Tag: van insurance company

“ACTION!” – The Van Insurance Scam Straight From a Movie

Posted on by News Desk

Most van insurance scams you can see a mile off. These scammers roam the country ready to pounce with brute force. No finesse required.

However, if reports are to be trusted then a new type of van insurance scam could be hitting the nation very soon. A type of scam that will make you ask yourself…”Just where are the movie cameras?”

It isn’t Hollywood where this scam is coming from though, oh no, it is further East. To the cold and snowy city of Moscow where van drivers often have to combat icy roads on a daily basis.

Don’t forget that our very own white van drivers have also been known to make their way behind the iron curtain, so to speak – White Van Men On Tour – it was called.

This new scam was all set to land on British shores without warning, that was until a Russian van driver picked up something on their dashcam.

That is why I advise all UK van drivers to buy dashcams for their vehicles. In fact, buy 2. One for the front and one for the back. They see everything.

Just like on this cold and icy winter morning in Moscow, where suddenly, and without warning, a young woman walked out in front of a van driving down the road.

The van driver braked with full force, but that didn’t stop the woman being hit, as she ended up on the bonnet.

Was the van driver to blame? Without the dashcam footage many would no doubt have said so, but, the dashcam showed a completely different story.

What it showed was the woman jumping from the side of the road and into the path of the van. After reviewing the footage it was described as a “theatrical” jump. Almost like a Hollywood stunt actor trying to win some kind of award.

The incident was definitely worthy of a well paid stuntwoman as she jumped right into the bonnet with a precision that many would not believe…if they didn’t see it right there on the dashcam footage.

So was this woman auditioning for a Hollywood blockbuster or was something else the motivation that day? It was the latter.

“Van Insurance Scam,” is what the driver shouted in his local language when he reviewed the footage. You couldn’t fool this guy.

His friends agreed, and when they showed the footage to the local police they agreed as well. “Take her to the gulag,” was their solution. That is how they deal with van insurance scammers in Russia.

Is it how they are going to deal with the same crime here in the UK? I don’t think so, and unfortunately many of these scammers will probably be very successful jumping in front of vans and making insurance claims.

The only way that you, the British van driver can protect yourself from this madness is to get the best van insurance possible. It all starts with our 3 minute form.

A Right Plonker? Should Have Visited Cheap Van Insurance

Posted on by News Desk

“You Plonker,” is probably the most famous words in the history of British TV, and is the reason why three-wheeler vans became the height of fashion.

Back in the good old days thousands of people had three-wheeler reliant vans just like the one you saw in Only Fools and Horses.

Some owners were wannabe Del Boys, while others were tradespeople who wanted to get the local community talking. It was good for business.

These days, the three-wheeler van has gone of the way of BBC television in general…extinct.

Nobody is watching shows like Only Fools and Horses anymore, which means the demand for a Reliant Regal is low.

However, a recent TV show hosted by Paddy McGuiness had the idea of recreating a famous scene involving Del Boy and Rodney, and in order to get that authentic feel they decided to borrow a three-wheeler from a Only Fools and Horses fan.

Martyn Bridges is his name and writing “Trotters Independent Traders” on the side of the van is his game.

He has a three-wheeler van exactly like the one you saw on the show, so when Paddy and his team came calling he had no problem letting them borrow the van for a few hours.

So the day was set, and true to his word Martyn set out on a cold morning last year in his three-wheeler van. Heads were turning, as usual, and some people even cheered as it made its way through traffic towards the TV studios.

Paddy McGuiness was waiting for the arrival of Martyn, and after some hand shakes and small talk, he wasted no time getting in the drivers seat and then ordering his crew to “start filming.”

“ACTION,” came the order from the director, and with those words Paddy pressed his foot on the accelerator and became Del Boy for the day.

Unfortunately Martyn was not sharing in with the enthusiasm

“He seemed to be going a bit fast and didn’t look like he was braking,” said Martyn. “I heard a massive crunch as he steered my van into a wall.”

Yes you guessed it…Paddy McGuiness had crashed the Only Fools and Horses van!

“You plonker,” is what Martyn no doubt was thinking, although he restrained himself from letting Paddy know what he really thought.

Bizarrely, Paddy didn’t seem the least bit bothered about what had just happened, and instead appeared to make a joke about the situation…”Cor the brakes on that thing don’t work,” he quipped.

Not only that, but according to Martyn there was no apology at all from Paddy, despite the fact that £2000 worth of damage had been caused to the Reliant Regal.

They paid for the damage of course, although it probably had to come out of the TV shows budget.

Perhaps Paddy McGuiness  and his production company should have visited Cheap Van Insurance before they borrowed the three-wheeler.

It would have saved them a packet in my opinion because there are some great deals on insurance for three-wheeler vans for anyone that fills in the 3 minute form.

Anyway, the show went on to air in January, and in that show Paddy went on to recreate the famous scene from Only Fools and Horses where Del Boy falls through the bar.

The three-wheeler van crash didn’t make it into the show and Martyn Bridges is still waiting for his apology.

Fortunately, all three-wheeler van owners don’t need to wait for discount van insurance quotes. Get yours sorted today and then hit the roads…for business or pleasure.

Admiral Van Insurance WARNING: April 2018

Posted on by News Desk

If you get your van insurance from Admiral then this message could be the most important you have ever read? Keep reading to discover more…

As regular readers of CVI will be aware, ourselves and Admiral are really good buddies. They are on our “hotlist” of recommended van insurance companies and regularly feature in the list of companies that offer you a quote after filling in our 3 minute form.

The relationship between ourselves and Admiral is as strong as ever…although could the honeymoon period be about to come crashing down? Keep reading…

So, if you are already a customer of Admiral then you might be wondering why you are being WARNED, as of right now…in April 2018? It’s because you might have been double charged for your van insurance.

We already know that van insurance is expensive in the UK right now, especially if you live in big cities such as London. Nobody can afford to get double charged!

That is what happened though, as it recently came to light that Admiral double charged hundreds of their customers last month. This includes van insurance customers (YOU).

If you are a van insurance customer with Admiral then I recommend you check your bank account right away and make sure they haven’t taken out twice as much as they should.

It was an innocent mistake of course, as Admiral are one of the most trustworthy van insurance companies in the UK who have served millions of satisfied customers over the years.

Sometimes, these glitches just happen though. An error in the system. “Blame the robots,” is what I say.

As you would expect, Admiral are working hard to rectify the situation, and are saying that anyone who was double charged for their van insurance in March, won’t be charged in April. Once that happens then everyone is friends again.

With that being said, I would advise all Admiral van insurance customers to check their bank account in April 2018, just to make sure there are no more double charges.

However, be rest assured that if you do get double charged by Admiral then you can expect one of their customer service team to contact you right away.

Don’t worry though, because I reckon that Admiral have now got all of this sorted out and we won’t be hearing anything else about their van insurance customers being overcharged.

That is why I advise every CVI user to feel confident about choosing Admiral van insurance if they happen to be one of the best quotes you receive.

Make sure you fill out our 3 minute form first. Don’t go directly to the Admiral website because you want to make them compete against all of the other van insurance companies for your business.

Kind of like in the days of the Gladiators, where the warriors of Ancient Rome would march into the collesium for a no holds barred old fashioned fight.

That is what happens when you use Cheap Van Insurance, and that is why they call us “The Nations Favourite.”

White Van “Night of Terror” in Hartlepool

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A quiet night in Hartlepool soon led to a “night of terror” for one family. Who was to blame? Yes, you guessed it…the white van man.

Just when will they learn? Never, In my opinion.

Cheap Van Insurance enthusiasts will be well aware of how white van drivers have been attempting to make a new start for themselves in places such as Nevada and Siberia. That didn’t work out very well, and now…they are back on UK roads.

Such as this night in Hartlepool, where, at 1:45am in the morning the only sound was of the occasional milk float busy with a round of deliveries or those crafty but educated van thieves “tricking” their way into vans.

Then, all of a sudden, and without warning…a CRASH, and the sound of broken glass, and then it was all out WAR in that quiet Hartlepool neighbourhood.

A white van man war you must understand, where the van is the weapon, so to speak, and the only reason for battle is rage and discontent.

Actually, there is a bit more backstory to this particular incident, but to make a long story short it had something to do REVENGE.

That’s right. The driver of the white Ford transit van believed that his cousin was being treated badly by her boyfriend. So, instead of applying to be on the Jeremy Kyle show so they could battle it out on national television, he decided to take matters into his own hands and seek out a BATTLE on the streets of Hartlepool

The first act of battle was to crash into the Volkswagen Golf parked outside the house of the boyfriend. This was the sound of broken glass that woke everyone up.

In no time at all everyone in the house was outside in the front yard, still in their pyjamas, and then…the second act of battle…drive directly at everybody in front of you.

That is exactly what this particular white van driver did…he drove at the three people who were standing outside of the house and then pinned them up against the wall with his van.

One of those pinned up against the wall was the boyfriend of the van drivers cousin, and the other two were his mother and his friend.

A neighbour who witnessed all of this unfolding described the scene as “terrifying.”

Fortunately, it didn’t go any further, and the white van man cooled down enough to put his Ford transit in reverse and then drive off into the night.

Not surprisingly, the Police soon caught up with him, and then a few months later he had his day in court.

An 8 month suspended sentence is what he got for that night of terror, as well as a 2 year driving ban, a fine of £2500 and £340 costs.

Not only that, but the white van man, who already had van insurance costs of £5000 a year due to a previous conviction of drink driving, said that he expected to see his insurance costs hit £15,000 a year once back on the roads.

£15,000 is a lot, no doubt, but if you do the crime then you must pay the price.

Of course, for white van men and women the only place to get your van insurance is right here at the Nations Favourites. See how much you could save by filling out the simple 3 minute form.

Admiral On Tour – Madrid Bound…

Posted on by News Desk

One of the partners to Cheap Van Insurance is Admiral, that well known company who are always on the TV.

When you fill out the 3 minute form on this website then you can expect Admiral to be one of the companies offering you are a quote. Are they the cheap? I don’t know, fill out the form and find out is my advice.

Right now everything is good between CVI and Admiral. We are friends.

However, if a recent news story is to be trusted then Admiral could soon be following white van men out of the country…to Madrid.

Off they go…on a cold Monday morning on a Ryanair flight to the Spanish capital, and after touching down and after saying a “Hola” to their driver, they will then be taken directly into the Madrid city and into an empty office block.

This isn’t a holiday you must understand and there will be no sun, sea and sangria. Oh no. What we have here is your classic example of a company going AWOL from British shores after Brexit is here.

So right there in the centre of Madrid, in between the tourist shops and postcard sellers…well, one sunny afternoon in the heat of the Spanish Summer.

The kind of Spanish afternoon where, if the sun shines too long on your plastic roller shutters then they become stuck, and you have to wait until the sun goes down so they cool off.

Well, on that particular afternoon there will be a Spanish sign maker in dungarees up a ladder outside the office block in Madrid, and in no time at all, “EL ADMIRALO” will overlook the Madrid skyline.

There may even be a white van man on tour passing by on the busy road below, on his way back to the UK.

So does this mean that CVI and Admiral will no longer be able to continue their famous partnership…the partnership that has potentially saved the UK public a lot of money.

Actually, while Admiral are looking to diversify their operations because of Brexit, they will have an office right here on British shores, just like they always have.

Just like your average white van owner. Sure, they like to travel and they like to go on tour, but when it comes down to it they know where their bread and butter is. Right here in the UK of course.

If you are looking to get your next van quote and considering Admiral as one of the insurers, then my advice is to check with our 3 minute form first.

You get a quote from Admiral and you also get quotes from around 40 other van insurance companies and brokers.

If Admiral offer the best quote then great, you win. If someone else offers the best quote then great, you win.

I think the message here is that everytime you use Cheap Van Insurance as your starting point for getting quotes…you win.

The Biggest Van Insurance Mistake Right Now

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Did you know that your van insurance policy could be completely worthless? You might as well rip it up right now and chuck it out of the window.

It is all because many van drivers around the country are making this one mistake that could very well make their policy not worth the paper it is printed on.

When you consider the average van insurance price is now about £1500, well, don’t you think it’s worth making sure the document is actually covering you in the event of an accident, van theft or tool theft? I do.

So what is this mistake anyway? Quite simply it has to do with your profession or job title, which many van owners often forget to change if they have a change of career.

For example, if you started out your journey as “man with a van” or would do odd jobs or anything for a few quid, but then at some point became a professional “roofer,” the best in town, then you might encounter trouble when trying to make a claim.

If you have not contacted your van insurance company and told them about the change then they will probably slam the phone down faster than you can say “it’s those magic keys.”

Not only that, but some van owners are also doing a bit of work on the side. By day they may very well be a “builder,” but by night and weekends they are doing a bit of “courier driving.”

Van owners who don’t let their insurance company know about this change will almost certainly get hit in the wallet.

Also, let’s not forget that you probably need specialised courier insurance if you are going to do that kind of work.

Yes insuring your van is often an expensive thing to do, and that is why so many people now turn to the Nations Favourite…van insurance website that is.

A place where you can fill in your details only once, and then, with a single click of a button get magically transported to a place of quotes from around 40 van insurance companies.

Just make sure that you get your job title right the first time, and if anything changes along the way then contact the company directly and tell them about it.

Another mistake that van drivers make is to not tell their insurer about a change of address. It doesn’t have to be your house either.

What I know a lot of tradespeople do is to keep their van in a garage located elsewhere, but, many forget to tell the van insurance company if they change locations.

“Just let us know” is what the insurers are saying, and for once I agree with them.

Ford Want Self Driving Vans on the Road by 2021

Posted on by News Desk

One topic I’ve talked about on this blog quite a bit is self driving vans, everyone is interested about them. Well, Ford could be first to market.

The self driving van market that is, which is expected to be worth billions of pounds in a very short amount of time.

Builders, roofers, delivery drivers, electricians, and trades people all around the country are waiting with baited breath…wondering just when one of these driverless machines will become available to buy.

The popular and well known motor company Ford are one of the major brands vying for a piece of the market, and from what I’ve been hearing they are right at the forefront of technology.

So much so that a recent statement by Ford mentioned that a self driving van could be on the market by the year 2021. The future is nearly here, it seems.

According to experts, one of the main reasons why Ford are potentially ahead of the competition when it comes to self driving vans is because they already have many years of experience in the commercial market.

Not only that, but they also own a major share in a company called “Argo AI” which many are calling the best self driving sensor hardware out there right now.

This type of Artificial Intelligence will soon be driving the van, while the owners themselves will be able to put their feet up, read the paper and enjoy a ham sandwich without being disturbed.

In my opinion, I think self driving vans is going to be a good thing for van drivers, especially the so called white van man who has been known to lose control and fly into a rage at times.

Being able to put their feet up and relax will no doubt go a long way in reducing that anger that can sometimes erupt. Who cares about a traffic jam or annoying cyclists when you are browsing social media and drinking a cup of tea? Many van drivers won’t, I’m sure.

Interestingly, Ford have been working closely with Domino’s Pizza in this self driving venture, as they look to better understand what companies want out of vehicles that have to make deliveries.

Does this mean that UK delivery drivers should start writing their resignation letters? Absolutely not, because while Ford may very well have a driverless van in 2021 that could take over the role of doing the actual driving, there will still need to be someone there to make the deliveries and take over when there are any glitches. I’m sure there are going to be many of those during the first few years.

It’s the robots that delivery drivers should fear if you ask me. Once robots start getting in the drivers seat then the traditional human delivery driver could find themselves out of a job. We are all friends now though, for now.

The good news is that in 2021 van drivers will be able to visit the nations favourite van insurance comparison website to get the best quotes. Just fill in the simple form and instantly compare around 40 van insurance companies.

Don’t Defrost Your Van Insurance This Winter

Posted on by News Desk

It’s that time of year again, where morning temperatures are mostly in the minus and van drivers around the country are defrosting windscreens.

Police have recently taken to the airwaves in a bid to warn van drivers about the dangers of not defrosting windscreens correctly and leaving their van unattended

For example, did you know that if you are pulled over by Police this winter and you still have ice on your windscreen, then the Police officer will instantly slap a £60 fine on you? They are just doing their job.

Also, were you aware that if you leave the engine of your van running on the roadside while defrosting the windscreen, the Police officers have been instructed to give you a £20 fine? With all these fines, van drivers will be going without ham sandwiches and flasks of tea before too long.

Perhaps most alarming of all is the message from Police, that if your van is stolen why you were defrosting your windscreen, and you had just nipped into the house to “warm up for a bit,” then your van insurance company probably won’t pay out.

That’s right. Thousands of pounds worth of your property could disappear into the cold winter morning and there is not a thing you could do about it. Your van and power tools just gone, leaving you to start all over again…or go down the local job centre.

The message here is clear if you ask me…do not leave your keys in the ignition while defrosting the windscreen, especially if you plan to leave the van unattended, even for a few seconds.

Gangs of van thieves are everywhere right now, patrolling the morning streets of the UK just looking for that one opportunity. They are organised, quick, and fearless, and will think nothing of taking away everything you have worked hard for over the years.

This has led the Police to give out advice on what van drivers should be doing on those cold and freezing mornings.

Firstly, make sure you give yourself enough time to defrost your window. One of the main reasons why people get it wrong in the first place is because they are rushing.

Secondly, be prepared by using a windscreen shield overnight, and then in the morning, get rid of the ice with a basic scraper. Don’t turn on your engine and then leave the vehicle

Unfortunately, I think many van owners are going to ignore this message from Police, which means this winter could prove to be costly for many of our nations tradespeople and delivery drivers.

With that being said, you can make it not so expensive, and even a bit cheaper, by using a van insurance comparison website. Simply fill in the form and then get instant deals from around 40 companies.

£5000 Worth of Tools Stolen…”NOT COVERED”

Posted on by News Desk

Despite the fact that I warn van drivers on a regular basis about making sure they are insured for tool theft, it seems that many are not listening.

Take the story of a builder in Stoke, who recently had a staggering £5000 worth of power tools nicked from his van. Unfortunately, when he phoned his van insurance company to ask for a cheque they told him that was…”NOT COVERED.”

He was shocked at the revelation, and even a bit annoyed, but it didn’t change the fact they were not paying out and there was nothing he could do.

“I am 100 percent I locked the van,” said Scott Holford who had his tools stolen, “I remember the lights flashing and I could hear the mechanism lock.”

As I’ve reported about before, these van criminals don’t care if your van is locked or not, they have the means to get in to almost any van with ease. How? It’s those magic keys we have been hearing about, that can be purchased on the internet for £20 and give thieves a license to steal from every van owner in the UK.

The £5000 worth of tools had taken Scott 10 years to collect, but now, he has to start again from scratch. His staff and customers are also going to be affected.

“The customer I’m working for now doesn’t have a kitchen at the moment and the apprentice won’t be able to have a pay cheque this week.”

It just goes to show how van crime has consequences beyond the owners themselves, and that is why I recommend every tradesperson in the UK to make sure they have the correct insurance.

In other words, check you are completely covered for tool theft. Don’t leave it to chance, because as we keep hearing time and time again…there is a thief at a street near you waiting to strike and rob you of everything in your van.

Another way to protect yourself is to never leave any tools in your van overnight. Many tradespeople find they don’t have the time to do this after a long day which is fair enough, but if you can do it then by all means do.

One complaint from builders and other tradespeople is that van insurance is expensive enough right now, and that adding additional tool cover is just too much for their wallet.

I agree some of the prices being quoted are silly at the moment but you can make things significantly less expensive by using a van insurance comparison website.

Many van drivers are saving a few hundred quid, and then they can use that extra cash to get cover for their tools.

Van Drivers WARNED About Scam HotSpots

Posted on by News Desk

There is a menace on the roads up and down the UK and it goes by the name of “crash for cash.” It’s a scam that van drivers are being warned about.

Up until now, the whole crash for cash scam has mostly affected car drivers. Maybe you’ve heard about it in the news, but always felt safe when in your van? Not anymore.

Research shows that van drivers are now being targeted by these organised crime gangs who roam the roads looking for their next prey. It’s an industry worth millions every year you see, which means there is a lot of cash up for grabs. These criminals want to get as much as they can.

During this new research, which was conducted by the IFB, or Insurance Fraud Bureau if you want to be more official, well, they highlighted the 10 so called “hotspots” where van drivers need to be on high alert.

The number 1 place to be vigilant for these scammers? Birmingham comes out on top, where road users are victims every single day, hour by hour.

Manchester and Bradford also feature highly on the list, while Bolton, Sheffield and Blackburn are also cities that van drivers are being warned about.

Surprisingly, London is named but not as one of the top cities. The reason? I think because most of these criminal gangs have their base in London, but prefer to ply their trade away from home turf.

How exactly does this whole crash for cash work anyway? Quite simply, a car or van will crash into your vehicle on purpose. They will then take your details and start claiming there was more damage than actually happened.

So for example, the scammers start hitting up your van insurance company for major repair costs, even though nothing really happened.

They manage to pocket a lot of free cash from this type of scam, with some estimates putting the crash for cash industry at a whopping £330 million a year. That is just under 1 million a day, that is being stolen from car and van drivers. It’s daylight robbery.

Why should you care though…yes it might be an inconvenience, but at the end of the day it’s your insurance company that picks up the tab, right? Wrong.

All that happens is that van insurance companies pass on the costs to you, the driver, who pays for it with more expensive premiums every year.

So make sure you are well aware when driving around these hotspots for any potential crash for cash incident about to happen. If it does happen and you suspect a scam, call the Police directly to the scene. Don’t let them get away with it.

You might also want to try comparing van insurance as a way to fight back. Yes, these crash for cash scammers might be winning right now, but if you get cheap quotes year after year then you have the last laugh.

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