Tag: cheap van insurance

Clean Van = Cheap Van Insurance? NO!

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A recent survey gives us an insight into van drivers around the UK and how they look after their vehicles. The results are interesting.

The one statistic that I noticed right away is how 45% of van drivers in Sheffield never wash the outside of their van at all, leaving them with the dubious title of “dirtiest vans in the UK.”

In contrast, van drivers in London are considered to be the cleanest, with 38% of drivers washing their vans every week. However, this isn’t a job they tend to do themselves, instead hiring a cleaning or valet company to do the work.

It doesn’t seem that a clean van means cheap van insurance though, because as I’ve talked about before, London has the most expensive insurance quotes, while places such as Sheffield in Yorkshire have some of the cheapest.

Imagine if van insurance companies started noting how clean you kept your van, and then gave you more expensive quotes if it had not been washed for a long time. I’m sure that drivers in Sheffield would soon start getting that bucket and sponge out.

Overall, 17% of those surveyed around the country admitted they never washed their van at all…perhaps they just prefer to wait for the rain? Maybe that is why Sheffield has very little washing going on, because they get the most rain!

67% of those who took part in the survey also said their van is typically filled with food and drink wrappers, and they only clean it up once it literally becomes unmanageable

22% also confessed they use a spare seat in their van as a rubbish bin, while 62% said they prefer to pay someone else to clean their van.

It isn’t just London where vans are a lot cleaner. Cities such as Belfast and Birmingham also see van drivers giving their vehicles weekly cleans, although in these cities they are more reluctant to pay someone to do the job, preferring to do the washing themselves.

While all of this does make for some amusing reading, let’s not forget that if the van is the face of your business and is often the first thing a potential customer looks at, then it makes sense to at least give the outside of your van a wash once a week.

Never washing it all, like 45% of van drivers in Sheffield, might save you a bit of time, but you can also lose valuable customers and business.

Talking of saving time, if you are looking to get a cheap van insurance quote but don’t want to spend hours contacting different companies then you are definitely in the right place. Just use our simple form to get started, and then get quotes from many different companies almost immediately.

It has never been easier to compare van insurance quotes, saving yourself both time and money. Give it a try right now.

Van Drivers Told – “Demand Cheap Insurance”

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Ever think to yourself that van insurance is getting more expensive? You are not alone, as millions of drivers around the country get hit in the wallet.

Should you just take it though and accept these expensive prices? One leading insurance expert says no, and in fact, you should actually demand a cheaper quote.

As we speak, the average van insurance policy costs £1500, although in certain parts of the country, such as East London, you can expect to pay even more.

The problem is that many van drivers think there is nothing they can do about it, especially as most quotes are generated by big multi-national companies worth billions.

The general thought process is that you can’t haggle with these companies to get cheap van insurance, but in most situations you can, and if persistent you will win.

I reckon the message here for van drivers around the country is clear…”demand cheap insurance.”

A new report that was recently published announced that van drivers who haggle and don’t take the first quote they are offered, typically save on average about 10%.

Not only that, but if you use the haggling technique in conjunction with a van insurance comparison website, like the one you are on right now, then you could potentially save even more.

Say goodbye to the average van insurance price that everyone else pays, and say hello to your special price, the one reserved for those van drivers who are prepared to go the extra mile.

Most people assume that big van insurance companies won’t haggle and would simply laugh at the very notion, but no, they are more than prepared to listen to your pitch and the reason for this is…competition.

That’s right. The fact of the matter is that competition is fierce right now between the insurance companies, and they all want your business.

This is why I am always telling van drivers…use a comparison website to find some cheap quotes and then phone them up to haggle and play them against each other.

However, even though many people listen to my message, only around 27% of van drivers do any kind of haggling when it comes time to get a new policy or renew.

Fortunately, you are now one of the insiders, and have the knowledge needed to get cheap van insurance quotes even when it is getting more expensive for everybody else.

So what are you waiting for? Compare van insurance right now and then be prepared to haggle if you really want to save money.

New Survey: How to get the Best Value Van Insurance

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Ever wondered why some business owners always seem to get the best value van insurance? It isn’t by chance I can tell you that.

Thanks to a new survey of van drivers in the UK, we can better understand exactly how smart business owners get cheap insurance for their vehicles. Yes you heard that right. A few hundred people were surveyed, and they gave their best tips so that you can save money.

When I read the results of the survey, I must admit that I’ve heard all of these tips before, but it’s always a good idea to remind yourself of them if you want to get the best value van insurance.

Tell the truth

I know there are a few van drivers out there who might be tempted to make a few things up on their van insurance application. My advice? Don’t do it.

If you have to make a claim but your insurer finds out you didn’t tell the truth, which they probably will, then expect to have your policy cancelled. It goes without saying this is going to be very costly for you. Just tell the truth.

Multi buy discounts

One of the best ways for business owners to get cheap van insurance is to find out more about multi buy discounts.

This works out really well if you have two or more vehicles in your company, because you can then put them all on one policy and the insurance company rewards you for that.

Keep your vehicle safe

I have reported before on how Police are being called out to more van break ins than ever before, and from what I’m hearing this is a problem that is not going away. Unfortunately, criminals see vans as an easy way to carry out their activities, but this only serves to make van insurance more expensive.

This is why I advise everybody….keep your vehicle as safe as possible, including any tools that you have. The ideal scenario is to park your vehicle in a garage away from the street and to always take out tools at the end of the day.

If you can prove to insurers that your van is not going to be on show for every criminal in your area to get a look at, then you have a very good chance of getting the best value van insurance.

Shop around

When you have been with an insurance company for many years then you might feel a sense of loyalty to that company. However, in my experience you are not usually rewarded for your repeat business, and if anything, you could actually get a cheaper deal by going elsewhere.

Finding other quotes by shopping around might appear to be a hassle, especially when you are busy, but in fact it really isn’t that difficult when you use a comparison website. You can then find the best value van insurance.

Derbyshire Police to Focus on Van Break Ins

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Police around the country do their best to stop van break ins, but in Derbyshire they are setting up a team to focus all their efforts on this problem.

This comes at a time when reports of criminal incidents involving vans has become a daily occurrence in Derbyshire, especially with trade vehicles that keep a lot of power tools in the vehicle overnight.

Specifically, the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales have become local areas where van break ins are happening just about every week, and this has led to the Police stepping in to take action.

“Despite our best efforts, theft from vans continues to be an issue in the High Peak and also Derbyshire Dales,” commented a spokesperson for the Police.

In my opinion this is definitely something the Police need to do something about, because if they don’t, then it is almost certain that many van drivers in Derbyshire will see their van insurance become more expensive.

We are already in a time where van insurance companies are finding any excuse to make it more expensive…why give them another one? Everybody wants to pay less, not more.

It’s not just the Police who need to take action though, the van owners should also be doing their bit. For example, if you own a van and leave tools stored in the back overnight, then criminals will notice. Don’t think you can get away with it or it won’t happen to you, the chances are it will.

This is why you should always take all tools out of the van at the end of a working day and store them somewhere safer…somewhere which is more difficult for thieves to get to.

The main reason why so many of these criminal gangs go after vans is because they are easy to break into. However, when you start storing tools in the garage or in your house then thieves will probably just move on.

Yes it does take a bit more time at the end of the day to take your tools out of the van, but it’s just one of those jobs that needs to be done.

Also, you might want to try making sure the van is always probably locked up before going into your house at night.

Many times, van owners simply forget to secure their doors. Not only that, but try and park your van off the street if possible, in a garage is ideal, but if it has to be on the street then park it in a well-lit area.

It won’t guarantee that your van is 100% safe from criminals, but it makes it a more challenging van to break in to and the chances are they will move onto another one.

If all van owners in the UK followed this simple advice then van break ins would become less of a problem, and more importantly, cheaper van insurance is something most people could find.

You can Save Money on Van Insurance According to Experts

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If you are a business owner in the UK then you’re no doubt aware just how expensive van insurance is these days. It’s just too much.

However, owning a van or numerous vans is often necessary to keep your business running smoothly, whether you need to make deliveries, visit different sites, or simply go to meetings, a van is the number one choice for many people.

In my opinion, I think that many van insurance companies have been getting a bit too complacent just recently, which has resulted in many quotes being twice as much as car insurance quotes.

While van insurance is always going to be more expensive that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything you can do.

Many of the top motoring experts in the UK say you should always compare van insurance, and I agree completely. You can easily do this with a comparison website and get more than enough quotes in minutes.

The good news is that many of these experts have been talking to the media recently about ways business owners can save money on van insurance. Make sure you pay attention to the following tips.

Insuring young van drivers

If you are a small to medium sized business who employs people under the age of 25, then you may have found your van insurance becoming more expensive recently. The simple reason is that young drivers are seen as more of a risk by the insurance companies, so they make their quotes according to this.

Fortunately, there are ways to save money on van insurance for young drivers. One of the best ways according to experts, is to put the drivers on a Pass Plus course that usually costs a few hundred pounds and takes around 6 hours to complete. However, once they have passed the course then expect to save around 20% on the van insurance policy for that driver.

Buying a fleet policy

Another great tip is to buy your van insurance in bulk rather than numerous single policies. This is known as a fleet policy, and many insurance companies are only too pleased to offer you this kind of deal because it means they get all of your business.

The main benefit of buying your van insurance in this way is that you often get discounts, especially when you shop around and speak to different companies.

Telematics and GPS

I’ve talked a lot about telematics and similar technology on this blog, and for good reason, as many experts agree this kind of thing is the future.

This is why business owners who install telematics and GPS tracking devices are often rewarded with cheaper van insurance, because it allows them to track the driving style of their drivers, and if the drivers obey the rules of the road then insurance companies are more confident about giving you better quotes.

Man Admits Driving Without Van Insurance

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A man in Lancashire was spared a prison sentence when he admitted to driving his van without any kind of insurance.

Not usually something they send you to prison for anyway you might be thinking, but when you consider he was also a disqualified driver then it becomes a more serious offence.

The man, who is 34, plead guilty in a court of law for not having a driving license and not having van insurance, although the judge decided not to send him to prison.

Instead, he got a suspended 8 week sentence, which means if he commits an offence again, especially driving a van without insurance, then he will be sent to prison for around 2 months. Not only that, but he also has to follow a 6 week curfew which does not allow him to leave the house between 8pm and 6am.

He was also given a 12 month driving ban, had 6 points put onto his license, given a 6 month supervision requirement and had to pay costs that came to £200.

The sentence was handed out because the man had only recently been banned from driving, and had significant previous offences.

It just goes to show you that driving without van insurance is something that can get you into a lot of trouble. Even if you don’t have any previous offences or a history of being in trouble with the law, if you get caught driving without insurance then the Police will not be very impressed.

You could find yourself in a lot of trouble, and may even have to go to court. As we’ve just seen, a prison sentence is unlikely, but you could easily get a suspended sentence, as well as fines.

My advice is simple…always make sure you get van insurance, and never drive without it. I’m hearing a lot of complaints recently about how “insurance is so expensive” and “I don’t want to pay it anymore,” but in reality you don’t have any choice.

It is UK law that your van must be insured, so if you don’t have a policy right now you must do it right away.

Sure, van insurance is getting more expensive, but if you shop around then you might be surprised to find out exactly how cheap it can be.

The best way to do this is by using a van insurance comparison website so you can have your details sent off to all the major insurance companies, and then within a few minutes you get all the quotes right there in front of you.

Some people have reported saving hundreds of pounds on their van insurance by doing this, so in my opinion, anyone who wants cheaper insurance should give it a try.

Fleet insurance options expand for UK companies

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Tired of not being able to find cheap van insurance? New fleet options are coming our way in less time than it takes to spell ‘fleet insurance.’

Boutique insurance provider Origin UW has come through in a major way for anyone who wants to find a better option for their commercial car insurance needs. Last November it began its foray into commercial cover, and now it’s recently announced that its new fleet insurance product, named ‘Motor Fleet,’ will be ready to go in mid- or late March, building on the company’s already established property owners, office, contractors, and combined cover policies.

One of the newest SME underwriting agencies around, Origin UW is an exclusive managing general agent that has full Lloyd’s Coverholder approval. The firm says it has created its products using the latest in cutting-edge technologies in order to provide quick and responsive insurance solutions, especially for small businesses. How this is going to translate into truly excellent fleet insurance is anybody’s guess, of course; and since Origin UW hasn’t actually publicised any additional details on its new Motor Fleet insurance product as yet, your guess is as good as mine as far as what levels of cover are going to be available for SMEs that have a large cadre of cars, lorries or vans to insure.

Still, all things considered it looks like that we’ll be seeing Origin UW’s reveal very shortly. This means we’ll be able to make our own decisions as to whether this new fleet insurance cover is going to be a winner or not. Personally I would love to see a real contender show up on the scene. The commercial vehicle insurance market is not really as robust as it could be, and as a result there’s a bit of stagnation when it comes to finding cheap van insurance or commercial car insurance. New blood could be just what the industry needs to revitalise itself.

Or it could completely fall on its face. I mean I hope not, but it’s always a possibility, and not facing that fact isn’t doing anyone any favours, especially SMEs who need to keep their fleet of vehicles insured safely without going over budget. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed and we’ll see the lie of the land when it’s time, shall we?

This is why you can’t have nice things – like low rates

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VAN INSURANCE NEWS ROUNDUP: 7 DAYS ENDING 5 SEPT 2014:

If you’re wondering why you can’t get a cheap van insurance quote, it could be you’re in the wrong line of work – or you’re a moron and auto-renew your cover.

Did I get your attention? Good. There’s a bloody epidemic when it comes to paying through the nose for van or car insurance in this country, and this month is one of the worst for its spread. You might not be able to do much about your chosen profession but there is something you can do about automatically renewing your cover for next year: just don’t do it, you bloody pillock.

September is one of those months where a large proportion of vehicle owners renew their annual cover, and it turns out that simply auto-renewing your cover with your existing provider is one of the worst things you can do. Well it is if you’re trying to save money; if you enjoy paying an arm and a leg for your van insurance go ahead and auto-renew if you like, but most sane Brits don’t like paying more than they have to.

Don’t believe me? Well new research found last year that Brits auto-renewing lost out on a collective £2 billion by not shopping around for more affordable cover. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for third party cover for your Vauxhall Astra or you need commercial van insurance for your Ford Galaxy – no one has ever saved money by not switching insurers. In other words, do yourself a favour and shop around if your insurance is due to renew this month.

And if you’re in the medical field, you might think about changing professions. Independent research this week also discovered that, from a statistical standpoint surgeons and other medical professionals are the most accident-prone out of all British professionals. This means your insurance is likely to be higher if you’re one of the lucky few that get to save lives all day. What a lovely reward for all your hard work and sleepless nights, isn’t it?

Well if you’re interested you can always become a clerk somewhere instead. Sure you might not be able to afford that BMW any more but at least the insurance on your secondhand Nissan Micra will be quite affordable!

Finding cheap van insurance soon to be least of our problems

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VAN INSURANCE NEWS ROUNDUP: 7 DAYS ENDING 4 APRIL 2014:

Everyone knows how hard it is to find cheap van insurance nowadays, but if the rumours are true it looks like that’s going to be the least of our problems soon!

In fact, I know this is going to sound absolutely mad but I swear I’m not trying to take the piss out of you: there are new fears amongst car insurance and van insurance providers that the development of driverless vehicles is going to completely destroy the insurance industry. That’s right, that new self-driving Google or GM-powered car is going to bankrupt insurance providers, based on, well, pure speculation really.

Insurers are declaring the sky is falling because regions in the UK like Milton Keynes are setting aside specialised roadways for testing driverless vehicles in the coming years. Apparently this is just the first domino to fall that will spell the end of motorists driving their own cars, as far as insurers are concerned – and this means human error will be taken out of the picture when it comes to calculating insurance premiums. No more will it matter if you’re a certain age or live in a particular postcode, as you won’t be doing the driving any more – and this apparently fills insurers with terrible fear that they’ll go out of business for lack of funds.

This is of course incredibly stupid. The idea that driverless cars are going to completely replace vehicles that require human interaction – and that it will happen overnight – is daft. You’re telling me the white van man is going to be replaced by a robotic lorry driver? Pull the other one!

Meanwhile, if you’re in the business of landscaping and you’ve already got a large van with a trailer that you motor about to different homes in order to trim the verge and cut the lawn, you might be shaking your head at this bit of unrelated news: a new EU ruling could end up making you responsible for keeping motor insurance on any ride-on mowers you might have.

This isn’t just limited to commercial landscapers and gardeners, either – apparently anyone who owns a ride-on mower to keep their garden looking nicely trimmed could have to take out a policy as well, even if the bloody thing never even does anything but barely kisses the pavement as you back it into your garage or garden shed. All because of a court case going on in Luxembourg right now involving some daft bastard who was driving his ride-on mower on a motorway and who ended up in an accident. Lucky us, eh?

Postcode prejudice and redlining here and across the pond

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VAN INSURANCE NEWS ROUNDUP: 7 DAYS ENDING 25 JULY 2014:

If you’re looking for cheap van insurance, guess what: you could end up paying through the nose just because you’re in the wrong postcode, my friend.

Rumours have been swirling forever about how insurers use arbitrary reasons such as your postcode to decide if you’re going to be offered affordable van insurance or car insurance or if you’re going to be slapped with a massive premium price. Well, new research has revealed that postcode prejudice is real and factual: the worst postcodes for high rates just happen to be grouped in Birmingham.

Did you happen to see that Channel Four documentary called Benefits Street? It was about how the number of Brits living on or near James Turner Street on the dole are through the roof – and it turns out that living in close proximity to Benefits Street, whether or not you’re receiving benefits, practically guarantees you insurance premium pricing so high as to be eye-watering. More than 20 per cent of the worst 100 British postcodes for high car and commercial van insurance premiums are within a stone’s throw of James Turner Street, so it doesn’t matter how conscientious a driver you may be: your postcode has sealed your fate.

For what it’s worth, I find a practice like this completely reprehensible on the part of insurers. Sadly it’s all too common – and not just here at home. American insurers do exactly the same thing. When it comes to US postcodes – known as zipcodes across the pond – American insurers intentionally carve out high rate areas by grouping zipcodes with a high concentration of lower socioeconomic classes together and charging them rates that are much higher. It’s known as redlining within the industry, and it’s akin to institutionalised discrimination, especially since so many of these zipcodes are home to not just low-income Americans but minority populations as well.

Yet somehow all of this is legal and accepted, both in the US and at home in the UK. I don’t see how this could possibly be just, but I also don’t see anyone else drawing attention to it or complaining about it. Who’s going to stand up to these insurers and tell them they can’t victimise people in this manner?

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