Insuring my L&K

[hmibennett]

Having been previously very happy with LV= for my insurance, I have just spent an extraordinary 25 minutes on the phone trying to amend my current policy for when I collect my new L&K tomorrow. The problem? According to LV=, there is no such thing as a Yeti in L&K trim! Eventually, after being passed up the supervisory line, I found someone who believed me but admitted they did not have this version on their database and that it will be about a month before they do. In the end, they are treating it as an Elegance for the time being and have waived the dreaded 'administration fee' for policy amendments since I was apparently so patient (doesn't sound like me - must be the relaxing effect of the holiday from which I've just returned) and won't be adjusting (ie increasing) the premium, despite its being a newer and thus more valuable vehicle - so I suppose, overall, that's reasonable service. Good job I had time to spare, though.

I wonder what an insurance company's view would be if a customer were equally inaccurate/lacking the correct information?

[scottpcs]

The only thing that would concern me is the fact that they're insuring it as an Elegance and not an L&K. Personally I'd be ringing them again in a month or two to make sure that firstly the L&K now shows as a trim level and secondly that they're insuring your car as an L&K.

Should your car be written off in any event then the market value will be based on the Elegance and not L&K I should imagine. Insurance companies will do anything to pay out a lower market value or even pay out at all in these events.

Strange how the L&K isn't on their list though, seeing as it's been available to order since January?

[ernieb]

Does seem to be very slow for them to get the car on the database. I just extended my Skoda insurance for the 6 weeks it had to run. I'll be ringing round the usual suspects in a few days time when I have 30 days to go. They seem not to be happy to give a quote over the month to go.

[hmibennett]

The only thing that would concern me is the fact that they're insuring it as an Elegance and not an L&K. Personally I'd be ringing them again in a month or two to make sure that firstly the L&K now shows as a trim level and secondly that they're insuring your car as an L&K.

Should your car be written off in any event then the market value will be based on the Elegance and not L&K I should imagine. Insurance companies will do anything to pay out a lower market value or even pay out at all in these events.

Strange how the L&K isn't on their list though, seeing as it's been available to order since January?

They have said they will update my details as and when the database is correct, but yes, I fully intend to chase them in a few weeks' time. It is indeed odd that the trim is not on their list - I would have naively assumed that there was some sort of master database that all insurance companies use and that is regularly updated on their behalf by some sort of data-handling company.

[Silverhead]

Interesting, I picked up my L&K on Monday and I'm just about to go down the same route with LV=. When I initially approached them several weeks ago to 'test the water' and find how much more they would charge, above what I was paying for my (then) Kia Sportage' there didn't seem to be a problem. The L&K seems to be appearing on several databases I've checked for other things. I'd be interested to hear how you get on.

[hmibennett]

Does seem to be very slow for them to get the car on the database. I just extended my Skoda insurance for the 6 weeks it had to run. I'll be ringing round the usual suspects in a few days time when I have 30 days to go. They seem not to be happy to give a quote over the month to go.

I may switch to Skoda insurance when LV= is up for renewal in August: Skoda quoted me a price (valid for 6 months) that is only £10 a year more than LV= (which I guess will go up at renewal time) and excesses are lower. The only thing I need to check out (any information from others out there?) is the foreign cover: LV= give me fully comprehensive cover when I'm in France, which the Skoda insurance guy on the phone also claimed to be true, but I have been caught out by this in the past - Churchill once assured me that European cover was fully comprehensive, but when I had purchased their insurance and the full details came through, it was third party only (they then claimed that they had made that change to their terms and conditions between my asking about the cover and the actual purchase and issue of the policy a few days later!).

[LeeHarrison]

I believe there is a main database that is uploaded with all cars and also has some form of reference to the car values as well - just can't think what it is called at present.

Each car has a code against it (again I believe) and this gives the underwriter the value of the car.

We had something similar when our first Rapid Elegance DSG when out the door (Skodas best kept secret ) and because it was not on the main database it was at first a PITA to insure it.

Having said that I've had 3 L&K's go out within the past 2 weeks and as fair as I'm aware, no customers have had issues insuring them.

Good luck and enjoy!

[Merlinman]

For the avoidance of doubt, I might be writing to them confirming the details of the vehicle with the brochure info from Škoda UK?

I've done that (with photos) for all of my non-standard bits

[Bobdog]

Odd business, insurance. Three years ago my Volvo V50 was insured with LV, and I transferred the remaining period of insurance to the Yeti when I bought it, for a small adjustment fee. When the renewal notice came through the quote seemed rather high, so I switched to the Co-op at a considerable saving. At the end of that year I switched to Saga because I didn't like the Co-op's renewal price, and I've just recently, in the last month or so, come back to LV saving £80 on Saga's price.

[AlleyCat`]

My colleague got stung in a very similar way when he bought a new Honda (bike).

I forget the model but he got one of the first 10 in the country and nobody would insure it because it "didn't exist" except to honda insurance that is.

They gave him a good bending over for the pleasure of insuring his 12K bike too.

Needless to say the next year he told them where they could put their insurance renewal.

The entire industry makes no sense to me at all.

Various entities of the same company will offer different quotes for the same vehicle, driver and address, why?

The underwriter is the same, ergo the risk is the same.

Lunacy.

[Yetiflute]

My renewal with Skoda insurance just come through with zero increase in premiums. Reasonable cost (maybe not the absolute cheapest at £280 for 170 elegance) so with zero increase I am staying put

[JCP]

Skoda quoted more than £200P/A more for my business than an LV branded policy.

[freedie]

My LV= policy for year two was lower than year one. No change in details as I was already on max. NCB.

[Splooter]

Skoda insurance quoted me £267 p.a. (protected NCB and just £100 excess) when I phoned up to arrange my free 7 day insurance, sounded pretty good to me so just went for it (and it saved all the hassle of sourcing other quotes )

[IainM1970]

Strange I've always got high quotes from Skoda insurance.

I'll stick to the Caravan Club, not the cheapest but the best policy for my needs and a long way cheaper than Skoda for me.

NB I do have a clean driving record, full NCB and live in a decent area.

[rockhopper]

I too am with Skoda. Been with them since I bought the car. As the car is not standard, very few companies will touch it, but Skoda have been fine. Just wish I lived in a lower risk area. My premium is £550!! But I do have business use, I'm still young (at heart) park on the drive, all of which conspire to put up the premium.

Skoda still had the best deal last time. They weren't the cheapest, but were very close.

[900000]

Škoda Insurance was fine in year one but come year two their premium nearly DOUBLED. Year three: the same. So bye-bye Škoda Insurance. I have the MX-5 and the Yeti now with Admiral Multicar which was by far the cheapest.

[DAN@ADRIAN FLUX]

Having been previously very happy with LV= for my insurance, I have just spent an extraordinary 25 minutes on the phone trying to amend my current policy for when I collect my new L&K tomorrow. The problem? According to LV=, there is no such thing as a Yeti in L&K trim! Eventually, after being passed up the supervisory line, I found someone who believed me but admitted they did not have this version on their database and that it will be about a month before they do. In the end, they are treating it as an Elegance for the time being and have waived the dreaded 'administration fee' for policy amendments since I was apparently so patient (doesn't sound like me - must be the relaxing effect of the holiday from which I've just returned) and won't be adjusting (ie increasing) the premium, despite its being a newer and thus more valuable vehicle - so I suppose, overall, that's reasonable service. Good job I had time to spare, though.

I wonder what an insurance company's view would be if a customer were equally inaccurate/lacking the correct information?

Hi,

Unfortunately this can be a common problem with brand new model vehicles. Fortunately we have the facility to manually input vehicles on to our system that aren't currently rated by mainstream insurers. A number of our schemes will allow us to quote for these accordingly. Whilst this isn't always and ideal scenario as we may not be able to use all our panel of insurers it at least allow customers to get some kind of quotation based on the correct vehicle details.

Regards,

Dan.

[ernieb]

Question, do you state the value of your car as the list price or the price you paid?

[Llanigraham]

List price.

[Bobdog]

Hi,

Unfortunately this can be a common problem with brand new model vehicles. Fortunately we have the facility to manually input vehicles on to our system that aren't currently rated by mainstream insurers. A number of our schemes will allow us to quote for these accordingly. Whilst this isn't always and ideal scenario as we may not be able to use all our panel of insurers it at least allow customers to get some kind of quotation based on the correct vehicle details.

Regards,

Dan.

Hello Dan, do you know Helen?

[DAN@ADRIAN FLUX]

Hello Dan, do you know Helen?

Hi,

Is that a Helen who work at Adrian Flux?

Regards,

Dan

[Bobdog]

Hi,

Is that a Helen who work at Adrian Flux?

Regards,

Dan

Of course - she's my cousin!

[Llanigraham]

I bet she won't admit being related to you Bob.

[frozboz]

Aviva denied all knowledge of my new 1.2 TSI SE+ although they did have an 'urban' spec on the pick list which I believe is the name for it in another market. Fortunately the UK agent had his brain switched on and called me back a few hours later having done some research on the Skoda UK website and then (somehow) forced the spec onto the pick list...but it did take a long time on the phone.