Specialist touring caravan insurance

Although it’s not compulsory by law to have caravan insurance to keep or use a touring caravan in the UK, even the most careful caravanner can encounter an unexpected mishap, (often through no fault of their own), leaving them exposed to substantial repair or replacement costs – and the associated inconvenience and distress.

Taking out quality touring caravan insurance cover is a cost effective way to protect your investment. Did you know that 1 in 20 caravanners found cause to claim on their caravan insurance policy, and the average caravan claims cost is equal to 16 times the annual caravan insurance premium!

Hardy caravanners are used to braving the changeable British weather, but floods, high winds, storms and heavy snowfall can cause significant and lasting damage to your caravan. The caravanning community is also especially vulnerable to theft, with most caravans containing expensive equipment and fittings. Most caravan insurance claims relating to road accidents are the result of snaking and crashing, or instances where caravans have become detached from the towing vehicle.

When looking for cheap caravan insurance online, it’s all too easy to be lured in by a low price tag, but if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Only specialist insurers fully understand how caravanners use their product, and tailor their policies to suit such use. When buying insurance for your caravan, be sure to check the basis of cover and watch out for hidden policy excesses.

It’s important to check you have the appropriate cover in place, as your car insurance will not cover the cost of repairing or replacing your caravan and its contents. It’s illegal to tow a caravan in some European countries unless you have bought caravan insurance, so having the flexibility to adjust the continental cover, personal accident and public liability to suit your needs is also important. Whether you have a caravan, touring caravan, static caravan or even a folding caravan, Shield can help find you the best possible insurance policy to meet your needs.

Whether or not you can insure something depends on a number of items, including: Legality, Exclusions and something called ‘Insurable Interest.’

Legality – There is a basic rule that forbids the insurance of something illegal. For example, burglars cannot insure themselves against loss of income caused resulting from them being sent to jail.

Exclusions – All insurances contain exclusions and/or restricting conditions. Some of these exclusions exist because insurers feel the premium they are charging is not designed to cater for that risk or because no premium could be large enough for the risk.

Insurable interest – When you buy insurance you are buying a promise that the consequence of any loss you suffer will be reimbursed in accordance with policy conditions. This is why it is vital that your policy is in the name of the owner(s) of the property to be insured. If you have a loan against your unit this will usually be reviewed as part of the claims process. However, if you are in any doubt, simply contact your broker and ask for the interest of your bank or building society to be noted. The same can be done if you own a unit with a friend.

We believe in offering high quality cover, to make sure that your touring caravan is properly protected should the worst happen. Unlike some other touring caravan insurance providers, we don’t believe in penalising you with a limited choice of options. We therefore offer three types of cover subject to underwriting terms:

New for old (also known as reinstatement): This gives you cover for a like-for-like replacement caravan (or the closest available match); up to the value of the sum insured you have bought; in the event of a total loss e.g. an unrecoverable theft or irreparable accident. Considered by many to be the best option if your caravan is new or nearly new – just remember to keep the replacement value of your touring caravan up to date with the current sum insured on your policy.

Market value (also known as indemnity): Your touring caravan insurance will cover the cost of an equivalent caravan, taking account of its age and condition. Often the cover of choice for older caravans, as used values are currently holding up.

Agreed value (also known as guaranteed value): This is what the insurer will pay should your caravan be stolen or written off, less any policy excess applicable. Assuming you are in possession of a receipt or proof of purchase from a recognised UK dealer that is less than 5 years old, we can agree to insure your touring caravan for the amount shown in your Evidence of Insurance irrespective of the age of the caravan, or whether it is new or second hand (provided the sum insured is no more than the price you paid). This can be a good option for vintage or classic caravans, or caravans with added extras beyond the standard specification for that make and model, to ensure you receive the same amount as you paid.

Having an adequate sum insured is extremely important. So how should you go about ensuring your sum insured is big enough? The following provides a guide:

New for old: It’s essential that you insure for the cost of a brand new unit of equivalent size and quality as supplied to you by a dealer plus an additional amount to allow for any increase in the price during the period of insurance being purchased. The same applies to furnishings, contents and equipment, the only exception being clothing and domestic linen where an allowance for wear and tear should be made.

Market value: The unit and its contents should be insured for their current market value taking into account age, wear and tear. Check your policy to ensure that no individual item is worth more than the maximum insurers will pay for a single item unless advised to us.

Agreed value: This is designed to ensure that in the event of a total loss, you get back the amount you paid for your unit (less any policy excess applicable). This is providing you have a purchase receipt from a recognised dealer that is less than 5 years old, the maximum settlement is limited to the amount shown in the Evidence of Insurance and the sum insured is no more than the price you paid for your touring caravan.

An excess is the amount that you agree to pay towards any claim made on your policy. The first element of this is the compulsory excess: the set amount as determined by your insurer. The second part consists of the voluntary excess: an additional amount that you agree to contribute in the event of a claim. Generally, the higher the level of voluntary excess you choose, the lower the cost of the premium.

Setting your excess is often referred to as a balancing act; you want to keep your premium low, but you still want to be able to put your policy to good use if a claim arises.

Buying caravan insurance can be a costly, time consuming and confusing process, and with so many products available it’s often difficult to know which one to choose. Your choice of provider will depend on many factors including price, breadth of cover, service provided or strength of the insurer.

At Shield, our highest priority is satisfying our customers and our best recommendations come from word of mouth – satisfied customers who have told their friends about us. Why not check out our recent Feefo reviews to see what our customers are saying about us!

All insurance companies have to supply sufficient information to allow you to make an informed choice about their offering, via an Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) . Even after you take the plunge, you are entitled to a 14 day ‘Cooling Off Period’ when you can change your mind where you can be charged for time on cover. The ‘Cooling Off Period’ starts when you receive your documents or when the insurance starts, whichever is later.

The final decision as to where to buy your insurance is entirely yours. If you are under pressure to buy insurance from someone other than your preferred choice, our suggestion is that you ask the insurers’ regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), to help you.

When buying a touring caravan insurance policy, customers need sufficient information to make an informed decision and should expect proper evidence of their insurance to be provided.

Comparing full policy documents is a lengthy and difficult process. As a result, anyone selling insurance to the public is required to provide a Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) to simplify comparisons. This document enables you to see what benefits are offered but also what significant conditions or exclusions apply.

Whatever you buy from a retailer you expect to receive your product quickly and to receive evidence of what you’ve ordered. In the case of insurance, your product comes in the form of a promise set out in a policy wording and personalised documentation.

The paperwork should clearly identify the parties in the promise. The parties are the Insurer(s) making the promise and you, to whom the promise is made. Other information should appear such as a description of the property being insured, the sections of cover included, the relevant sums insured, the excess, the period covered and any special additional conditions.

Check your documents to satisfy yourself you have been given what you expect, in the same way as you would check any product you buy. In particular, if the paperwork contains any inaccuracies or if you are unhappy, contact us for clarification or to correct a problem. If this is not possible, you have the right to cancel within 14 days.

Let insurers know should any of that information change: Your insurers promise to cover you for certain losses you suffer and this promise is made on the basis of information you provide. A change in your information may not affect the amount you pay or the conditions that apply, but the result could be an increase or even a reduction in your premium. Whilst this might be annoying, the dangers of not keeping your insurers up-to-date are significant. On the plus side, it’s possible your claim could be unaffected because the change in information has nothing to do with the circumstances of your loss. On the other hand your claim could be reduced or even rejected completely and there is little point in paying premiums unless your policy responds following an otherwise insured loss.

Underlying all insurances is the expectation that you will act reasonably: The existence of a policy does not mean you can ignore all dangers or behave in a negligent manner in the belief that insurers will act as your safety net irrespective of the increased exposures such behaviour would create. If a customer acts negligently, insurers may increase premiums at renewal or even decline to offer terms. In extreme cases, insurers will decline a claim for a loss directly caused through a lack of due care.

If you are unfortunate to suffer any loss, damage, incident or occurrence that is likely to give rise to a claim, it’s important that you report this as soon as possible. In the event of theft or other malicious incident you must give immediate notice of loss to the Police, who usually will provide a report or reference number.

To enable our friendly claims advisors to process your claim as quickly as possible, please refer to the claims contact details contained within your Evidence of Insurance to confirm the name of your insurer, the policy reference number and details of the level of insurance cover provided.

If you don’t have the claims contact details to hand, please call us on 0800 393 966.

The whole point of insurance is that you can claim when disaster strikes. When considering claims, insurers will be taking into account a number of elements that will include policy conditions, sums insured and information provided by you. That’s why it’s important to check your policy documentation and, if you have any concerns about the accuracy of information you provided it is essential to address this before any loss takes place.

Insurers value their customers and recognise that an insurance product is measured by the way in which claims are settled. It’s in everyone’s interests to ensure the claim process is as painless as possible and that the customers’ expectations are fulfilled. There are four core elements in a claims process: 1) Report the loss 2) Return the completed claims form, 3) Communicate and 4) Settlement

Report the loss as soon as possible as this gives your insurer an opportunity to take appropriate action to prevent further damage. Significant delays will leave insurers wondering why you have kept them in the dark and can affect any settlement.

Return the completed claims form. Although your insurer takes details when you report a loss, they will also provide you with a form that enables the details to be formalised and checked for completeness and accuracy.

Communicate. If you work closely with insurers to deal with any residual queries, they will be able to make a settlement offer sooner. Insurers should provide you with updates on your claim but if you feel that something is unclear discuss your concerns with them.

Settlement. When your insurers have completed their review they will authorise payment for repairs or replacement or offer you a settlement with an explanation as to how the amount offered has been reached.

To begin with, your insurer will check to ensure your claim is valid. For example, and in no particular order, they will want to be happy that:

• The loss date was during the policy period
• The information you provided when buying the policy is correct
• Any lost or damaged property is covered by the policy
• The nature of the loss is covered by the policy
• You are the customer who bought the insurance

If any of these checks reveals a problem, you will be asked for more details so that your insurer clearly understands why you consider the claim is valid.

If your claim is very small, your insurer may be satisfied to authorise settlement over the telephone. However, for larger claims, it is likely that your insurers will appoint a Loss Adjuster who will visit you to take fuller details and report upon their findings.

Relying on the loss adjuster’s report, your insurer will offer you a settlement or reject your claim. In making an offer, your insurer will take account of the basis of settlement provided by your policy, the policy sums insured, your policy excess and any other applicable policy conditions.

In the event that Insurers reject your claim, they will tell you why. This gives you the opportunity to correct any misunderstandings or inaccuracies. If you are unhappy with the offer or feel your claim has been unfairly rejected, you are entitled to appeal or suggest a counter-offer. If this does not resolve the issue or you believe you have not been treated fairly, the complaints process is available for you to take matters further with your broker, your insurer and, finally, with the Financial Ombudsman Service.