Bikesure / Adrain Flux rage!

I recently insured my sv650 with BikeSure / Adrian flux for a reasonable ~£300 TPFT at my home address in Cambridge and had a phonecall with them just now.

They asked where I was going (as a student) next year, to which I replied Imperial College London.
They then said, "you once had a quote for an NW4 postcode, is that where you'll be living next year?".
Me (taken aback): "Umm no, I haven't sorted a flat yet, that was just a speculative quote months ago to see how much it would increase if I wanted to take the bike"
... "Right, well the underwriters have refused to continue insuring you at your Cambridge address and will be charging you the rate of the NW4 postcode, amounting to £900" ...!!

I argued my case for some time (politely, at first)... I'm living at home in Cambridge, I haven't even found a london flat, I don't know which area I'll be in, I don't know if I'm taking the bike, I may even commute from Cambridge! The random comparethemarket quote I may have made months ago was to feel out how much it's gonna cost, I also had quotes on CBR600RRs but it doesn't mean I've got one!!

I have been completely honest with them, my bike is at my Cambridge address, garaged, IF I move to London and take the bike, I'll of course let them know and they can then charge me triple the price. But how can they charge me for a london postcode I will probably never live at on the basis I once asked for a quote there??

I have now canceled my policy (it was within 14 days so only cost me ~50£ total) and am going to have to try and find another company, but presumably they all have the same quote history.

The moral of the story: never use your real information when getting test quotes on comparison sites!

You should kick off and ask them which address they are going to send the insurance docs to. They cannot speculate as that would make the insurance invalid. I would complain big time.

[Geodude]

Originally Posted by Electro

You should kick off and ask them which address they are going to send the insurance docs to. They cannot speculate as that would make the insurance invalid. I would complain big time.

+1 that is ridiculous.

[Jayneflakes]

Originally Posted by Electro

You should kick off and ask them which address they are going to send the insurance docs to. They cannot speculate as that would make the insurance invalid. I would complain big time.

Absolutely. Take your complaint to the highest level and make them aware that you are extremely unhappy. If you still get no where, take it to the Ombudsman.

Glad it's not just me who finds it bang out of order. After not finding any complaints number or contact details, I sent the following email to adrian flux:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I recently took out a policy with your company (Reference: <removed>) and received an email today asking for me to contact BikeSure by phone, which I promptly did. During the phonecall it transpired that, ultimately, because I had used a comparison website with a sample London postcode (in order to assess the possibility of taking my bike to London if I move there in October), yourselves now requested that I immediately begin paying the insurance rate of said sample postcode. In fact, the underwriters you were using (Markerstudy) would not cover me at this randomly-selected North London postcode, and another underwriter would be used, at triple the cost of my current policy (from roughly £300 rising to £900).

I am beginning a post-graduate course at Imperial College London on the 3rd of October, but I as yet have no idea if I will be a) living at home in Cambridge and commuting to university (I included commuting on my policy just in case) b) living in London but leaving my bike garaged in Cambridge, where it will be registered and all documentation will be sent or c) move to an area of London and bring the bike, notifying you of my change of address and likely paying an increased premium. For your company to make the assumption that I have decided option c based on a random comparison quote some months ago is entirely unacceptable.

I am appalled that the insurance premium you offer is based entirely on speculation of where I may one day be living. I have no idea which random postcode I entered to obtain an estimate, presumably it was a public building (as residential postcodes aren't findable with google) so it is likely to be an address I could never live at!

The phone operator, after some deliberation, almost insisted that I end the policy as it is within my 14 days 'cooling off' period. I agreed to do this, as the alternative was paying exorbitant London-based insurance premium while my bike and I are living in a quiet Cambridgeshire village. But after some consultation, it appears BikeSure has no legal basis to speculate on where I may one day be living, giving that I can prove my one and only place of residence is the one I have supplied you with. I shall not even be setting foot in London for over a month, and my bike may well never see the city. It goes without saying that if I do move, to London or anywhere else, I will amend my details with yourselves immediately.

I request a considered reply to this issue, and I am entirely ready to take this further if a satisfactory reply is not made. I also request this email be forwarded to a customer service manager, else please provide me with means of contacting a person in such a position.

I await a reply,
B. L. Moore

Hopefully it gets my anger across without being out-and-out rude... I fully expect a reply passing the buck with "we're just a broker, your underwriter made the decision" etc.

[andrewsmith]

Originally Posted by Electro

You should kick off and ask them which address they are going to send the insurance docs to. They cannot speculate as that would make the insurance invalid. I would complain big time.

+3

What they were trying to do (speculation from historic speculative information) is ileagal.

Drop TamSV a pm he'll be able to clarify where you stand.

Personally I'd give them a wide berth along with MCE

*runs to avoid MCE rant*

[dizzyblonde]

How on earth can they make an insurance invalid on an address thats other than on the current policy, without
a:your spoken confirmation via telephone, that you are moving to said address
b:your confirmation via a letter from you, as above

If you've supplied a correspondance address, that mirrors the address on the insurance policy for your bike, they should assume as is!


How extremely bizarre, words fail me!

Originally Posted by andrewsmith

+3

What they were trying to do (speculation from historic speculative information) is ileagal.

Drop TamSV a pm he'll be able to clarify where you stand.

Personally I'd give them a wide berth along with MCE

*runs to avoid MCE rant*

Ok cheers, I've sent a PM. Hah yeah I had dealings with MCE on my 125, won't be using them again either

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

How on earth can they make an insurance invalid on an address thats other than on the current policy, without
a:your spoken confirmation via telephone, that you are moving to said address
b:your confirmation via a letter from you, as above

If you've supplied a correspondance address, that mirrors the address on the insurance policy for your bike, they should assume as is!


How extremely bizarre, words fail me!

I completely agree... it seems they've straightout assumed I'm lying and jumped to conclusions. I'm now thinking that I shouldn't have agreed to let them cancel my policy as it weakens my position complaintswise, but they backed me into a corner... cancel now or we take huge deposit x now and huge amount y per month. I can't see them reinstating my policy now.

That is bang out of order and perhaps not quite an unique as you might think? Many of us have seen increases over the years, some large enough to question or seek other quotes. My current insurance is based on my bike being garaged at my brother's house, secure, alarmed and anchored (at all time when not in use) in Camberley. When the details of my insurance came back, it stated that the bike would not be insured if stolen within a mile of my actual home address. When I called them, they stated that unless the bike is also garaged, secure etc. is would not be covered - The insurance is cheaper at my bro's and I certainly wouldnt leave the bike in my area anyway, too many chavs lurking the streets at night causing bother.

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by Nostrils

When the details of my insurance came back, it stated that the bike would not be insured if stolen within a mile of my actual home address. .

I know in most cases, when the bike is insured and under a roof at your policy address( I say this as people generally use their property rather than someone elses), if it gets nicked within a certain distance from said garage the excess is bumped up. I know in my case its double(or something like that) if its nicked within 200 yards. So, I can't actually park on my drive and leave it.

To be told its not insured if its nicked within a mile of your house rather than your brothers is actually another bizarre thing to do!

It makes you wonder what you are insured for, because after all, you go out on your bike, and can leave it 300 miles away and it may still get stolen, so what the difference between that and a few metres from your house is going to make is anyones guess