Previously I was insured with M&S for house insurance but last year changed. I now wanted to go back to M&S so my bikes are covered but they now won't cover me as I apparently live in an area of high flood risk despite never having been flooded in the area in the 10 years I lived there. Anyone suggest any alternatives that are good for bike cover?

AXA have covered mine with very little hassle, dunno what they're like if I need to claim mind!

xc-steve – Member
AXA have covered mine with very little hassle, dunno what they're like if I need to claim mind!

AXA underwrite M & S…

AXA may underwrite M&S but they gave us a better price than M&S – we went via a local broker who got us better cover than that available on the website too

Apparently it's AXA that are the problem. Norwich Union used to underwrite M&S when I had a policy. Just found another post that suggests Direct Line Plus or NFU so wil give them a try.

Justr went with Geenbee (john Lewis) underwritten by AXA – Bikes insured in garage from what I could see and all stuff in sheds and garden – I kept My buildings with esure as it was much cheaper 🙂

2.1/2 years ago I changed from M&S to Zurich as they were offering a like-for-like policy and it was slightly cheaper. 2 weeks later all my bikes were stolen 🙁 No problems with Zurich – would recommend.

Greenbee – insured outside the house for up to £5k

I was with Zurrich for years but switched as they were just too expensive, however they happily paid out for claims for broken bikes.

Greenbee must be AXA underwritten as well 🙁

>Greenbee must be AXA underwritten

They were last time I looked, sometime last year

The post codes used to identify flood areas change over time so that might be a factor.

NFU Mutual (not NFU, they're the Farming union!!!) cover bikes without being specified up to a set value (can't remember figure sorry) – above this they have to be specified. Both the flood and the specified bike(s) due to value might refer to an Underwriter for them to consider. Oh, and bikes aren't covered in racing or competition – if you want that ask as it used to be possible to extend cover. Google "NFU Mutual" for the UK call centre phone number – they don't have an internet quote engine.

I'm not sure how it works for home products, but I know that for car insurance many brokers are often underwritten by multiple different insurers. For example Swinton will sell you policies underwritten by AXA, Zurich, Allianz etc

And I imagine the flood risk criteria IS set by the underwriter, so that rules out AXA. But I wouldn't rule out everyone else underwritten by AXA unless you know that's the only underwriter they have.

Went with NFU Mutal in the end. Got a good quote with bikes listed as specified items and covers them worldwide so I can rest easy when taking them the White Room Chalet next month 🙂

Just waiting for NFU Mutual to come back to me with the quote but they'll be hard pushed to beat M&S I think, as much as I wish they could.

OP I had the same probelem – I argued my case and they still insure me.

I live on a road called Valley Drive, houses at the bottom flood, I live at the top if my house flood were all f00ked 8O.

interesting – posted about this before – I had the same problem with M&S recently after they tried to hike my premium by a huuuge margin. Apparently I too now live in a flood area 😯 good grief. Kept my policy because I'm an existing customer but good to know that they are reasonable alternatives out there…

Try your local ins broker and ask to get a quote from them with a company called TL Risk Solutions Ltd based in leeds but are part of a large Llyods underwriters group they do a combined Buildings and contents policy and i belive that you get accidental cover as well as new for old in the price not sure on full details as missus deals with it due to the fact she works at one of our local large ins brokers and no we dont get mates rates was only company that could get my santa cruz heckeler placed as a speicfed item on it without loading the policy
normally wouldnt reply to the thread but thought would share with you my last 7 weeks of hell
so 7 weeks ago kitchen caught fire,brigade attended put out the cause and made safe terraced house we live in phoned emergency no of above ins bearing in mind incident occured at 10.30am on a saturady morn loss assor arrived by 2.30pm that afternoon wrote off all of the kitchen and all of the living/dinning room area due to fire/smoke damage of the upstairs this needed a comlete clean redecoration and some replacements ie carpets curtains bedlinen etc appointed builder and cleaner to attend address first thing monday morning which they did so as we discussed with builder what needed doing cleaners started on what they needed to do
so 7 weeks later we are nearing completion rough cost to ins buildings about £30k contents £20k
moral of story dont leave cooker on dont leave anything on top of cooker if its an electric one make sure u have adequte cover ie accidental on bulidings other wise the damage to our kitchen and buldings genarally wouldnt have been coverd and also make sure u get the sums right in realtion to the ie rebuild of your proerty etc as this what they will go on in cases like this plus again make sure sums are correct for contents
it is only when you have something like this happen do you know you got it right with the cover and the company you are insured with

So Tim, how did the kitchen catch fire?

When I spoke to M&S they said if I'd stayed with them after AXA took over the underwriting from Norwich Union they would have had to continue insuring me but they wouldn't budge on taking me back due to supposed flood risk.