Cannot get insurance

ellie112001 · 20-12-2018 4:05pm #1

Hi,
I am looking for some last hope advice or help.

I bought a camper while travelling Australia and loved it so much I shipped it home in a container. Since then it has caused me so much upset, time, money and stress.

First of all the Mechanice doing it up for me, hid it behind his shed for six months while all the time taking money from me and lying untill I finally called him out and it then took another 6 months of more and more lies. Anyway I eventually took it back off him and finished the job myself, including pop top roof, getting it engineer certified and changed on the log book to show Campervan. next the DOE which it passed.

Then I went to 3 companies, Stuarts, Dolmen and the irish camping club whos insurers are Richardsons. They all refused me. with different excuses. 1 because it had not been insured in a long time, 2 i didnt have 5 yrs no claims and 3, the worst was the irish camping club who insured the van in 2009. They refused to accept they insured me in my Delica and said they never insure Delicas which was a complete lie and tried to convince me they insured me in a Ducato which i never owned. Eventually I proved they insured me and then they blanked me and refused to answer my emails they were not nice at all, very unhelpful and that is being generous.
I then went to insurance ireland (the ombudsman) He refused to have any dialouge with me and continued to send me second hand emails as in, replies he had recieved. and continues to try and get my own insurer for my car (liberty insurance) to insure me for thousands when the insurance for a campervan is 350.
They are not set up for campervan insurance and why this person is trying to make them insure me I do not know.

This has all been going on 2 years and it has so depressed me that when I think about it for any length of time I am in tears. I do not know where to turn now and the only option I am facing is to sell it which will break my heart after all this time. The insurance situation in this country is an absoloute joke so if anyone has any ideas or can help in any way please shout...

autumnalcore · 20-12-2018 6:06pm

What make and age is it you may be able to get insurance through a club. Other possibilities change car insurance to axa they are the undewriter of a lot of camper policies ombudsman might get further with them. Write to the minister setting out the timeline especially how long the ombudsman has taken and how unreasonable the quote is.

ellie112001 · 20-12-2018 7:15pm

Thanks fr the reply,

I was directed down that route with the vintage club, paid the membership only to find out they dont do campervan insurance. Irish camping club, rude, and unhelpful.. I called Axa, and was told they dont insure campervans. The ombudsman, i'm getting nowhere with, months and not even a propper reply from him.. I have even been in touch with my solicitor and he isn't having much luck either. The minister? I wouldn't have any idea who to approach but it's worth a try.. would you have any idea?

ravima · 20-12-2018 7:35pm

If this is a genuine posting, you can contact Insurance Ireland - see the website regarding declined motor insurance.

autumnalcore · 20-12-2018 7:37pm

ellie112001 wrote: »

I called Axa, and was told they dont insure campervans.

Axa are the underwriter for most of the camper policies in Ireland hence the suggestion change car insurance to Axa, then get ombudsman to force them to quote you as your car insurer.

Re: Minister
https://www.finance.gov.ie/profiles/michael-darcy-td

If its vw you may be able to get it insured through carole nash or the type2ireland guys may be able to advise.

ellie112001 · 20-12-2018 7:56pm

Ravna,

first of all, what do you mean if this is a genuine post???? why would I even bother making this up?? And if you read my post you would see that I have already been dealing with Insurance Ireland (OMBUDSMAN) and I am no further than I was when I contacted him Months ago....
So... Not helpful...

ellie112001 · 20-12-2018 7:58pm

Autumnalcore, thank you, something else to try, much appreciated

colm_mcm · 20-12-2018 11:28pm

Do you know of any other Delicas in Ireland that have are currently insured as campers?

Alkers · 21-12-2018 12:18am

What year is the van?

spaceHopper · 21-12-2018 12:19pm

What, year, make model and photo if you have one.

How old are you, how long have you had a full license. What is your insurance record like. Have you a record had having insurance and no claims in oz.

Can you transfer owner ship to a parent and get open drive? It's about 50 extra with dolmen.

You have to look at it from Dolmen's side they get every chancer trying to claim that their work van is a camper because they put in the very basics. So that they can get cheap insurance. Then they get under 25's buying a van before checking they can get insurance and causing hassle.

I know you've had a lot of drama with it and are frustrated but some of your post you are taking it out on the poster here. If you do the same with an insurance broker you won't get anywhere. Dolmen probably make 50 euros or less from each camper - you simply aren't worth the hassle to them.

Get all the paper work you can, go back to Dolmen with evidence of no claims from Ireland & Oz

Back up all the work done to show it's right. Have good photos of it taken in Ireland but also include the shipping paper work form Oz to show you owned the van and include photos taken in Oz of you and the van. The submit that and be the super nice kiss ass.

If it's a VW you could try type two ireland but you'll need everything described above. Remember you have to over come all the hassle caused by every chancer they have ever come across.

zambo · 21-12-2018 6:59pm

i am somewhat confused, you drove it as a camper in oz then brought it back here and had it insured in ireland in 2009.then you had conversion work done. what was it insured as in 2009?

StupidLikeAFox · 31-12-2018 3:20pm

Contact Richardsons directly and tell them of the hassle you had with the MCC and that they have previously insured this vehicle

7aubzxk43m2sni · 15-01-2019 10:04am

Any luck since OP?

andy t · 03-02-2019 12:04pm

Its definitely registered as a camper . . ? If so,I cant see why so much hassle,,, Good ole Ireland,,,

Did you try a broker..?
Let them do all the searching for you

Marlow · 03-02-2019 4:20pm

Unfortunately you've given no details to the vehicle (make, model, year, amount of seats, beds for how many etc.).

First of all, please clearly state what the basis for your campervan is.

Secondly, the MCC may have insured you in the past, but also they change their rules as they go on. So when you don't have it insured with them for a few years and come back and your camper doesn't fit their rule-set anymore, then they may not insure you again. That's their own choice. You can't force them.

They currently for example state, that conversions have to be done from a van and not a car. Some minibus/mpvs may not be acceptable for them.

The MCC is the only one, that will accept low roof campers, if they have been inspected by them and deemed a good conversion. But since you've fitted a pop-top, your van would have the headroom now, so you're not limited to them.

There are Dolmen, Stuarts, Richardsons etc. that can do insurance also.

Be aware, that none of the insurances currently will accept campers with more than 5 seats unless it's over 3.5t, so a bus or truck. They will also require, that the cooker has to be accessible from inside the camper. So while sometimes the cooker is mounted in the boot and only accessible from the outside, that won't satisfy the insurance.

One thing is to satisfy the regulation for a campervan for Revenue. But to qualify as a campervan for the insurance is a different matter. And if you fall between those 2, then you may end up with having to insure your camper/van/minibus as a car or crew-cab commercial. That that doesn't give you the cheap insurance isn't here nor there.

So a bit more information please.

/M

zambo · 03-02-2019 4:52pm

do you mean five seats in addition to the driver.Six seat campers less than 3.5 ton are quite common.

7aubzxk43m2sni · 03-02-2019 4:56pm

@Marlow any suggestions for someone under 25 looking for insurance on a camper?

Alkers · 03-02-2019 5:17pm

Marlow wrote:

Be aware, that none of the insurances currently will accept campers with more than 5 seats unless it's over 3.5t, so a bus or truck.

This isn't the case

Marlow · 03-02-2019 6:36pm

Simona1986 wrote: »

This isn't the case

It is with some of them. They tend to make it up as they go.

Above is my experience. If you know better please specify which insurance / broker. Just saying this is not the case doesn't help anybody.

/M

Marlow · 03-02-2019 6:38pm

zambo wrote: »

do you mean five seats in addition to the driver.Six seat campers less than 3.5 ton are quite common.

Seat count always excludes the driver by definition. Goes the same for driving license, etc. An 8 seater is still a car and has 8 passengers and 1 driver.

/M

Alkers · 03-02-2019 6:58pm

Marlow wrote:

It is with some of them. They tend to make it up as they go.

Quite possibly with some of them but your post said all, which isn't the case.

Marlow wrote:

Above is my experience. If you know better please specify which insurance / broker. Just saying this is not the case doesn't help anybody.

I am insured with Allianz through Richardsons on an 8-seater (including the driver).

Cannot get insurance

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