Chauffeur / private hire insurance

SassySaver

Hi
I am trying to help out a relative looking for chauffeur insurance who is struggling to find a reasonable quote. If anyone has any recommendations or advice it would be a big help.
Thanks :j

Sally_A

Try South Essex Insurance Brokers (I think that's what they are called), I believe they are now part of Ecclesiastical, but you should get a real person rather than a box ticking dweeb. The only other one I know is Taxi Fleet Plus. Allianz used to have a good private hire policy, but it was only given to certain brokers - and then the bulk of them abused it and screwed it for the rest of us.

Expect to pay around 6x a private car policy, as if he is chauffering, he is likely to have posh/rich people as passengers, hence an increased passenger liability claim.

SassySaver

Thanks Sally :jThis is a big help. I'll check these out. I think he needs to clarify whether its chauffeur insurance or a general private hire insurance as I think his passengers arent necessarily rich/famous but he doesnt do general pick-ups which is why he was told to look for chauffeur insurance. He takes passengers to and from fixed pre-arranged destinations which are mainly airports or seaports.

Carman_2

I've recently been trying to start a Private Hire company.......particularly that as I would use something like a Jaguar to provide more executive transport and not picking up the drunks etc.
However despite being ready to do everything including having money in place to buy an appropriate car, it's the insurance costs that have scuppered me starting this business.
I've been driving for 30 years, have no points on my licence, nor accidents. I've even in the past done a Police response course and parts one and two of the driving instructor's test. Plus I've been in the motor trade for most of those 30 years and so have vast experience of driving different cars and looking after them properly.
Having said all that, the cheapest quote I've found is nearly £2500!!! For the same car privately it would only be £250 and also a motor trader's policy (which allows you to drive anything booked into you) is only £700 to £800!
So there's another business opportunity I can't do because of insurance companies profiteering! Of course if anyone out there can help me out and get a sub £1000 quote then I'd be able to start my business. But as it is, a regular cost of over 2000 makes a new business not viable locally to me.

mikey72

Carman wrote: »

I've recently been trying to start a Private Hire company.......particularly that as I would use something like a Jaguar to provide more executive transport and not picking up the drunks etc.
However despite being ready to do everything including having money in place to buy an appropriate car, it's the insurance costs that have scuppered me starting this business.
I've been driving for 30 years, have no points on my licence, nor accidents. I've even in the past done a Police response course and parts one and two of the driving instructor's test. Plus I've been in the motor trade for most of those 30 years and so have vast experience of driving different cars and looking after them properly.
Having said all that, the cheapest quote I've found is nearly £2500!!! For the same car privately it would only be £250 and also a motor trader's policy (which allows you to drive anything booked into you) is only £700 to £800!
So there's another business opportunity I can't do because of insurance companies profiteering! Of course if anyone out there can help me out and get a sub £1000 quote then I'd be able to start my business. But as it is, a regular cost of over 2000 makes a new business not viable locally to me.

That's not bad compared to some 17 years olds quotes for a knackered corsa.

Carman_2

I know and I remember being asked well over £800 for a Triumph Vitesse when I was 17. But the point is I'm now 30 years older, fully experienced and with an unblemished record. However the insurance companies want to charge nearly 10 times the cost of insuring the vehicle for private use and nearly 3 times the cost of a motor trader's policy!!!

raskazz

Carman wrote: »

I've recently been trying to start a Private Hire company.......particularly that as I would use something like a Jaguar to provide more executive transport and not picking up the drunks etc.
However despite being ready to do everything including having money in place to buy an appropriate car, it's the insurance costs that have scuppered me starting this business.
I've been driving for 30 years, have no points on my licence, nor accidents. I've even in the past done a Police response course and parts one and two of the driving instructor's test. Plus I've been in the motor trade for most of those 30 years and so have vast experience of driving different cars and looking after them properly.
Having said all that, the cheapest quote I've found is nearly £2500!!! For the same car privately it would only be £250 and also a motor trader's policy (which allows you to drive anything booked into you) is only £700 to £800!
So there's another business opportunity I can't do because of insurance companies profiteering! Of course if anyone out there can help me out and get a sub £1000 quote then I'd be able to start my business. But as it is, a regular cost of over 2000 makes a new business not viable locally to me.

As a new private hire venture £2500 sounds like a good quote - anything involving hire use (except the more sedate and seasonal wedding/funeral hire) tends to cost a fortunte in claims. What doesn't help is that insurers who know nothing about the market tend to jump in blind due to the higher premiums, this holds down premiums in the market.

vaio

Carman wrote: »

I've recently been trying to start a Private Hire company.......particularly that as I would use something like a Jaguar to provide more executive transport and not picking up the drunks etc.
However despite being ready to do everything including having money in place to buy an appropriate car, it's the insurance costs that have scuppered me starting this business.
I've been driving for 30 years, have no points on my licence, nor accidents. I've even in the past done a Police response course and parts one and two of the driving instructor's test. Plus I've been in the motor trade for most of those 30 years and so have vast experience of driving different cars and looking after them properly.
Having said all that, the cheapest quote I've found is nearly £2500!!! For the same car privately it would only be £250 and also a motor trader's policy (which allows you to drive anything booked into you) is only £700 to £800!
So there's another business opportunity I can't do because of insurance companies profiteering! Of course if anyone out there can help me out and get a sub £1000 quote then I'd be able to start my business. But as it is, a regular cost of over 2000 makes a new business not viable locally to me.

Presumably the same problem affects all PH companies and so is just part of the overheads you need to factor in to your business plan & costings.

It might be £2.5k but won't disadvantage you against your competitors because they are also paying it and it just get factored into the fares you charge.

Carman_2

vaio wrote: »

Presumably the same problem affects all PH companies and so is just part of the overheads you need to factor in to your business plan & costings.

It might be £2.5k but won't disadvantage you against your competitors because they are also paying it and it just get factored into the fares you charge.

Completely understand what you're saying, but think this might beg the question. With so many ropey looking cars/drivers around, are they all insured to the correct level???
I've also been looking at the same time into small courier work and the premiums are about the same. In my home town there's one courier company in a pretty ancient looking Focus estate, probably worth about £500 if you're lucky. So if they're paying £2500 for insurance maybe we should all be getting in on the act as there must be a shed load of money to be made!! My problem is I just haven't got that sort of money available after having bought a suitable vehicle, otherwise I'd join the money making bandwagon too!!

Carman_2

Quick update:
Was also looking into courier work and Swintons have just come back with a quote for £4500!!! This would have been using a standard vectra estate or small van..........am now thinking of becoming Polish and re-entering Britain to get the benefits!!

DELLBOY_2

i think your quote is resonable really i pay £3750 for a 3 driver traders policy with two drivers having social domestic and pleasure use .
the people to blame are the claim companies
when we ran 2 stretch limos we had an accident when a guy ran into the back of us
total damage on both cars £1500 claims from 4 people in the stretch limo just over £10000