NAVIGATORS AND GENERAL HIKE!

[the_wanderer]

Having insured my small craft with Navigators and General for over twenty years they now tell me that I am no longer entitled to a no claims bonus! WHAT? I have not made a claim in twenty years. On enquiring about the matter I was informed that the small craft business did not make much for the Company.

Perhaps they should cut back a bit. In the Renewal Proposal envelope was also a glossy pamphlet about filthy rich bods swanning about in a Nav. & Gen. New boat! That's where my no claims bonus went and a lot of others too!

Time for management consultants I would say.

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[freeman]

Try other insurers.
I had a third party claim where the Nav & Gen were the insurers of the other craft
and as a result of that I would not use them


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[ccscott49]

THey dont care if you do go elsewhere, they dont care if there small boat business collapses, as they say they make no money from it anyway. Try somebody else who does care about there small boat business.

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[aod]

It seems that for some reason or a combination of reasons all the insurance companies have hiked up their rates this year. Mine tripled.

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[AJW]

Hmm, My RIB insurance is pretty much the same as last year, certainly less than 10% increase. Suggest you try other insurers. I use Mardon Insurance brokers who do yots as well as powerboats.

AJ

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[dickh]

Try:-
www.craftinsure.co.uk
SAGA -Tel 08000153360
K C Powell & Partners Ltd. 01702470035
gjw direct 0500141141
St Margerats 0800180012
Newton Crum 01424718800
Bishop Skinner 08007838057
Traffords 0870 9000331
Colin Curtis 01752 664649
Nautical Ins. Services 01702470811


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I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[gonfishing]

i may be mistaken but if you go tohttp:// craftinsure.com you can get an online 20% discount and the polcy is navigators and general!!!!!!!!!!!!
regards
julian

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[the_wanderer]

Thanks for the advice to one and all. Will research and find the best deal.

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[longjohnsilver]

I looked at craftinsure a few months back, didn't find them particularly cheap.

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[neale]

Posted on behalf of Joe Field, Marketing Manager, Navigators & General.

You are all correct to assume rates have increased in the last two years,
they will continue to do so. There are a combination of reasons for those
increases.

1. Rates were driven down to unsustainably low levels 5 years ago as a
number of companies sought to buy into the market.
2. Many have since had to pull out altogether or increase rates (theirs and
their brokers) considerably to return to profitability
3. Investment returns (or lack of) have had a significant effect
4. Insurers are (sensibly) provisioning themselves for increasing liability
claims in the future, as unfortunately we are noticing a steady increase in
injury claims encouraged by no win no fee services, that probably would
have been considered a day to day part of boating
5. Insurers Re-insurance costs have increased significantly since September
11th
6. Cost of all overheads, and claims costs increase year by year

The long and short of it is that your premiums will go up, the amount may
vary from company to company. It will be influenced by their underwriting
results, and possible pressures from parent companies. If when a policy
was taken out some years ago it was based largely on price (ie the
cheapest) with little consideration to size of company, length of time
established and experience of underwriters, it is likely that the increase
higher than others.

You should be looking for access to experienced staff who understand
boating, underwriting and claims, a sizable and diverse portfolio of
clients, secure and well known financial backing, high liability limits,
GISC and Ombudsman membership for added security.

On to specifics,

Smallcraft policies have never received No Claims Bonus. If anyone feels
they're policy has been overrated or they have been mistreated I would be
very happy to here from them directly joe.field@navandgen.co.uk, and will
look into them personally.

Every customer of Navigators & General should receive the same level of
service. We are not dinghy specialists and you would be correct to assume
that it is not cost efficient to spend the same time on a £500 Topper
premium as a £1M. But we have done and will continue to do so with all
customers being treated in the same manor. To handle dinghies in a more
efficient manor we underwrite a number of schemes administered by brokers
and underwritten by us. WH Insurance, Fastnet Marine plus the GP14, Topper
and Wayfarer Class association schemes. Smallcraft quotes can also be
obtained via the Website with a 10% discount (efficiency saving passed back
to you)

Craftinsure, yes they have slightly lower rates, and that is because the
policy cover is different, Third Party liability limits lower and you do
not have the access to 12 experienced underwriters and 6 experienced claims
handlers that you do with Navigators & General. That is what you are
paying for.

In terms of claims, we follow up every claim with a questionnaire, and
have been over the last 2 years, 93% satisfied with Settlement, 90%
considered speed of response good\excellent and 91% considered overall
service good\excellent. We consider the handling of the claim the most
important part and the commitment we make to you, I'd like to hear from
anyone who feels they have been treated unfairly.

The Navigators newsletter we send out with renewals (well received by the
majority of customers) contains comments from satisfied customers. It also
contains details of the discounts we have negotiated for our customers on
magazine subscriptions, Sunsail sailing holidays and home and motor
insurance with Eagle Star. Also our endorsement of Sea sense and details of
our various collaborations with RYA sailability where we chartered 3 yachts
and staff from Navigators skippered and crewed them to provide disabled
sailors with the chance to enjoy big boat sailing in the Solent. We're
doing alot more than that with sailability in 2003 Details will be on
www.navandgen.com. A close look at it will reveal its true purpose.

I hope you accept that rate increases are necessary, and applied in a
controlled manor will provide long term stability. You should seek value
for money, not just be lead on price, and I sincerely hope you realise some
insurance companies are alot more involved in our sport than others and do
not tar everyone with the same brush.

I will not have access to the chat room over the weekend, and will spend
the majority of my time sanding the antifoul of a boat, not mine I hasten
to add my budget limits me to a laser dinghy only !

Joe Field
Marketing Manager
Navigators & General


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[colvic]

How refreshing Neale to read a response from a "professional", who ants to be honest and discusses the issues raised. Barry Sullivan at Pantaenius could learn a thing or two from you.


Phil

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