiday Safe' appears to cover motorcycle riding specifically. 'Direct travel insurance' doesn't appear to exclude it. As with voyager, neither will cover countries with UKFO advisory.

Tourinsure.de, offer 3rd party motorcycle insurance throughout Africa !
quoted me £500 for five months......underwriter AXA. Also offers medical travel insurance only to German nationals depending on german government advice. German Nationals can currently claim medical expense in Mauritania...

AXA offer a short term international health plan (3 month min), does cover motorcycling and surfing, throughout Africa, including Mauritania. Quoted me £400 per quarter with an excess. However The handbook states, with specific regard to medical evacuation and repatriation, that if "the emergency occurs when you are on a leisure trip to a destination to which the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office either advises against all travel, or advises against all travel on holiday or non-essential business" it is excluded. So whether or not medical care is covered in-country remains to be seen !


Tangiers Group offers higher risk insurance, underwriters 'Osprey' based in Malta offer 'Battleface' policy. Doesn't exclude motorcycling. Excludes countries the insured individuals' 'home nations government has issued a notice to evacuate' . To Quote their representative;

"............ In this regard, kindly note that Battleface only excludes emergency medical expenses coverage in the eventuality of an evacuation which is specifically requested by one’s Country of Residence, whereby an Insured Person refuses to depart within 48 hours, after “home country has issued an evacuation order”.
That said, coverage is still operative when the FCO issues a negative travel advise, since this is one of the main purposes of Battleface policy..............."

Tokyomarine hcc group - Medical Insurance Services group, underwriter Patriot, a US company. Offer a policy which does not exclude motorcycle travel. And like osprey will offer cover in countries with a government travel advisory, up to an evacuation. The cover is only for accidentally incurred medical problems and not for the results of terrorism/political violence the gov advisory references. quotes $500 for 6months with some variables to play with.

The thread has been around for a while now.


A quick update.
"Bikesure" charges for changing details of a policy were £44 last year - that's for each and every change that you might want to make to a policy.


"EBike" are back in business online - I have had quotes from them via their website and it appears to be working fine.


There is another UK broker on the block = "BeMoto".
Maybe worth a look (no charges for change of details to an existing policy).
However, if it becomes too big/popular, thereby soaking up the business of the call centre-based brokers, it will be bought out (just as happened with Carole Nash) and morph into yet another part of a call centre empire.

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Dave

Nope, currently not helpful at all. They know about this post on HU, and they said it is misleading. They can only help if you have a UK registered bike. Scratch another one!

Any updates from any direction on the subject of this thread?

A few months ago the website of the insurance broker Ebike was down for weeks, if not some months; I remember it well because I had just renewed my insurance with them and their fees increased quite a bit (but I have forgotten those details - it was last June and the renewal was due during a one month ride; therefore I renewed the insurance early, before riding away into the sunrise, and took the hit on not shopping around).

At that time, UK "chat" surmised that the site had been hacked, although the 4 wheel part of their overall website appeared to continue to function OK.

So, what news from any direction?

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Dave

I found this:-
http://www.adventurebikerider.com/fo...of-humour.html

It is not encouraging about the prospects of ebike.

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Dave

I think Ebike must be busy digging its own grave.

My policy is coming to an end and I got the email about renewal but like others found I can't login to the website.

You can call them on a non premium rate phone number but I have no confidence in them now.

I followed links to their other businesses: home and contents has changed to One Insurance Solution. Pet insurance, I just get server not found. Various broken links when surfing around their different websites (einsurancegroup)

Ebike don't follow their own terms of business:

"eBike is an internet based service. Please note that our primary method of communication is via email. Any changes or adjustments to your policy can be made online by accessing your account at eBike Insurance - Welcome to eBike Insurance If you experience difficulties in making changes to your policy, please contact our Customer Services Team, whose details can be found on the ‘Contact Us’ tab on the homepage of our website. Please be aware that calls to the Customer Services Team are charged at premium rates."

Nobody can login.

I took a look at the Financial Ombudsman's website and they say from Jan to June 2012, 82% of complaints against E Insurance were upheld in favour of the customer against an industry average of 48%. So that indicates to me that they are not worth dealing with.

It's a shame because they offer lots that I want/need in a way that I want and need, but they simply don't deliver.

Ditto.
I have liked the way that I could change my insurance cover on line 24/7.
Now we are stuck with a call centre running to typical call centre hours of opening.

I agree that it is not looking at all good for this business which has had many months to get it's act together.
Right now the site is still down:-
https://www.egroup-insurance.com/quo...267.1425832987

Apparently the call centre works, but so do the call centres of many other insurance brokers - and that is all they are ultimately; the middlemen who come between us and the insurance companies that actually take the risk.
http://adventurebikerider.com/forum/...l-screwed.html

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Dave