Insurance

[MOWYA Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MOWYA]

My missus was with Real Insurance,she was involved in a accident and was in hospital,so I had to call and lodged a claim,first thing they asked was for me to get a copy of driving history from Vicroads!!! And yeh,this was her 2nd claim in 2 years and for her renewal for third year, they sent a letter saying we cant insure you because you are a high risk driver and even though they gave her premium 1 rating for life!!!So much for saving a penny to go with this cheap insurance companies!!!

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

NRMA's excess for over 25's is $600. Their windscreen cover was only an extra $7 for annum. I have to admit I was really happy with their service when I made the claim. They acted quickly and were extremely friendly. The assessor who I was expecting to be a grump of a man like a driving test instructor was really friendly and open to chat about the whole process to me. But in the end, they are expensive to insure with given the asking price of their monthly premium. There's no denying that. You're paying for their massive marketing campaign and sponsoring of the Brisbane Broncos. They have an add on TV almost every set of commercials in Brisbane and that doesn't come cheap.

[letsgoplaces Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close letsgoplaces]

I have been insured with RAA (SA version of NRMA) and they are excellent to deal with, but not cheap. I am now with CGU and they too have been excellent to deal with. Had an instance last December when my mother in law (not listed as a driver) borrowed the car, got backed into when she and another driver were reversing out of their carparks and collided. The other car drove off. They hit hard enough so that three people came and gave my MIL the rego details of the other car. She reported it to the police and then the insurance got involved. The final result was my car was fixed and my only out of pocket expense was for the loan car. CGU even tried to get that amount from the other driver, then had to put the whole thing in the hands of collectors, but still have not been able to get any money from the other party. The whole process was easy. And yes for the cheaper insurers.... you do get what you pay for (unfortunately)

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

when it comes to insurance it comes down to what you are happy with and what works for you, some ppl like pay b uy the month and some do it annually, i have a few things with nrma, ie, 2 x greenslips prado + xr5, 2 times comp insurance, road service as well as house and contents, from what i have found put everything in both names, ie both your and you wife or partner, its something they dont tell you unless you ask, this will give you the max benifit out of the insurance, companies. lets face it, they are all parisites but they are a necessary evil. cheers samo

[Tonner Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tonner]

So the New Playdoh is due to be delivered THIS FRIDAY (30/9)!!!! In antisipation I have gone hunting to sort the insurance out, and though I'd contribute here (this thread) as it helped me understand what questions to ask and where the standard is.

Our priorities are a little different to most, with Flexability and Coverage being more important to us than Price (relatively speaking). We plan of doing some serious touring in the next 2 years, including crossing the Simpson, and the Canning Stock Route from end to end.

The Deal:
- $90,000 Agreed Value
- $1000 Base Excess (higher than the usual $600, but reduced premiums as a result)
- $400 additional Under 25 years old Excess (on top of Base Excess)
- $1,600 Undisclosed Under Age (25 yrs) Excess (on top of Base Excess)
- $105.18 Monthly Premium
- Up to $500 for damaged Vehicle Contence in the event of an accident
- Unlimited Glass Cover (No Excess - all windows, not just windscreen)
- First 2 Years of New Car = New for Old Replacement
- All modifcations are covered (providing they are RTA Legal), without Listing them on the Policy, providing they fall inside the Agreed Value if the Car is written off, but must have proof of purchase (receipts). If the missus kisses someones butt (literally) in the car and I have a reciept for a Deluxe Bull Bar and Warn Winch... then thats what I get back ** this is a big one for me, and a real point of difference with some other providers**
- Covered for all Offroad Driving (road or no road, including River Crossings) anywhere in Australia, providing it is not part of a competition
- Cover reasonable cost of Recovery anywhere in Australia (if I break it in the middle of the Simpson, I may (or may not) need to contribute a bit, but other than that it's all sorted)
- Covers any driver who has our permission to drive the car (i.e. has not stollen it), with only the undisclosed under 25 yrs Excess that comes into play ontop.
- Importantly the woman I spoke to on the phone knew her stuff completely, had good sugestions, and was generally very helpful and pleasant to deal with (which certainly was not the case with the other couple I contacted).

And the winner is.... NRMA Comprehensive Car Insurance (sorry Corigator, my bad). To be honest you could probably hunt down another deal with marginally better premiums for the same cover, but you could also spent 2 days solid on the phone researching to find it (I just scrape in as a Gen "Y", and work in the Mining Construction Industry.... that makes me as Time Poor as it gets!)

... think thats about it, hope this helps a few people out.

P.S. I'm going to have way more fun updating a build thread than this insurance thread!!!

[Corigator Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Corigator]

...and the winning company was ???

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

While we're on this topic:

Due to my recent body lift exceeding the Allianz insurance policy, I've had to look around for a more 4x4 friendly company that doesn't mind 3"+ lifts.

Some options found were Shannons (limited agreed value), Just Car (limited agreed value), NRMA (ok) and DGA.

I have ended up with DGA because they cover all off road situations and the agreed value is based on my input (accessories/mods) not policy limitations.

[Tonner Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tonner]

...and the winning company was ???

Edited Post....

[Prado BB Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado BB]

I recently went through this exercise and wanted all my extras and mods listed. Well what do you know, no one wanted to insure me, mainly because of the performance chip. I ended up with TCIS who is a broker and they have an arrangement with Alliance and others only if you are club member. The premium was a few dollars more than my previous insurer (who incidentally wouldn't insure me with all the mods).

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

I've re-used an old thread here to save creating a new one.
I've got an insurance delemma where I could possibly be taken advantage of by my insurance company and I need some advice so I can better prepare myself. It's a bit of a story but I'll paint the picture as clearly as I can.

Details of the accident:
I was in the R/H lane of a small roundabout recently with the intent to go straight through. A sedan in the L/H lane had 3/4 of a car length infront of me and turned right across my lane on the roundabout without looking and the L/H corner of my bullbar collided with her driver's side door. She did it with no warning whatsoever and the collision resulted on her car having a dented driver's side door, smashed driver's side window, bent hinges on the rear door and a popped front L.H.S tyre from when my car pushed her into the gutter from the inpact. My 10+ yr old alloy bullbar was bent in on the left wing by 10mm (impact was on front L/H corner of bullbar and some of the L/H wing by the looks of it). The right wing is protruding by approx 30mm from the side of the body of the car and the bullbar brackets which connect to the chassis look straight to me. If they are bent it's only very slightly. One of the clamps also holding the bullbar to the chassis has been dislodged to the side by about 4mm. The woman who hit me was completely in the wrong as the L/H lane only goes through whereas the R/H can go through or turn right. She was good about it all though and I changed her tyre so she could drive the 5 minutes to get home.

At the assessment centre:
I went to the assessment centre and the assessment guy there looked at the damage and admitted the brackets holding the bullbar on were bent and looked at the side damage. He said the repairer may not replace the alloy bull bar but only repair it and polish it up like new. I said to the assessment guy, "I didn't cause the accident and I don't want a repaired bullbar on the front of my car that's been pre-weakened by an accident." He then repeated again that they'll look at it and if it's too badly damaged and cannot be repaired then they'll have it replaced, but they'll look to repair it first and foremost. Otherwise…. and get this bit…. Otherwise they'll "straighten up" the brackets, bend it back into shape, polish it up and it'll look like it's brand new.

He was a nice bloke, but still was focusing so much on the possible repairing of the bar. I knew I should've hit it with a sledge hammer a few times at home beforehand.
The way I look at it I should be entitle to a new bullbar (even one of the cheapest at the very least) since it's designed for frontal protection and getting it straightened isn't suitable in my book as the lady pulled out infront of me and damaged it & bent it… Not the other way around.

Where to go from here
After I asked, the insurance girl I lodged the initial claim with said I could supply the part number of the new bullbar I want to the repairer and they can have it fitted for me as i believed beyond reasonable doubt it'd be a replacement job.

I didn't mention anything to the assessor about which bar I'd like or who from, but when I mentioned it should be replaced and not repaired, he stopped me in my tracks with that avenue. I thought this was a bit rich considering the other woman's insurance company will be billed for the damage anyway.

When I take the car to the preferred repairer next week, would I be pushing boundaries and looking silly in the process in asking, "should the bullbar be replaced, here's the one or two different models I'd want fitted to the car." I think it's only fair because mine is damaged, slightly bent and compromised for what it's designed to do and that's protect the car. I'm not aiming high end for a new bullbar either. I'd be happy with a black TJM steel Fleet winch bar ($1400 fitted, or even an Ironman Protector Bar $1,700 fitted. And to be totally honest, either of these bars are much cheaper than a replacement alloy bar. TJM no longer make alloy bars for my Prado, ARB only make steel bars and they're more expensive again that what I want, and ECB alloy bullbars..... Forget about it as their price will blow you out of the water. So I don't think Im asking the Earth as it'd be a cheaper replacement for them, and I just don't think they should repair the bar and polish it up to make it look pretty when I think I should be entitle to a new one. I've deliberately selected two cheaper replacement bars so I'm not taking cold advantage of anyone, but wouldn't mind one that is winch compatible if it's not asking too much.

Any thoughts and advice welcome.

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Hi Brett,

Sounds like a bit of a pickle. Though, glad to know there were no injuries.

I would start by reviewing all your policy documents to see exactly what you are covered for. If I were in your shoes, I would also feel entitled to a replacement bullbar and would argue this on concern of safety.

Personally, I would also get some independent opinions from respected repairers. If they back up your viewpoint, then that will provide some weighty evidence, should you need to use it.

With regard this matter, I don't think there is any leverage in arguing who is to blame or whose insurance company is liable. I'd keep that out of the story and focus on the safety concern. At the end of the day, the repairers have the certificate to indicate they know what's best, so be passionate about your concern. If possible, have the opinion of independent repairers available to validate your passion.

Some insurance companies also give you the option to take a cash payment, which may be a better option.

At the end of the day, if you are unhappy with the decision, there will be a higher power to appeal to.

Best of luck with it Brett.

LFaR.

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

My pool fence (ie. nudge bar) was damaged a few months ago but a young fella reversing into it.
It was only slightly bent, enough to push it back into the plastic bumper and the spotlight brackets were also bent.

My repairer (not insurer) insisted it needed to be replaced and not repaired as the metal would be weakened by doing so.
It's been replaced with an ARB Sahara bar and the insurance Co were happy with that.

Hopefully if you push the integrity issue of the bar you might get your way.

[Brains Find all posts View Profile Close Brains]

I have always taken my car to MY repairer and get them to send the quote to my insurance. That way you get the first say as you tell the repairer what you won't reasonably accept, they will agree as they are keen for the work. Then the insurer has to comment on what the repairer has recommended. If need be get a couple of quotes which all show the same thing - replace the bar!
Good luck.

[Strider Member Find all posts View Profile Close Strider]

Get a repairer that will fight for your rights.....not one who keeps prices so low he gets all the work he quotes on!

Cheers
Alan

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

Thanks very much for the valuable and much appreciated assistance LFaR, Snaga, Brains and Strider. I'll post how I go after talking to the repairer when I drop my car off. I only noticed yesterday too that the front bolts holding in my bashplate were all loose from the collision. I had changed my engine oil like I do every 6,000km approx and always do the bolts back up properly afterwards. The front bolts were only left in by a few threads and the one of the far right was missing. So it looks like the bolts were stripped out of the holes from the stress of the impact. This will also back up my case of how hard the collision was and that surely the "alloy" bar cannot be repaired. The repairers should hopefully agree with me to have the bar replaced with a base range black steel one unless they're too stressed out from being busy all the time and don't give a rats what I've got to say, or like Strider said, try to keep prices low so they get all the work they quote on.