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Car broken into at the weekend.....insurance?
Irony - 18/6/12 at 07:57 AM

Stupidly left my iPod in its dock in the car on Saturday night and by Sunday someone had smashed their way through the drivers door window and taken it. Police came round, shrugged their shoulders and moaned about the lack of funding, then left.

Not sure if I should involve my insurers (quotemehappy). Just been on their website and they say my no-claims will be safe. But I am just very dubious about all insurers. I am of the opinion that if you claim from a insurance company they will pay out very begrudgingly and then try and screw you over long term.

Anyone have any good advice?


iank - 18/6/12 at 08:12 AM

I'd tend to agree, your no claims will be safe but next years premium will go up (to reflect the dangerous neighbourhood/careless customer) by more than the money you get out of them. Changing to another company you'll still be required to inform them of a claim and they'll do the same.


wilkingj - 18/6/12 at 08:14 AM

You need to weigh up the increase in premium for the coming years versus the cost of the loss.
What is your Excess liability, it could be more than the Ipod is worth.

You left it in full sight, so they will say you are part liable and try to reduce their payout costs.

I assume that you have all the tracks backed up on your PC.

Will / cam you get a new / better model of Ipod now, ie is the old one obsolete / out of date etc etc etc.
(I'm not a Ipod man myself, but you get the drift!)

It just might NOT be worth making a claim.

Best of luck.


daviep - 18/6/12 at 08:15 AM

I wouldn't bother with insurance, you will be penalised for 5 years regardless of protected no claims.

Scrappy for a window will be a about £20 for a reasonably common motor.

Cheers
Davie


Irony - 18/6/12 at 08:20 AM

It was a old iPod. 5 years old with a damaged screen. Not worth anything to be honest. A new one would set me back £199 from the Apple Store. Its now considered a iPod Classic. When I bought it however, it wasn't 'classic' it was just a iPod, thats how old it is.

I thoroughly dislike insurance companies.


fullpint - 18/6/12 at 08:28 AM

If thats the case I would (as above) get a repalcement window from the breakers and for get about a claim. Lesson learnt and just move on. Mind you is it worth asking other people in your street if they have home cctv to view?


wilkingj - 18/6/12 at 08:28 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Irony
It was a old iPod.

<snip>

I thoroughly dislike insurance companies.


They are in business to make money, and not to provide a free service. Like any business they will try to cut / reduce costs by whatever legal means they can.

However, they should provide a good cost effective service.


mark chandler - 18/6/12 at 08:52 AM

They may not screw your no claims, but will apply a loading ..... so will screw you.

Also making a claim on house insurance etc these days filters through to car insurance etc, they ask 'have you made a claim' not 'have have you made a car claim'.

For me car insurance is to cover significant damage, anything under £500 is suck it up


mangogrooveworkshop - 18/6/12 at 08:56 AM

I picked up iPods off the local Facebook sales site for 20 to 30 quid.
Replace it with a 32 gig micro memory stick for 15 quid in the meantime


Slimy38 - 18/6/12 at 09:32 AM

I see this situation being similar to those people who think protected no-claims is a good thing. Yes you might keep your 80% discount or whatever it is, but the fact that you have to declare a claim will push the price up. And I'm still not convinced NCD actually works nowadays. I did a quote online for a car, one with 30% NCD and one with 60% NCD, the difference in prices was not 30%.

A claim is a claim, and as mentioned it'll be there for 5 years minimum.


Mark Allanson - 18/6/12 at 09:51 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Slimy38
I see this situation being similar to those people who think protected no-claims is a good thing. Yes you might keep your 80% discount or whatever it is, but the fact that you have to declare a claim will push the price up. And I'm still not convinced NCD actually works nowadays. I did a quote online for a car, one with 30% NCD and one with 60% NCD, the difference in prices was not 30%.

A claim is a claim, and as mentioned it'll be there for 5 years minimum.


Glass only claims are usually £50.00 excess and are exempt from any change to your NCB, however you premium may rise next year. Already stated about the cost of glass, check out the new price of glass, many cars are VERY cheap for side glass.


mcerd1 - 18/6/12 at 10:13 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
Glass only claims are usually £50.00 excess and are exempt from any change to your NCB, however you premium may rise next year. Already stated about the cost of glass, check out the new price of glass, many cars are VERY cheap for side glass.


I had the rear door glass smashed on my focus (kids with a football I think, but no one owned up to it )

got the glass from the breakers for £20+VAT which is quite a bit cheaper than a £60 excess never mind any increase in next years premium
only problem was it took ages to clean up all the broken glass !


[Edited on 18/6/2012 by mcerd1]


montythemole - 18/6/12 at 10:32 AM

Worth watching other policies if you go through the insurer. Wife had Admiral out for a windscreen chip - free, no change on her insurance, no loss of NCB. I'm insured through Admiral for the MX5 with her as named driver, they linked the claims and put my premium up because she had a 'claim' on their books. No amount of arguing would make them see that an windscreen chip on her car should not affect the insurance premium on mine, especially as different policy holders.

My MX5 insurance went up £70 due to it.....


montythemole - 18/6/12 at 10:32 AM

Worth watching other policies if you go through the insurer. Wife had Admiral out for a windscreen chip - free, no change on her insurance, no loss of NCB. I'm insured through Admiral for the MX5 with her as named driver, they linked the claims and put my premium up because she had a 'claim' on their books. No amount of arguing would make them see that an windscreen chip on her car should not affect the insurance premium on mine, especially as different policy holders.

My MX5 insurance went up £70 due to it.....


Irony - 18/6/12 at 11:14 AM

Thanks for the replies guys. I think I am just going to get it sorted myself. I have a quote of £80 fitted from a glass man I know. Having done the window regulators on the car before (mk 4 golf) it is a awkward crap job. I could do it myself but I just don't want to.

Does anyone have a old iPod for sale?


mad4x4 - 18/6/12 at 11:26 AM

IF you have glass cover then you may be able to do the window through the "windscreen" excess, I did a rear window (tailgate) on my Truck as it got smashed. All in £50 excess

As for the IPOD - Tough I guess . Cheap enough to replace.


MikeRJ - 18/6/12 at 11:34 AM

quote:
Originally posted by wilkingj

They are in business to make money, and not to provide a free service. Like any business they will try to cut / reduce costs by whatever legal means they can.

However, they should provide a good cost effective service.



Replace legal with "legal but immoral" and I would agree.


Irony - 18/6/12 at 01:35 PM

When I think of insurance companies I think of this man




Matt_C - 18/6/12 at 02:26 PM

quote:
Originally posted by montythemole
Worth watching other policies if you go through the insurer. Wife had Admiral out for a windscreen chip - free, no change on her insurance, no loss of NCB. I'm insured through Admiral for the MX5 with her as named driver, they linked the claims and put my premium up because she had a 'claim' on their books. No amount of arguing would make them see that an windscreen chip on her car should not affect the insurance premium on mine, especially as different policy holders.

My MX5 insurance went up £70 due to it.....


Exactly the same for my dad just changing his policy the other week, with my mum as a named driver, just with different insurance firms. £70-100 increase, even with both having protected no claims.

Robbing ba......!!


jamesbond007ltk - 18/6/12 at 03:29 PM

Not sure if it just my insurance company (SwiftCover) but my NCD does get affected if I make a windscreen claim.

Their words were: "We will not deduct any of your current years no claim, we just won't award you an additional year at the end of the current policy year"

So in my opinion that is -1 year NCB. Anyone else ever had this?

Rich

PS sorry for the hijack

[Edited on 18/6/12 by jamesbond007ltk]


Mark Allanson - 18/6/12 at 03:54 PM

I have to deal with insurance companies on a daily basis, I am never surprised at the new dodges thought up by Swiftcover, i have dealing with them.