Van Drivers Hit By Soaring Theft Costs

Instead, they drag their feet, forcing you to wait for a payout.The Alarming Numbers You Need to Know

To begin with, a new report reveals that theft from vans is draining a staggering £264 million every single year.

Even worse, a study commissioned by van-insurance company Honcho discovered that each van break-in costs tradespeople an average of £5,584.

As if that weren’t alarming enough, thieves break into a van somewhere in the UK every 23 minutes.

Some Insurers Respond Fast — Others Don’t

So what does this really mean for you?

For starters, while some insurers act quickly — often providing 24-hour replacement services for stolen tools — so van drivers and tradespeople can return to work almost immediately, others simply don’t.

Instead, they drag their feet, which means you’re left waiting for a payout.

Consequently, as the delays mount, you’re forced to watch valuable jobs — and crucial income — slip away.

The True Cost Of Delays

Unfortunately, the impact doesn’t stop there.

On average, these delays can put a tradesperson out of work for roughly an entire month.

Worse still, if you’re a sparky or a plumber and thieves hit your van, you could lose nearly two months’ wages just replacing the stolen tools.

Clearly, the financial hit can be devastating.

Shocking Gaps In Cover

But here’s the real shocker…

Despite the risks, 89% of van drivers still skip full cover for goods stolen from their vehicles.

In addition, 84% go without a courtesy van in their policy, leaving them stranded when theft strikes.

What You Can Do Right Now

So what should you do now?

First of all, it’s essential to strengthen your van’s in-vehicle security.

Therefore, consider installing lockable storage boxes and reinforced locks on every entry point.

Moreover, if your existing policy doesn’t include these crucial extras, it’s definitely time to shop around.

After all, choosing a comprehensive new van-insurance policy could save you weeks of downtime — and protect you from an even bigger financial loss.

Make sure you’ve got adequate cover – or else!

Van insurance news roundup: 7 days ending 24 Feb 2013:

It’s rough out there, and you need to protect your vehicles – especially if you do the majority of your work on the road and out from the back of your van.

It’s more and more common to end up using your van as a mobile office if you’re a commercial van driver, according to recently released market research, but if you’re one of those enterprising entrepreneurs doing so, you need to make sure you need to keep an eye on your valuables, said one van insurance specialist. In fact, you need to make sure you’re taking sensible precautions and take steps to ensure you have adequate insurance cover, says AXA Business Insurance, because you could see yourself stranded up the creek if something untoward happens.

AXA says that, according to their research, more than 7 out of 10 commercial van owners keep a smartphone with them, while 60 per cent keep a satnav in the van as well. 45 per cent keep a tablet or laptop in their car, and all together the value of all this technology could easily be over £1,000 – and if your commercial van insurance policy doesn’t cover the theft or destruction of these valuable pieces of technology, kiss your otherwise flourishing business goodbye.

Regular policies won’t cover more than a few hundred pounds worth towards the replacement of these big-ticket items. However, if you can’t be bothered to put your valuables out of sight when you leave your van unattended – or don’t keep your car alarm functioning properly, good luck getting any money out of your insurer at all; if you ask me you would do better trying to squeeze a pint of blood from a stone.

In other words, keep your expensive toys out of sight if you leave your van alone for more than a moment. Of course, this doesn’t help if the whole van is stolen altogether – and another news story this week demonstrates such an occurrence.

This one is actually pretty tragic, considering the circumstances: a drama group’s minibus was stolen right out from under the nose of the group leader one Sunday evening, with criminals absconding with the vehicle right from outside her home. However, the group – Popstars Academy – has vowed to not let this deter their performances, according to group leader Anne Marshall.

The minibus, a 10 year old Mercedes, was used for costume changes, to ferry sound equipment, and to take the young children actors and singers to nearby performances at locales such as charity fundraisers and homes for the elderly. The worst part is that the van had the Academy’s name and logo emblazoned on the side in massive letters, which meant that the thieves are callous, heartless bastards or just more than a bit thick; if you ask me, it’s probably a bit of both.

Still, the community troupe has vowed to continue on somehow. I hope they had an up to date van insurance policy!

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