August 30th, 2010
Getting a great deal on van insurance is not as tricky as you might think. All you have to do is know where to look.
When your van insurance renewal premium arrives through the post, you might be disheartened by the price you have to pay to continue with the same van insurance provider. Most insurance companies offer new customers a great deal when they sign up, but at the time of the renewal the premium goes up and the customer has to pay more.
It can be frustrating to change van insurance provider every year, but this is the way you can find the best deals. If you use a van insurance price comparison website, you will be able to look at quotes from many different van insurance providers and choose the most cost effective quote.
It’s important to make sure that you don’t just choose the cheapest level of van insurance available. If you buy the cheapest cover, it will most likely not include things that you should have on a van insurance policy such as vehicle theft cover or a comprehensive level of vehicle contents cover.
August 26th, 2010
Van insurance can be expensive, especially if you have had to make a claim and have lost your no-claims bonus.
Your no-claims bonus can really make a difference to how much your van insurance premium is. For example, if you have 50% no-claims bonus, your insurance policy will be only half the price of a policy that has zero no-claims bonus.
It can be really easy to accumulate a good level of no-claims bonus, you just have to make sure you don’t make a claim on your insurance policy. It’s not always possible to do this of course, but you can be a careful driver and try to avoid situations where an accident may occur.
No-claims bonus is usually accrued at about 10% for every year, up to about 65% in total as long as you don’t make a claim.
Some van insurance companies let you protect your no-claims bonus by paying an additional premium. This can mean that if you do have to make a claim, your bonus level will not drop to zero. If you have protected no-claims and you make a claim, it’s worth noting that while your bonus level will not reduce, it may go back to zero if you move your insurance provider.
August 25th, 2010
There are three main types of van insurance available in the UK – Third party only insurance, Third party fire and theft insurance and fully comprehensive insurance.
These policies vary in terms of what level of cover they offer and as such they can vary in price. Here we will discuss these three different types of insurance.
Third party only insurance
Third party only insurance will provide insurance cover for a third party only in the event of an accident that was your fault. If your van is also damaged, this level of cover will not provide adequate cover to cover the repair or replacement of your vehicle
Third party fire and theft
This level of insurance does not just cover third parties in the event of an accident, it will also provide cover for your vehicle if it is stolen or if it has suffered fire damage.
Fully comprehensive insurance
This is perhaps the best cover you can get for your van, as it not only covers third parties and fire and theft, it also covers repairs to your van if it is damaged in an accident that was your fault. Or if the van is damaged beyond repair it will offer some monetary compensation so you can purchase another vehicle.
August 24th, 2010
If you have just had your van insurance renewal through the post, it’s time to start looking for a new insurance provider.
You might think that the above statement is a little bold, but the most competitive quotes are from insurance providers that need new business. So whilst you may have had no problems with your insurance provider over the past year, it is rarely the case that your renewal premium will be as competitively priced as a quote from a new insurance provider.
If you want to make the job off looking for a new insurance policy quick and easy, why not have a look online. If you use a van insurance price comparison website you can look at deals from lots of different van insurance specialists and choose the most appropriate one.
It’s important to remember not to choose the cheapest quote. Have a look at the things you need from your insurance provider, such as contents cover or courtesy vehicle cover and compare the quotes and policy summaries from the different providers before finalising the deal.
August 24th, 2010
It is the time of year when many drivers are looking to either renew their insurance policy or take out a new insurance policy with a different insurance provider. With September being the date when new vehicle registrations are released, many van owners choose to collect their new vehicle as soon as possible after this date to benefit from the new registration start and the monetary boost that having a vehicle displaying a ‘new’ number plate provides.
New vehicle registrations used to take place only once every year, but this has now been changed to twice a year to lessen the impact on car manufacturers of selling most of their vehicles during only a few months of the year.
Because there are thousands of calls to insurance companies at this time of year, it can be difficult to get through to get a quote. And, you can often find yourself in a queue waiting to speak to an insurance provider. To get rid of this wait and get more than one insurance quote at the same time, a great thing to do is to use a van insurance comparison website. The comparison website will provide quotes from different insurance providers and give you a summary of what is included in each policy. For this reason alone, it’s a great idea to buy your van insurance online and not be put on hold when you are trying to get the best deal.
August 23rd, 2010
When you are considering renewing your van insurance policy, there are 3 levels of van insurance available, which you will be required to choose between. Before starting to look for quotes, it is important to decide which level of cover you require.
The most basic level of insurance cover for your vehicle is Third Party cover. This is the minimum level of insurance cover for a vehicle, as required by UK law. A Third Party insurance policy provides cover of your liability, ensuring compensation is available, in the instance of the injury or death of another person (third party); this includes other people in your van, or your liability if you damage a third party’s property.
Most insurers offer policies which provide a greater level of cover than Third Party, such as Third Party Fire and Theft and Fully Comprehensive, but the details of these policies vary between companies. Ensure you read the small print, so that you understand what is covered by your policy.
In order to get the best deal, make sure you don’t just focus on price. A cheaper quote may not provide you with the level of cover you need.
August 23rd, 2010
A man from Rossendale is on the verge of bankruptcy after thieves stole his van. The man, a puppeteer, had equipment in the van worth an estimated £12,000 and the puppets that were his livelihood.
The man has not been able to fulfil his contractual obligations performing Punch and Judy at various locations around the UK since and has had to take work as a TV extra just to pay the bills.
Mr John Jacques stated:
“For the sake of a few hundred pounds in scrap metal, these thieves have put me on the brink of bankruptcy because I can’t perform anymore.
“I don’t make a fortune, I make a crust, and now I am struggling even more.
“To call these people scum is more than they deserve but that is the way the world works nowadays.”
Mr Jacques’ van was stolen from a car park on the 6th of July at the block of flats where he lives in Bacup Road, Rawtenstall. He contacted his insurance company only to find that the level of cover he had only compensated him if he had an accident and did not provide for the theft of items that were left in his vehicle overnight.
When you buy van insurance, it’s important to make sure that you are adequately covered if your van is stolen or involved in an accident.
August 20th, 2010
When you apply online for a new van insurance policy, the insurance provider will ask you to fill in details such as your postcode and where the van will be kept overnight. These two elements play a vital role in how much your van insurance premium will be. If you live in an inner city area and you have to park your van on the road, your insurance will be comparatively higher than someone who has the same personal circumstances but lives in a rural location and parks their van in a garage.
You can’t change where you live just to make your van insurance cheaper, but there are other things you can do to reduce the premium you pay and keep your van safe:
• Take an advanced driver training course
• Where possible, use secure parking for the van
• If the van doesn’t have one – install an alarm and immobiliser system
• Improve the security on the rear doors of the van
• Use warning stickers on the van such as – “No Tools Kept in this Vehicle”
• Don’t leave any personal items on display when you are not in the van
• Choose appropriate places to park, don’t let your van be the only vehicle in a car park
One of the best ways to reduce your van insurance premium is to accumulate a good level of no-claims bonus. And, if you keep the vehicle as safe from theft as possible, this can really help.
August 18th, 2010
If you own a van for business use, you need to make sure that you are adequately covered in case you have an accident and you have to make a claim on your policy. You also need to make sure that you have some sort of breakdown cover and that you have courtesy van cover in case your van is out of action for some time.
Breakdown cover for vans
If you own a van and you need to use it everyday, you will need breakdown cover so you can get back on the road quickly if you break down. If you let clients down they will not recommend you or use you in the future which can have serious consequences on future business.
Some van insurance companies offer van breakdown cover as part of the policy. And some van insurance companies will expect you to pay extra for it. Breakdown cover can also be purchased separately from any vehicle insurance but it is commonly more expensive to do it this way. The best method is to buy your breakdown cover when you get your van insurance policy.
August 18th, 2010
If you are looking for a new van insurance policy, it can be difficult to choose one that offers a comprehensive level of cover. One policy might have a high level of excess on windscreen replacement and another may not have any excess at all. That’s why it’s so important that you read the policy schedule and check to see what is included on the policy and what isn’t.
Some of the things you should look for when taking out a van insurance policy include:
• Cover for your windscreen, sunroof and all other windows
• Replacement locks
• Personal belongings cover
• Cover for damage to your van or theft of the van
If you check your policy schedule, you may find that some things have a higher excess than others. In some cases if you increase the excess levels, you can reduce the premiums you pay. However, if you make a claim on the insurance policy, you will have to pay more money as part of your claim.
If your insurance premium is not due for renewal, it’s always worth contacting your current insurance provider to find out what your current excess levels are and finding out if you need to add any extras to your policy to bring it up to an acceptable standard.
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