Accident of the month:

I know someone who bought a new build detached house and was protected by an NHBC guarantee... or so they thought. 

When subsidence started to occur they didn’t realise and they thought the cracks in the wall were the result of plaster settling, as can happen. 

When the cracks got bigger, they called in the NHBC to look at things. Needless to say they didn't exactly jump to the rescue,  and instead offered to merely observe the problem. When the cracks migrated from the ground floor to the first floor the house owners decided to get their own assessor in to take a look,  because no one will know bull better than someone who may have been trained in writing it themselves!!!

In short if you have to claim don’t get upset, it gets you nowhere, just accept that it may speed things along hugely to get your own person in and start to make things happen. We go to a doctor to get healthy, we use electricians and plumbers for their expertise... don’t be your own assessor or claims handler. Always keep receipts and accept it's right to pay for your own assessor to work on your behalf. Yes it might cost but do not simply rely on your insurance company alone to come up with the goods. Many a time, they still need one massive great push to realise they are providing you with a service.

Why bother with Insurance?

With premiums going up almost at the same rate as exclusions from cover are it's hard to feel that you are getting any value for money.

Insurance companies will offer you say, £200k worth of cover for £150 a month. Bearing in mind that’s not the valuation of the building but the cost to simply rebuild it. Remember an awful lot of properties cost nothing like that to rebuild, or even then if the rebuild was £100k isn’t it worth the peace of mind to have that protection?

Well first of all it’s a no brainer, but where the issue comes in is where the insurer doesn't take into account any emotional distress cause by the whole claim process. Should that matter to you the buyer of that policy? Absolutely and you need to understand the nature of insurance to appreciate that what you see is not what you get.

Look at those who were flooded out in the flash floods of a few years back, some are still living in caravans!!

What I am trying to put across is that you shouldn't rely on your insurance company to respond quickly, you must assume they will seek to blame anything from an Act of God to anyone else except themselves for your problems, possibly even you!! You need to put in whatever protection you can after all it’s your property and you paid a lot of money for it. 

So for sure it’s right to buy buildings insurance, as it is with many other types or insurance that you may need; but please remember this: do so knowing you will incur an excess, always read the exemptions, and check with your friends what they have heard about the Insurance company, not just what the adverts show you on TV or in the press. Don’t just rely on comparison sites, they get paid each time you buy insurance by the provider or even quote for it. 

Nothing beats the recommendation of someone you know, and please don’t forget that service and price can’t be ignored in what to look for.

At Trident Insurance we are not an Insurance company, WE ARE YOUR BROKER and we care to make sure you are looked after and get the best deal on price and cover. You can trust us to tell you how it is, and not pussy foot about! 

Finally, please be sure you know what you are looking to cover, and don’t fall for add-ons that you don’t need. I’ve said it before, it’s your hard earned money and you deserve good value and service, we respect that and believe we give you the best there is. 

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2013 

Sincerely

Robert D Marshall FCSI – Chairman

Direct Line: 020 8911 1405 

E-mail robertmarshall@aic.uk.net

Who's trying it on?

The above was the heading on the monthly newsletter from the Financial Ombudsman Service, and it makes interesting reading. 

In short it was taking about the endless ads on TV and the irritating unsolicited phone calls and texts offering help with PPI claims. A policy type we never sold by the way! 

The Chief Executive and Chief Ombudsman (it's same person, Natalie Ceeney) gave some interesting figures that seem to dismiss all the hype about our society turning into a compensation culture.

Her view is that, 

“I’m not seeing much that suggests consumers are more likely to make a speculative claim now than in the past” 

All I can say is that if you feel aggravated please don’t fester on it, make your complaint, this is the only way we will speed up the process and make change happen. Most importantly if you are going to complain always write to the party you are complaining about first. The Ombudsman service will not do a thing except acknowledge your letter or e-mail until the party you are complaining to, is given the right of reply first.

On Insurance claims excluding the PPI ones in the last quarter the number of claims resolved in favour  of the consumer for contents was 25%, commercial property insurance 35%, buildings insurance 49%, car and motorcycle 48%. There are a load of other areas from debt counselling (63%) to spread betting (68%) all of which most of us didn’t think the Ombudsman was involved in. 

I am a big fan of the Ombudsman Service because it does take an objective view and helps the end consumer. If you would like to get in touch with them on any issue you can call them on 0845 080 1800 or find out more at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk

Accident of the Month.

It’s not good form to laugh at someone's problems, but I suppose we all do it to make ourselves feel better.  Here's one example where we think it'g good to laugh. We recently received a call from a Client who said, no word of a lie,

“I’ve had a fatal accident!”

I’m not sure what the lady our end replied with, as the Client was clearly distressed, but to cut a long story short it appeared he had simply run over his cat!!

So please, we realise how distressing thinks like this can be, especially in the moment, but when you call to report an accident, please, try to have your sensible head on and stick to the facts as much as possible, it makes everything so much easier and less confusing all round.

Horror story of the month ...

We had a story where a client tapped his car into the back of the car in front, it can happen at any time as we know. The difference was that the lady driver of the car in front didn’t just get out of the car to check, she stormed out of the car effing and blinding and waving her hands hysterically to check for damage which was apparently not to be seen.

They both go their separate ways and our Client hears nothing more for 6 weeks when he receives a claim for whiplash. Both the driver and Trident pleaded to the Insurance company that this is fraud, but they won’t have it ,and they paid out £1,800 and upped his premium. They paid because it was cheaper to pay-out than fight the case which begs the question what’s the point of insurance when the very principals of protection are ignored because of legal fees!!

It’s a nightmare and can happen to anyone, and all I can say is having seen our guy’s just give up with the insurance company. If you find yourself in a similar situation, maybe take some pictures with your camera phone, to back up that you are clean and what the exact damage was. 

It’s a sad old world and fraud is getting worse, and whatever may appear to be clear between two people  can’t be taken for granted anymore. So please keep the camera to hand and start protecting yourself.

Why Big Firms Don’t Deliver For You.

As a Broker we are obliged to offer all material facts to Insurers to get you guys the best possible prices whether it’s for personal or commercial insurance that you need, and act as your agent. 

No problem there, but when things go wrong and people think they deserve more, we possibly would look (if we were handling your claim internally) as though we might be agreeing to a lower settlement than is due.  

So we need to make clear that as a company we never have and do not handle claims. We pass them over to an independent company called *First Response Law who fight for every penny you are entitled to. 

To us it’s the only way you can get the best independent service from start to finish working for your interests. 

The Competition  Commission has announced that it intends to look at the insurance industry, specifically in regards to motor insurance, where Insurers are putting vehicles into garages they contract with; to secure discounts for works done but they don’t pass over the discount to the other side. This extra cost is put at an extra £10-20 per policy per year.

Without information easily available the end user starts to suspect the worst and being short changed, and we don’t want that. 

So with Trident Insurance it’s simple, we act for you, from start to finish and if the finish unfortunately involves a claim we pass it to *First Response Law and they fight for every penny you deserve.

Will big and brassy firms do that? Personally I think it’s hard to feel that confident when it’s all done ‘in house’ and you are just another file or worse, a number.

We fight your corner from start to finish, it’s that simple. Ok there’s no give away toys or overweight opera singers, but remember no one gets a free lunch let alone a free toy! 

We feel on price, delivery and telling you how it is, with Trident Insurance you really do have a Broker acting in your best interests every working day.

                     

Trident Insurance 0800 038 9000     &     * First Response Law 020 8045 0138

Is The Crunch Making You Think About Where The Money Is Going?

It’s far too easy to bore the pants of anyone by just mentioning the word ‘insurance’

It's run by people who seem to understand the world has entered the 21^st century but they approach far too many issues with even more paperwork than was required in Dickensian England….. just masses of it , which I bet, 99.9% of you do not read.

I have pleaded with you before and will do so again, because it is within all that gumph that your exclusions are contained, much of which may be all too cleverly disguised to invalidate the very basis of what you thought you were paying for to protect yourself!!

I have some good friends who view insurance as an absolute con, and no less responsible for the mess so many professional bankers have managed to conjure up, so they simply don’t touch it.

Comparison sites came to the rescue we thought, but they still do not tell you anything because we are all magnetised by price and forgive them even when they hit you with bucket loads of hidden charges.

There undoubtedly will come a reckoning day when having been badly burned and paid through the nose for effectively no cover, you will start to ask yourself why bother?

All I would say is that unless you lead a massively complex life most basic covers will suffice more than adequately and the same goes if you’re a business. 

What you need to ask yourself is this, are bigger brokers the answer and am I getting the best deal or just paying more for fancy packaging?

In a world where we are all belt tightening, whether it’s for personal or business cover, as an independent broker we really do look for the best deal for you on price and cover. 

For those where the crunch is making you think twice about your present supplier, use Trident and be pleasantly surprised. 

No fancy packaging just good cover at low prices.     

Accident of the Month

The deep fat fryer of a fish and chip shop went up in flames and there was no payout! Why? Because the owner was required by the Insurer to show the thermostat on the fryer was maintained every 6 months but he chose not to bother. For sure there was a right mess all round and on situations like this Health and Safety really do more good than harm by insisting these checks are kept up. The result for not keeping on top of the checks? No pay out at all. 

So please if you’re a business, office, shop or factory make sure you carry out a PAT test on all your electrical equipment. It’s an investment well worth the small cost and should be done every 2 years. 

And, if you’re a fish and chip shop make sure you carry out the necessary tests as per requirements, ducking your responsibility can be a very expensive option. 

Storm Damage Anyone?

I apologise to anyone affected by the above heading, it’s not meant to be flippant at all.

But when working in this industry, you think you will ultimately get a handle on events and problems. 

Yet I read in last saturdays’ Times newspaper that some Insurers are now to trying avoid paying out on policies they have issued, by suggesting that where your home has suffered flood damage it may not have been caused as a result of a storm as they know it, citing that storms need to be over 50 mph to register a claim.

That’s not just questionable behaviour if true, but downright sickening. Do these guys never learn?

I read in an industry journal that the recent flooding will mean claims of more than £3billion will be paid out, (but when they will pay out is omitted) making the recent flood damage the worst for 5 years.

Insurers, to give them credit, have hustled this and the previous government to develop greater flood defence systems, but seem to be on a losing wicket up against rhetoric, vacillation and delay. 

The result of this inactivity is that some areas will become uninsurable, which is horrendous. 

As a broker we sit in the middle of this and are literally powerless, but we can make a little difference by highlighting to you what is going on and to mark your card and ask the right questions. 

Insurers may argue that continuous rain does not constitute a storm therefore they will not pay out fully. But we find abhorrent and not acceptable and certainly not in the spirit of why you took out cover from them. 

It has to be said that not all Insurance companies are the same, so don’t please tarnish them all with the same brush.  At Trident we believe we place your cover with what we feel are the best on price and cover. But remember, like all insurance if price is your key focus, don’t please expect the best cover. Much as we would all like that to be the case the two really don’t go together.   

A Fresh Tax on Home Insurance!

The Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman, is proposing a 10% flood tax on your home insurance premiums to help cover damage in the aftermath of the recent floods.

Our view is that this is another stealth tax and should only be considered if something, say like the fuel tax is reduced, so in the end the consumer is not handicapped. 

The problem with stealth taxes is that they get installed but never get removed and always seen to increase.   

I think it would first be fair to ask first what difference the money already gone to the flood defences actually made and if it was found to be insufficient address that matter before Ms Spelman looks to take yet more money. 

These notes are not meant to be political, but sometimes you have to ask where do governments get their ideas from?  

Well you heard it here first, just sorry it wasn’t good news, and let’s just hope the sun comes out and stays out!!

Telematics, Apps, Speed.

I’ve mentioned before the new idea of Telematics, in short it’s a spy in the car and it works on GPS. It’s being sold as a way to reduce the cost of motor insurance. Maybe it will, but the box installed will be unique to the insurance company and costs to install (that cost is non refundable) and it’s not interchangeable if you decide to move to another insurer. So who will it benefit? They say that with the cost of car insurance for 17 -22 year olds hovering between £2k - £3.5k clearly there is scope for serious benefits there IF the young driver is prepared to do exactly as he/she is meant to behind the wheel.

We’ve all been there, got the T shirt and taken chances, but if you do a U turn when the signals say no, the GPS will spot that and the Insurer may up you premium. The system will not miss a trick!  Don’t get me wrong in principle it’s a great idea but personally I feel pretty awful with a back seat driver in my car let alone having a GPS spy!

My recent tedious reading has been observations about Insurance being sold via the net and now by apps. I think it’s clear this is a generational thing, with most now being prepared to look at the net in year one and paying all the way through but finding in year two they get stung with an increase in premium they could see no reason for.

Apps rely on familiarity and navigating some clearly requires the pre-requisite of a degree in rocket science. Irrespective of my cynicism, technology is not going backwards and more will become familiar. But somehow, and call me old fashioned, it’s a shed load easier talking to someone  and getting all their information first time than going through endless correspondence or explaining what a  question means.

I don’t think anyone has run a contest between applying for insurance on the net or calling a broker and seeing who delivers the best price and cover. But for all the speed of the net, the only way you are going to know what you are paying for is if you read, pages of terms and conditions and can spot where the exclusions are. Given, I would suggest 99% don’t read any more than their name, address and licence plate number and think all is ok, to me it’s a no brainer.  Yes it’s easy to buy on the net, but if you want to know what you’re paying for and what you aren’t covered for; I still reckon a broker will come out faster and on many occasions, positively cheaper, and Trident Insurance in particular of course !!

Help There's A Snake Coming Through My Window!

We get a lot of accident reports but some are sometimes that much harder to take as credible than others.  

Recently we had a report from a female driver who claimed, when she stopped at traffic lights  a man came up to her open window, pulled his trousers and shorts down and put  ‘a body part that looked like a snake-like object,  through her window’. This caused her to panic and take her foot of the brake and hit the car in front’

It’s hard to know how to respond, let alone keep a straight face on hearing that, but we put it down as a non-fault accident!! 

The Madness of Insurance.

An announcement from the High Court reversed an earlier decision against RSA Insurance, which paves the way for insurers to inflate repair charges by at least 25%.

In short it was initially deemed that the cost of repairs should be determined by what an individual would pay for their own repairs.

The madness is that because many Insurers use their own preferred repair shops who charge them discounted rates, these may stay the same but the cost of the claim will now rise because the repairs will be based as if someone had asked for them personally. 

In other words claims will not go down but up and though RSA has possibly secured its victory for the charges it levied for repairs, it may find itself with extra costs by parties claiming against RSA.

I hope you kept up with that, in short it means the idea of motor rates coming down after the large increases over the last two year looks less likely now than ever. 

For the life of me I can’t see what benefit RSA thinks they have secured, all I can feel is that it's somewhat hollow because it may well come back and kick them in the teeth.

What is important regardless is that if you are involved in an accident, and are obliged to use the Insurers repair shops, independently check what the repairs would cost and make a formal complaint if you’re not happy. I’m not saying it will work but it can’t hurt. Unfortunately there seems to be no directory of who is renowned for higher repair charges, because that is a factor that we would use when comparing prices before the policy is taken out. 

Yes, complaining to a big company is a nightmare but it’s your money paying the premium, so the lower the cost of an accident the less harsh the Insurer may be at the point of renewal.

The RSA result of the High Court case looks like (apologies for the pun) an accident waiting to happen, insofar as being picked up by MP’s and yet another occasion where Insurers may have unwittingly shot themselves in the foot.

Is it a Tiger? Is is a Cow?

I recently read ‘Churchill in Quotes’ and many of the things he said then are just as applicable today. For example “Some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot, others look at it as a cow they can milk. Not enough people see it as a healthy horse pulling a sturdy wagon”

I picked on this one because over the weekend and today there have been two cabinet ministers who have chosen to have a go at business and suggest we all have to work harder. 

It’s becoming clearer by the day that none of them are aware of what business folk and most still in work do, and it’s abundantly clear that they need to get out more.

I say this because it isn’t easy out there and where we all thought things were steadying now we see it's now quite pear shaped but looking like it will get worse before it levels out.

Everyone is still looking to cut back and an obvious area is insurance which has done no one any favours with the heavy increases over the last few years. But much as it may be right if you’ve not had a claim to think you will go without I would suggest don’t get shot altogether, scale down the cover and perhaps increase the excess. 

I’ve said it before that insurance plays on the emotion of fear so in times like this a lot of people are confused whether to stay with it or go without. In business there are legal obligations to ensure there is cover for public and employers liability, but when its contents replacement may not be as expensive as had been thought .  Make sure the alarm is working and as that supermarket ad says: every little bit helps. 

Thinking the same way a reduction on value of replacement can save money on the premium to be paid. It may not be a satisfactory result but it’s better to have cover than none at all. 

As for the politicians inability to understand what private enterprise does or how it’s run, just remember at Trident we understand only too well what you’re up against and are here to help you whenever we can.      

WHAPA! Whiplash!

The issue of claiming for whiplash is very contentious, given no one has managed to establish what actually is involved, apart from that a rear end shunt will clearly have an impact on the driver and passengers of the vehicle in front.

There was a story recently where a driver hit another car where he could only see the driver in front but when the claim came in there were claims for the driver and four other family members.  The Insurer had to pay out because there was no way of proving the ‘passengers’ weren’t in the car. 

Some might say it’s a cool way to make money but many others see it as a real abuse of the system, particularly Insurers. Fraud is becoming a serious problem and whiplash claims have gone crazy with the average pay-out now between £2,500-£3000. 

Accident management firms are viewed as vultures on the system because the increase in premiums is put down to their success.  Whilst that may be so, if I was involved in an accident, I would want the best pay-out possible and it takes an independent party to secure that.

In short I have nothing but contempt for those who put in fraudulent claims, and whiplash is the old favourite. Perhaps new legislation will limit the pay-outs on many ‘dubious’ claims but if Insurance is to work properly and people are to be enthused to buy it, then it must be seen that in the event of an accident that is not fraudulent, those who have the right cover are fully compensated and not palmed off with an insulting offer.  

Hacked Off.

We had a report from a client that his massive great pride and joy, his 4 x 4, was hit on a round-about by a small Fiat car. The 4 x 4 wasn’t dented but a shed load of scratches had shown up that required major works to be cleaned. Needless to say the Fiat just appeared to have another prang, added to the others that it had clearly collected over time. 

The problem was that, according to the insurer, the Fiat driver is a senior citizen and grandfather and because of this they are not exactly busting a gut for our client. Some Insurance companies want to investigate accidents (and where that is part of the policy we have to comply) to save them paying out to third parties, but in this instance they have done little to nothing to progress matters. 

Needless to say our client is hacked off by the delays and after reminding the Insurer of the FSA’s Treating Customers Fairly principals and still getting nowhere we have now passed the claim onto the claims management company we use, and the difference is incredible.

The grandfather has been found and things are at last moving ahead and most importantly our client is happy because at long last the end to the delays is pretty well over.

The moral of this is that whilst Insurers do try to help they have no natural incentive to see matters close, like claims handling companies, and the best interests of the client may not be so well served it's just in their DNA to work at what, to some, is a snail’s pace. 

It’s a great debating point to have over a pint or two, and clearly the likes of Jack Straw think all third parties are costly interlopers. Well to me, in that case let’s have a government by interactive TV and save the cost of the politicians and their expenses! 

As with big government, big companies don’t see the best interests of the end client/user as paramount and that is why either the insurers get their act together quickly, or the need for claims management companies is as integral as ever. 

Clearly some Insurance companies are way better than others when it comes to claims. But in a market where we get what we pay for, and price is the deciding factor for most, that’s the downside at the time of purchase because no one thinks they may have an accident. 

You Have Been Warned!

On the issue of storing fuel, I went into Halfords and asked what storage containers they had for fuel. The guy asked what type because for those like me who don’t know Diesel and unleaded require different containers to be kept in. Clearly looking surprised and the first to admit I was useless at chemistry, I was told it’s all to do with the chemicals within the fuels. 

I’ve heard stories of people accidentally filling up an unleaded car with diesel and then trying to drive off only to see the engine blow up but didn’t realise the difference was so great for storage.

So store diesel in an unleaded container and see it rot the container, you have been warned; and after all that they had run out of both anyway!! 

Whether it is your intention to store fuel now, even if the tanker drivers don’t go on strike, please realise that you need the right container for the right fuel, it’s no joke and whatever you do, please do not store it within your house or flat or garage. But away from the property and anything that might be inflammable. That may seem obvious and clearly will be nigh on impossible for those without a garden. 

But as that poor lady found out on the news who suffered, I believe, 40% burns, for refilling stored fuel to a smaller container for her daughter when the gas cooker was on its not worth it. 

If ever that was an example of how not to do it, there will be requirements from Insurers in your home and contents policy not to hold inflammable materials within the confines of your home. That restriction would include the garage where it is attached and the cellar even if it may be cool. To ignore that requirement will invalidate your policy so please don’t even think of it.

Insurance isn’t like aspirin but…

I was recently reading a paper about the hang-ups of patients when prescribed medication.

Apparently this is a big issue where patients see no benefit from some prescriptions even though they may be life-saving because they don’t deliver a quick fix.

For example you have a headache and take a pill and it goes, usually within 20 minutes; result satisfaction and you are prepared to do it again. But say you’re prescribed Statins to reduce cholesterol and have no idea if they’re doing the trick for months so may feel reluctant to continue, or possibly experience some side effects so don’t take them that often and your own doubts actually handicap progress.

I think the same problem in a very bizarre and round-about also way affects the way people see insurance, in that you don’t see the value as there is no immediate fix. So many just duck out altogether unless it’s legally obligatory; and then go for the cheapest believing that no problems have happened so far, so why go for it now and waste my money?

Maybe with this note going out over Friday the 13^th it’s an auspicious time to think how lucky we can stay. For some they may have a charmed life and somehow the odds of anything going wrong are so wide that continuing to argue the case for insurance would be a total waste of energy.

Obstinacy and denial are powerful tools when trying to put across a balanced approach, and to some they will see absolutely no value to insurance what so ever. But for those who accept there will be no immediate fix in taking out insurance or extra cover and can see it as a safety net it’s hard to argue that it isn’t worthwhile.

At Trident we know it’s your hard earned money paying for insurance, and with belt tightening across the board, if there’s a way of getting it cheaper it’s perfectly understandable. But at some point if what you’re paying for is so much cheaper than a general market price, the cover offered may be as useless as a chocolate tea pot.

We can’t say go without and take your chances; but if that’s your view we have to respect it.

All we can say is that insurance isn’t medication as we know it, and will not guarantee an immediate fix but having the right cover will keep an element of stability and peace of mind that without can’t be secured, and at Trident we honestly feel that is the better way to go.

Regardless, please steer clear of ladders!!

Horror Story of the Month.

Recently we had a Client, who had two shops, with flats above them. One of them suffered a fire where a refrigeration unit over heated and set alight the shop.

Now, with shop insurance unless there is a huge amount of stock, Insurance companies can get a pretty good idea of how much stock almost any given type of shop would hold against its square foot and cubic capacity.

Anyway the owner never reported it for a month, which alone looked odd. Then they said that the documentation we had sent months earlier was in error and the value of the premises was not as was on the policy, but substantially higher. 

It had one awful smell to this, which was becoming worse daily, and it ended up with us informing our Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance company. They were very helpful and after some serious investigation, it transpired the insured party and claimant had in fact misrepresented numerous details to us which alone invalidated the claim.

As a broker we act in good faith when given information by a client as not all policies require a site visit, and in difficult economic times, it’s a known fact that fraudulent claims will rise substantially.

 The end result was that whilst we were completely exonerated of any failings, the fact that we had PI insurance made all the difference, as the insurance company looked after us really well.

OK it’s another level of cover that you may feel is just too much to pay when times are tight, and given all the other insurances relating to your business. But having good PI cover, where you supply a service or give advice is now almost an integral cost requirement  and regardless of many end Clients now pretty well insisting on their suppliers showing proof of cover to win business, to go without is not the right thing to do. 

So if you think you might need PI cover please give us a call and we will look after you.       

Ignorance can cost.

There is problem many folk have when expressing an opinion in that it is presented as expressing a fact.

Much the same can be said with the present situation and the possibility of a tanker driver’s strike and the suggestion that we should fill up the car or van, and fill up a Jerry can as well.

Was that the right thing to say by the Prime Minister Cameron or his Cabinet Minister Angus Maude? Well let’s look at the facts. Most cars run on a third full because it’s more fuel efficient. I saw on the news last night that oil companies are obliged to keep 56 days of supply in reserve.     

I just looked on google and according to one article I read there are approximately 33 million cars vans buses and trucks on UK roads, we know 5% aren’t insured but that’s another issue.

If all the cars were running at a third full, which I personally doubt, and we now fill up fully how long would the supplies actually last. I would suggest probably way less than 15 days.  What facts do I have to support my thinking absolutely none but if I am thinking like others then it’s not surprising folk are already waiting in line to fill up. I did last night I have to admit.

Was it an ignorant thing to say? Well from a politician who should know or be advised better, particularly of the possible consequences I would say yes absolutely it was a dumb thing to say.

 What I would put to you is that much as it seems logical to store surplus petrol over and above what’s in your petrol  or diesel tank, and what you can hold in a Jerry can - that’s of course if they haven’t sold out!  - .To store inflammable liquids within the confines of your home in a store room or garage that I part of your home, may be in breach of your insurance policy unless you check with your insurance company first. 

Ok you could say that a bottle of vodka or whiskey is inflammable, so what difference a Jerry can of petrol or diesel? Good point, but that’s being a bit naïve and I kind of think you know that too.

All I would say is that if you have a garden, store the Jerry can there in a shaded place and if you live in a flat then please, please check with your Insurer what their position is on this. Whether you have always had the best intentions and never had a problem in the past, as an observer having a massive potential fire hazard slopping about within you home just can’t be the right way forward

As for other things well to all those who came to the Business 2012 exhibition I hope you found it interesting and it was a pleasure to meet you. We will in May this year be at the Business Show, which is being held at the Exel Centre. It is an exhibition set up for Business Start-ups and all sizes of business from a few thousand pounds turnover to up to £100 million. It’s been going for 12 years so they must be getting it right and appealing to all sizes. It would be a pleasure to welcome you to our stand.

In the meantime enjoy the good weather, have a great Easter and let’s hope the tanker driver’s strike doesn’t happen.        

"You haven't failed if you've tried"

I recently saw the film "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" with Judi, Dench, Maggie Smith and a classic British cast.  I thought it was brilliant and if you go I hope you find that too. Everyone gets great one-liners usually reserved for Maggie Smith alone, which makes it so much fun to watch.  

One line I remember was “you haven’t failed if you’ve tried” and that is our belief here.  

So what is our message? 

Well first there are no meerkats , or moustached opera singers here, just ordinary hard working men and women trying to do the best for you.

We don’t offer bull, just service and good pricing, accepting reluctantly that we can’t always be the cheapest.    

To most people insurance sucks, it’s like a tax, and it’s boring.  As an industry which covers almost every area in society, its reputation is hopeless. That’s because it’s a very British thing to knock the powerful when the screw up and insurers have a knack of doing that regularly. 

But there’s nothing else available on offer that can compete with what insurance as we know it does. So we need to make it work for us not us for it.

If you bought a £1000 suit you would expect something pretty good for your money and maybe look at every stich in the garment just to be sure you were getting your money’s worth.  Yet with insurance most just take the paperwork and file it in a draw, only checking if the name, house number, postal code and maybe registration details are correct, forgetting to bother with all the terms and conditions, exclusions and exemptions!

The same approach applies to commercial insurance products too. Most just think it all magically must be correct, so limit checking details to what they’re covered for with the same few lines.  

Lethargy is what all companies pray for and we don’t accept that as good practise.

We know we have to fight to command your respect.  We all have to be alert to changes in what is going on around us and act to defend our best interests. That is what we do for you at Trident Insurance; we look to protect your best interests and not sell you something that’s not worth the paper it’s written on.   

We can’t compete with classic stage and screen actors for entertainment value or brilliant one- liners from "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel".  But I’m proud to say everyone here’s an individual and not a telesales droid. We don’t see the need for pre-set scripts and we understand where you’re coming from and believe we know what we’re talking about. We are prepared to think outside the box to get you the right cover and leave no stone unturned.

We have been around long enough to know we won’t stop trying to secure better deals for our Clients, on and off screen. 

So and when it comes to looking after your insurance needs please remember Trident Insurance are here for you.

   

  

     

Horror Story of the Month.

Well I don’t know whether this should be called horror story of the month, but it certainly got me worried and seriously upset, and I really don’t know what to make of it. 

I got a typical letter at home you know the half A4 size, white no identifying markers. I assumed just another enveloped flyer and was just about to throw it away when curiosity got the better of me.

It was from a mail order company and about 4 lines in, ‘please call’………as soon as possible. This is because information we have received suggests that your name/personal identification details may have been used by another person to impersonate me.  

Well I went stone cold, I called them up and they were very matter of fact about it having confirmed who I was. I was told in short that someone had looked to steal my identity, and that it was so easy.

If we are on the electoral roll then our basic details are already registered freely with the local authority and if someone wants credit today they only need to give an address and against that address will be a credit score.

Since the letter I now know that if I want any credit I will be called by the company I applied to and have go through a telephone interview.  For sure that may be more time consuming but it’s a hell of a lot better than finding out there’s someone securing credit in my name. I have to tell you it spooked me all day when I found out and I still feel upset. 

For those who want to know what the fraudsters were trying to buy t was just over £500 of Lacoste clothes, under the guise of the separate internet orders which they didn’t want delivered to my home address (obviously) but to a store!!.

Fortunately the mail order company smelt a rat and didn’t make the delivery but it really raises as serious issue that we all hear about and then think it wont be us until it is. 

Can you insure against identity theft and the answer on credit cards mostly yes but just think of all the occasions where someone is slowly using your name and address maybe even setting up a bank account in your name and so it goes on. Home insurance should cover the potential damage but you need to check with your Insurer.

We think we are all secure and believe me I am pretty anal on security, but then this happens and I feel massively deflated. All I can say is that was told to check what is shown on either Experian  0844 481 8000 or www.experian.co.uk or Equifax 0844 335 0550  www.equifax.co.uk or Callcredit Ltd.  0870 060 1414 www.callcredit.co.uk and go through everything they have on me. I believe there is a charge but I don’t have any choice nor would you. 

The killer is, this really is a massive problem, and I was the 15th person the lady had spoken to that day, and we all need to protect ourselves as best we can.

I’ve written in the past that insurance plays on fear just as the stock market plays on greed. I also think you can be taken in and buy a lot of policies that you don’t need. But the point is that whilst insurance can be costly and we don’t see the point of it. There are going to be times when we kid ourselves that it won’t happen to us and it may, so please don’t ignore insurance can help.