Discount scheme with Sky Insurance!!

[foggyjames]

Let's be honest...and no offence to Ollie and Jae...but I don't think anyone who has to buy insurance actually likes doing it, or the companies we end up having to do business with...it somehow *never* seems fair. The only genuinely good deal I've ever felt I've got turned out to be an error (on the part of the insurer), albeit one the insurer honoured...and continues to honour to this day, as it happens.

The criticism being aimed at Sky here could be aimed at numerous other insurance companies...possibly even all. To put it another way, I can't help but feel that Sky are bearing the brunt of the frustration which most of us have with the car insurance industry at large. I too get extremely frustrated by the cost of insurance, but seriously guys...life's too short. Just move on...to a different company if one in particular isn't doing the business for you any more! I used to be a loyal customer of Chris Knott (who run the official VOC insurance scheme), but they've stopped being competitive for my cars, so I don't use them any more. I've been tempted to ask them here on the forum why they're no longer competitive for me (and I surely don't tick that many boxes as a bad risk...) when they're touting themselves as being *the* place to go for the Volvo enthusiast...but I've got better things to be doing, frankly.

I suppose the question I have to ask is whether a company offering a "service" to the club (I'm talking now about an 'official' club scheme) ought to have provision in place to insure *everyone* at (or close to) the best price without the need to shop around too much. If someone's situation dictates that they need specialist insurance, that might be a little different....but competitive cover for the vast majority of customers should be offered as part of an official club scheme. We recently heard, for example, that CK were automatically rejecting all Mxx postcodes...which seems at odds with the role a club insurer should be performing...i.e. it doesn't seem much like a two-way street at that point. That's not a specific criticism of CK (or one I'm asking to be answered), as I don't think *any* insurance company could currently offer that service across the board...but it'd be nice, wouldn't it? Question is...is it even possible?

As for the admin/moderation side of things...we will undoubtedly be having a discussion about this subject in more depth between us, but a few informal thoughts off the top of my head...

1) Members of the "Traders" group are there simply to differentiate them from a regular member passing on a good experience of a particular commercial service. Some rather devious traders have historically pushed their brand whilst posing as a punter (and sometimes more than one punter...). Naughty!

2) There is no 'endorsement' of that particular trader by the club, but the right to be a member of that group (and hence to publicise the business) can be revoked under exceptional circumstances. My feeling is that we're not there...not by a long shot.

3) Members...you're free to question traders...that's part of the deal of them being here...but I have to support what Ryan has just said - some of you are being downright rude. Keep your posting style under control, please.

cheers

James

[Oilydad]

I can assure you that you SKY INSURANCE will not, ever, be getting MY or any of my family's business, after the way that you have sidelined one of our members. Clearly unemployed people are taboo with this company.

I too, am amazed and, frankly, disgusted.

There are a lot of very decent, and through no fault of their own, unemployed people, who need car insurance.

[skyinsurance_ollie]

Hi guys,

despite a little opposition from some members(which we take on the chin) we are still here and happy to talk any Volvo Owners Club members through a quotation.

A lot of you may have seen in the press that there has been a huge hike in insurance rates this year so it is well worth shopping around when you receive your renewal invitation.

To clarify what Sky Insurance are about, we are a broker specialising in modified, performance and import car insurance, we can quote on standard cars but there is a lot of competition for this type of business, we specialise in the sort of business that your average insurer struggles with, ie cars that are a little different.

If that is you, please get in contact.

tel: 0208 3645500 - please make it clear you are a Volvo Owners Club member if you do choose to speak to us.

Thanks

Ollie
Sky Insurance

[johnnyv70]

here we go again...................yawn!!!!!

[foggyjames]

Right, line in the sand time guys.

Sky Insurance is no different to any other insurer in that they will only be able to provide competitive cover for the risks their underwriters are happy with. I'm sure there are situations in which every insurance company will not want your business (hence the silly prices you often see on the price comparison sites).

You've all had a good say on the subject (more than is probably justified, to be fair), so I don't want to hear any more about the matter. If you're unhappy with the way the insurance industry works and feel the need to become vocal about it, can I suggest you contact the ABI (http://www.abi.org.uk/) rather than hounding Sky?

Don't make me wield my moderation stick!

cheers

James

[Alec Dawe]

Something which should be brought up regarding insurance, of any type, is the huge hike in premiums caused by the importing of the American litigation culture to the UK.
You should be aware, that because of the ambulance chasing activiteis of the "Have you had an accident in the last 27 years" no win, no fee, specialists (bloodsuckers by another name) that for every £1.00 the car insurance companies pay out in claims, they pay another £0.80+ in fees to these leaches.
Or, to put it another way, if you pay £360 a year in premium, £160 of that goes to the Accident Lawyers are us type companies, £200 would have covered your 'normal' premium costs.
No axe to grind in favopur of the 'ordinary' car insurance companies, after all, I have just been made forcibly redundant from one of the UK's largest insurers (By telephone no less.. mobile phone call!) But its interesting to show how much we are all paying out to the ambulance chasers.

[skyinsurance_ollie]

Originally Posted by Alec Dawe

Something which should be brought up regarding insurance, of any type, is the huge hike in premiums caused by the importing of the American litigation culture to the UK.
You should be aware, that because of the ambulance chasing activiteis of the "Have you had an accident in the last 27 years" no win, no fee, specialists (bloodsuckers by another name) that for every £1.00 the car insurance companies pay out in claims, they pay another £0.80+ in fees to these leaches.
Or, to put it another way, if you pay £360 a year in premium, £160 of that goes to the Accident Lawyers are us type companies, £200 would have covered your 'normal' premium costs.
No axe to grind in favopur of the 'ordinary' car insurance companies, after all, I have just been made forcibly redundant from one of the UK's largest insurers (By telephone no less.. mobile phone call!) But its interesting to show how much we are all paying out to the ambulance chasers.

With respect, this is a Sky Insurance thread, not a 'insurance industry thread' What you have said is probably best off as a seperate topic.

Although I do agree with what you say.

[Jod T5]

Good Evening...
Can you clarify:
a) You are a "Broker", as claimed, therefore regulated by the BIBA rules..and
b) Can you confirm what insurance companies are offering you a discount for Volvo owners or whether you are subsidising your commission to obtain a "competetive" quote for Volvo owners, thus likely to involve a premium hike after the first year...
c) Please confirm (under regulation guidelines iirc, it is a while since i sat the ACII exams) the commission percentage you receive from each underwritten policy...

This aside as a former underwriter at a Lloyds agency, and Royal Insurance (uk) ltd it is solely at the discrecion of the underwriter to accept or decline a risk...A agent can only sway a underwriters decision, in my experience due to agent turnover weight...

It has to be noted that nowerdays cover, be it Comprehensive or Third party fire and theft (tpo or RTA) are very similar in price because the insurers are attempting to close the gap, which IMO is to encourage people to take the Comprehensive option to enable Insurers to settle claims on a knock for knock (liability not discussed) basis and let the ambulance chasing uninsured loss (which is why excess' are imposed) companies pay the bill for the liability and therfore resolve the fault issue...Which is silly really, because they (us) at the end of the day pay the inflated costs...


Jod

[Jaff87]

I'm insured with sky currently as they beat my renewal by hundreds of pounds and also embarrassed the guy at Chris knott and Brentacre.
Unfortunately insurance is all about risks or prejudice. For example discriminated against for being, young,male,single,where I live,what I work as,what I drive, not having kids, and where I park.
I'm sure you'll find a lot of insurers impose a higher than 2000 threshold on fully comp. Possibly because any crash is pretty much a write off. Employment is another thing why as an office worker am I a higher risk than a doctor? Who knows. I know of a few people who have to put unemployed down even though clearly they are a drug dealer.
Sky has a niche of basically performance and modified cars, same as diamond does women, saga won't insure any one under 50, greenlight refuse to insure anything they don't deem fast enough.I'm sure marks and Spencer until recently would not insure over a 2.0. They have a niche to do best for that niche.the same as you get cheaper and better parts for your volvo atvolvo specialist a motor factor than you would at a halfords who do everyone and you probably wouldn't get ontoo well if you tried a fiat garage.
What would be your reaction if say a classic car specialist put up an add saying they'll give club members a good deal and I called up and they said my car was tooyoung and to call back in 15 years. sure they could be helping a lot of members but there would be a lArge percentage they would be alienating. and sure as fudge it would be some one who could not be helped that would be the first to post. at least sky have a presence on here and take time to reply, I'm on various clubs and all have club promotions and traders on there who only post adds then you never hear from them until there is another promotion going on.

[skyinsurance_ollie]

Originally Posted by Jod T5

Good Evening...
Can you clarify:


Jod

Hi Jod,

thanks for your post..

As a broker, we are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, full details on our website.

The underwriters we use via our car club scheme are Amlin, Chaucer and Markerstudy. We have negotiated a discount with these particular underwriters for members of affiliated car clubs, subject to the member fitting the acceptance criteria.

Regards

Ollie
Sky Insurance