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Hi all, thanks for all previous help. Update is I got paid out 11500 as max insured value and am having to argue with FSA re the rest due to the policy wording not being clear.Still A word of caution

NEW for OLD- review the retail price of your van regulally and update the insurance

I cannot complain re the customer services and policy in general but as i shop for renewals there are MANY companies that do not mention to you that the replacement value needs checking throughout the year.I have found some companies that dont have a max insured it is New for Old regardless of price. This would seem a good plan.

Please be prompted to read all your policy small print so as not to end up in my situation. Things are not always as clear cut as they may seem.

Thanks - i will check ours and update, if necessary. I haven't thought to do this before! Really New for Old should be just that and not be linked to updated prices, shouldn't it?

Hi Crazyplace, it’s all to common with insurance companies, tell you, you are covered to the hilt, but neglect to tell you the claw back side of things, or they glaze over them, must cost them a fortune to get the small print that small you can’t read it without a microscope, should be shot or jailed for their practices, I’d prefer the first option.  Maybe you could take your case up with the ombudsman, hope you get it sorted in your favour, good luck.

Unfortunatly the caravan club have put so many clauses on a quote they gave me i wont be taking up their offer. CCC offer new for old but when you read it if you do not have a replacement van and you have a  cash settlement you get market value!!! Meaning I assume if they change the van design as they have ours (therefore we no longer want a sprite major 6) then you do not get the van you want!! I am looking into this defenition before taking up the policy to see if they pick the same make and medel or if you simply have to prove you bought a van with the money. Not that I intend on writing the new van off again but i am not getting stung for another 2k should i be unlucky twice. 

  Yes my new for old went up every year but that was june and vans go up in september when new ones come out so that means the price that was correct in june is not correct in october. Check if they replace the van or they go by your price, some said it didnt matter what price you had and that a new one was a new one, unfortunatly as i said they dont all do that.

sorry Crazyplace but" you must ensure you inform us of any change in circumstances that may affect your insurance"  is exactly what it says on the tin.

Also -"MANY companies that do not mention to you that the replacement value needs checking throughout the year. " That is our job as insurers and we need to understand that that is how it works

When you insure new for old the onus is on you to specify the sum insured. Get it too low and all you get is the low price.

Further, new for old, only applies if the cost of repairing any damage is so much less than the price of a new van, even if that repair cost is stupidly high. The insurance policies do, in my experience, make it clear that, at the end of the day, its what is most cost effective for the insurance company. That is what we sign up to. If we don't read the conditions, or understand them, that is not the fault of the insurance company.

I know that you get new for old if

1. The van is stolen and never recovered

2. The cost of a new van is less than the repair after an accidnet.

That is how it tends to work and I am happy with that.

ALWAYS GET YOUR VAN STOLEN RATHER THAN DAMAGED!!!!!!!

Phil

I find it strange that the caravan club have put so many clauses on for you.  The reason we have insurance with them is that they didn't put on many clauses.  We used to insure our old van with caravan guard but when we bought our new van they wanted every security measure under the sun and some were impossible with our sloping drive.

The caravan club just stipulate one security device needed ( although we use more ).  The insured value is on the renewal each year.

Which insurance company are you in dispute with?

I am not claiming I am not at fault in all this. I am simply pointing out to others that may like me have not read, re read and fully understood the policy wording . I am not the only person who has not done this and I simply urge you all to double check that is all.

David,  possibly it is the caravan club that said that they would replace regardless of insured value but some others do not .

Phil- It may indeed seem like that is what it says on the tin to someone who obviously knows a thing or two about insurance, However to me I read that as moving,getting married, changing van, etc. I live and learn but iif I can help anyone else not learn in the same way then I will be happy.

In all this I  have also found out that the car insurance any other vehicle third party cover also changes depending on the insurance company to any other Car, which does not include vans!!! Who ever looked at that!!

That's where these comparison sites fail. Anyone can offer cheaper insurance but what are you really getting for that low premium? A load of boxes ticked itemising what the cover is is very far from sufficient an indicartion of the actual kind of cover

Phil

Brian- it was AmTrust but I have to say they have been very good and paid out in full with no arguements. I would certainly use them again (If they let me)

BUT as I have said I dont think it is clear that they will pay a maximum and not simply New for Old. If I had read and understood the small print instead of taking it as given that new for old was just that then i would not have been in the predicament. No advise was given at point of renewal re prices going up.  If you are insured with them I would advise you update your max price insured and you will have NO issues, they paid out for the holiday cottage, contents which i photographed and contents that were simply "missing" presumed on the road somewhere. They were good in that sense. I will update if I win the small print arguement.

I also used a broker that had good reviews but on ringing them to claim they catagorically told me the van was only issured on site or in storage not on the move and I was toild to claim off the car insurance for the van. In a sheer panic I started reading the policy booklet and found lots of things I was un sure about, like my policy but husband was driving!! turns out this was ok. The broker until this day is still telling me they did not know that the van was covered on the road, I have suggested they update their training!!! They did read me the information that AmTrust provide for them to do quotes etc and under the sum insured it simply says ask the customer how much a new van would be so I gave them the amount my local dealer told me.

Between the broker being clueless and me not fully reading and understanding the wording I have been stung. I will not be stung again and hopefully if just one person reads and checks then it will be a small comfort.

The caravan club said I had to log the towing vehicle with them and they checked out the outfit was suitable . I was only allowed to use that vehicle and I had to inform them if I changed it at which point they held the right to cancel the policy. I had to promise that the ATC was fitted and switched on at all times (why you would switch it off i dont know) and if it malfunctioned then cover would not be in place. They also said that anyone who had points for speeding could not drive!!!!

To be honest I thought that was a bit much.!! I know I have had a claim and the accident was for snaking but I am not a career criminal. That goes back to the CC telling me I could only use the child shower room for the 5 year old and I had to take the 6 year old in the adult shower with me!!!! while the 5 year old was where exactly?