Author: News Desk

£3000 of Tools Stolen From Van in 4 Minutes

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A self employed white van man was going about his normal day to day routine, which meant nipping to the shop. He was gone for only 4 minutes, and then…

The van owner couldn’t quite believe his eyes as he casually walked back from the shop…the place where he had parked his van, well, something didn’t seem quite right, and on further inspection he realised his rear doors were wide open.

How could this be, was it those magic keys that we have been hearing about recently? While that was what many people would no doubt have thought, it was actually a lot more skilled on the thieves part.

They were quick to strike, and before anyone could stop them all of the tools were transferred from the van and into a blue Vauxhall Vectra getaway car, and without any feeling of guilt at all…they sped off.

Looking back at the CCTV footage of the incident, Police confirmed that this particular van thief drilled holes into the rear doors in order to gain entry, and as mentioned before, it only took 4 minutes.

Unfortunately for the white van man it was £3000 worth of tools that went that day. It took him years to acquire those tools, and now with them stolen it could very well mean he can no longer trade.

If only his van insurance had covered tool theft, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion, but of course, it’s easy to play Monday morning quarter back, so to speak.

The fact of the matter is that his tools were stolen and he wasn’t insured, but hopefully this can serve as a lesson to all van drivers around the UK. Make sure your tools are insured.

A lot of white van men think it is expensive to insure all of your tools, especially when we are talking about thousands of pounds worth here. In normal circumstances it is, but not when you visit the nations favourite van insurance comparison website.

Here at Cheap Van Insurance you can instantly get quotes from over 40 van insurance companies, and then see which is the cheapest for insuring your tools. You will typically get up to £5000 worth of cover, which is more than enough for most tradespeople.

Back to the story, and at the time of writing the Police still haven’t come up with any leads or suspects despite having some good CCTV footage to look at. The van thieves were wearing masks you see, so it might be difficult to come up with anything.

That hasn’t stopped the general public from trying though, as the story has been shared over 7000 times on Facebook. Will people power win the day and the thieves get caught? Even if this does happen, something tells me the tools won’t be with them.

Ice Cream Vans Almost “Extinct” Because Of…

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The traditional ice cream van man or woman used to be an everyday sight and sound, even in the winter. Those days are nearly over it seems.

Did you know that in the 1970’s there were around a quarter of a million ice cream vans on UK roads? Fast forward to 2017 and it’s estimated there are around 2500.

So the writing is on the wall for the ice cream van trade by the looks of it, which is a shame because who doesn’t remember hearing the familiar sound of your local ice cream van when you were a kid, and then running out of the house to get a 99 flake or those ice creams with the bubble gum at the bottom.

It makes you wonder why such a popular national institution such as the ice cream van looks to be going the way of the dinosaurs.

According to the CEO of the Ice Cream Association there is one particular culprit that not many people realise…and it isn’t what you might think.

“Double Glazing” has been blamed for the near extinction of ice cream vans, mainly because it is claimed that children or their parents can no longer hear the familiar chimes of the van coming down the road.

Most kids are sat inside playing on their computer or surfing the internet and updating social media, blissfully unaware that an ice cream van is outside waiting for their pocket money.

Waiting…and waiting….and waiting…and waiting, that is what many ice cream van owners did, but because of double glazing nobody knew they were around, and this led to many selling their ice cream vans and then going down the local job centre to see what van driving jobs there was, no doubt.

One expert commented, “even if a van is right outside their house, people may not hear them. The whole point is to soundproof homes and keep them warm, but they are not good for ice cream vans.”

Is it all doom and gloom though? Maybe not, because a new company have just come up with a solution. It’s called Vantoot, which is an App that alerts users when the ice cream man or woman is about to come down the street. A good idea? Let’s wait and see.

The one thing I do know is that currently, as we speak, there are 2500 hard working ice cream van owners that go out on the roads of the UK to keep on selling the nations favourite snacks.

In my opinion, these people should be rewarded for their persistence and dedication to the tradition that we all know and remember, and what better way to do that than with cheap van insurance.

Right here, you can quickly and easily compare ice cream van insurance in order to save money so you can make more profit.

It only takes about 3 minutes to write down your details in the form (which is about the time it takes to serve a family with their favourite ice creams), and then, you instantly get quotes from over 40 insurance companies with potentially very cheap quotes for your ice cram van. Give it a try.

29.5% More? Van Drivers Can’t Believe It

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We all know that van insurance costs are outrageous right now, but 29.5% more? That is how much more van drivers are expected to pay in 2017.

That’s right. New official figures are just in, and what they are basically saying is that van insurance is now 29.5% more expensive than last year.

Many hard working van drivers from around the country have been left bewildered by this news, with some commenting they just “can’t believe it.”

The figures, which were uncovered by Consumer Intelligence, went on to say that an average van insurance policy is now priced at £1627.

Just what is going on here? According to experts within the industry, it has a lot to do with new changes in the sector, which is hitting many van insurance companies hard.

For example, the Ogden rate is currently at 0.75%, while this time last year it was at 2.5%. What this basically means is that insurance companies now have to pay out more for injury claims, but of course, it’s really you who is paying for it.

Then we have the insurance premium tax, also known as the IPT, which recently went to an unprecedented 12%. It was only half that 18 months ago.

As we all know, it’s the customer that has to pay for this expensive tax, and that is why we are now seeing van insurance quotes that many can’t believe.

It’s got to the point where van drivers are being quoted 2 and half times more than car drivers, and the average car insurance policy is £1000 less than the van equivalent

This is despite the fact that many van owners now have light commercial vehicles, also known as LCV, which in many cases are not much bigger than your average car.

The figures don’t get any better for van drivers either, as it was also reported that if you take out a “carriage of own goods” policy then you can expect to pay another 28% more, while a “social, domestic, and pleasure” policy is 32.5% more.

A spokesperson for Consumer Intelligence had this to say, “choosing the correct cover is vital, and shopping around will reduce premiums.”

I agree with that comment. If there is one thing that every van driver in the UK can do to fight back against these crazy prices it is to use a comparison website.

That means when you are looking for a new quote, or want to renew an existing policy, instead of just getting 1 quote or going with the same old van insurance company, what you want to do is shop around and get as many quotes as possible.

Comparing van insurance is the only way to find cheap quotes, and you can get started right here.

Van Driver Surfs Internet While Driving

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One thing every van driver should be doing is keeping both hands on the wheel and their complete focus on the road. Not surfing the internet.

Not every van owner seems to have got this memo however, as a lot of drivers whip out their smartphones and then start checking Facebook and posting selfies on Instagram.

Take the recent story of a man driving a white Ford transit van in Surrey, who caught the attention of Police sitting in an unmarked vehicle. Why did he catch their attention? Because he wasn’t watching the road, he was looking at his smartphone instead.

What really takes this story to the next level is the fact that once the Police started flashing their lights and telling him to pull over, he decided to try a getaway by speeding off.

This led to a short pursuit, but eventually the van driver came to his senses and decided that it wasn’t worth an appearance on Britain’s Most Wanted over looking at some websites on his phone.

We can only wonder what type of sites he was browsing when driving around the streets of Surrey…perhaps this website, Cheap Van Insurance? It definitely would make sense if he was after cheap quotes for his white Ford transit van, but it was obviously the wrong time to be doing it.

I would just like to take this opportunity to remind all van drivers that when it’s time to visit the nations favourite van insurance comparison website, make sure you do it when not driving your van.

The best place is while relaxing at home if you ask me, where you can put your feet up and then use your laptop or tablet to fill out the simple 3 minute form.

You could also park up your van and turn off the engine and then visit this website using your smartphone. Just make sure you are not on the road and driving because the Police are looking out for offenders, and they only need the smallest excuse to go after van drivers.

The punishment for this particular van driver from Surrey who was caught surfing the internet? £250 in fines and 6 points on his licence. Not exactly ideal is it, especially when you consider that another 6 points and he loses his licence.

Not only that, but the van insurance companies also take note of any points on your licence, and are less likely to give you cheaper quotes when it comes to time to compare.

I’m sure the van driver from Surrey is going to be careful in future and hopefully there won’t be a repeat performance.

This goes for all van drivers around the UK…don’t surf the internet while driving, even if it’s to visit Cheap Van Insurance to get a quote. Wait until you are off the road or back home, otherwise the Police are going to be after you.

Van Fire Highlights The Importance of Contents Insurance

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Getting van insurance is something that every van driver in the UK needs to do…but how many also add contents insurance? Not enough.

Put simply, “contents insurance” is when you insure what is inside your van such as tools or equipment, so if they get stolen or destroyed then you are covered and not left out of pocket.

This was recently highlighted in West Belfast, where a business owner had his van stolen by thieves, no doubt for a joy ride, before leaving it in another part of the city and setting fire to it.

While the owner of the van was insured for the van, he didn’t have contents insurance, and unfortunately there was £4000 of equipment in there at the time it was stolen.

Who knows if the van thieves took the equipment or set fire to it all, but the fact of the matter remains that this innocent business owner is now £4000 out of pocket, and because his insurance company is not going to be paying out for his lost equipment then he could even find himself out of business.

“I’ve lost everything,” he said, “the van is probably valued at about £1500 but I had no contents insurance on it so there’s nothing to really cover the tools.”

Let’s hope this particular business owner in Belfast can get back on his feet quickly and it won’t mean the end of his trading days, but if there is one message that every business owner can take away from this story it is…get contents insurance for your van.

All you have to do is visit a van insurance website, such as this one, and then check the box for “contents insurance” on the simple form. Your details are then sent off to over 40 insurers, who then give you instant quotes.

Many van drivers shy away from getting contents insurance for the simple reason that it does make the quote more expensive, but when you use a comparison website you might be surprised to find how cheap the quote can be.

Not only that, but think about the consequences of not having contents insurance, and being put in a position, through no fault of your own, where you have thousands of pounds worth of essential tools and equipment just disappear into the night.

Do you really think these van thieves care about you and your business? Of course not. All they care about is themselves and what they can get. At least if you have contents insurance, then it’s you that has the last laugh.

All it takes is a few minutes to fill out the form on this website here at Cheap Van Insurance and you can start getting quotes right away.

Summer of No Van Insurance, Drivers Warned

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You’ve heard about the summer of rage in regards to van drivers, well, now get ready to hear about the summer of no van insurance.

That’s right. Despite being able to visit a van insurance comparison website to get cheap quotes, it seems there are still van drivers out there who don’t want to do this, and instead, would prefer to drive on the roads without any kind of insurance.

Take a van driver who had been working on his LDV Maxus van and then thought it would be a good idea to go for a test drive at 6am. Nothing wrong there you might be thinking, until it turns out he was driving without any tax or insurance.

He no doubt thought that Police wouldn’t be on the roads at such an early hour, but he was wrong. They patrol the roads 24 hours a day, and with the hi tech scanning equipment they now have installed in every Police car, it really is simple for them to track down the van insurance dodgers.

The punishment for this particular van driver? £400 for no insurance, £100 for no tax, and £50 costs. I’m surprised he didn’t get points on his license as well, although if it’s his first offence then the judge might have been lenient

My advice to anyone thinking about taking to the roads without van insurance, even if it’s only a short test drive at 6am? Visit a van insurance comparison website and get it sorted. You can get a quote 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and after filling in a short form you get access to quotes from over 40 companies.

That is what one van driver in Bradford should have done, as Police recently stopped him and took away his blue Ford Transit van for not having any insurance.

The driver will now have to appear in court where a judge will decide his punishment. When you consider he is also a disqualified driver and he was talking on a mobile phone when Police stopped him…something tells me the judge is not going to be lenient on this one. Let’s wait to see what happens.

It really does make you wonder just what is going on here? So far this summer we have had incidents of rage and no van insurance…and some of the reports I’ve been reading suggest the van driving world is getting even wilder.

Take the supermarket delivery driver who was filmed doing a U-turn on the A30. Maybe the driver had just read the recent blog post on this site about how driverless delivery vans are going to be taking van driver jobs, and was in a hurry to get down the local job centre.

In that blog post I mentioned that drivers won’t be losing their jobs for a few years yet, but this particular driver might just find himself out of work if he keeps up with his unique style of driving.

The van driving got even more wild, and terrifying, in a place called Cinderford, where a van driver reversed onto the pavement and directly into a lamppost, making an innocent pedestrian jump out of the way.

I hope this particular van driver had van insurance, because something tells me he is going to need it after the entire incident was caught on CCTV.

The message this Summer is clear if you ask me. Make sure you have van insurance, keep your driving sensible…and don’t get into a rage. Instead, chill out and visit a comparison website.

Ocado Send Driverless Delivery Vans on Roads

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Online shopping has become very popular in the UK over recent years, and it has been van drivers right at the forefront of this revolution. Not anymore though.

One of the biggest online shopping companies is Ocado, and if they have their way, then delivery drivers are soon going to be a thing of the past, with many being handed their P45 and directions to the local job centre.

This is because Ocado have just launched a new driverless delivery van onto UK roads, and if everything goes well then it could soon be an army of vans setting off from their hubs every morning…no drivers required.

The driverless delivery van has been described as a cross between a tuk-tuk and milk float, and will have an electric charging pad that powers a top speed of 25mph, with a possible 18 miles on one battery charge.

If you ask me, I don’t think that supermarket delivery drivers have anything to worry about just yet, because these vehicles seem like they are designed to serve small areas, which means Ocado would need thousands of them on the roads to serve the entire nation.

Not only that, but right now the prototype can only carry 8 crates, which is not even enough to carry 1 large order of shopping.

So…supermarket delivery drivers of the UK, before you start considering a change of career, you might want to think again, because it’s going to be a few years until robots take the drivers seat.

Until that time, you are still very much needed by supermarkets such as Ocado, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, and Sainsburys, and although they are planning for a day when delivery drivers are no longer needed, at the moment everyone is still friends.

You might even want to tell your boss about the benefits of comparing van insurance so they can save a bit of money that way.

Van insurance companies do special deals for a fleet of vans, and I’m sure if all the supermarket delivery drivers in your team have good driving records then a lot of potential discounts could be found.

That goes for all van drivers and companies that use vans on a daily basis. You don’t have to be a large supermarket to be offered special discounts, and you don’t even have to be in a profession where robots are expected to take over.

Take your average white van man for example, who might be a builder, roofer, or “man with a van.” I’m sure that self driving vans will be useful in these professions in the future, but there will still be people doing the jobs, so to speak.

This is why a comparison website for van drivers will always be around. There for the average man and woman van drivers who want the best quality van insurance at very cheap prices.

How to Get Cheap Van Insurance – 2017 Edition

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We’ve been hearing a lot recently about how van drivers are causing havoc on the roads of the UK and getting their vans stolen while watching TV.

Is it really all doom and gloom? It doesn’t have to be, and in fact, if you get cheap van insurance then you might just save yourself a packet.

I’m sure that would put you in a better mood and less likely to go into a rage the next time a cyclist does something annoying.

Firstly, let me just say that insuring your van in 2017 is a requirement by law, and if you don’t get it then you are driving illegally.

This means when you get pulled over by the cops (and it will happen because they have the technology now to catch you) not only will they take your van away, but you will also get a fine and points on your licence.

So we know that you definitely need van insurance, but does that mean the cheapest van insurance is always the way to go? In my opinion, no, because while you might be able to find a really low quote, and there are plenty of those here at CHEAP VAN INSURANCE, it might not always be the best option for your own needs.

For example, if you just get third party van insurance cover, then you are only covered when you do damage to other vehicles on the road. If your own van gets written off or stolen, then you have to pay for it out of your own pocket, which isn’t always ideal.

That is why many van drivers opt for third party, fire and theft insurance, because if their van is damaged by fire or stolen, then at least they have some kind of coverage.

You must understand that although this does cover you for theft of a van, if your tools are stolen then you won’t receive a penny, and as we’ve been hearing a lot about recently, thieves are having a field day when getting into vans quickly and easily to steal tools. It’s all to do with these magic keys that are sold on the internet.

This means that if you do want to be covered for theft of tools then you need to opt for a fully comprehensive van insurance, although be aware that not every policy is the same.

Many times you will have to buy “goods in transit” cover as an extra to be covered for tool theft, so make sure you check that before handing over your cash to the insurance company.

Once you’ve chosen what type of cover to get, then how do you get cheap van insurance and not get left paying full price? Good question…here are a few ideas.

Ask about discounts

One way to get cheap van insurance in 2017 is to speak directly with insurance companies about any discounts that might be available

For example, a no-claims discount is something that is offered a lot, as well as special fleet discount insurance when you you want to cover more than 1 van.

Always tell the truth

I know there are some van drivers out there who might be tempted to lie a bit when trying to get cheap van insurance, and although it might work at first, if you ever need to make a claim then you might find yourself out of pocket.

A good example of this is van drivers who say they park their van in a garage overnight, even though it is parked on the street. You might get a cheaper quote by saying this, but if your van gets stolen then the insurance company will quickly rip up your policy and ignore your calls.

Use a comparison website

There are so many insurers out there in 2017, how do you know that your current provider is offering very cheap van insurance? The simple answer is…you don’t, and that is where a comparison website comes into the picture.

All you need to do is enter your details in the form once, and then all of that information is instantly sent to around 40 different companies. Getting cheap van insurance has never been so easy.

Summer of Rage, White Van Men Unleashed

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Is the so called “white van man” out of control? My opinion has always been no, but recent reports might just suggest otherwise.

In fact, you might just want to call this the “summer of rage” when it comes to van drivers on UK roads, which really isn’t the kind of thing we want to be hearing about.

Take one van driver in Southsea, who got caught on camera spitting at a motorist while involved in a heated argument in a car park. After that, he proceeded to rip the door off the car while a terrified woman was still inside. “Just move the car” he could be heard shouting, so obviously he wanted the car to get out of the way.

If you thought that would be the end of this particular summer of rage then think again, because there are more stories involving white van men around the UK.

Take the moment a camera caught a van driver knocking down a cyclist as an example, and then instead of going back to see if the cyclist was okay, the driver went into a rage and blamed him for the accident and for hitting his wing mirror.

Now you might be thinking that the cyclist could have been to blame and the van driver had every right to get hot under the collar…until the video footage clearly shows the van was on the wrong side of the road.

No wonder the van driver was angry, his van insurance was no doubt about to get a lot more expensive, but there really is no excuse for this kind of behaviour.

Unfortunately, the summer of rage just seems to be getting even more extreme, with reports just in of a white van man who unleashed a karate kick on a man who tried to stop him from leaving a work site.

Who knows exactly what went on here, but there really is no excuse for showing off your karate skills unless it’s in self defence

Anyway, the incident was caught on camera in West Yorkshire and it appears the man who was initially attacked then went on to punch the van before it sped off.

So it looks like members of the public are now fighting back against the van drivers in this summer of rage. Maybe everybody just needs to cool off a bit.

One way van drivers can do that is by visiting a van insurance comparison site and getting some cheap quotes.

Someone who might just have done that is one white van man who tried to give his number to a woman while driving at 70mph down the motorway.

He was probably so happy at getting cheap van insurance that he thought it was time to try a bit of speed dating, although it didn’t seem to work as the woman wasn’t interested.

New Van Bundle Product Launched by Company

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Regular readers of this blog will be only too aware of how van crime is a major problem in the UK right now. Enter a new van bundle product.

This is a product launched recently by a company called “Alps” and the bundle includes 3 different products…Auto Replace, Tools in Transit and Sole Trader Legal Expenses.

It’s known to the public as “Van Driver Plus” and will be sold at a discounted rate and offer flexible cover limits to suit your needs.

This seems to be a fully comprehensive insurance product to meet the requirements of tradespeople such as builders, roofers, delivery drivers, and the self employed in general.

Should you go directly to Alps and get a quote though? In my opinion no, for the simple reason that many traditional van insurance companies also cover you for the same kind of things if you request it, and these are many of the companies you can compare right here at Cheap Van Insurance in under 3 minutes.

For example, one of the features of joining Alps and their van bundle product is a GRV, also known as guaranteed replacement vehicle, which means if something happens to your van and it is off the road, then they give you a VW Caddy equivalent to use for up to 14 days.

Sounds good doesn’t it, especially when you need a van to continue making a living…but did you know that most of the van insurance companies out there also offer the same kind of deal if you want it? Yes they do, and that is why I advise you to start comparing quotes and speak to different van insurance providers.

Another feature offered by Alps is their overnight cover for tools that are in transit. This actually appears to be something that many tradespeople could benefit from, as it allows you to keep tools in the van overnight, and as long as the van is parked on a well lit street and is in sight of your house, then you are covered.

As we all know, stealing tools from vans is something that criminals have taken a liking to over the past few years. It has something to do with these magic keys you must understand, which can be purchased on the internet for £20.

You might not be able to stop them entering your van and stealing all your tools, but at least you will be covered if they do.

So you should speak to Alps and see what they can do for you, but first use the comparison service right here at this website.

Step 1

Complete your quick and easy quote

Step 2

Reveal your van insurance policies

Step 3

Pick your favourite and get instant cover

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