Praise for Haven Knox Johnson Insurance

[Windy_Stu]

Hi All

We just had a nasty accident in Corsica, our anchor dragged during a thunder storm we ended up knocking the bottom of the boat on a rock, which caused a smallish split and a fair bit of delamination on one hull, fortunately it missed the crash box and the leak was fairly small so we could easily keep afloat whilst we arranged a lift out...

It was with some trepidation that I called Haven Knox Johnson, you never know how good or bad insurance companies will be till you need them!

I have to say the service was first class, I sent them quotes and pics of the damage, they accepted that I couldn't get more than one quote as we where in Ajaccio, I also had legal protection cover, which included a repatriation clause... I spoke to them and asked if we could "swap" travel home for hotel costs ( obviously to the same value )... This was agreed to over the phone with a follow up e mail confirmation... HKJ accepted the quote, the work was done I sent e copies of the paid invoices, cash was transferred to my account two days later

From the first call to HKJ to cash in the bank 10 days.... Oh and the service from the yard in Ajaccico was first rate, the guy who did the repair worked though a bank holiday to get us back in the water before the cash for the hotels ran out.

I'm not sure what my next premium will be, but frankly the service we got this time will make it hard not to stay with them next year

Stu

 

[1bobt]

I have had very good service from them.There is a guy called Carl in clailms without whos help I would have lost my yacht
Very good service

 

[nortada]

I'm not sure what my next premium will be, but frankly the service we got this time will make it hard not to stay with them next year
Stu

+1 we were hit by a tornado & HKJ were superb getting all our repairs sorted & bonus, our subsequent premiums we not loaded. Big tick - wouldn't go anywhere else.

 

[macd]

Glad to hear the good news but I think the truth is that most established marine insurers can be relied on for this sort of service. Certainly my insurer's (Bishop Skinner) responsiveness and understanding has been excellent over the years. Their predecessors were just as good, if a little more finicky up-front. They care about their reputation, partly because it's good business, and often partly because their principals are themselves rooted in boating. Then there's the influence of the insurance ombudsman, who really does have an effect on keeping them all honest...but only if he's brought into disputed cases. Sadly, for the most part, he is not. Yet even without his direct intervention, there's heaps of precedent which can overturn rejected claims, if only the claimant takes the trouble to look for it. True, in an ideal world he shouldn't need to, but "I didn't know" doesn't cut it after the fact.

For the most part trouble arises when relatively fly-by-night insurers are used, of which we've certainly heard plenty on these forums. Cheaper premiums are often illusory.

Nor is it a one-way street. In the insurance world in general, I daresay dodgy declarations outnumber dodgy claim rejections 10:1. Regrettably that's the world in which insurers live. But an insurer who's responsive and shows insight into the needs of boaters at the time a policy is taken out, is more likely to display the same virtues in the event of a claim. It's the anonymous, feel-the-width outfits we should be most cautious about.

 

[vyv_cox]

Good to hear the positive feedback re HKJ. We have been insured with them for the past 18 years but fortunately never needed to claim. Whenever we have dealt with them to change cruising areas, add equipment, obtain translations of documents, etc. we have found them most helpful.

 

[Mad Pad]

+1 We were with St Margarets that I think got taken over by HKJ.

 

[fergie_mac66]

+1 We were with St Margarets that I think got taken over by HKJ.

+1 we were with st Maggies ! got taken over by HJK