Travel insurance - has anyone found a cheap policy which covers quad bikes?

Tunstallstoven

Hi all

I'm actually asking this on behalf of my partner... She is going to Greece in a couple of weeks. She knows of others who have gone to the same island, and apparently it is common for people there to hire quad bikes; not to do anything daring or sporty (!) but simply to get from A to B.

Most insurers she has contacted so far have said she cannot get a policy with them that would cover use of a quad bike. The only one that will cover her so far will add around £25 to the premium. Oddly, none of them had a problem with use of a moped and would cover her for this without any additional premium. Strange, because to both our minds two wheels would be more risky than four!

So I wondered if anyone here has ever found a policy which will cover use of a quad bike without a massive jump in premium.

Many thanks

Max

z1a

I would say that a £25 premium for that isn't a massive jump.

Tunstallstoven

Perhaps. But it is £25 more than using a moped, and unless I'm missing something they are not dissimilar... Except that mopeds have two wheels and are more dangerous.

Thanks for the reply.

agrinnall

Seagull27 wrote: »

Perhaps. But it is £25 more than using a moped, and unless I'm missing something they are not dissimilar... Except that mopeds have two wheels and are more dangerous.

Thanks for the reply.

Presumably the undrewriters have calculated the risk of each type of transport and set the premiums accordingly.

Gloomendoom

Seagull27 wrote: »

Except that mopeds have two wheels and are more dangerous.

That is just your opinion. Unfortunately, the insurance companies don't share it.

jonesMUFCforever

She could save the £25 and use a moped then?
After all its only to get from A to B nothing at all with speeding around anywhere??

Tunstallstoven

Sure, I agree that it is just my opinion and that it comes down to what the insurers and underwriters decide. And that my opinion is irrelevant. I remain surprised though.

jonesMUFCforever - haha! She's really not the speed demon thrill seeking sort!!!

When we had to get house insurance a few years back, so many insurers had stipulations regarding the height of nearby trees, windows locks, and a few other bits and pieces relevant to our house. This was a problem for us, but after some looking we found an insurer who did not ask any of these questions nor have them listed in the "We will not insure..." section of the policy booklet. I guess I was hoping that the same might be true of quad bikes and travel insurance, and that someone in a similar boat [on a similar quad bike ] may have found insurers who allow it and/or don't raise the premium by much. After all, it is a matter of opinion as pointed out, and opinion differs from insurer to insurer...

zagfles

The problem with quad bikes is they are heavy and not that easy to control. If it tips over (surprisingly easy to do) and lands on you it will cause you far more damage than a moped. They are also used more often by people with no experience, riding a moped is pretty similar to a bike but a quad bike is completely different.

See https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2008/sep/17/4

Tunstallstoven

Thanks zagfles - that's helpful info and puts it into context. I had no idea! My partner is a quite cautious person and will likely be put off the idea of a quad bike after reading that. I'll show her in the morning.

bigadaj

Seagull27 wrote: »

Sure, I agree that it is just my opinion and that it comes down to what the insurers and underwriters decide. And that my opinion is irrelevant. I remain surprised though.

jonesMUFCforever - haha! She's really not the speed demon thrill seeking sort!!!

When we had to get house insurance a few years back, so many insurers had stipulations regarding the height of nearby trees, windows locks, and a few other bits and pieces relevant to our house. This was a problem for us, but after some looking we found an insurer who did not ask any of these questions nor have them listed in the "We will not insure..." section of the policy booklet. I guess I was hoping that the same might be true of quad bikes and travel insurance, and that someone in a similar boat [on a similar quad bike ] may have found insurers who allow it and/or don't raise the premium by much. After all, it is a matter of opinion as pointed out, and opinion differs from insurer to insurer...

So you're unlikely to have got a very good deal on your house insurance.

Your insurer will have taken a view on the reasonable worst case, so will have included a loading for having trees close by, not having window locks etc etc

It's quite easy to do a search with and without aspects for insurance to see what teh change in premium is anyway.

PompeyPete

Seagull.....At least you're doing the sensible thing, and asking the questions beforehand. There's plenty of cautionary horror stories out there on the web about quad bikes.

Edit: If you do get quad bike insurance, make sure you read the small print.

- Make sure you wear appropriate protective clothing, particularly a suitable helmet and not a flimsy egg-shell.

- Make sure you haven't been drinking.

- Make sure you don't exceed the engine capacity that your insurance covers.

- Make sure the operator is licensed, and has appropriate 3rd Party cover.

- Check the vehicle before accepting it.