Bike Insurance

Am I the only person on here who's never had a bike or bike-bit nicked?

I hate to tempt fate...

but no

The best insurance you can get is to weld spikes onto every flat surface. Works for pigeons.

Ok I've read all of the threads here about insurance and im pretty much still stumped as to which is best. I think i've reached the conclusion that butterworth and M&s are the best but i'm not sure how under their conditions i would claim for certain parts of my bike. i.e parts i have bought off other forum members which obviously i didn't get a receipt for. I've photographed everything on my bike and me with it but is this really sufficient for butterworth?

Call them and ask them!

After all.. they are the ones typing the fine print.

yes... yes they are.

Ok I've read all of the threads here about insurance and im pretty much still stumped as to which is best. I think i've reached the conclusion that butterworth and M&s are the best but i'm not sure how under their conditions i would claim for certain parts of my bike. i.e parts i have bought off other forum members which obviously i didn't get a receipt for. I've photographed everything on my bike and me with it but is this really sufficient for butterworth?

You don't even have to say that you got stuff second hand. I asked M&S what they would require if I lost my receipts and they said that good photos would be fine for replacement purposes.

What happens if all your receipts get burnt in a house fire or whatever? Or if you kept them in a lock box with your bills and stuff that some burglar stole? They'll still sort you out.

If you have lots of important documents buy a fire box http://www.safelincs.co.uk/section.php?xSec=34

@benanza. That's what (all) I needed to know rep added!

note: you can't add rep from the mobile version of the site so +2

www.eta.co.uk got recommended in the guardian yesterday. i've read through all their terms and conditions and they seem pretty favourable. the cost is slightly less than that from the lcc recommendation, too. personally, i haven't had cycle insurance for a long time, preferring instead to invest my 60 quid a year in upgrading my lock situation. i wonder what others think of this strategy? should i now consider getting insurance with these people, given that i have plenty of locks?

Just want to document the fact that I've had a bad experience with JLT Online, the guys who underwrite for Evans insurance and Cycleguard. Perhaps I should've read the small print a hundred times, but you kind of also assume that if they accept the policy, that you're covered. Apparently because the frame on my stolen bike was over 10 years old, it isn't worth anything. They regard the insurance as being on the frame. Nevermind that pretty much everything else was new. They stated that on frames over 10 years old, depreciation is 100% and therefore the value is £0.

So stolen bike + no pay-out on insurance = double gutted.

Can't stress enough - read the small print!

www.eta.co.uk got recommended in the guardian yesterday. i've read through all their terms and conditions and they seem pretty favourable. the cost is slightly less than that from the lcc recommendation, too. personally, i haven't had cycle insurance for a long time, preferring instead to invest my 60 quid a year in upgrading my lock situation. i wonder what others think of this strategy? should i now consider getting insurance with these people, given that i have plenty of locks?

Thank for this link. They've just sorted me out for £64 a year on an £800 bike. I think I'll still get some pitlock skewers though as this only seems to cover theft of the whole bike.

If you are a student in university halls then you may very well be covered by your parent's home contents insurance. Also don't go with Endsleigh that the Students Union push onto new intakes. It's expensive, unnecessary in most cases and they never pay out. They are owned by the Student Union which explains why you get the hard sell and why they are crap

Hey

I need to get my bike insured against theft...anyone recommend an insurance company?

Cheers

If you want to consider house insurance as an option I'm with Hiscox.

They're good because if something happens they pay out cash rather than vouchers. And unless you have something that Evans or Halfords stock, you'll be bitterly disappointed with this.

Hiscox will insure a bike valued up to 5% of the total policy, although you have to pay an additional premium if your bike is above £5k.

Also check out Butterworth Insurance - not insured with them (or at all, in fact), but plenty of people on here are and they would be my choice.

I'm with M&S. Haven't had to make a claim, but the exchange like for new, which is nice.

cheers....i haven't got any house insurance and my bike isn't a halfords special...i will check butterworth ta x

Marks and Spencer's household insurance comes recommended in the sense that they have very good upper limits on value and add bikes to the household insurance at no extra cost (from memory) and have very good terms with regards to security required.
There was a thread on this on YACF recently:
http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4843.0
http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1993.0

There is already a thread on this subject kids.

'insurance is for pessimists'

a quote from out of africa.

i can't forget that quote.

Has anyone successfully made a claim for a stolen bike (not stolen from their home) through their home insurers? I tried to call my insurers yesterday but after speaking to a fool who had no idea what I was talking about and being on hold for about 20 minutes I gave up

I'm with Esure, who have paid out on one bike that got stolen.
You have to name each bike on the policy though if it is above £500.

My insurance (home contents, but mainly for the bikes) is around £700 per year.

I'm with Esure, who have paid out on one bike that got stolen.
You have to name each bike on the policy though if it is above £500.

My insurance (home contents, but mainly for the bikes) is around £700 per year.

That is pretty steep man. I'm covered under M&S home contents for any bike up to £5k, no locks are specified, no limit on the number of bikes, don't have to name any item under £5k, no receipts needed (photos are fine). I pay about £360 per year by monthly DD with no penalty for spreading the payments.

@gregory

if they are putting you on hold for ages it is just a tactic to get rid of you, they don't want to make payments, and know you probably don't have all day to sit on the line.

I had a bank try this on me when they let some one who was not authorized take money out of my account. when I called I was transferred from a nice young woman who answered to an idiot who would put on hold for hours at a time. I told him I would have my lawyer write them if they did not return the money by 5pm. that got them jumping.