Checking a mobile phone while driving could cost drivers their licence if they have an accident while texting or talking.
Police accident investigators are checking phone records to see if the drivers involved in a crash were on their phone around the time of the incident.
Some are charged with careless or dangerous driving as a result – plus using a phone while driving is illegal and can result in a fine of up to £1,000 or a ban.
Once evidence is available that a driver was on the phone at the time of an accident, insurance companies can void polices and refuse to pay out claims on the grounds the driver contributed to their own misfortune.
A new survey has revealed that 40 per cent of drivers check their phones while behind the wheel.
The survey, for a car insurance comparison web site, also claims one in five motorists checks their phone once every 15 minutes during a car journey.
Some of the calls are the result of stress at work – with 15 per cent of drivers sending texts, emails or calling colleagues while sitting in traffic, while 21 per cent did the same waiting at traffic lights and 45 per cent confessed they would not start their trip with having their phone in reach.
New speed cameras under development will identify drivers – and if they are using their phones if a camera is tripped by speeding.
The courts regularly deal with motorists involved in incidents on the road as a result of using their mobile phones while driving.
The latest incident was lorry driver Ben Poole, 27, who was jailed for eight months and banned from driving for two years after admitting dangerous driving, driving while drunk, three charges of failing to stop after an accident and three charges of failing to report an accident at Stoke Crown Court.
Poole’s girlfriend dumped him by text when he was in a pub. He left in his flatbed lorry and collided with three cars. When breathalysed he was more than three times over the legal limit.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Mobile Phone Insurance UK – Tips for Insuring your Phone
Too many mobile users are not as smart as their phones as they do not know whether they are insured or are too lazy to arrange insurance cover.
More than 35 million mobile phones (73%) are not protected with insurance, leaving their owners to pick up the tab if they are lost or stolen.
Around 1-in-4 owners who have insurance have no idea what the policy covers.
The biggest risk to phone users besides the cost of replacing a handset is fraudulent calls. Thieves typically steal phones and run up massive bills quickly, often by making expensive overseas calls.
If the user does not have fraud cover, the cost of the calls generally falls on them.
Just over a third of phones (35%) are protected against fraud and only T-Mobile and Vodaphone protect against fraudulent call charges in their mobile phone insurance.
Figures from phone providers show that thieves can clock up a £180 bill in the average 2 hours between reporting a phone stolen and the network blocking the account.
Mobile users who believe their phones are covered by home insurance policies need to check the small print.
Many need the policyholder to activate special cover to protect belongings outside the home that costs an average £67 a year on top of the annual premium, according to uSwitch.com, the firm that researched the statistics.
Home insurance may also include an excess that the policyholder has to pay for the first claim in any year.
The compulsory excess averages £100, but many policies also include a voluntary excess that can double that cost.
Five key questions to ask an insurer are:
Does the cover include a back up service for data?
Is the cost of any apps or extras lost with the phone covered?
Does cover include a guaranteed handset replacement?
Does the insurance cover the same term as the phone contract?
What will a claim cost in excesses and administration fees?
Mobile phone users should regularly back up apps, photos; music downloads and address lists, as a stolen phone can mean weeks of hassle trying to replace the data.
More than 35 million mobile phones (73%) are not protected with insurance, leaving their owners to pick up the tab if they are lost or stolen.
Around 1-in-4 owners who have insurance have no idea what the policy covers.
The biggest risk to phone users besides the cost of replacing a handset is fraudulent calls. Thieves typically steal phones and run up massive bills quickly, often by making expensive overseas calls.
If the user does not have fraud cover, the cost of the calls generally falls on them.
Just over a third of phones (35%) are protected against fraud and only T-Mobile and Vodaphone protect against fraudulent call charges in their mobile phone insurance.
Figures from phone providers show that thieves can clock up a £180 bill in the average 2 hours between reporting a phone stolen and the network blocking the account.
Mobile users who believe their phones are covered by home insurance policies need to check the small print.
Many need the policyholder to activate special cover to protect belongings outside the home that costs an average £67 a year on top of the annual premium, according to uSwitch.com, the firm that researched the statistics.
Home insurance may also include an excess that the policyholder has to pay for the first claim in any year.
The compulsory excess averages £100, but many policies also include a voluntary excess that can double that cost.
Five key questions to ask an insurer are:
Does the cover include a back up service for data?
Is the cost of any apps or extras lost with the phone covered?
Does cover include a guaranteed handset replacement?
Does the insurance cover the same term as the phone contract?
What will a claim cost in excesses and administration fees?
Mobile phone users should regularly back up apps, photos; music downloads and address lists, as a stolen phone can mean weeks of hassle trying to replace the data.
Mobile phone insurance: is your number up?
The numbers up for millions when a mobile phone is lost or stolen, because many of us have no clue how to contact friends or family without them.
More than 23 million people cannot remember important phone numbers – like those for their partner, parents, or best friend – because they are keyed in to the SIM card and never dialled, says new research.
In addition, a memory test showed four out of five people forgot the number they had just dialled within five seconds.
Surprisingly, almost everyone could remember their home landline number and two out of three could recall their parents’ landline number as well.
A company providing card and mobile insurance cover carried out the research.
The big problem for many mobile users is whether to take out specific insurance for their phone.
Of course, insurance protects the mobile but cannot replace that all-important data on the SIM card.
For most user’s, it is better to add ’all risks’ cover to a home contents policy and back up your SIM card.
An ‘all risks’ option costs an extra £25 or so a year for most home insurance policies and covers belongings likes phones, music players, and laptops for loss, theft, or damage away from where you live.
Drivers may also find they are protected if their phone is stolen from their car by their motor policy.
If you have two policies covering phone loss, don’t claim on both because this may flag up as a fraud alert to the insurers.
The policy details to check for mobile phone insurance cover are:
Cost – Compare home insurance costs with a network provider’s charge
Replacement times - will the insurer give out a new phone quicker than a network provider
Excess payments – is the cost of a home insurer cheaper than a network provider
Few policies are likely to pay out for a fraudulent calls claim, so even owners insured for a missing phone can still face a big bill from the network provider for hours of expensive calls.
The only options here are pay-as-you-go cards that limit the cost of calls or putting some cash aside to cover an emergency.
More than 23 million people cannot remember important phone numbers – like those for their partner, parents, or best friend – because they are keyed in to the SIM card and never dialled, says new research.
In addition, a memory test showed four out of five people forgot the number they had just dialled within five seconds.
Surprisingly, almost everyone could remember their home landline number and two out of three could recall their parents’ landline number as well.
A company providing card and mobile insurance cover carried out the research.
The big problem for many mobile users is whether to take out specific insurance for their phone.
Of course, insurance protects the mobile but cannot replace that all-important data on the SIM card.
For most user’s, it is better to add ’all risks’ cover to a home contents policy and back up your SIM card.
An ‘all risks’ option costs an extra £25 or so a year for most home insurance policies and covers belongings likes phones, music players, and laptops for loss, theft, or damage away from where you live.
Drivers may also find they are protected if their phone is stolen from their car by their motor policy.
If you have two policies covering phone loss, don’t claim on both because this may flag up as a fraud alert to the insurers.
The policy details to check for mobile phone insurance cover are:
Cost – Compare home insurance costs with a network provider’s charge
Replacement times - will the insurer give out a new phone quicker than a network provider
Excess payments – is the cost of a home insurer cheaper than a network provider
Few policies are likely to pay out for a fraudulent calls claim, so even owners insured for a missing phone can still face a big bill from the network provider for hours of expensive calls.
The only options here are pay-as-you-go cards that limit the cost of calls or putting some cash aside to cover an emergency.
Guide to Unoccupied Property Insurance
Unoccupied property insurance is for homes left empty for 30 days or more that are not already covered by standard policies.
Most homes and building insurance firms will reject claims if the property has been empty for 30 days or more.
To fill the gap, specialist firms offer unoccupied property insurance quotes.
Homeowners need unoccupied cover for several reasons:
Buy to let homes standing empty between lets
Homes under refurbishment
Homes in probate
Homes for sale after the owner has moved on
Holiday homes only lived in for a limited time each year
Homes belonging to elderly owners who have gone in to hospital or care
Besides covering normal insurance risks, most unoccupied property insurance covers against break-ins, theft and vandalism.
The cover comes with some do’s and don’ts -
Tell the insurer if the home is under refurbishment – other insurance options might apply as most policies will not cover homes that are building sites or boarded up.
The home should have five lever mortise locks on doors and window locks
Damage by contractors is excluded as builders and other trades should have their own cover
Most insurers expect water and heating systems to be drained down – especially over winter
Contents cover for unoccupied properties is often an optional add on – but instead of working the value of individual items, many policies offer a total contents cover from £1,000 upwards. Removing valuables is a good way of keeping the overall cost down while keeping them safe.
Security of homes under refurbishment could also be an issue to discuss with a broker – some insurers will not meet claims if the property is not properly secured.
That means homes with scaffolding or having windows or doors replaced may need special cover.
Most homes and building insurance firms will reject claims if the property has been empty for 30 days or more.
To fill the gap, specialist firms offer unoccupied property insurance quotes.
Homeowners need unoccupied cover for several reasons:
Buy to let homes standing empty between lets
Homes under refurbishment
Homes in probate
Homes for sale after the owner has moved on
Holiday homes only lived in for a limited time each year
Homes belonging to elderly owners who have gone in to hospital or care
Besides covering normal insurance risks, most unoccupied property insurance covers against break-ins, theft and vandalism.
The cover comes with some do’s and don’ts -
Tell the insurer if the home is under refurbishment – other insurance options might apply as most policies will not cover homes that are building sites or boarded up.
The home should have five lever mortise locks on doors and window locks
Damage by contractors is excluded as builders and other trades should have their own cover
Most insurers expect water and heating systems to be drained down – especially over winter
Contents cover for unoccupied properties is often an optional add on – but instead of working the value of individual items, many policies offer a total contents cover from £1,000 upwards. Removing valuables is a good way of keeping the overall cost down while keeping them safe.
Security of homes under refurbishment could also be an issue to discuss with a broker – some insurers will not meet claims if the property is not properly secured.
That means homes with scaffolding or having windows or doors replaced may need special cover.
Complete Guide to Landlords & Buy to Let Insurance
Landlord insurance is often considered as just another bill and not that important – but it makes sense to properly protect an expensive asset like a buy to let home.
Insurance for landlords is relatively cheap – and property people with extensive portfolios can generally drive down the cost with some astute negotiation.
Buy to let insurance comes in three parts – protection for the building and protection for the contents and the safety of people at the property.
Having landlord building insurance in place is probably a condition of any buy to let mortgage against the property.
Contents insurance looks after damage to any furniture, fittings and other items provided for a tenant by the landlord.
Liability cover is generally bundled with contents cover and safeguards a landlord for claims from tenants or visitors to the property who might become ill or have an accident resulting from something at the property, like a fall or trip.
Landlord buildings insurance
Standard buildings cover pays out for claims for damage to the structure of the building.
This could include flood or fire damage inside, storm damage to the roof or chimney, subsidence or problems with the drains.
Points to check on a policy are:
The excess – the excess is the amount the landlord pays on making the first claim under the annual policy. Most policies have a compulsory excess and a voluntary excess. By increasing the voluntary excess, the landlord reduces the insurers risk, so cuts the cost of cover
Accidental damage cover – Some policies include this as an optional add-on. If you want this cover, check the policy wording to make sure accidental damage is included
Home emergency cover – This covers plumbing, drains, gas and electrical emergencies. Note the cover is for emergencies. The tradesman will make the problem safe, but will not necessarily carry out the repairs – for instance a leak may be sealed to stop flooding, but you may still need a plumber to fix the problem.
The rebuild or reinstatement value – This is not the value of your property but the cost of clearing your land and rebuilding your home. You may need to take the advice of a surveyor on this.
Buildings insurance for leasehold properties is the responsibility of the freeholder or owner and paid for through the service charge.
Landlord contents insurance
Landlord contents insurance covers items you own in case they are damaged or stolen.
Even an unfurnished property has several hundred pounds worth of goods inside – for example, carpets, curtains, lampshades, a fridge, washing machine and garden tools. For a furnished home, the inventory is much longer.
Points to check on the policy include:
The excess – Buy to let contents insurance will have an excess in the same way as buildings insurance (See above)
Sum assured – Tot up the value of the contents and make sure the sum assured on the policy covers the full amount. Do not pay for more cover than you need by setting the sum assured too high.
New-for-old – Make sure the replacement value is new-for-old so a claim does not leave you out-of-pocket.
Accidental damage – You may think you have this cover but many contents policies will only offer accidental damage cover as an add-on. Check your policy wording.
Insurance for landlords is relatively cheap – and property people with extensive portfolios can generally drive down the cost with some astute negotiation.
Buy to let insurance comes in three parts – protection for the building and protection for the contents and the safety of people at the property.
Having landlord building insurance in place is probably a condition of any buy to let mortgage against the property.
Contents insurance looks after damage to any furniture, fittings and other items provided for a tenant by the landlord.
Liability cover is generally bundled with contents cover and safeguards a landlord for claims from tenants or visitors to the property who might become ill or have an accident resulting from something at the property, like a fall or trip.
Landlord buildings insurance
Standard buildings cover pays out for claims for damage to the structure of the building.
This could include flood or fire damage inside, storm damage to the roof or chimney, subsidence or problems with the drains.
Points to check on a policy are:
The excess – the excess is the amount the landlord pays on making the first claim under the annual policy. Most policies have a compulsory excess and a voluntary excess. By increasing the voluntary excess, the landlord reduces the insurers risk, so cuts the cost of cover
Accidental damage cover – Some policies include this as an optional add-on. If you want this cover, check the policy wording to make sure accidental damage is included
Home emergency cover – This covers plumbing, drains, gas and electrical emergencies. Note the cover is for emergencies. The tradesman will make the problem safe, but will not necessarily carry out the repairs – for instance a leak may be sealed to stop flooding, but you may still need a plumber to fix the problem.
The rebuild or reinstatement value – This is not the value of your property but the cost of clearing your land and rebuilding your home. You may need to take the advice of a surveyor on this.
Buildings insurance for leasehold properties is the responsibility of the freeholder or owner and paid for through the service charge.
Landlord contents insurance
Landlord contents insurance covers items you own in case they are damaged or stolen.
Even an unfurnished property has several hundred pounds worth of goods inside – for example, carpets, curtains, lampshades, a fridge, washing machine and garden tools. For a furnished home, the inventory is much longer.
Points to check on the policy include:
The excess – Buy to let contents insurance will have an excess in the same way as buildings insurance (See above)
Sum assured – Tot up the value of the contents and make sure the sum assured on the policy covers the full amount. Do not pay for more cover than you need by setting the sum assured too high.
New-for-old – Make sure the replacement value is new-for-old so a claim does not leave you out-of-pocket.
Accidental damage – You may think you have this cover but many contents policies will only offer accidental damage cover as an add-on. Check your policy wording.
Complete Guide to Landlords Rent Guarantee Insurance
Even tenants with the best-paid jobs face financial uncertainty, and impeccable references and a polished CV do not pay the rent if they become unemployed.
As a landlord, you need to protect your own finances and your investment by making sure the money is available to pay the mortgage if a tenant falls in to rent arrears.
Secondly, you need professional and effective legal advice to remove a tenant in arrears, so one who can pay their way can move in.
Landlord and tenant law is notoriously complicated and small mistakes can cost time and money
Rent guarantee insurance solves both problems.
What is rent guarantee insurance?
Rent guarantee insurance is a combination of two services for landlords -
Legal advice and expenses cover to evict a tenant in rent arrears – the cover should also include dealing with breaches of the tenancy agreement and claims against the landlord
Income protection insurance that pays out a sum each month so the landlord can continue to pay the mortgage if a tenant is not paying the rent
How does rent guarantee insurance work?
Your insurer will want a strict paperwork bundle before considering any application for cover that includes:
A signed assured shorthold tenancy agreement in force
Proof of tenancy deposit protection with an authorised scheme – and the deposit must cover at least one month’s rent
Proof that any legal requirements in respect of letting have been carried out – like getting electrical and gas safety certificates.
Tenants must be properly referenced before they move in – many rent guarantee policies will not pay out if a tenant is already in the property when the policy is set up.
Properly reference means running a credit check with one of the three agencies – Experian, Equifax or Callcredit
Some insurers will also want references from employers and previous landlords. Guarantors must be referenced as well.
Rent guarantee insurance will kick in after one month’s rent is missed to start legal proceedings to evict the tenant.
Most tenants who are in arrears will not leave until legal papers are served threatening to take them to court because they have nowhere to go.
They cannot rent another property because they will fail the referencing process and a local council will not house them because they are making themselves intentionally homeless.
Generally, the eviction process takes about three months and the rent guarantee cover will pay out to cover the rent and legal costs during that time.
Points to watch on rent guarantee cover
Rent guarantee cover is not standard between insurers, so shop around for the best deal.
Consider:
Levels of cover – You may want to set the amount paid to cover the mortgage and other bills rather than the profit element of the rent to reduce the cost of cover
Term – Rent guarantee policies often last the length of the tenancy agreement, so if the tenant moves on to a rolling tenancy, check cover is still in place. The length of time the policy pays out can often vary – most should pay for at least six months
Excess – Set the deposit paid by the tenant to at least cover the rent guarantee policy excess
Legal expenses – Every lawyer has to follow the same eviction process, so do not pay over the odds for what is effectively the same service
Bundle your cover – some insurers offer a comprehensive buildings/contents/rent guarantee package for landlords at a discount, and will consider dropping the price even further if you have more than one property to insure
As a landlord, you need to protect your own finances and your investment by making sure the money is available to pay the mortgage if a tenant falls in to rent arrears.
Secondly, you need professional and effective legal advice to remove a tenant in arrears, so one who can pay their way can move in.
Landlord and tenant law is notoriously complicated and small mistakes can cost time and money
Rent guarantee insurance solves both problems.
What is rent guarantee insurance?
Rent guarantee insurance is a combination of two services for landlords -
Legal advice and expenses cover to evict a tenant in rent arrears – the cover should also include dealing with breaches of the tenancy agreement and claims against the landlord
Income protection insurance that pays out a sum each month so the landlord can continue to pay the mortgage if a tenant is not paying the rent
How does rent guarantee insurance work?
Your insurer will want a strict paperwork bundle before considering any application for cover that includes:
A signed assured shorthold tenancy agreement in force
Proof of tenancy deposit protection with an authorised scheme – and the deposit must cover at least one month’s rent
Proof that any legal requirements in respect of letting have been carried out – like getting electrical and gas safety certificates.
Tenants must be properly referenced before they move in – many rent guarantee policies will not pay out if a tenant is already in the property when the policy is set up.
Properly reference means running a credit check with one of the three agencies – Experian, Equifax or Callcredit
Some insurers will also want references from employers and previous landlords. Guarantors must be referenced as well.
Rent guarantee insurance will kick in after one month’s rent is missed to start legal proceedings to evict the tenant.
Most tenants who are in arrears will not leave until legal papers are served threatening to take them to court because they have nowhere to go.
They cannot rent another property because they will fail the referencing process and a local council will not house them because they are making themselves intentionally homeless.
Generally, the eviction process takes about three months and the rent guarantee cover will pay out to cover the rent and legal costs during that time.
Points to watch on rent guarantee cover
Rent guarantee cover is not standard between insurers, so shop around for the best deal.
Consider:
Levels of cover – You may want to set the amount paid to cover the mortgage and other bills rather than the profit element of the rent to reduce the cost of cover
Term – Rent guarantee policies often last the length of the tenancy agreement, so if the tenant moves on to a rolling tenancy, check cover is still in place. The length of time the policy pays out can often vary – most should pay for at least six months
Excess – Set the deposit paid by the tenant to at least cover the rent guarantee policy excess
Legal expenses – Every lawyer has to follow the same eviction process, so do not pay over the odds for what is effectively the same service
Bundle your cover – some insurers offer a comprehensive buildings/contents/rent guarantee package for landlords at a discount, and will consider dropping the price even further if you have more than one property to insure
Landlords guide to buy to let Insurance
Buy to let insurance is a specialist building and contents package for landlords renting out homes to tenants.
Rental property needs bespoke cover because claims under standard home insurance policies will be rejected.
Insuring a buy to let is no more complicated than arranging cover for your home – and for landlords with two or more properties, some insurers will also consider block policies to cover the portfolio.
The important points a landlord needs to consider are:
Insuring the building – basic cover for house and fixtures;
Liability cover – This covers legal claims from tenants and other visitors who are killed, injured or fall ill as a result of a problem at the home;
Contents cover – Protects furnishings, white goods, carpets and curtains that are damaged;
Rent guarantee – Safeguards rental income and legal costs for eviction if a tenant falls in to arrears;
Like most home insurance policies, landlord buy to let insurance comes in bundled packages – offering basic cover plus add-on options for an extra premium.
Landlords taking tenants in to their former home should always upgrade from standard home insurance to landlord cover or they could find the policy is void if they make a claim.
Standard home insurance does not provide cover if a lodger or tenant moves in the property.
Rent guarantee cover comes with some conditions as well:
Any tenant deposit must be placed on protection in one of the three authorised schemes;
Tenants must have been referenced through a reputable credit checking company like Experian, Equifax or CallCredit
As an added complication, the ‘unoccupied’ home rule is generally written in to buy to let insurance policies. This clause voids a claim if a property has been empty for 30 days or more – so landlords should make sure lengthy refurbishments or voids do not breach the rule.
Rental property needs bespoke cover because claims under standard home insurance policies will be rejected.
Insuring a buy to let is no more complicated than arranging cover for your home – and for landlords with two or more properties, some insurers will also consider block policies to cover the portfolio.
The important points a landlord needs to consider are:
Insuring the building – basic cover for house and fixtures;
Liability cover – This covers legal claims from tenants and other visitors who are killed, injured or fall ill as a result of a problem at the home;
Contents cover – Protects furnishings, white goods, carpets and curtains that are damaged;
Rent guarantee – Safeguards rental income and legal costs for eviction if a tenant falls in to arrears;
Like most home insurance policies, landlord buy to let insurance comes in bundled packages – offering basic cover plus add-on options for an extra premium.
Landlords taking tenants in to their former home should always upgrade from standard home insurance to landlord cover or they could find the policy is void if they make a claim.
Standard home insurance does not provide cover if a lodger or tenant moves in the property.
Rent guarantee cover comes with some conditions as well:
Any tenant deposit must be placed on protection in one of the three authorised schemes;
Tenants must have been referenced through a reputable credit checking company like Experian, Equifax or CallCredit
As an added complication, the ‘unoccupied’ home rule is generally written in to buy to let insurance policies. This clause voids a claim if a property has been empty for 30 days or more – so landlords should make sure lengthy refurbishments or voids do not breach the rule.
Landlords braced for 70 mph storm warnings
Landlords are urged to check their buildings insurance cover for flooding as Britain goes on storm alert.
Forecasters have already issued 28 flood warnings for East Anglia – while torrential rain is on the way as bad weather fronts move in from the Atlantic.
Gales and rain have already battered the west coast, with the loss of the 260 foot bulk carrier Swanland sunk in the Irish Sea, 10 miles off the Lleyn Peninsular, North Wales.
The ship was capsized by waves and sunk instantly. She was carrying a cargo of 3,500 tons of limestone.
Two crew were rescued, one was found dead and five others are missing.
Storms with 70mph winds and lashing rain are expected to hit Britain during the next two days and will last for the first 10 days of December.
Landlord Insurance Providers are urging homeowners in Wales, South West England, and the North East to make sure they have comprehensive flood and storm damage cover.
John Boyle, managing director of landlord specialist insurer HomeLet said: “Landlords must be aware that having flood cover within their buildings insurance is important considering the current situation. Those living within the current affected areas need to be particularly conscientious.”
The Environment Agency has disclosed the average claim following home flooding is £28,000, compared to £7,300 for a fire and just over £1,000 for a burglary.
“If landlords do not ensure they have comprehensive flood cover; especially within these predicted affected areas; their properties could become damaged by the affects of flooding and putting it right out of their own pockets could cost a fortune. This could also mean their house is inhabitable; thus their tenants having to move out, meaning no rental income.,” added Boyle.
Forecasters have already issued 28 flood warnings for East Anglia – while torrential rain is on the way as bad weather fronts move in from the Atlantic.
Gales and rain have already battered the west coast, with the loss of the 260 foot bulk carrier Swanland sunk in the Irish Sea, 10 miles off the Lleyn Peninsular, North Wales.
The ship was capsized by waves and sunk instantly. She was carrying a cargo of 3,500 tons of limestone.
Two crew were rescued, one was found dead and five others are missing.
Storms with 70mph winds and lashing rain are expected to hit Britain during the next two days and will last for the first 10 days of December.
Landlord Insurance Providers are urging homeowners in Wales, South West England, and the North East to make sure they have comprehensive flood and storm damage cover.
John Boyle, managing director of landlord specialist insurer HomeLet said: “Landlords must be aware that having flood cover within their buildings insurance is important considering the current situation. Those living within the current affected areas need to be particularly conscientious.”
The Environment Agency has disclosed the average claim following home flooding is £28,000, compared to £7,300 for a fire and just over £1,000 for a burglary.
“If landlords do not ensure they have comprehensive flood cover; especially within these predicted affected areas; their properties could become damaged by the affects of flooding and putting it right out of their own pockets could cost a fortune. This could also mean their house is inhabitable; thus their tenants having to move out, meaning no rental income.,” added Boyle.
Insurers who don’t mean business for small traders
Self-employed traders running a business from home may find that they are jeopardising their insurance even if they work part-time for little return.
Landlords and eBay traders probably do not consider their activities a business but will find insurance companies invalidating their cover if they make a claim.
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has warned that landlords making insurance claims for incidents that occur on property visits or who drive to collect rents do not have cover unless they have business use specified on the policy.
Standard car insurance cover excludes driving a car for business, says the RLA, so if the landlord has an accident or valuables are stolen from a car, the insurer may not pay out.
The RLA cites More Than as one insurer excluding rent collection from normal cover.
“It is possible that landlords who use cars covered by normal insurance for social, domestic and leisure use, to collect rents and visit their rental properties, may not be covered if they have an accident while ‘on business’,” said a RLA spokesman
“If landlords have any doubts about their home or car insurance, they should check with their provider or broker.”
Home as office insurance is another problem for landlords and eBay traders.
Most home insurance does not cover the business use of computer or office equipment, so if thieves steal a business computer or one is accidentally damaged, the cost can be excluded from a claim.
The same rule covers stock stored at home or in a garage.
To make sure they are properly covered, small businesses working from home should check out the terms of cover and consider some important action;
Upgrading car insurance to include business – this should not affect the cost of a policy
Changing home insurance to include home as office cover for computers, mobile phones and cameras used for business even if they have private use as well
If customers visit a home-based business, take out public liability cover
Small business insurance can be claimed as a costs in tax returns. The cost of computers, software, peripherals, consumables and other gadgets can also be claimed as business expenses.
Landlords and eBay traders probably do not consider their activities a business but will find insurance companies invalidating their cover if they make a claim.
The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) has warned that landlords making insurance claims for incidents that occur on property visits or who drive to collect rents do not have cover unless they have business use specified on the policy.
Standard car insurance cover excludes driving a car for business, says the RLA, so if the landlord has an accident or valuables are stolen from a car, the insurer may not pay out.
The RLA cites More Than as one insurer excluding rent collection from normal cover.
“It is possible that landlords who use cars covered by normal insurance for social, domestic and leisure use, to collect rents and visit their rental properties, may not be covered if they have an accident while ‘on business’,” said a RLA spokesman
“If landlords have any doubts about their home or car insurance, they should check with their provider or broker.”
Home as office insurance is another problem for landlords and eBay traders.
Most home insurance does not cover the business use of computer or office equipment, so if thieves steal a business computer or one is accidentally damaged, the cost can be excluded from a claim.
The same rule covers stock stored at home or in a garage.
To make sure they are properly covered, small businesses working from home should check out the terms of cover and consider some important action;
Upgrading car insurance to include business – this should not affect the cost of a policy
Changing home insurance to include home as office cover for computers, mobile phones and cameras used for business even if they have private use as well
If customers visit a home-based business, take out public liability cover
Small business insurance can be claimed as a costs in tax returns. The cost of computers, software, peripherals, consumables and other gadgets can also be claimed as business expenses.
Buildings insurance hits record high as insurers payout £7 million a day for burst pipes
Insurers are paying out £7 million a day for home insurance claims just for burst pipes after the big freeze. Shock snow storms and freezing temperatures were blamed for a huge increase in the number of claims.
Specialist insurer for the elderly, Age UK, says claims from their customers for weather-related claims soared by 390% in December and those for water damage were up 247%, compared with December 2009.
Pay outs to repair homes after the freezing weather at the end of 2010 are likely to push up the costs of home insurance for everyone. Nevertheless, extensive flooding is also costing insurance firms a fortune as well.
Industry insiders reckon insurance companies are stockpiling cash to meet weather-related claims but still need to raise premiums to meet the bills.
Water damage claims flood in to insurers
The cost of buildings insurance already stands at a record high of £143 – 10.3% up on prices at the end of 2009.
Contents cover averages about £72 – up 8.3% for the year. Combined policies are setting home owners back about £200. These policies increased in price by just under 5% for the year.
Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, who compiled the figures, said: “Flood claims are increasing in number and unpredictability.
“The early winter brought a huge increase of snow and ice related claims for the second year running – in fact the Association of British Insurers estimates that the industry is paying out £7 million per day for burst pipe claims.
“There does seem to be a pattern of weather extremes developing.”
Many homeowners fear they will lose cover for flooding in 2013, when an agreement between home insurance companies and the government ends. The fear is several million homes will become uninsurable because the government is cutting flood prevention measures as part of the comprehensive spending review
Specialist insurer for the elderly, Age UK, says claims from their customers for weather-related claims soared by 390% in December and those for water damage were up 247%, compared with December 2009.
Pay outs to repair homes after the freezing weather at the end of 2010 are likely to push up the costs of home insurance for everyone. Nevertheless, extensive flooding is also costing insurance firms a fortune as well.
Industry insiders reckon insurance companies are stockpiling cash to meet weather-related claims but still need to raise premiums to meet the bills.
Water damage claims flood in to insurers
The cost of buildings insurance already stands at a record high of £143 – 10.3% up on prices at the end of 2009.
Contents cover averages about £72 – up 8.3% for the year. Combined policies are setting home owners back about £200. These policies increased in price by just under 5% for the year.
Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, who compiled the figures, said: “Flood claims are increasing in number and unpredictability.
“The early winter brought a huge increase of snow and ice related claims for the second year running – in fact the Association of British Insurers estimates that the industry is paying out £7 million per day for burst pipe claims.
“There does seem to be a pattern of weather extremes developing.”
Many homeowners fear they will lose cover for flooding in 2013, when an agreement between home insurance companies and the government ends. The fear is several million homes will become uninsurable because the government is cutting flood prevention measures as part of the comprehensive spending review
Illegal HMOs are being let without insurance cover
Thousands of shared homes could be trading without insurance cover because they are flouting licensing rules.
Property owners and investors have buildings, contents, and liability insurance to protect their investments from claims; including compensation to tenants who suffer injuries.
But many these shared houses (also known as houses in multiple occupation or HMOs) are rented out in breach of council licensing legislation, and failing to comply with the rules generally voids insurance cover in event of a claim.
The latest government figures estimate property owners let about 56,000 shared houses in England (mainly to students) but 23,000 properties break the rules and are unlicensed.
About a third of councils (32%) report they have significant numbers of unlicensed HMOs, and 20% of these council suspect they have more than 100 illegally let properties in their areas.
The small print in most buildings and liability policies generally includes a clause stating that owners should maintain their properties to a good standard and comply with safety rules; like HMO licensing and providing gas and electrical safety certificates.
On average, every other working day, a property owner is prosecuted for letting a shared home without an HMO licence. Recently, a mum and her child died in a fire at an unlicensed shared house in Milton Keynes. A woman was arrested and is awaiting trial.
Insurance companies will ask to see proof of licences in the event of a claim; and will refuse to pay out if a property owner has failed to meet their obligations, even if the policy premiums have been paid in full and on time. Many unlicensed HMO properties are uncovered at this time of year as students return to university and make complaints to the local council’s housing office.
Other councils are trawling through housing benefit records to crosscheck payments to multiple recipients giving addresses that are not listed on the their registers of HMOs.
Property owners and investors have buildings, contents, and liability insurance to protect their investments from claims; including compensation to tenants who suffer injuries.
But many these shared houses (also known as houses in multiple occupation or HMOs) are rented out in breach of council licensing legislation, and failing to comply with the rules generally voids insurance cover in event of a claim.
The latest government figures estimate property owners let about 56,000 shared houses in England (mainly to students) but 23,000 properties break the rules and are unlicensed.
About a third of councils (32%) report they have significant numbers of unlicensed HMOs, and 20% of these council suspect they have more than 100 illegally let properties in their areas.
The small print in most buildings and liability policies generally includes a clause stating that owners should maintain their properties to a good standard and comply with safety rules; like HMO licensing and providing gas and electrical safety certificates.
On average, every other working day, a property owner is prosecuted for letting a shared home without an HMO licence. Recently, a mum and her child died in a fire at an unlicensed shared house in Milton Keynes. A woman was arrested and is awaiting trial.
Insurance companies will ask to see proof of licences in the event of a claim; and will refuse to pay out if a property owner has failed to meet their obligations, even if the policy premiums have been paid in full and on time. Many unlicensed HMO properties are uncovered at this time of year as students return to university and make complaints to the local council’s housing office.
Other councils are trawling through housing benefit records to crosscheck payments to multiple recipients giving addresses that are not listed on the their registers of HMOs.
The Insurance Blogger Takes a Long Hard Look at Event Insurance
If you are turning out for a local public event, do you know if you are covered if anything goes wrong?
Public liability insurance is a must-have for event organisers – from craft fairs and dances to firework displays and carnivals.
The policy covers paying compensation for injury to any third party at the event – from staff, exhibitors, delivery people and visitors.
Also built-in is legal expenses cover for the event organiser, and if the case is lost, those of the claimant.
Simple enough – and at a cost of around £100 for an event, not a prohibitive cost for even small events.
However, the Insurance Blogger was surprised to find many small clubs, groups and organisations either don’t know about the cover – or simply don’t bother to safeguard their visitors.
Mrs Blogger’s wife recently promoted a dance in the village hall, only to find the public liability insurance certificate was out-of-date and the hall had no cover. With 150 paying guests, a dozen staff, bar and a live five-piece band, the potential for disaster was great.
Luckily, the hall secretary updated the cover when faced with the prospect of refunding the not insignificant cost of cancelling the event.
Then, the Blogger was told in confidence that the local first responders – NHS trained and managed volunteer first aiders – were running a 999 fun day at the weekend without any public liability insurance.
The event had displays, including emergency vehicles, from the police, air ambulance, fire service and ambulance service.
The view by the committee was why should we pay when these services all have their own cover. They do for their own activities, but that does not cover parking or walking around the field.
At least help was not too far away if the worst happened…
To the Blogger, it seems an anomaly that event insurance is not a legal requirement for any group or organisation.
Public liability insurance is a must-have for event organisers – from craft fairs and dances to firework displays and carnivals.
The policy covers paying compensation for injury to any third party at the event – from staff, exhibitors, delivery people and visitors.
Also built-in is legal expenses cover for the event organiser, and if the case is lost, those of the claimant.
Simple enough – and at a cost of around £100 for an event, not a prohibitive cost for even small events.
However, the Insurance Blogger was surprised to find many small clubs, groups and organisations either don’t know about the cover – or simply don’t bother to safeguard their visitors.
Mrs Blogger’s wife recently promoted a dance in the village hall, only to find the public liability insurance certificate was out-of-date and the hall had no cover. With 150 paying guests, a dozen staff, bar and a live five-piece band, the potential for disaster was great.
Luckily, the hall secretary updated the cover when faced with the prospect of refunding the not insignificant cost of cancelling the event.
Then, the Blogger was told in confidence that the local first responders – NHS trained and managed volunteer first aiders – were running a 999 fun day at the weekend without any public liability insurance.
The event had displays, including emergency vehicles, from the police, air ambulance, fire service and ambulance service.
The view by the committee was why should we pay when these services all have their own cover. They do for their own activities, but that does not cover parking or walking around the field.
At least help was not too far away if the worst happened…
To the Blogger, it seems an anomaly that event insurance is not a legal requirement for any group or organisation.
Festival thieves prey on unguarded camp sites
Thieves stole belongings worth £226,738 from festival-goers at the leading music events last summer.
The figure was totted up by police from music lovers reporting 1,100 crimes at the leading 11 festivals – with 75% of the thefts from unguarded tents and the others mainly coming from pickpocketing.
The cash figure comes from eight of 11 events as police did not supply the figures for the others, says insurer Aviva, which compiled the statistics.
With the festival season about to get in to full swing, the insurer is warning anyone with tickets to safeguard their possessions and to check they are covered for loss, theft or accidental damage on their home contents insurance.
Last year saw a 19% increase in the value of thefts compared with 2010.
The biggest increase was at the V Festival in Essex, which saw the value of thefts more than double to almost £87,000.
However, although the value of thefts was up, the number of thefts dropped by 14%, suggesting that people are taking more expensive personal items with them, like MP3 players, cameras and smartphones.
Aviva reckons the average value of possessions people take to a festival is £1209.97.
Jonathan Cracknell, household underwriter at Aviva, said; “Rain or shine, hundreds of thousands of people will be heading out to the many festivals and outdoor events being held this summer. So as well as thinking about what bands and stands they are going to see, music fans also need to think about personal security – it is clear that while festival-goers are watching the acts, thieves are watching out for their expensive gadgets and belongings left back in their tents or tucked in their pockets.
“Our research also shows that while crime might be down at festivals compared with last summer, the average cost of belongings being taken is rising – with people still venturing out armed with expensive screens and accessories. So swapping the digital for the disposable is a good idea and using the free lock-up areas wherever possible.”
The figure was totted up by police from music lovers reporting 1,100 crimes at the leading 11 festivals – with 75% of the thefts from unguarded tents and the others mainly coming from pickpocketing.
The cash figure comes from eight of 11 events as police did not supply the figures for the others, says insurer Aviva, which compiled the statistics.
With the festival season about to get in to full swing, the insurer is warning anyone with tickets to safeguard their possessions and to check they are covered for loss, theft or accidental damage on their home contents insurance.
Last year saw a 19% increase in the value of thefts compared with 2010.
The biggest increase was at the V Festival in Essex, which saw the value of thefts more than double to almost £87,000.
However, although the value of thefts was up, the number of thefts dropped by 14%, suggesting that people are taking more expensive personal items with them, like MP3 players, cameras and smartphones.
Aviva reckons the average value of possessions people take to a festival is £1209.97.
Jonathan Cracknell, household underwriter at Aviva, said; “Rain or shine, hundreds of thousands of people will be heading out to the many festivals and outdoor events being held this summer. So as well as thinking about what bands and stands they are going to see, music fans also need to think about personal security – it is clear that while festival-goers are watching the acts, thieves are watching out for their expensive gadgets and belongings left back in their tents or tucked in their pockets.
“Our research also shows that while crime might be down at festivals compared with last summer, the average cost of belongings being taken is rising – with people still venturing out armed with expensive screens and accessories. So swapping the digital for the disposable is a good idea and using the free lock-up areas wherever possible.”
Why do I have to pay to complain about my insurance?
Car and home insurance companies are forever looking for new ways to make money out of their customers – and the Insurance Blogger can reveal yet another.
After recent blogs highlighting the cost of repairs and offering tips on how to drive down the cost of car insurance, it comes as no surprise these slippery customers have other tricks up their sleeves.
Phone calls are the latest money-making exercise – free calls to tempt new customers while loyal customers who want to talk about their cover, make a claim or complain have to pay premium rates.
Free 0800 numbers are on most of the new business lines – while only six out of 34 banks, insurers and energy firms tested by consumer champion Which provided free phone options for current customers.
Instead, most advertise 0844 or 0845 numbers, including says Which, leading insurer Churchill.
The costs vary for a 20 minute call to premium numbers from a BT landline -
● 0845 – around 50p
● 0844 or 0870 – around £1
● 0871 – around £2
Calls from mobiles cost even more
The Insurance Blogger assumes that insurers budget for the costs of administration, including sending letter and telephone calls in the cost of a premium.
After all, if they are clever enough to calculate risk to set a premium, their mathematicians must be able to cost how much they spending managing customers and claims.
If call centres are raking in an average £1 a minute, if every line is picking up a call for 8 hours a day, that adds up to every phone in the centre earning the insurer £480 a day.
Now times that by five days times 52 weeks and that’s £124,800 a year.
That’s a conservative estimate as most customer lines are open for more than eight hours a day and across weekends as well.
To the Insurance Blogger’s mind, that’s money that insurers could be diverting towards cutting the cost of my cover rather than towards the pockets of shareholders as dividends.
After recent blogs highlighting the cost of repairs and offering tips on how to drive down the cost of car insurance, it comes as no surprise these slippery customers have other tricks up their sleeves.
Phone calls are the latest money-making exercise – free calls to tempt new customers while loyal customers who want to talk about their cover, make a claim or complain have to pay premium rates.
Free 0800 numbers are on most of the new business lines – while only six out of 34 banks, insurers and energy firms tested by consumer champion Which provided free phone options for current customers.
Instead, most advertise 0844 or 0845 numbers, including says Which, leading insurer Churchill.
The costs vary for a 20 minute call to premium numbers from a BT landline -
● 0845 – around 50p
● 0844 or 0870 – around £1
● 0871 – around £2
Calls from mobiles cost even more
The Insurance Blogger assumes that insurers budget for the costs of administration, including sending letter and telephone calls in the cost of a premium.
After all, if they are clever enough to calculate risk to set a premium, their mathematicians must be able to cost how much they spending managing customers and claims.
If call centres are raking in an average £1 a minute, if every line is picking up a call for 8 hours a day, that adds up to every phone in the centre earning the insurer £480 a day.
Now times that by five days times 52 weeks and that’s £124,800 a year.
That’s a conservative estimate as most customer lines are open for more than eight hours a day and across weekends as well.
To the Insurance Blogger’s mind, that’s money that insurers could be diverting towards cutting the cost of my cover rather than towards the pockets of shareholders as dividends.
10 ways to make your car insurance cheaper
The average cost of car insurance is around £1,500 a year – but that figure does not take in to account the most expensive policies for young drivers could cost up to £4,000 or more.
Driving down the cost of car insurance can make a real financial difference to many motorists.
Although the cost of fuelling is falling, other than loan repayments for a car, the cost of insurance is probably the main other expense for a driver.
Paying £4,000 a year for cover is equivalent to spending £77 a week, and just £5 sliced off the weekly bill will put £260 extra in a driver’s pocket over a year.
To help make driving cheaper – here’s a list of the top 10 ways to make car cover less expensive:
Change your job description – make sure your job title isn’t pushing making your insurance more expensive when a more accurate title would be cheaper
Change your car – Cheap cars with small engines are cheaper to insure
Pay a higher excess – Raising the excess spreads risk for the insurer and gives a lower price
Compare quotes – Check the price with at least three comparison sites or providers
Challenge your insurer to match or beat the best quote
Don’t pay for cover you do not need – make sure you are not spending for add-ons you won’t use
Get quotes 29 days before renewal – they are often valid for 28 days, so if prices go up, the quoted figure still holds
Look at fitting a telematics black box for ‘pay as you drive’ cover
Park overnight in a garage instead of on a street – this will bring the cost down
Pay in one go instead of taking credit
Many of these tips won’t deliver cheap car insurance on their own – but taken as a whole they can knock pounds off the amount a driver pays.
Driving down the cost of car insurance can make a real financial difference to many motorists.
Although the cost of fuelling is falling, other than loan repayments for a car, the cost of insurance is probably the main other expense for a driver.
Paying £4,000 a year for cover is equivalent to spending £77 a week, and just £5 sliced off the weekly bill will put £260 extra in a driver’s pocket over a year.
To help make driving cheaper – here’s a list of the top 10 ways to make car cover less expensive:
Change your job description – make sure your job title isn’t pushing making your insurance more expensive when a more accurate title would be cheaper
Change your car – Cheap cars with small engines are cheaper to insure
Pay a higher excess – Raising the excess spreads risk for the insurer and gives a lower price
Compare quotes – Check the price with at least three comparison sites or providers
Challenge your insurer to match or beat the best quote
Don’t pay for cover you do not need – make sure you are not spending for add-ons you won’t use
Get quotes 29 days before renewal – they are often valid for 28 days, so if prices go up, the quoted figure still holds
Look at fitting a telematics black box for ‘pay as you drive’ cover
Park overnight in a garage instead of on a street – this will bring the cost down
Pay in one go instead of taking credit
Many of these tips won’t deliver cheap car insurance on their own – but taken as a whole they can knock pounds off the amount a driver pays.
Press 2 if you are making a fraudulent insurance claim
The Insurance Blogger feels somewhat tainted after discussing two home insurance claims on the phone.
The experience was completely unsavoury and involved some minutes listening to a school ma’am reading a recorded message warning me of the perils of making a fraudulent claim.
Apparently, I would be branded a thief, my family and pets would be rounded up and sent in to captivity and my shame would live on generally making my life miserable for years to come because my name would be indelibly inscribed on an industry fraud database.
For goodness sake, my roof is leaking after the recent storms – hence the widening stain on the bedroom ceiling. I just want someone reliable to get up there and repair the problem.
It’s three floors up and probably needs scaffolding, so I guess a £100 job will spiral up to a grand or more to justify the £200 excess.
Then, I had the bad luck to drop my camera, well an envious Mrs Blogger’s camera as she has now assumed ownership as a new one may be on the way.
Two claims in one day! Am I a professional dishonest person, asks the claims advisor, unashamedly asking me or Mrs Blogger are convicted thieves, serial insurance claimants or generally unsavoury characters.
I am sure insurance firms are routinely ripped off by customers, but the Blogger has not made a claim in years. I understand they want to rein in compensation and pay out the least possible, but the whole process could be a lot more user friendly.
Instead of shouting out a warning to thieves and fraudsters that must concern and worry the vast number of genuine claimants who must outnumber the crooks by a considerable amount, insurance companies could be a little more restrained.
Perhaps a ‘Press 1 if you are a genuine caller’ and ‘Press 2 if you are a fraudster’ telephone menu on the claims line would work better, like the green and red channels at customs.
The experience was completely unsavoury and involved some minutes listening to a school ma’am reading a recorded message warning me of the perils of making a fraudulent claim.
Apparently, I would be branded a thief, my family and pets would be rounded up and sent in to captivity and my shame would live on generally making my life miserable for years to come because my name would be indelibly inscribed on an industry fraud database.
For goodness sake, my roof is leaking after the recent storms – hence the widening stain on the bedroom ceiling. I just want someone reliable to get up there and repair the problem.
It’s three floors up and probably needs scaffolding, so I guess a £100 job will spiral up to a grand or more to justify the £200 excess.
Then, I had the bad luck to drop my camera, well an envious Mrs Blogger’s camera as she has now assumed ownership as a new one may be on the way.
Two claims in one day! Am I a professional dishonest person, asks the claims advisor, unashamedly asking me or Mrs Blogger are convicted thieves, serial insurance claimants or generally unsavoury characters.
I am sure insurance firms are routinely ripped off by customers, but the Blogger has not made a claim in years. I understand they want to rein in compensation and pay out the least possible, but the whole process could be a lot more user friendly.
Instead of shouting out a warning to thieves and fraudsters that must concern and worry the vast number of genuine claimants who must outnumber the crooks by a considerable amount, insurance companies could be a little more restrained.
Perhaps a ‘Press 1 if you are a genuine caller’ and ‘Press 2 if you are a fraudster’ telephone menu on the claims line would work better, like the green and red channels at customs.
Alien Abduction Insurance – Space
If you are the kind of person who thinks they have everything battened down when it comes to insurance, then think again if you don’t have alien abduction cover.
Several insurers offer this UFO abduction cover – with benefits ranging from providing long term psychological care, sarcasm protection and cash pay outs.
One policy even includes a $20 million double indemnity if the alien tries to eat you.
UK web site Alien Abduction Insurance is offering $1,000 cover paid as $1 a year for the next 1,000 years – but abductees need to prove the abduction.
The policy demands:
Keeping the insurance certificate on your person at all times, as you never know when you might get beamed up
Grabbing proof of being aboard the mothership – the insurer will accept photographs or alien DNA
Asking an alien to sign a statement proving you were detained on a space ship
On return to terra firma, completing the claim form is the only formality between you and that $1 a year.
A valid claim must include the name or description of the alien life-form and the type of space craft you travelled on – preferably with a photograph.
Insurer UFO2001 asks for the meagre sum of just $7.95 offering $10 million pay out for proven alien abduction.
The problem is the insurance only pays out once and most alien abductees claim multiple incidents.
Qualification is simple – prior alien abductions are not valid for claims.
The insurer claims to have sold 1,200 policies – but surprisingly no claims for the pay out of $1 a year for 10 million years have been received.
Asked why his firm offers alien abduction insurance , Mike St Lawrence said: “ I checked my insurances and saw I was not covered for alien abduction. It’s the perfect insurance for someone who thinks they have everything covered.”
Several insurers offer this UFO abduction cover – with benefits ranging from providing long term psychological care, sarcasm protection and cash pay outs.
One policy even includes a $20 million double indemnity if the alien tries to eat you.
UK web site Alien Abduction Insurance is offering $1,000 cover paid as $1 a year for the next 1,000 years – but abductees need to prove the abduction.
The policy demands:
Keeping the insurance certificate on your person at all times, as you never know when you might get beamed up
Grabbing proof of being aboard the mothership – the insurer will accept photographs or alien DNA
Asking an alien to sign a statement proving you were detained on a space ship
On return to terra firma, completing the claim form is the only formality between you and that $1 a year.
A valid claim must include the name or description of the alien life-form and the type of space craft you travelled on – preferably with a photograph.
Insurer UFO2001 asks for the meagre sum of just $7.95 offering $10 million pay out for proven alien abduction.
The problem is the insurance only pays out once and most alien abductees claim multiple incidents.
Qualification is simple – prior alien abductions are not valid for claims.
The insurer claims to have sold 1,200 policies – but surprisingly no claims for the pay out of $1 a year for 10 million years have been received.
Asked why his firm offers alien abduction insurance , Mike St Lawrence said: “ I checked my insurances and saw I was not covered for alien abduction. It’s the perfect insurance for someone who thinks they have everything covered.”
Fashion Injuries given a Dressing Down by Lawyers
The latest stupid insurance statistics dealing with fashion related injuries actually caused a few chuckles in the Insurance Blogger office.
Personal injury firm First4lawyers have well spent time and money compiling the stats – which gives some idea of why legal fees are so high if they call this research work.
Judging by the results of the survey, most of us near professional carers to help us get dressed.
Two thirds of us – a massive 66% – confess to be so challenged when putting clothes on that we have hurt ourselves.
Zips are the biggest offenders – with 37% of adults admitting they have inadvertently nipped their, well, the polite term is skin – in a zip.
Heavy bags are the next. 1 in 4 admit lugging a bag round has strained their back.
Other fashion injuries include:
Rashes from fabrics rubbing the skin (17%)
Tripping over untied laces (16%)
Tripping over long dresses (15%)
Simply putting on or taking off clothes has ended with 14% of adults pulling a muscle
Toppling off high heels and spraining ankles (13%)
Eye injuries from fluff or threads (8%)
Ear injuries from catching earrings (7%)
And possibly the Insurance Blogger’s favourite – Fainting because clothing is too tight (4%)
The results of the survey so concerned those caring folks at First4lawyers that they felt obliged to issue a warning about getting dressed and undressed.
“Fashion can be fabulous, but it can also be dangerous too,” said a First4lawyers spokesman. “Many fashion injuries can be avoided, so we’d urge people to take care when it comes to their style.
“Be careful when zipping up trousers and dresses, only carry what you actually need in your bag, don’t wear clothes that are too long or heels that are too high and always make sure your shoe laces are done up.”
Personal injury firm First4lawyers have well spent time and money compiling the stats – which gives some idea of why legal fees are so high if they call this research work.
Judging by the results of the survey, most of us near professional carers to help us get dressed.
Two thirds of us – a massive 66% – confess to be so challenged when putting clothes on that we have hurt ourselves.
Zips are the biggest offenders – with 37% of adults admitting they have inadvertently nipped their, well, the polite term is skin – in a zip.
Heavy bags are the next. 1 in 4 admit lugging a bag round has strained their back.
Other fashion injuries include:
Rashes from fabrics rubbing the skin (17%)
Tripping over untied laces (16%)
Tripping over long dresses (15%)
Simply putting on or taking off clothes has ended with 14% of adults pulling a muscle
Toppling off high heels and spraining ankles (13%)
Eye injuries from fluff or threads (8%)
Ear injuries from catching earrings (7%)
And possibly the Insurance Blogger’s favourite – Fainting because clothing is too tight (4%)
The results of the survey so concerned those caring folks at First4lawyers that they felt obliged to issue a warning about getting dressed and undressed.
“Fashion can be fabulous, but it can also be dangerous too,” said a First4lawyers spokesman. “Many fashion injuries can be avoided, so we’d urge people to take care when it comes to their style.
“Be careful when zipping up trousers and dresses, only carry what you actually need in your bag, don’t wear clothes that are too long or heels that are too high and always make sure your shoe laces are done up.”
Car Insurance Talk Shop is a Load of Hot Air
The big car insurance talk-in chaired by Transport secretary Justine Greening turned out to be just a load of hot air.
The talking shop was billed as a roundtable summit between politicians and industry movers and shakers that would solve problems.
The result was a big, fat zero for motorists who are unlikely to see the cheap car insurance they hoped for.
The meeting, in Whitehall, London, was talked up as a council of war against crash-for-cash fraudsters who have milked millions from innocent drivers with their spurious whiplash claims.
But after the talks, the minister admitted no one really had a solution to the industry’s problems.
“There is no one silver bullet to tackling fraudulent whiplash claims or reducing young driver premiums but we have already taken decisive action by banning referral fees, reforming no-win no-fee rules and cracking down on fraud,” said Greening.
“We will also work with industry to take full advantage of the use of telematics, or in-car black boxes, to give young people a greater choice of options if they want to drive.”
In other words, talk about car insurance turns out to be much cheaper than buying a policy, especially for younger drivers.
The government blames motorists for driving up the cost of premiums by profiting from a compensation culture that has pushed up claims by 70% in the last five years.
Around 1,500 whiplash claims are made every day, which cost the insurance industry £2 billion last year – equivalent to £90 on every driver’s premium.
Insurance companies claim disputing whiplash claims is almost impossible.
Measures discussed at the talks included a ban on claims from drivers travelling at less than 10mph, a ban on referral fees paid to personal injury lawyers and ways for insurers to dispute claims rather than make out-of-court payments.
The talking shop was billed as a roundtable summit between politicians and industry movers and shakers that would solve problems.
The result was a big, fat zero for motorists who are unlikely to see the cheap car insurance they hoped for.
The meeting, in Whitehall, London, was talked up as a council of war against crash-for-cash fraudsters who have milked millions from innocent drivers with their spurious whiplash claims.
But after the talks, the minister admitted no one really had a solution to the industry’s problems.
“There is no one silver bullet to tackling fraudulent whiplash claims or reducing young driver premiums but we have already taken decisive action by banning referral fees, reforming no-win no-fee rules and cracking down on fraud,” said Greening.
“We will also work with industry to take full advantage of the use of telematics, or in-car black boxes, to give young people a greater choice of options if they want to drive.”
In other words, talk about car insurance turns out to be much cheaper than buying a policy, especially for younger drivers.
The government blames motorists for driving up the cost of premiums by profiting from a compensation culture that has pushed up claims by 70% in the last five years.
Around 1,500 whiplash claims are made every day, which cost the insurance industry £2 billion last year – equivalent to £90 on every driver’s premium.
Insurance companies claim disputing whiplash claims is almost impossible.
Measures discussed at the talks included a ban on claims from drivers travelling at less than 10mph, a ban on referral fees paid to personal injury lawyers and ways for insurers to dispute claims rather than make out-of-court payments.
Burglary Hotspot Homes Don’t Bother With Insurance
One in four households in cities with the highest numbers of burglaries are not insured against break-ins, according to new research.
Burglary victims are funding the costs of crime out of their own pockets – and with the average home insurance claim for burglary adding up to £358, the cost is more than the householder would have to fork out for cover.
Unsurprisingly, the burglary hotspots are in Britain’s biggest cities – mostly across the Midlands, where Birmingham, Nottingham, Coventry and Leicester all feature. Other cities with break-in problems include London, Manchester, Doncaster and Sheffield.
The research was carried out for insurer Paymentshield, whose chief executive Tim Johnson said: “Unfortunately, no matter how careful we are burglaries happen and they can be devastating – especially when you don’t have the correct insurance to replace your hard-earned valuables.
“Contents insurance isn’t expensive when you look at the overall cost of replacement, with most households having massive amounts of electronics like TVs, iPads and computers. It’s worrying that with so many burglary claims, people aren’t taking the easy step of home insurance.”
The problem is not restricted to cities. Recent research by Co-Operative Insurance revealed young adults are cutting out insurance to help make ends meet – leaving one in three without any cover for break-ins, fires or accidents at home.
Although households know they have no cover, many simply don’t bother to minimise risks when they are away from home, the Co-Op research went on to find.
One in five (20%) admit regularly leave windows open while more than one in twenty (6%) keep large amounts of cash in their home, 16% never lock the garden shed, 13% don’t know if smoke alarms in their homes work and 5% leave a spare key outside.
Lee Mooney, head of home insurance at The Co-op, said: “Worryingly, our findings show that a large number of people in the UK are going without home insurance, a problem which is particularly affecting the under 35s.
“The issue is that no one thinks they’re ever going to need insurance until something goes wrong, and in today’s economic climate it’s easy not to prioritise it.”
Burglary victims are funding the costs of crime out of their own pockets – and with the average home insurance claim for burglary adding up to £358, the cost is more than the householder would have to fork out for cover.
Unsurprisingly, the burglary hotspots are in Britain’s biggest cities – mostly across the Midlands, where Birmingham, Nottingham, Coventry and Leicester all feature. Other cities with break-in problems include London, Manchester, Doncaster and Sheffield.
The research was carried out for insurer Paymentshield, whose chief executive Tim Johnson said: “Unfortunately, no matter how careful we are burglaries happen and they can be devastating – especially when you don’t have the correct insurance to replace your hard-earned valuables.
“Contents insurance isn’t expensive when you look at the overall cost of replacement, with most households having massive amounts of electronics like TVs, iPads and computers. It’s worrying that with so many burglary claims, people aren’t taking the easy step of home insurance.”
The problem is not restricted to cities. Recent research by Co-Operative Insurance revealed young adults are cutting out insurance to help make ends meet – leaving one in three without any cover for break-ins, fires or accidents at home.
Although households know they have no cover, many simply don’t bother to minimise risks when they are away from home, the Co-Op research went on to find.
One in five (20%) admit regularly leave windows open while more than one in twenty (6%) keep large amounts of cash in their home, 16% never lock the garden shed, 13% don’t know if smoke alarms in their homes work and 5% leave a spare key outside.
Lee Mooney, head of home insurance at The Co-op, said: “Worryingly, our findings show that a large number of people in the UK are going without home insurance, a problem which is particularly affecting the under 35s.
“The issue is that no one thinks they’re ever going to need insurance until something goes wrong, and in today’s economic climate it’s easy not to prioritise it.”
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