I want to compare what's covered as standard by policies, not just compare prices!

expeditionist

OK, I just found that the John Lewis policy doesn't exempt Class 3 mobility scooters from the definition of motorised vehicles, whereas M&S exempt all equipment for disabled.

That's relevant to me so I'm going to renew with M&S and haven't gotten a quote with John Lewis.

Incidentally, my car insurance is with AXA through a broker, so I guess they're getting some more of my money!

InsideInsurance

expeditionist wrote: »

The insurance terms from Hiscox and John Lewis look quite favourable too, both define an unoccupied home as vacant for more than 60 days rather than 30, but Hiscox has a £2500 limit from unattended vehicles which wouldn't suit me.

Presumably you are looking at the Hiscox 505 policy? (the one they sell directly to customers). They do also do a 606 policy but only via brokers but it is aimed at HNW and so possibly too much for your needs.

Do consider the other elements, Hiscox has matched set/ pair cover where as John Lewis and M&S dont (from memory).

So, if you have a 3 piece suite in your home and you "destroy" one of the chairs but the chairs are no longer made:

Hiscox - replace all 3 items as matched sets cover is in place

M&S and John Lewis - only pay you the value of the chair. With a complaint you may get a 50% contribution to the other 2 but never the 100% for all three that Hiscox would give.


Ultimately it is up to you and your needs. Personally I wouldnt be comfortable leaving more than £2,500 in my car anyway and losing part of a set is more of an issue for me

expeditionist

Thanks InsideInsurance, I went with M&S in the end because they seemed to offer the cover best for me, but there are still exclusions that would possibly leave me short in a few eventualities, but hey hopefully those things will never happen. For example, would anybody ever break in to a locked van and steal a mobility scooter that is locked inside and has a brake that can't be disengaged without a key. There's always something not covered, but you can't remove all risks. I couldn't find an insurance policy that would cover everything, not without paying more for it than I wanted to pay. The exclusions in these policies can be very tricky and I wonder how many people just follow Martin's guide and buy the cheapest policy without realising that they all vary quite a lot.

I think I've looked at all the elements, including the ones you mentioned, they’re not really considerations that apply to anything I have though.

As for not leaving anything worth so much in the boot of the car overnight, you’re right, I only started doing that recently, it’s not ideal, but it’s heavy stuff and being disabled I just can’t keep carrying it up the stairs to my flat every day. I reason that in 24 years of car ownership nobody ever broke in to my car before and nobody knows it’s there and if its covered by the insurance anyway, then do it.

InsideInsurance

You can get stand alone cover for mobility scooters which will cover the scooter itself but also give you third party cover should you accidentally run someone over, knock over a display stand in a shop etc. May be worth a consideration in the future esp if you are the sort that does leave it outside shops with steps etc as this wouldnt be covered by Home

expeditionist

That's another can of worms! I've looked at every mobility scooter insurance going and not one of them would be any good for me because:

1. It's an all-terrain type and I use it off-road. Those policies are designed to recover from roads and urban areas, not in the countryside where I'd be most likely to need help.
2. The other situations most likely to need help are either a flat battery or a flat tyre and those situations are often excluded.
3. They all specify that the mobility scooter must be serviced annually and I do that job myself to save costs and due to my location in relation to the nearest service option.

Again, issues that will hopefully never happen. In a problem, phone a friend I guess.

Anyway, M&S assure me that their legal expenses/personal liability cover me while using my scooter as it's exempted from their definition for motorised vehicles so that's another plus for the M&S policy and as I said before, I can't see how anybody would nick a secured 150kg mobility scooter out of a locked van.

The uninsured events that happen come under the phrase 'S*!t happens' don't they!