Uninsured when stored

[Tram]

Has anyone else seen the letter in this month's (May 07) CC magazine about a stolen caravan?

The Lady says that their £12K caravan was stolen from the farm where they stored it but when they made a claim the insurance company said their insurance was invalid as the 'van should have been behind a 6foot fence with access through a locked gate. She says none of this is mentioned in the insurance; only the need for wheel and hitch locks which were fitted. It doesn't mention the insurance company but I assume it wasn't the CC.

I'm very worried about this situation as I store on a farm. Does anyone know more about this than is contained in the letter?

 

[sparkes]

many insurance companies have small print that will supprise. I changed mine after I was advised to read the small print that showed that because the storage yard was not rated it was not covered.

I changed to the CC for insurance as they seem to live in the real world

 

[pat3]

I too read this artical, and was shocked. Does this now mean that if you keep your pride and joy on the drive it should be behind a fortified locked compound ??

I also keep my van in storage which the only way in or out is protected by an infra-red alarm system and CCTV but no physical barriers.

Makes you think about your insurer dosent it!!!

 

[merv1]

I think that if the writer of the original letter reads the proposal form she filled in when she applied for the insurance she will find that there is a question asking where the caravan is to be stored. If she didn't fill in her storage place as the address of the farm then she is at fault.

If she did fill in the address of the farm then she would have been asked about the security in place at that address (which would have shown that there was little or no security).

Most insurance policies will not insure your caravan stored away from home unless at a secure storage location (hence the comments about fence height and locked gates).

If she can prove (did she keep a copy of the proposal form) that these questions were not asked on the form then sh has a valid claim and should pursue her claim vigorously.

 

[Happy-Lappy]

many insurance companies have small print that will supprise. I changed mine after I was advised to read the small print that showed that because the storage yard was not rated it was not covered.

I changed to the CC for insurance as they seem to live in the real world

Steve,

I agree with reading the small print as one of my favorite quotes is

"Education is what you get from reading the small print, Experience is what you get from NOT reading it"

Sadly this appears to be the case,

best regards, Martin

 

[yvonne6]

Hi we are insured by NFU, keep our van on a farm nearby and it is insured. Our van was nearly stolen last summer with damage to a window, we phone the insurers to see were we stood as we had moved it from a secure site (stopped doing storage) and we were told that 'it was a touring caravan and was insured no matter i put it'

 

[Oldfogey]

Last month there was a letter apparently from someone who had wrecked his caravan overtaking a lorry at 70mph downhill, badly loaded.

Now this one.

I may have a suspicious mind, but are these BOTH fakes? If not from the editor, then from somebody out there doing a wind-up?

Let's see...

"Dear Editor,

Recently a very nice man knocked on my door and offered to tarmac my drive for a very good price. I said that's all very well, but the caravan will be in your way, what can I do? No problem, he said, I'll move it to the depot for a couple of days for you. Well they did the work, and I gave them