Daily Express

Crusader Classic case of missing insurance

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CONVIVIAL summer spent visiting classic car shows was the plan for one vintage vehicle fan until confusion over his motor insurance pulled him up short. Clive Rudd’s concern centred on the public liability condition of the specialist cover for his Classic 1967 Austin Cambridge. This is the element that protects owners against claims and is an absolute must for all those attending rallies.

Clive had recently switched firms to insurance broker Adrian Flux, paying £102 for his policy.

But shortly after, when he needed to provide proof to a show’s officials that he was covered, he checked and says he was told he didn’t have it.

Worried that would rule him out of attending other events, he decided to cancel his agreement. But while that was easily organised, Clive then discovered he was losing all the £102 he had paid despite the policy still having more than 10 months to run.

This was the bit he found rather harsh, he told Crusader, explaining: “I did expect a penalty but to lose

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Disappoint­ed, he was also puzzled about the apparent lack of public liability in what he had bought, because the cover was specialist and this condition was integral to it.

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“We found countless listings for tools to enable people to commit crypto-currency fraud that would allow crooks to access Bitcoin accounts.” this type of insurance,” he said. Something didn’t add up, we agreed, and raised that aspect too when we asked Adrian Flux to see if there was room for manoeuvre on the size of its cancellati­on fee.

And the reality is indeed more complex, the insurer explained, as some degree of public liability was included in Clive’s policy. “He would DAY OUT: Fans at vintage car show have been covered from a thirdparty claim against the vehicle at a rally or show, so that may have been adequate,” said a spokeswoma­n.

But according to the insurer, public liability is not as straightfo­rward as many think and some confusion still exists about how much cover owners need when attending a show. “Further public liability is needed if, for example, a vehicle is displayed on a stand or has banners or barriers surroundin­g it,” added the spokeswoma­n. This was not included in Clive’s policy.

And they say the reason he was docked the full amount was because he had cancelled outside the 14-day cooling-off period.

But Adrian Flux clearly took on board Clive’s concerns and has now refunded him a proportion­ate sum of £93.52 for the time that remained on his policy as a goodwill gesture.

“Without your interventi­on making them aware, this may not have happened,” he told Crusader when thanking us. And as the key point Clive was making was about fairness, he has donated the money to charity, a gesture which has also pleased the insurer.

When buying specialist insurance, make a list of what you need it to cover before you trawl for deals. If the terms relating to your particular requiremen­ts aren’t crystal clear, note the deal and call the insurer directly.

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