Bob's last sentence reminded me of the recent discoveries in Rowter Hole. Although the Buttered Badgers rightfully took most of the credit, regular digging teams over the 4 year project (we spent 2 years digging in the wrong place!!) included members of the TSG, BEC, Eldon, Masson, SUSS, LUCC, NCC as well as a number of people not affiliated to any club and not holding BCA insurance. Often 4 different clubs would be represented on a typical digging night.
I don't know if anyone was listening to Radio 2 this morning on the Jeremy Vine show.
A cyclist, who happened to work for the BBC was knocked off his bike by a car. It was a clear cut case that the driver of the car was 100% responsible. Unfortunately for the cyclist, although the driver of the car was legally fully insured, because he had resprayed his car yellow from the original brown? he had technically made a modification to the vehicle and had failed to notify the insurer and as such they refused to make any payment to the cyclist.
Within 24 hours of the cyclist, a very senior BBC program controller, giving his business card to the insurance companies solicitor he received the full amount of his claim.
This demonstrates the levels that some insurance companies will stoop to in order to try and wriggle out of making genuine bona fide claims. I'm not suggesting for one minute that our new brokers would stoop to such levels, I have used their services when they used to offer policies for IRATA Assessors and was very satisfied with their service. Having said that, I never had to make a claim, and the majority of policy holders never make a claim.
How many stories do you hear about how fantastic ABC Insurance Co. was at sorting out the aftermath of an accident (other than on their own TV and radio commercials) compared to the number of stories you hear about how crap they were. I've heard three crap stories today!!
My general cynicism of insurance companies is based on the wholly crap stories that I hear, i've genuinely never heard a good story. It doesn't help that cynicism when you get a phone call from a no-win no fee solicitor less than 1 hour after calling the insurance company after somebody drove into the back of me and within 2 hours a call from my insurers almost forcing a ?300.00 per day hire car on me, all covered on my policy.
Is there any wonder insurance premiums are rising with this sort of behaviour?
Rant over.
I'll get my coat.
Mark