Insurance again - Bennetts declining to renew

[aesmith]

Hi,

Insurance nonsense time again. I've just received a letter from Bennetts saying that they won't be able to offer a renewal for my SV650 this year. I can't imagine why not since they've covered it for the last two years with the same parameters (except I upped the mileage a little last year). I hope I'm old enough to be low risk, and our address is certainly in a low risk area.

Anyway they can take a hike, there are plenty of other insurers around.

My only concern is whether this counts as having "Cover refused" which is one of the standard questions or assumptions (for example assuming ..

"You or anyone named on the policy have never had insurance refused, declined, cancelled, had special terms imposed or made null and void in the last 5 years"

I suppose it could be Bennetts being idiots again, like last year when they quoted £512 renewal premium (up from 80 odd previous year) and then dropped it to £78 when I phoned. But do I really want to keep dealing with such an incompetent outfit?

[SIII]

My brother in law bought a panigale last month, all the big companies refused to ensure him. Full ncb and years with litre bikes.
You can force them to quote, it's the law. But they will comeback with a quote of £10,000 or something similarly silly.

[Bibio]

give bikesure a phone. fantastic company to deal with. unlike other insurance companies my insurance actually drops every year. i had a claim in 2009 for full loss due to it being stolen i was paying £280. 2 years later i got another bike and modded it like the last one.. no problem sir just let me speak to the underwriter. yes that will be £280 FC inc leather and helmet cover. next again year £210 FC but i dropped the helmet and leathers cover next again £185 and this years renewal was a whopping £135 with protected no claims, yes i nearly fell off the seat laughing.

mind you i have only ever claimed once in the past 25 years on any insurance for car or bike and that once was a theft of my last bike.

there is a lot more to my claim as it all happened when i had my heart bypass and lets just say that their customer service is superb.

I'm with aviva via just motprcycle insurance (broker)
I have a 2003 curvey with mods like exhaust hugger braded lines up rated suspension and its £84.95 fully comp I opt to pay aviva an extra £35 for roadside and onward travel brake down cover but that's it my renewal came this week exactly what I paid last year so not bad. Never had to claim though so can't comment on service there but they have been fine otherwise even with declared mods

[Bibio]

thats cheap.

i have just thaught and i have only claimed 4 times on insurance for theft since i was 17. never had a claim for accident in my entire driving history.

Yeah it's about the best I could find for fully comp limited to 8k a year which for me would cover it. Everything like road cover leathers hemet protected no claims seems to be extra though but has to be worth a call??
I have had zero claims and have clean licence .. For now at least .. Bike is locked in a garage and has stock alarm (I presume) no other deterrents fitted. Oh disk lock on days out that's it.
And I'm 47 but not born again it never died for me always had a bike knocking about even had a chicken 90 fun on fields

[aesmith]

Originally Posted by SIII

You can force them to quote, it's the law. But they will comeback with a quote of £10,000 or something similarly silly.

The funny thing is that if I do an online quote with Bennetts they come back with a premium of £78, just a touch down from last year. That's with all facts correct including business travel and high mileage (15K/year) which were the two things I thought might have been an issue.

So it's either a screw up and the letter was just sent by mistake, or it's something personal.

[TamSV]

Originally Posted by aesmith

The funny thing is that if I do an online quote with Bennetts they come back with a premium of £78, just a touch down from last year. That's with all facts correct including business travel and high mileage (15K/year) which were the two things I thought might have been an issue.

So it's either a screw up and the letter was just sent by mistake, or it's something personal.

I'd give them a ring if it was me and get to the bottom of it.

Technically, you have been refused insurance and "should" answer that question accordingly. However, if you do that, you'll open an unpleasant and expensive can of worms.

Could just be a mistake but it's worth sorting now rather than ending up on a database of dodgy geezers.

[Red ones]

What it sounds like to me is the letter they have to send out for renewing the exact policy you currently have. BUT if the policy you have is no longer on the market you will then get this letter.
It doesn't mean they won't insure you, it means they can't insure you on that policy.

Phone them and ask for a quote on a SIMILAR policy.

[aesmith]

You could be right, but the actual wording doesn't invite any sort of approach ..

"Unfortunately, we are unable to offer you a renewal quote based on your current details. This means that a renewal invitation will not be issued to you and you will need to make alternative insurance arrangements."

This is followed by a couple of "scare" sentences about CEI penalties and potential prosecutions. Only at the very end does it say to call if I have any queries.

If they're refusing cover, are they obliged to provide the reason?