Insurers Scams

[daveb47]

Why is an import vehicle automatically loaded beyond belief on insurance.

They say that its because it could cost a lot for parts to repair etc.

On a £500 car??

They will do the same as they always do,beyond economical repair etc even if damage is minimal.

 

[Partridge]

Japanese Domestic Import stuff can be crazy. I can understand it if it's something weird like a Nissan Laurel or Stegea, I imagine parts would be a nightmare, but not with Pajaros and Scoobies where there's coachloads of the things knocking around.

[HillmanImp]

They did not load the Sera on my classic policy with Peter James AFAIK. Price did not seem disproportionate to any of my other cars.

 

Just remembered a dark grey Sera drove past me on the way to work yesterday. Not seen it about before.

[tooSavvy]

...... woman next door dented her hatch - worried about claiming - I told her to get a hatch/colour off e bay and have it fitted..... she did.

 

Insurers can do the same..... but don't! Grrrrrr

 

tooSavvy

[Jim Bell]

I got a quote for Stations Scooby, which was an import.

 

UK version £600.

Grey Import £1200.

 

Is it maybe that some JDM stuff was higher spec or H.P.?

 

It doesnt seem to make any sense. Other than another excuse to rape another sector of the market.

[inconsistant]

Given that its compulsory, I think there's a good case for car insurance being centrally administered (like rfl) rather than being left in the hands of private companies. Won't ever happen though...

[saucedoctor]

^ Couldn't agree more.

[Pillock]

Remember insurance is based on risk. How many people with a certain car have pranged it.

 

I know when grey imports were first gaining momentum, the people who were importing cars were spotty yoofs with Impreza WRXSTIOMG and Mitsi FTOs, most of which were being driven around far in excess of any talent levels. Sadly, to the insurance computers, this means that grey import == dangerous. I know it's not fair for your average bloke with an Estima, but that's how it works.

 

It's not always true, but that's why certain professions are more expensive. I'm a trainer, in that I teach people how to do stuff. It's boring, sit down and listen work. A while back I realised if I put "trainer" as my profession, my insurance goes up about 20% - they assume it's personal trainer. Put it as teacher, down it comes. I suppose this is because they've had more personal trainers in accidents than teachers.

[skattrd]

I'm probably in a minority here, but I like my insurer. However I'm over 40, live in a rural area and have a low risk job.

£600 for 10 cars all fully comp, including a rather silly and modified "import" that would cost quite a bit to repair/replace I'm not complaining.

[Partridge]

I got a quote for Stations Scooby, which was an import.

 

UK version £600.

Grey Import £1200.

 

Is it maybe that some JDM stuff was higher spec or H.P.?

 

It doesnt seem to make any sense. Other than another excuse to rape another sector of the market.

Most were identical apart from stuff like Jap spec rear lights and vomit inducing decals. The Impretza P1 which is meant to be the Scooby is mechanically identical to the Jap Impretza Type R.

Prodrive prepared the P1 (that's what the 'P' stand for) for the UK to make it meet our regs, but other than some graphite alloys and maybe a slightly different bodykit, it was the same car.

 

I would guess, and it's only a guess, that the P1 would be cheaper to insure being a "modern classic" than the Type R which is a OMG JDM car.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Some insurers don't mind JDM stuff : Classicline, for instance, told me it made no difference to the premium whether my MX5 was an import. Also, there are insurers who specifically cater for grey imports, and charge very reasonable premiums.

 

So don't ignore the basic rule of car insurance : shop around or get ripped off !

[HillmanImp]

Given that its compulsory, I think there's a good case for car insurance being centrally administered (like rfl) rather than being left in the hands of private companies. Won't ever happen though...

 

Without wanting to sound like certain Fox Mulder 'don't beleive what you read' types on here (but blatantly doing so), I agree. There is no way the Government would want to make this sort of thing public. The larger premiums mean more profits which mean higher taxes. If they did it they would be obliged to do it properly and fairly with little or no profit but in an 'open' market they can simply reap the rewards of these callous companies ripping off the consumer.

 

Its the same with the current debate on energy prices. We all know its a fix but I bet pretty much nothing comes of it because the government will be rubbing their hands at the thought of all this additional corporation tax on these 10% rises. They will be massively reducung their own income by doing anything substantial about it. 

 

And the Royal family are lizards sent from space to eat our brains etc etc.

[Spiny Norman]

The way the insurance industry sets its prices is as close to witchcraft as makes no odds.

 

I once spent an amusing half hour getting quotes on a variety of non-chod and discovered could insure something like £100k worth of Aston Martin DB9 or a R-R Phantom for only about twice as much as they wanted for a grand's worth of Rover 75, which in itself was half as much again as my old E class costs me.

 

As for the Jap import thing, aren't there a lot of slightly different bits in JDM stuff like lights & glass (didn't I read somewhere that they often use thinner glass, so the standard Autoglass stuff doesn't fit?), which will always be the first things to get claims for?

 

I dunno, anything to do with insurance gives me a headache but the one bit of advice I'll always give is when the time comes, spend half a day on the phone to as many brokers as you can find and play them off against each other. It works!

[overrun]

Most were identical apart from stuff like Jap spec rear lights and vomit inducing decals. The Impretza P1 which is meant to be the Scooby is mechanically identical to the Jap Impretza Type R.

Prodrive prepared the P1 (that's what the 'P' stand for) for the UK to make it meet our regs, but other than some graphite alloys and maybe a slightly different bodykit, it was the same car.

 

I would guess, and it's only a guess, that the P1 would be cheaper to insure being a "modern classic" than the Type R which is a OMG JDM car.

You sure?

I thought the JDM Type R Classic Impreza was a lightweight, stripped version. Manual windows, roof scoop etc.

 

The one I had a look round was anyway.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Just to be the exception that proves the rule. Last October my 19 year old daughter had a choice to use one of two Mazdas that we had sitting around. A 1990 H plate MX5 or a 1990 H plate Eunos . The UK spec MX5 was £600 pa. the Eunos import £495, both with the same company.

[barefoot]

Some car insurance rules

 

It's like 'points make prizes'

 

So, age of proposer, the younger you are the more points until about 45 when it stops making a difference.

Post code, there's not a deal you can do to affect that.

Age of car, the younger the car, the more points until about 15-20 years when it stops....

Value of car, this really has no bearing on the sort of crap we drive. Direct Line only cares if it's worth more than 40k.

I'm not exactly sure how proposed mileage works because they didn't do that in my day.

Anything under average £10k seems ok.

I like to say, 'well, I did 8,147 last year'

More points bigger premium.

Voluntary XS. I try to combine my compulsory xs with a bit of voluntary to make total xs £250.

It makes the premium a better price.

If a company tries to hit you with big comp xs, go elsewhere.

It's because they're not geared up for that sort of vehicle/risk

Don't go for protected ncd.

In the event of a claim, your premium will still go up at renewal, but you'll have no idea how it's been calculated

Stick with proper ncd, and then you'll know that you'll only lose two years.

 

Imports and modified are something else although my Trabby only cost about £150

And LV insured my beetle at standard rates even though nothing was standard.

Engine, suspension, brakes, interior, bodywork even a roll cage!

 

Don't bother with tpft, it's curiously more than comprehensive at the moment.

There's no such thing as fully comp.

It's just comp.

 

Any questions?

[warren t claim]

Would it be fair to racially profile car insurance buyers? I'm not saying that to spark a BNP debate btw!

[HillmanImp]

Would it be fair to racially profile car insurance buyers? I'm not saying that to spark a BNP debate btw!

 

On the basis that certain races were more likely to crash, probably fair yes in the same way they used to do it for men and women i.e. its very general. But you cant even make any difference for man and women any more can you. Plus no insurer would stick their neck out like that these days as it would cause a storm.

 

I don't know exactly how much details car insurers go into but you can make allowances for anything if you go into enough detail. I am currently doing a pension scheme buyout that is affected by peoples postcodes, age, salary, annual pension amount, marital status and a full medical breakdown of their health. All of these things will determine how much we need to pay for their benefits. I have no idea if certain races have shorter life expectancies and this is factored into any calculations.

[Partridge]

You sure?

I thought the JDM Type R Classic Impreza was a lightweight, stripped version. Manual windows, roof scoop etc.

 

The one I had a look round was anyway.

Pretty sure. I'll dig the Scooby book I have out later and double check. You'll probably thinking of the Impreza RS which we never got here.

[Partridge]

I have no idea if certain races have shorter life expectancies and this is factored into any calculations.

I think men of Caribbean descent are at the highest risk of heart disease than most...

[brickwall]

I have to admit that I find insurers okay. I live in the sticks though.

[Station]

JDM 'Type RA' Impreza was a lightweight version of the WRX STi. 22B is two door model, which should be cheaper (as four doors are more to insure). But isn't.

 

RS is the typical low-level version with fifty cats and 52 octane fuel that the Americans got.

 

On subject of JDM motors, one of the versions of the JDM Estima (think it's called X Royal Lounge) is two inches wider than the standard. They had to retool for two inches!

[wuvvum]

On subject of JDM motors, one of the versions of the JDM Estima (think it's called X Royal Lounge) is two inches wider than the standard. They had to retool for two inches!

 

Does that mean it's the same width as the EU market Previa?  Pretty sure that's wider than the Estima / Enema / Lucida.

[DaveAspley]

Biggest lol I had at a car insurance company recently, was Sureterm Direct who told me they couldn't insure my Ford Tempo as it was a LHD import but could insure my Dodge or my Buick....

[londonm]

Without wanting to sound like certain Fox Mulder 'don't beleive what you read' types on here (but blatantly doing so), I agree. There is no way the Government would want to make this sort of thing public. The larger premiums mean more profits which mean higher taxes. If they did it they would be obliged to do it properly and fairly with little or no profit but in an 'open' market they can simply reap the rewards of these callous companies ripping off the consumer.

 

Its the same with the current debate on energy prices. We all know its a fix but I bet pretty much nothing comes of it because the government will be rubbing their hands at the thought of all this additional corporation tax on these 10% rises. They will be massively reducung their own income by doing anything substantial about it. 

 

And the Royal family are lizards sent from space to eat our brains etc etc.

Do you really think the Energy companies will pay more corporation tax in the UK? Most are offshore.

[sheffcortinacentre]

funniest/craziest i've seen was a mate with 2 identical cars only difference was one white other orange , white one had cruise & cl.

 

white one was 4 times more to insure???

 

reason?? no no claims for white one?????

 

he said but i can only drive one at a time so you say i'm more likely to have an accident in white one??

 

err err well thats what comp says.