Tesco Car insurance

declanmcc

What on earth is going on with these insurance companies???

Tesco is very happy to build store after store here and they are very happy for us to spend in their stores - but when it comes to car insurance it doesn't apply to dear old Norn Iron!

Scandalous!

pob

I think I got whiplash just reading about this

IvanOpinion

I like it pob
We reap what we sow ... NI is known as 'Whiplash city' to most insurance companies. The bottom feeders of society have made so many fraudulent claims through lies and deception that the insurance companies have basically said 'No more'. Therefore to fund the liars and cheats in society our insurance is loaded heavily ... don't blame Tescos they are only a broker it is the underwriters that refuse to insure us.... many other companies are exactly the same.

It is a pain but look around and work out how many people you know have made whiplash claims wwhen there is nothing wrong with them at all ... I can think of about 5-6 just off the top of my head. As usual it is the honest that suffer.

Ivan

sor_fes2

If its any help, I'm with Abbey Insurance. You can get a quote online, and pay with credit card. Also if I remember, when you get a quote online at the end it gives you a reference to get 10% of or something.... this was in October and for me was the best I could get. Or at least before I got bored!

Nush

Tesco have also brought out a mortgage service which is not available in Norn Iron.......

I work for Tesco and am continually disgusted when they bring something out that is not available over here. They give us all leaflets with our payslips about any new producs available to us with more discount off them for staff and then you find out it is not any bloomin' use.

Even though we have two distribution centres and over thirty stores but we are continually forgot about with offers and discounts etc.

:mad:

declanmcc

IvanOpinion wrote:

I like it pob
We reap what we sow ... NI is known as 'Whiplash city' to most insurance companies. The bottom feeders of society have made so many fraudulent claims through lies and deception that the insurance companies have basically said 'No more'. Therefore to fund the liars and cheats in society our insurance is loaded heavily ... don't blame Tescos they are only a broker it is the underwriters that refuse to insure us.... many other companies are exactly the same.

It is a pain but look around and work out how many people you know have made whiplash claims wwhen there is nothing wrong with them at all ... I can think of about 5-6 just off the top of my head. As usual it is the honest that suffer.

Ivan

What are you trying to suggest Ivan? That we're all a bunch of cheats and scammers over here in NI? Lol. ;-)

I'm sure the same goes on all over the UK - however none of these insurance companies would even dare to pull out of a major English, Scottish or Welsh city or region. It's very easy for them to isolate NI as we all know where it starts and all know where it ends. It would be a logistical nightmare for these insurance companies to use postcodes to determine who gets insured and who doesn't. Furthermore - there's a tiny population of about 1.5 million amongst a total UK population of over 60 million. If that 1.5 million was 15 million - do you think they'd overlook us? ....................... No chance.

I'm sure all these insurance companies have their valid reasons for not insuring in NI - whether it's a knock on from the "troubles" - whether it's car crime - whether the car can easily be driven into another jurisdicition ......... but I think the high insurance premiums aren't just as a result of our "reputation" - it's just because there's less competition amongst insurers here because there's less for us to choose from here.

IvanOpinion

declanmcc wrote:

What are you trying to suggest Ivan? That we're all a bunch of cheats and scammers over here in NI? Lol. ;-)

I'm sure the same goes on all over the UK - however none of these insurance companies would even dare to pull out of a major English, Scottish or Welsh city or region. It's very easy for them to isolate NI as we all know where it starts and all know where it ends. It would be a logistical nightmare for these insurance companies to use postcodes to determine who gets insured and who doesn't. Furthermore - there's a tiny population of about 1.5 million amongst a total UK population of over 60 million. If that 1.5 million was 15 million - do you think they'd overlook us? ....................... No chance.

I'm sure all these insurance companies have their valid reasons for not insuring in NI - whether it's a knock on from the "troubles" - whether it's car crime - whether the car can easily be driven into another jurisdicition ......... but I think the high insurance premiums aren't just as a result of our "reputation" - it's just because there's less competition amongst insurers here because there's less for us to choose from here.

We have lots of choice it is just that many insurers heavily load the premiums or refuse to insure in Northern Ireland ... that is their right, there is no law saying that you must offer a service in a particular part of the country. Unfortunately in the past NI has had a very high proportion of dubious claims.

I can quote loads of examples but one that makes the point is ... A few years ago a friend tail-ended another car (a simple lapse of concentration at a round about, can happen to anyone) ... the speed of impact was about 2-3 mph. The car he hit also nudged the car in front of him. All three drivers got out and the only car with any real damage was my friends since the other cars had towbars. Everybody exchanged names, addresses etc. and my friend was about to bypass his insurance and pay for the damage to his car himself. Next thing he knew he was being contacted by two solicitors because each car, which during the accident had only contained a driver, had miraculously inherited 3 passengers ... that was a total of 8 people claiming whiplash, lost wages etc. I won't even mention where this was but it was predictable that this sort of thing would happen in that area.

We have joyriders who deliberately crash cars and then umpteen passengers all jump in and claim the original driver ran off ... they did not know it was stolen ... and oh my goodness, they have whiplash and will claim of the proper owner.

With liars and cheats like this it is not a bit of wonder that our insurance is so high and that many companies decide we are just not worth the risk. It is time that we stopped insuring each other and we simply insured ourselves ... if you don't have insurance then tough ... you gambled ... you lost. Michael Schumacher can hit a wall at 180mph and walk away, jump into a car and carry on ... we get hit at 2mph and all we are interested in is how much money can we scam.

Yes there are areas throughout the UK and ROI that have similar problems but, apparently, nowhere near as bad as us (or at least as bad as our reputation). Many insurance companies feel they can not make a profit from us therefore they just don't take the risk ... we reap what we sow!

Ivan

arkonite_babe

I was told that originally insurers wouldn't touch Northern Ireland due to the troubles and the amount of cars stolen for terrorism etc. Have no idea if this is correct though. Had anyone else been told this?

SnowyOwl_2

Yeah, and I understood it was because of the neck injury thing...and that there is a difference in the law here compared to across the water, meaning that here it is easier to successfully claim for this hence higher premiums. Though I am sure the reasons you put forward and those put forward by Arkonite have had plenty to do with it too.

Slightly off topic, but it seems difficult to get house insurance here. Also when I moved back from England I couldn't get anyone to specifically insure my photography habit. The equipment is covered by my contents insurance should I get burgled or in case of accidental damage in the house. But I am not covered if I am out in someone's house with my lights, camera, and I set the place on fire or if someone trips over my cables and injures themself. I am a hobbyist rather than professional photographer so decided it was easier just to give up. But is there a general difference in the law that makes lots of insurance difficult/awkward for insurers?
Oh by the way I had a blow out:eek: and brake failure :eek::eek: on the Newry bypass yesterday just as I was about to turn off left. Nearly wet myself but rather than do that I abandoned the turn left, drove over a traffic island, skimmed the ditch and 8 foot hedge, and managed to stop on the hard shoulder. A nice lorry driver stopped and changed my wheel, waited until I had tested my brakes and told me "don't mention it" when I told him thanks about 1000 times. What a nice man.

I drove home but now I am too scared to drive anywhere...and if I have wrecked the chassis of my car is that an insured item? (To add to my 3 points, stolen car 3 years ago and vandalised/wrecked/replaced door the year before that...insurers have long memories...).

IvanOpinion

SnowyOwl wrote:

Slightly off topic, but it seems difficult to get house insurance here. Also when I moved back from England I couldn't get anyone to specifically insure my photography habit. The equipment is covered by my contents insurance should I get burgled or in case of accidental damage in the house. But I am not covered if I am out in someone's house with my lights, camera, and I set the place on fire or if someone trips over my cables and injures themself. I am a hobbyist rather than professional photographer so decided it was easier just to give up. But is there a general difference in the law that makes lots of insurance difficult/awkward for insurers?

I have seen some household related 'we do not insure NI' but not half as bad as motor insurance. I would have thought that you would have been able to insure your photography equipment for 'all risks' under your household (I could be wrong). Try talking to your agent or have a look at the Halifax policy (I have not seen it myself but several people have said it is very good).

Oh by the way I had a blow out:eek: and brake failure :eek::eek: on the Newry bypass yesterday just as I was about to turn off left. Nearly wet myself but rather than do that I abandoned the turn left, drove over a traffic island, skimmed the ditch and 8 foot hedge, and managed to stop on the hard shoulder. A nice lorry driver stopped and changed my wheel, waited until I had tested my brakes and told me "don't mention it" when I told him thanks about 1000 times. What a nice man.

Great laxative when this sort of thing happens ... can be very cleansing . Your brake failure was more than likely because you were one tyre short on the old road contact stakes. They were probably working fine but it is always wise to go to a garage and get these things tested. What kind of car do you drive?

I drove home but now I am too scared to drive anywhere...and if I have wrecked the chassis of my car is that an insured item? (To add to my 3 points, stolen car 3 years ago and vandalised/wrecked/replaced door the year before that...insurers have long memories...).

All you can do is take it to a garage and let them check it out. Was there a problem with your tyre? Was the tread low? Was it punctured by a large nail? Was the pressure wrong? Blow outs are fairly rare so don't be scared ... just get back in and carry on.

Ivan

SnowyOwl_2

Hi Ivan, thanks for your message. I described the incident in the back room of HonestJohn.co.uk where the car experts gather. One person thought it happened because of a failed bearing, the next person thought I should scrap the car. I like your suggestion best!! And you are right, it was a highly effective in the cleansing department...though I suspect that when I go to the garage tomorrow it will be the least money saving remedy ever.

Regards my camera, lights and stuff, my insurers in England changed the policy when I came here because it was NI. Effectively it meant that if I set up my portable studio in someone's house then I'm not covered for fire, accidents to people, nor damage to my equipment. I don't fancy being personally sued should someone trip over a wire. It's not really that big a problem - I have a largish spare bedroom which I use as a studio. As it's not a profit making venture and people come to me rather than me go to them (which was the original plan) I believe I am covered by my household insurance if an accident occurs here. For outdoor work it's fine, as a hobbyist with just my camera out and about then my household covers it. It's just that at the time I was rather surprised that this specialist insurance which was so freely available in England suddenly became an issue for insurers when I came over here. Maybe I just rang the wrong people.

I'm going to be v.brave and drive to the garage tomorrow morning at about 7.30 am to get the brakes checked. I also need a new wheel as there is the mother of all dents in the one which hit the kerb first.

Thanks again for the reassurance.