Aviva Home Contents Insurance – Online quote rejection

Has anyone been declined a quote, getting pulled up by what seems like an overzealous anti fraud system for changing too many details?

Put in basic details, get my quote, all looks good.

I add legal, then take it off to see how it will effect quote, do the same for a few other areas. Add bike, then change price of bike to see how it will effect quote based on quote ranging from 3-5k, mainly out of curoiosity. How do you value a 3yr old bike anyway?

Add valuables cover to see how much it is, then remove it.

Bam, banned from getting a quote online.

Apparently I have been flagged for quote massaging WTF! Just ticking boxes, mainly out of curiosity.

Lots of sites pull you up if you change details too much – I’ve seen it flagged as suspicious bot activity.

I guess if you are adding and removing bikes or changing their value it might trigger a warning that you are trying to under value and therefore under pay the premium. In the simple minds of underwriters it goes:

Bike cover – Y/N

Value = X

Cost =Y

After that, computer says No.

I didn’t get banned for it, but I did have a company tell me I couldn’t pick and h ch pose which bikes to insure – the fact I’d mentioned that they existed meant I had to cover them. I had originally wanted to see how much it would be to insure all of them vs just the ones that actually have value. And I found a load of companies that wouldn’t quote for bikes over £5k.

clear cookies and start again?

Can’t wipe cookies, the quote is tied to my personal details.

I’m fine with whatever rules they have if they are transparent about pricing and their rules. I.e simply say put in bike at RRP, legal cover costs x. If you force users to click / unclick what do they think will happen. I’m now concerned they have flagged me in some system shared with other insurance companies that I’m some kind of fraudsters for clicking too many buttons.

Not a good experience.

Back in the day M&S insurance (via AXA) had an easy, and competitive, policy that covered buildings and contents. Including bikes. if I remember correctly few things had to be specified – jewellery where an item was >£5,000 perhaps?

You’ve checked out https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/home-insurance/ right?

@stwhannah – it was explained to me that having many bikes at home, even if some were uninsured, made it more likely that I’d be targeted for theft. Therefore, the premium would increase. I’m not saying that I fully agree with the logic, but there you go.

Based on past experience AXA underwritten policies would be my first port of call for bike friendliness.  But things do change so YMMV

On a similar subject, has anyone got a definite answer from an insurance company about bikes being insured while locked to the roof rack of a car? Lots in policies about “immovable objects”. Just been told by Aviva on their chat that a car is movable (obviously) and so bikes locked to a roof rack would not be covered.

@vww I have this conversation every year if I look at different insurers. Halifax – they are covered by home policy unless the car itself is stolen. If the bikes alone are taken then they are covered. I have to check insurers’ definitions of immovable object for when we are away with the caravan, and if the pitched caravan qualifies. With Halifax it does, currently. When I last checked at renewal time Esure/Sheila’s Wheels said they don’t, nor do Admiral. I always phone or Web chat if available so I have a record of it if ever needed.

@fazzini – thanks. Yes, currently with Admiral and I have a web chat confirming they are insured while locked to a roof rack, but renewal came in quite high compared to shopping around. But the faff of finding this stuff out every time is drag. As you say, really need to get it in writing to make sure you have something to stand on if the worst happens.

Just checked my Aviva(was Barclays) Home Insurance (for bike only) and does say immovable object. Taking our bikes camping this year and I’ve a screw in ground anchor(s) – will probably use that and a fence ! Locking to a car wheel is probably more secure, but the car can strictly be ‘moved’.

will probably use that and a fence

When I discovered esure had changed their rules, on the last trip whilst  still covered with them, I found a big tree on the site and locked the bikes around that! (Esure were horrific to deal with when I had to make a claim too, so wasn’t disappointed to go elsewhere.)

If the car has not moved I don’t see it can be called a moveable object?

If bike is on car and car is stolen = bikes not covered

If car is not moved and bikes stolen = bikes covered

(in my opinion yet to be tested!)

The insurance industry is now just basically a scam. Experiences like the OP, countless hours wasted in shopping around and checking conditions in minutiae only to be fobbed off by ill informed poorly paid staff has led me to the following.

I buy the most basic cover needed by law or common sense (i.e car insurance, basic home and contents with no extras etc) and then bung £100 a month into a self insurance fund.

I’ll scrutinise travel insurance if I’m taking part in any sports like MTB, Windsurfing etc abroad as obviously that can be important but that’s it.

Its just not worth claiming on half these policies anyway.

Winston speaks the truth.
Verily.

Planet Earth is movable. They’re just snakes.

I bought up the car thing with my insurer Homeprotect as it is listed on the policy for full amount etc. Farce etc

“For bikes away from home, we will cover your bike for physical damage and theft anywhere in the world. When you’re not using the bike, it must be locked to an immovable object, or kept within a locked building.

Please note, cars are not considered immovable object; theft from unattended motor vehicles is not covered because this is normally covered by motor insurance.”

Wonder if I would be covered if the bike was inside my car which was inside my garage at the time….probably as it’s still at home…?!!

I’ve come at it from the other end as it were, I’ve added ‘personal belongings’ cover to my van insurance (and checked it includes bikes).

Oooo I was going to create a new topic on BIKMO.

AS SEEN ON YOUTUBE – MEH!

I hadn’t realised just how extortionate a level these cycle insurers could reach.

Approx £560 per year to insure approx £9000 of MTBs.

Last time I checked on house insurance it’s like £18 per year.

Unsure who and where to turn for two one off custom builds as I do not have buildings insurance as rent.

Unsure who and where to turn for two one off custom builds as I do not have buildings insurance as rent.

You can still get contents insurance from the usual big providers, you just don’t need building + contents.

Ok then, thanks for info bails 👍

Pedalcover has a 3rd section after buildings and contents just for bikes which clears up the usual conflicting terms for bike value Vs outbuildings total insured value, and I’m pretty sure they state you don’t need to insure all your bikes.

Plus cyclinguk members get a discount. They seem to fit all my requirements except my electric garage door isn’t a 5 lever mortice lock and they just added a note and said it was ok.

Family member used to work for a car insurance company and monitoring quote fiddling was something the company was very interested in monitoring and acting upon. For example changing job title to reduce the quote.

Yes my partner was on the phone to one company, can’t remember which one, and was asking if the agent could add and remove different things (like bikes away from home or not, different cover) and he was told she won’t do it because it’ll flag as fraud. He laughed of course, but she was quite rude, especially throwing ‘fraud’ around. While I can understand they want you to be honest about what you are covering, it’s a marketplace with opaque pricing. They force you to go through all those options. e.g. we can insure bikes and cameras away from home on either travel or home insurance or as separate item-specific policies, so we want to see which is the better deal. Hate insurance companies with a passion tbh.

Halifax let me list 3 bikes as special items with associated values.  No idea how easy it’ll be to claim those values if they ever get stolen though.

I was looking at car insurance for myself and when inputing the details had completely forgotten about a windscreen replacement I’d had. Quote kept on being rejected. I phoned the company and eventually discovered it was due to me not listing the windscreen claim. When they added it over the phone the insurance cost doubled so I said no thanks. Out of interest I went back to my online quote and this time added in the windscreen claim to the form, all details accepted and quote given with a 50p a month rise. The person on the phone was almost accusing me of fraud despite me saying sorry, I’d completely forgotten about the windscreen. I must have been given a “punishment” quote on the phone for daring to make a mistake.

People underinsuring is a big issue. My wife sees it all the time when she goes out on insurance reviews.

Farmers with £80k’s worth of kit sat in a barn they’d ‘forgot’ to tell the insurance company about.

monitoring quote fiddling was something the company was very interested in monitoring and acting upon. For example changing job title to reduce the quote.

Lots of insurers use it to detect/prevent quote manipulation especially by Ghost Brokers. Can’t speak for all of them obviously, even though that goes completely against the STW ethos 😂

For anyone interested, I had a fairly straightforward call with Halifax yesterday once I had a quote number. Handler went to his supervisor, returned and confirmed that bikes locked to roof racks are definitely covered. My bikes are also named items on the policy. Have to say, it was as simple a process as I’ve had with insurance. Can’t offer any advice about claiming, but so far Halifax have been good and easy to deal with.

Get it in writing…

returned and confirmed that bikes locked to roof racks are definitely covered.

Yep needs adding as a note to the policy if it’s not clear in the terms and conditions!

I’m surprised anyone would insure bikes locked to flimsy roof bars.

I’m surprised anyone would leave expensive bikes unattended on a car roof!

IMO its stupid. Just say in big letters:

Value at RRP. If you underinsure you are not covered.

I was not massaging the quote, I was just curious how all the available options would impact the price. I.e accidental cover, legal cover, while trying to estimate the actual cost of replacing my bike.

Anyhow, called, added absolutely everything and insured at RRP to avert any fraud accusations. All sorted. To me I still feel a personal slight when nothing more than curiosity gets me thrown into the fraud box. False positives must be through the roof eating everyone’s time. IMO, they should just ask for make / model of everything you want to insure and be transparent about pricing.

“I’ll scrutinise travel insurance if I’m taking part in any sports like MTB, Windsurfing etc abroad as obviously that can be important but that’s it.”

My approach as well.  I cut the price of my travel insurance in more than half last year by removing theft cover.  i was bike touring. No valuables. The places my bike, only worth £500, could have been stolen probably weren’t covered anyway. £113 for a month USA 62 year old.

Fyi, I’ve just checked pedalcover and an “immovable object” includes

A properly fixed motor vehicle pedal cycle rack which is locked to the vehicle which cannot be undone or removed unless using extreme force

(i.e. requiring the use of power tools or other machinery, not simple hand tools such as a box cutter)

I hadn’t realised just how extortionate a level these cycle insurers could reach. Approx £560 per year to insure approx £9000 of MTBs.

Is it though? Bikes are one the easiest items to steal and you are paying what 6% of value per annum which will likely cover crash damage as well.

how are people valuing older bikes? obviously retail prices were vastly less several years ago compared to now.

ie. a 7 year old 3k roadie,worth about 1k ish second hand but would cost approx 5k to buy new similar spec.

On a slight tangent, Butterworth Spengler (who did the Cycling UK insurance, and I’d stayed with) are now no longer insuring bikes. Yellow Jersey want receipts, which will be a challenge when the bikes insured are both over 10yo. Mainly interested in insuring the MTB as it’s the one that’s away from home; anyone any thoughts?