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View Full Version : AVOID Mini Insurance !!



thechief
14th October 2008, 06:47 PM
I took out a policy after my week of free insurance passed. The price was really good, no one could touch it and I thought all was well. At the time they were told of all options, chilli pack, JCW 18" wheels and leather interior.

The policy docs arrived the other week and I gave them a look over, I noticed they hadn't added my chilli pack to the 'modifications' but they had added the 18" JCW wheels and leather interior. I assumed it hadn't been added as it was a cluster of small options and none performance enhancing.

Anyway today I decided to query it to be on the safe side as insurers will use any reason to wriggle out of a claim. On the phone no one I spoke to even knew what a chilli pack was, in the end they asked me what it comprised of. So I rhymed off all the stuff (on the JCW), bluetooth, mats, trip computer, xenons, rear tints etc.

They cancelled my policy there and then! Supposedly the car has too much 'modifications' for someone my/gf's age. No apology for them arsing up and not listing the chilli pack, no call back after checking the recording of my original phone call, they just weren't bothered and didn't care how I was meant to get home from work with no insurance.

Spoke to a few people today who were all retards, I feel like invoicing them for my time :ragin:

For all the abuse elephant get they have been hassle free for me for 5 years now :rolleyes:

AndyP & Lenore
14th October 2008, 06:52 PM
That's just ridiculous:ragin:. I know the "MINI Insurance" label is just a trading name of UK Insurance Co, and it really just puts a few extra bucks in BMW's pockets each year. But you'd still think they would be clued up on the fact a Chilli pack is not a "modification".:eyes up:

Have to admit, Elephant have been great with us too. Two cars with them now, and I can see a third going on at renewal. Much cheapness, and absolutely hassle free when anything changes.:thumbs up:

A.:D

ianking
14th October 2008, 07:35 PM
Elephant seem good, they are part of admiral. I am with admiral and just got my renewal through. Had a quick check on elephant site and it was £100 cheaper. Then called admiral to tell them and cancell but they said they would match it and give free legal cover so still with amiral although I wish they would just give you the best price from the start.

Aberdeen Al
14th October 2008, 07:51 PM
Admiral are great - I was with them for around 9 years although had to move to Adrian Flux as Admiral admitted to me that although they charged a premium for my modifications.................they wouldn't replace them if I had to make a claim :frown:

The Dogfather
14th October 2008, 10:41 PM
You do realise that with Admiral they will insure you if you have modifications but they won't pay out for them. They class every option other than Chili as a modification. I had to speak to someone in the complaints dept before they would contact the underwriters to agree to cover my leather interior and visi pack.

Ferengo
15th October 2008, 08:16 AM
You do realise that with Admiral they will insure you if you have modifications but they won't pay out for them. They class every option other than Chili as a modification. I had to speak to someone in the complaints dept before they would contact the underwriters to agree to cover my leather interior and visi pack.

I assume that the pepper pack would be covered also with admiral? I had a quote from mini insurance for my R56 with pepper pack... Around the £1100 mark!!! I'm with admiral and it's around £600, but I do have a claim as my handbrake on my old car failed, it rolled down Lochee road into an Astra and was a Write off. Although I wasn't driving I'll be paying the price again for another year to come, then I don't have to tell them about it.

Admiral for me was the best. Why not try diamond and have your girlfriend as the main driver? They were goood for my wife when I was named, but to renew it was the same price and we went with Admiral as it was cheaper and my policy so I could drive other car 3rd party :thumbs up:.

GAJ
15th October 2008, 01:32 PM
You do realise that with Admiral they will insure you if you have modifications but they won't pay out for them. They class every option other than Chili as a modification. I had to speak to someone in the complaints dept before they would contact the underwriters to agree to cover my leather interior and visi pack.

I am insured with Elephant (part of the Admiral group). When I had a to make a claim a couple of years ago, part of it included 4 new wheels. (Don't ask!!) My car is a 52 Cooper, with chilli pack so came with 16" 5 spokes. A Cooper as standard then came with 15" pepper pots. My car had at the time 17" S-lites and elephant paid to replace them without a problem. So don't believe all your pre-conceptions as my experience was very different. And they are , for me anyway, dirt cheap, just over £230 a year with no voluntary excess and only 2 years NCB.

The Dogfather
15th October 2008, 08:31 PM
GAJ, its a new company policy, they were fine in April when we bought the Blue Clubman but on renewal they tell you its all changed. It took a 30 min conversation with a indian call centre and a follow up call to the complaints dept before I was properly insured.