Tag: commercial van insurance

Check your cover if transporting electronics this season

Posted on by News Desk

Van insurance news roundup: 7 days ending 7 oct 2012:

With the festive season rapidly approaching – and the advent of the new iPhone 5 – anyone transporting electronics needs to check their cover, and soon!

Have you thought about the size of your courier van and exactly how many electronics you can actually fit back there? Well, if you do the maths, you could end up having room for around £50 million worth of high-value electronics such as the already massively popular iPhone 5 alone; if you’re done running about in a panic, you  may want to consider checking the level of cover on your commercial van insurance now.

It only took around 24 hours for 2 million individuals to pr-order the new Apple iPhone 5 once it became available to do so. This will inevitably lead to huge demand for the product this Christmas shopping season, which means massive amounts of the electronic device are going to be shipped all across the country to retailers, and that anyone with a courier van could make a killing by shipping all these smartphones – however they could also risk financial ruin if something were happen to their high-value cargo whilst in transit and their van insurance doesn’t cover them against theft or destruction of goods.

There’s around 200 cubic feet on the inside of the average van, which means you could stick nearly 100,000 iPhones in the back, provided you take them out of the packaging. The retail value of these items would be upwards of £50 million, and while there’s no way one single courier would be transporting those many iPhones at once, the point still stands: as electronic devices shrink in size but grow in price, couriers will naturally have higher value cargo whenever they’re transporting the devices, so the need for proper insurance cover has never been more important.

If you think iPhones won’t be stolen, just remember the news out of Japan on the new Apple product’s launch day:

Meanwhile, news reports on the launch day revealed that around 200 iPhone 5 unites were nicked from a shop in Osaka, Japan. The retail value of these stolen phones – just 200 of them – was around £160,000, which is more than enough to cripple your courier business if you can’t cover such a massive outlay of cash without the aid of an ironclad insurance policy.

Van drivers in the doghouse, 2 independent polls show

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Van insurance news roundup: 7 days ending 30 SEPT 2012:

Van drivers are in the doghouse after it was revealed that not one but two independent research studies have discovered evidence of bad behaviour.

New figures from the AA’s insurance division have discovered that van drivers are twice as likely to collect a conviction for a motoring offence when compared to car drivers. Not only that, but AA Insurance also discovered that the white van man has his mobile practically glued to his ear, as car drivers are six times less likely to be caught on the phone than a van driver – information that van insurance are sure to use as an excuse to raise your premium prices, no doubt.

The data, analysed by the AA, comes directly from their customers, indicating that nearly 7.5 per cent of car drivers have had their licence endorsed sometime throughout the past five years. However, that figure jumped to 15.5 per cent when it came to their customers who held a commercial van insurance policy through the motoring organisation’s insurance division.

Meanwhile, less than one-half of one per cent of car drivers had ended up with a CU80, or an offence for mobile phone use behind the wheel. Again, this figure was dwarfed by the more than 2 per cent of van drivers who were also given the same offence.

Meanwhile, another motor insurer’s independent survey found that van drivers also happen to be some of the most irritating people to run into on the road, thanks to a new poll. While Admiral says the most frustrating motorists to encounter were the elderly, with 41 per cent of respondents indicating that the way older motorists drive is enough to make them want to tear their hair out, van drivers weren’t that far behind at just over one out of every three respondents.

In fact, van drivers beat many other annoying motorists out by a wide margin, including ‘boy racers,’ caravanners, and motorbike riders. In fact, the only more hated annoyances on the road – besides the elderly – were cyclists at 36 per cent and taxi drivers at 37 per cent, according to the poll.

Let that be a lesson to all white van men out there: you’ve got a horrid reputation behind the wheel, so quit being such an annoyance. Moreover, you can’t even deny it, because there’s statistical proof of being bad drivers in comparison to others, so fair warning – enough is enough!

Don’t forget your insurance cover – ever

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Van insurance news roundup: 7 days ending 23 sept 2012:

It’s been a bad week for one young entrepreneur, when it was recently revealed that her catering van was nicked by thieves.

22 year old Penny Blayney, a caterer that left school to start her Munchkings business, was absolutely distraught to find out that her van, valued at £10,000, had been stolen. Worse yet was not only did Ms Blayney have £500 worth of stock within the van, but also had her rent money within the trailer when it was stolen as well!

An incredulous Ms Blayney, a native of Grafton Rise in Herne Bay, lamented that the worst part was that her commercial van insurance policy had lapsed, as she had intended to sell the vehicle and use the proceeds of the sale to help grow her business even further. The determination of the thieves must have been absolutely incredible, according to the 22 year old entrepreneur, as the van had been fitted with several different security measures and would have required a flatbed lorry to make off with the vehicle.

There’s little in the way of evidence regarding the crime so far, except that one of her neighbours reported hearing loud noises one evening, which leads authorities to believe that had been when the theft occurred. The determined Ms Blayney has not been deterred by this setback, continuing to serve her regular customers even as she struggles to find a solution for both her missing van and her sudden lack of rent money for this month!
Honestly, the massive, 14 foot long trailer is a bit hard to miss, considering it’s emblazoned with the ‘Munchkings’ logo on the side. It’ also fitted with a ten-litre tea urn, a microwave, a freezer, not one but two refrigerators, three chip fryers, two hobs, and a 4 foot griddle. Anyone that has seen the vehicle is urged to contact the police at their earliest opportunity, and could spell the difference between the life and death of poor Ms Blayney’s business.
This is, of course, an incredibly tragic way to demonstrate the absolute need for van insurance. Even if you’re not going to take out comprehensive cover on your commercial vehicle, taking out and maintaining third party fire and theft cover is an absolute necessity – and could have led to Ms Blayney having a modicum of protection against the loss of such a massive business investment.

Hope you have more than third party cover on your van

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Van insurance news roundup: 7 days ending 16 sept 2012:

If you don’t think you need more than third party cover on your van or commercial vehicle, you might want to reconsider that after this week’s news stories.

Is your van of choice a Ford Transit? If so, you’re at heightened risk for losing everything if you just have third party van insurance, because it was revealed this week that one out of every four vans nicked in the UK is a Transit, according to official figures.

Ford Transits weren’t just stolen 25 per cent of the time when it comes to light commercial vehicles; they were also the vehicles stolen most often. No other commercial vehicle is stolen more, though the second-most nicked van, the Mercedes Sprinter, was pinched 21 per cent of the time, indicating that commercial vehicle thieves might have a taste for the Mercedes brand as well.

Honestly you can’t be surprised that the Transit is made off with the most often, considering it’s been the reigning champion as far as sales in Europe for something like four decades despite is bloody awful looks. No one’s stealing the Transit because they’re keen on its looks, though – the demand for parts on a van as ubiquitous as a Transit is always high and can fetch a pretty penny for criminals.

However, it’s very surprising to consider that so many people try to save cash on their commercial van insurance by simply taking out third party cover instead of a comprehensive policy. If you are one of the ‘lucky’ ones who’s tasked with managing a fleet of Transits, at the very least you should ensure that you’ve taken out third party fire and theft cover in order to ensure you’ve got protection against such a high incidence rate of theft.

Ideally you should have comprehensive cover on any commercial vehicle that you use for work, but we understand: times are tough, and you might not have the budget for a shedload of comprehensive policies for a large fleet. However, this can be the worst kind of false economy if something untoward happens that’s not covered under your cut-rate policy and your firm ends up paying out of pocket – it could be absolutely catastrophic and ruinous.

Do yourself – and your firm’s bottom line – a favour and take out the most comprehensive cover you can afford. And for pity’s sake don’t insure a Ford Transit with anything less than third party fire and theft!

Don’t lend your van to a student unless you have good cover

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Van insurance news roundup: 7 days ending 9th Sept 2012:

September can be a rather hectic month for van owners if they have friends of family attending university, but don’t be tempted to just hand over the keys to that student!

This week saw one of the biggest names in van insurance cover warning off van owners from just lending out their vehicles to new or returning university students. Sure, you can go ahead and lend the van to your favourite student, but if he or she isn’t on your your policy, you could be in a world of hurt if there’s an accident – to the point where you could have your insurance invalidated!

Instead, Swinton said, you should go along with the student – make sure you’re the one doing the driving – and help them move. It’s not exactly a treat to help someone move, especially if it’s a long journey to university and back with a load of personal effects, but if the alternative is risking the validity of your commercial van insurance cover, it’s definitely worth the trip.

If you really don’t want to do the driving – or help with the heavy lifting – you can always add the student to your own policy. Even if the student has comprehensive car insurance of their own, there’s no guarantee that they will be insured to drive your van as a third party without checking the details of both your cover and the student’s.

You can go ahead and add drivers to an insurance policy, which will enable the student to drive the vehicle without risking invalidation. However, insurers are still charging quite a bit for cover, but more news this week revealed that one motor broker has decided to join an insurance comparison site, adding a number of its van insurance products to the aggregrator.

Four new van insurance specialists will join the insurance site, thanks to the deal struck between it and the broker, and increasing competition in a sector that is in dire need of more. Not sure if you’ve actually looked at the average cost of cover recently, but it’s quite dear indeed, so when it comes to driving down prices, the more rivals operating in the insurance market the better.

 

Don’t think police are targeting van drivers? Think again.

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One 40 year old woman caught driving her van without valid insurance recently had her vehicle seized right out from under her for violating continuous enforcement laws.

Last week we warned that you’d better get your ducks in a row when it comes to securing commercial van insurance or risk your vehicle being seized, but apparently the message hasn’t sunk in yet.  Well, here’s proof that we know what we’re talking about: a Coxheath woman was caught driving without van insurance, was issued a £200 fixed penalty, given six points on her licence… and had her van yanked out from under her for her sins.

The whole incident occurred on 3 August, where Joanna Watts, local Police Community Support Officer, received a report of a ‘suspicious vehicle’ in Coxheath Village Hall’s car park. PSCO Watts investigated and the rest is history.

Obviously the driver of the van wasn’t a loyal reader of this website – otherwise she would have known that getting behind the wheel of her van without the proper insurance cover was not a particularly bright thing to do. Still, it doesn’t matter how many times British van owners are warned, as there’s always someone out there who thinks they won’t be caught and can avoid having to pay for even cheap van insurance; go ahead and see how well that plan will work.

The bottom line is a very simple one: sort out your insurance requirements before you’re stuck having to take public transport everywhere because you couldn’t be bothered to do it.

Van insurer warns against catalytic converter thefts

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Of all the things to worry about, now van owners and operators have to be on the lookout for criminals making off with their catalytic converters right from underneath their bonnets.

One van insurance provider has recently warned of a crime spree over the past few weeks that involves the theft of catalytic converters. The commercial van insurance company has begun to urge van drivers to be much more careful where they choose to leave their vehicles overnight in an effort to help them avoid being the victims of such a theft.

June’s crime figures saw the Leicestershire area particularly hardest hit, with almost 250 thefts occurring between January 1 and June 1. This figure is incredibly inflated from last year’s figures, where the first half of the year saw only 47 reported thefts, the car insurance provider remarked.

The insurer’s representative, Joe de Vries, commented on the new report, stating that the increase in catalytic converter theft is ‘terrible news,’ adding that van owners across the country need to be much more vigilant in order to prevent their own vans being subjected to the same fate. Mr de Vries said that van owners should park their vehicles in secure areas overnight, such as a garage, but as not everyone has access to such facilities, parking a van in a well lit area such as directly below a street lamp would be the best way to deter thieves.

The rise in catalytic converter theft is believed to be linked to the cost of scrap metal, which has been on the rise. Organised gangs have been harvesting the components to send overseas, where they are stripped of their metal, law enforcement officials say.

Van registrations rise, insurers brace for new customers

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Insurance providers are bracing for an influx of new customers after it was revealed that the number of van registrations recently increased.

The Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders released their most recent figures, reporting that total van registration figures have gone up by 6.7 per cent in comparison to last year. The 2t and under category increased even higher, with an impressive 11.6 per cent rise in total registrations as of May 2012.

Commercial van insurance providers are using the information to prepare for the influx of new customers on the search for van insurance. Comparison sites are also girding their loins, as the current state of the UK’s economy has led numerous Brits to become much more diligent in searching out the best deals in an effort to save money.

The cost of motoring has been increasing steadily over the past few years, whether it be from insurance rate increases or rising petrol costs, and drivers have been looking for any way to save that they can. Other economic factors, such as high unemployment, have attributed to consumers looking for ways to make their money stretch even further, leading to comparison websites becoming wildly popular, as these websites offer Brits a way to select financial products that are the best value for money.

An insurance director at a major comparison site, Simon McCulloch, commented on the news, stating that insurance quote aggregration sites are a valuable resource for savvy consumers, as you’ll be hard-pressed to find more competitive rates anywhere else. Many comparison sites offer not just savings on car or van insurance but a wide range of financial products, such as credit cards and life insurance, and many also offer comparison services for utilities such as gas and electricity as well.

Comparison sites brace for impact as vehicle sales increase

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Car and van insurance comparison sites have been bracing for a fresh influx of new consumers after new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders indicate that the sale of new vehicles in the UK has increased dramatically.

The SMMT announced that May’s new car sales increased by 7.9 per cent year-on-year to a new high of 162,288, the largest sales increase of its kind for nearly two years straight. The current number of vehicles sold in the UK during the first five months of the year now stands at 868,166, a figure that represents an overall increase of 2.6 per cent, according to the SMMT’s figures.

Anticipating heightened demand as consumers seek out personal car insurance and commercial van insurance for their new vehicles, comparison sites have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to help Brits find the best deals when it comes to insurance. Comparison sites do not exclusively deal with car and van insurance comparison services, as many will also offer comparison services for financial products such as credit cards, bank accounts, and other insurance products such as pet or travel insurance, but with so many Brits looking for ways to save money in the current economy – and with motor insurance compulsory – nearly every comparison site boasts a large panel of insurer partners to provide high levels of customer service to price-conscious consumers.

Comparison sites provide a time-saving benefit as well as a cost-saving one, as consumers can simply put their personal details in once and let the website do the rest; in moments the site will return a long list of different insurance quotes for the consumer to choose from, eliminating the need for tedium and making the entire process as painless as possible.

Drivers fed up with road injuries, favour harsher penalties

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A new survey from a personal and commercial van insurance provider recently found that UK drivers have little patience with those who cause road injuries that lead to severe injury, with an overwhelming number coming out in favour of much harsher penalties in such cases.

Motorists in the UK have enough to put up with, whether it be the rising cost of petrol or the near-constant increases to their insurance premiums, leading many to be completely unsympathetic to anyone who causes road traffic accidents that lead to lengthy stays in hospital. Pain and suffering aside, Brits simply can’t afford time away from work in order to recover from such serious accidents – at least not in the current economy – and with car and van insurance companies rising rates after even a no-fault accident, a single incident could have ruinous ramifications.

The insurance expert found that, out of every 20 respondents, an overwhelming 19 said that they would like to see plans for instituting a new driving offence pushed through by the government. The new rule would make dangerous driving that causes serious injury a crime, which would carry a much stronger penalty than dangerous driving, the current offence in such situations.

Dangerous driving is a severe crime, and does carry a severe penalty, yet does not address any physical injuries caused as a result of dangerous driving. However, the new law would change this, resulting in much higher and more serious penalties for offenders.

Industry experts say that in order for the enforcement of this new offence to be effective, there may be a need for increased police presence on the nation’s roadways.

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