Business insurance...

lilysgarden

Heya,

Apologies as I wasn't sure if this should be here or in the insurance forums....

Anyway, basically, I've just bought a new car and am currently looking for new insurance. The car is about 9 years younger than my current car, but far smaller engine etc so I was hoping the insurance would be cheaper. However, my current insurer is nearly £8 a month dearer. I've been with my insurer for around 6 years, simply because I need business insurance and I've been too lazy to search for better quotes in this time.

This time, I've decided to look for cheaper insurance, but found few insurers that cover you for business use of a car. They seem to cover you for driving to and from different workplaces, but this doesn't meet my needs. I'm a social worker, so I sometimes carry clients and colleagues, as well as travelling to business sites and clients homes. All of the quotes I've had so far which include business insurance, don't cover me for my actual business use...which is naturally useless to me!

Do anyone know of decent insurers who will actually cover my business use of my car? Without this insurance I can't actually work so it's pretty important. At the moment I've just changed my current insurer, but naturally want to save money where I can!

Thanks in advance.
Nik

mikey72

lilysgarden wrote: »

Heya,

Apologies as I wasn't sure if this should be here or in the insurance forums....

Anyway, basically, I've just bought a new car and am currently looking for new insurance. The car is about 9 years younger than my current car, but far smaller engine etc so I was hoping the insurance would be cheaper. However, my current insurer is nearly £8 a month dearer. I've been with my insurer for around 6 years, simply because I need business insurance and I've been too lazy to search for better quotes in this time.

This time, I've decided to look for cheaper insurance, but found few insurers that cover you for business use of a car. They seem to cover you for driving to and from different workplaces, but this doesn't meet my needs. I'm a social worker, so I sometimes carry clients and colleagues, as well as travelling to business sites and clients homes. All of the quotes I've had so far which include business insurance, don't cover me for my actual business use...which is naturally useless to me!

Do anyone know of decent insurers who will actually cover my business use of my car? Without this insurance I can't actually work so it's pretty important. At the moment I've just changed my current insurer, but naturally want to save money where I can!

Thanks in advance.
Nik

I've never had a problem insuring my car for business use.
That is use in connection with my business, and use for my wife in connection with hers. Same with her car, insured for both our separate business uses. It's usually an option on all the comparison sites as well.

lilysgarden

Sorry, probably wasn't as clear as I should have been!

Business use itself isn't a problem, but when looking at the smallprint, most of them won't cover me for carrying clients or clients belongings in the course of my business. Sadly, although not a regular occurance, I need to be covered for this as I often take children to foster placements etc. And without this cover, I can't do my job as I need my car on a daily basis. It's a real tough one as it needs to be so specific. If it was only cover to visit different offices for work, most policies would be fine, but I need to be insured for clients too!

daveyjp

Try LV - UK call centres and have always been helpful when I have called them

wealdroam

OP, can your employer not offer any suggestions?

LandyAndy

lilysgarden wrote: »

Heya,

Apologies as I wasn't sure if this should be here or in the insurance forums....

Anyway, basically, I've just bought a new car and am currently looking for new insurance. The car is about 9 years younger than my current car, but far smaller engine etc so I was hoping the insurance would be cheaper. However, my current insurer is nearly £8 a month dearer. I've been with my insurer for around 6 years, simply because I need business insurance and I've been too lazy to search for better quotes in this time.

Nik

So, to insure a car that is worth something rather than one that is worth nothing they want £96 a year extra.

And your problem is?

lilysgarden

wealdroam wrote: »

OP, can your employer not offer any suggestions?

Sadly, I work for the local authority so their attitude is "it's your car and your problem to sort out". I have tried asking colleagues etc if they know decent insurers, but everyone seems to have the same problem as me and uses the same insurance company that I use.

lilysgarden

LandyAndy wrote: »

So, to insure a car that is worth something rather than one that is worth nothing they want £96 a year extra.

And your problem is?

I don't mind paying extra as long as I know the insurance is still meeting my needs. Unfortunately the so called "customer service assistant" I spoke to couldn't wait to get me off the phone. I'd rather have some insurance instead of none so I've renewed it for now in the hope of finding an insurer willing to answer my questions when I call instead of trying to get me off the phone...

moonrakerz

A broker ?

thenudeone

I think you need class 3 business use rather than the usual class 1. This explains the differences:
http://www.confused.com/guides/motoring/car-insurance/what-are-the-car-insurance-classes-of-use-1624644778

I've never needed it so can't suggest an insurer, but as it's a much smaller market I'd expect it's more difficult to get online quotes. Perhaps searching for "van insurance" would throw up the sort of insurer that specialises in business insurance? Otherwise a broker may be the best bet.

Edit: Found one:
http://www.quote-4.me.uk/faq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=3&id=3&artlang=en

Kayl06

My employer told me to tell them I would be taking my service users out and I didn't have that many problems getting the insurance. There were a couple who refused and some that wanted to charge a stupid amount, but I ended up going with Admiral who didn't charge any extra.

I found that some didn't understand what I was trying to say and said that I didn't need business insurance! So just try to be clear in exactly what you will be using the car for.