VAN INSURANCE NEWS ROUNDUP: 7 DAYS ENDING 29 AUG 2014:
The IG postcode area has become a virtual wasteland when it comes to the fortunes of van owners, thanks to a seemingly uncontrollable spate of vehicle thefts.
Car thieves are out in force in places like Epping Forest and Redbridge, where there’s been in excess of 40 reported thefts over the last three months.While no one is safe from the loss of their vehicle in one of these postcodes, it seems like van owners are being targeted particularly by these criminals; the most oft-stolen vehicles include Mercedes Sprinters and Ford Galaxy vans. As if this wasn’t enough, vehicle burglaries have gone up as well, with more than 50 reports over the last three months as well.
This is of course rotten news or anyone living or working in the area, but especially bad for anyone looking to make a living as a white van man. Even worse is that this rash of vehicle thefts and break-ins have been going on long enough that car insurance companies have begun to respond – and how else but by raising rates on anyone living in the postcode? That’s right; car and van insurance providers have hiked rates in the region by 4.5 per cent, which raises the average cost of comprehensive cover to well over £900 a year according to the latest AA survey.
Is it just me or doesn’t it seem just inherently unfair that insurers punish their customers for things out of their control? It’s not like someone with commercial van insurance can just up and move out of the postcode if he or she discovers there’s a crime spree going on; what do insurers expect vehicle owners to do? Not everyone has a garage, you know.
Well there’s not much anyone can do about it besides sitting out all night and keeping watch over your car or van. Maybe if people begin doing that their insurers will cut them a break on their premium pricing? Probably not – they’ll invariably find something else to raise your rates over, such as getting behind the wheel without getting enough sleep or something similar. Some days it just doesn’t seem worthwhile getting out of bed.