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Comfort Insurance - 48hr parking limit


DavyS

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Today, I phoned Comfort Insurance to renew my motorhome insurance. Everything OK but they stated that their underwriters, Aviva, now stipulate that the motorhome cannot be left unattended for more than 48hrs. For instance if you were to drive and park at a railway station, or park and take a boat or ferry trip, or park at a relatives home and go away with them for a few days, etc.

My problem is that, several months down the line, I would never remember that and my motorhome could be uninsured.

Before I phone around, does anybody know if this limitation is normal?

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There is nothing new about the AVIVA ’48 hours’ rule.

 

The Comfort motorhome insurance policy can be viewed here

 

https://2s48jvfpl1l3jrkp72d55xu1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/V6-policy-Booklet.pdf

 

and the two '48 hours' caveats that are likely to be most relevant are on Page 8

 

Exclusions to Section I of your policy (cont.)

 

13. Loss or damage covered under section 1 if your motorhome is stored for a period in excess or 48 hours anywhere other than the storage location disclosed to us in your statement of fact.

 

and Page 16

 

Section X

Continental use

 

In addition to the minimum cover, full cover as described by your policy applies in all countries as defined in the territorial limits provided:

 

- your motorhome remains in your custody or control. If for any reason your motorhome will not be within your custody or control for a period in excess of 48 hours, then you must notify Comfort Insurance in advance. Please refer to Section I of this policy for information on security of stored vehicles.

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Aviva's information sheet for Comfort includes the restriction:

"Loss or damage to your Motorhome if it is stored anywhere other than the storage location disclosed as shown on your statement of fact, for a period in excess of 48 hours"

 

'Storage" seems to me to be different to "parking", Comfort interpreted this clause to me as "parking"

 

Comfort also said told me that if you advise Comfort in advance then they will talk to Aviva and "try" to get you covered. Aviva wording mentions nothing about a relaxation if informed in advance.

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andy mccord - 2020-02-13 12:00 PM

 

How would they know its been left unattended for over 48hrs?

 

ME on telephone: Is that Arriva? I would like to report my motorhome stolen

ARRIVA: when was it stolen

ME: I reported it to the Police as it stolen sometime between 6th and 8th of this month .............

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DavyS - 2020-02-13 9:35 AM

 

Aviva's information sheet for Comfort includes the restriction:

"Loss or damage to your Motorhome if it is stored anywhere other than the storage location disclosed as shown on your statement of fact, for a period in excess of 48 hours"

 

'Storage" seems to me to be different to "parking", Comfort interpreted this clause to me as "parking"

 

Comfort also said told me that if you advise Comfort in advance then they will talk to Aviva and "try" to get you covered. Aviva wording mentions nothing about a relaxation if informed in advance.

 

If you use the link I provided above to Comfort’s Motorhome Insurance Policy, you’ll find that (in the Definitions section) “Storage” and “Storage Location” are defined as follows:

 

Storage

Your motorhome will be considered to be stored or in storage when it is not in use for the purposes of travel or other day-to-day activity.

 

Storage Location

The address recorded on your statement of fact of where your motorhome is kept when not in use.

 

The second 48-hours caveat (in Section X - Continental Use) does not mention “storage” nor “parking”, but just refers to “custody or control”.

 

People have been known (if, say, there is a family/domestic emergency in the UK) to leave their motorhome on a ‘foreign’ airport carpark or campsite, returning only when the emergency has been dealt with. The policy permits a motorhome being used abroad to be left unattended for up to 48 hours but, if the motorhome owner realises that the vehicle will be unattended for longer than that, insists that the owner inform Comfort that this is going to happen. This does not seem unreasonable to me.

 

If a motorhome owner leaves their vehicle unattended for more than 48 hours without notifying Comfort beforehand, and nothing untoward has happened when the owner returns, Comfort obviously won’t know (nor care) that the motorhome has been unattended for more than 48 hours. But if, when the owner returns and finds the vehicle has been stolen or damaged and makes an insurance claim, one of the first things that will be asked is “How long was the motorhome left unattended?”

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All depends on your attitude to risk. I’ve known people leave their van in a car at Alicante airport and fly home for 2 weeks. Similarly I know people who leave their van on a site in Spain and take their motorbikes to Morocco, again for a couple of weeks. Either way somebody is around keeping an eye on the vehicle.

Not for everyone, but a lot of folks are risk takers.

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DavyS - 2020-02-13 9:35 AM

 

Aviva's information sheet for Comfort includes the restriction:

"Loss or damage to your Motorhome if it is stored anywhere other than the storage location disclosed as shown on your statement of fact, for a period in excess of 48 hours"[/Quote]

 

Derek Uzzell - 2020-02-13 2:08 PM

If you use the link I provided above to Comfort’s Motorhome Insurance Policy, you’ll find that (in the Definitions section) “Storage” and “Storage Location” are defined as follows:

 

Storage

Your motorhome will be considered to be stored or in storage when it is not in use for the purposes of travel or other day-to-day activity.[/Quote]

 

Thanks Derek for your hard work on this. But I am still confused. If I take my motorhome to the New Forest for a week, and then go with friends in their vehicle on a two-day excursion to Isle of Wight, then is the motorhome engaged in travel or other day to day activity? I would claim it is being used for my holiday purposes; but it could be claimed that it is in storage?[/b]

 

The second 48-hours caveat (in Section X - Continental Use) does not mention “storage” nor “parking”, but just refers to “custody or control”.

 

People have been known (if, say, there is a family/domestic emergency in the UK) to leave their motorhome on a ‘foreign’ airport carpark or campsite, returning only when the emergency has been dealt with. The policy permits a motorhome being used abroad to be left unattended for up to 48 hours but, if the motorhome owner realises that the vehicle will be unattended for longer than that, insists that the owner inform Comfort that this is going to happen.

 

Comfort have told me that they will talk to Aviva and "try" to get you covered. Aviva's wording, however, mentions nothing about a relaxation if informed in advance.[/b]

The second 48-hours caveat (in Section X - Continental Use) does not mention “storage” nor “parking”, but just refers to “custody or control”.

Would leaving the motorhome at a campsite or secure airport car park be regarded as leaving it in "custody or control"?

 

So I think my questions have been answered:

- this type of limitation is not regarded by members as being unusual

- it is all so vague that you need to inform Comfort in advance if you are leaving the motorhome whilst going off for a couple of days. They will phone Aviva to get an interpretation then inform you if you would be covered.

 

My problem would be how to remember all this or even remember to make the call. I wonder how many people do remember? Comfort have suggested I have a post-it note permanently stuck to my dashboard to remind me!

 

Thanks everyone.

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I’d be happy to argue with Comfort and, if necessary, in court that parking for more than 48 hours is not impacted by their restriction on storage. Similarly, if the MH is properly secured and I have the keys in my possession, it is within my control.

 

I appreciate that some other’s attitude to risk may be different.

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I have no difficulty differentiating between storage ad parking, nor what my motohome remaining in my “custody or control” means.

 

These clauses have been in Comfort’s motorhome insurance policy documentation for years. I recall asking Compass about the Continental Use 48-hours-maximum limit and being told that continued insurance coverage would depend on what the exact situation was and what measures the motorhome owner could take before the vehicle would no longer be in his/her custody/control.

 

While I may be getting on in years, I haven’t yet reached the point where I can’t remember that, if I shall be away from my motorhome for more than 48 hours, I need to inform Comfort about this.

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I had occasion to leave my Motorhome in my drive unattended for 3 weeks. Note;- this is not my dedicated parking Site.

 

I spoke to Comfort about this, prior to going away and they confirmed that it would still be fully be covered, with no extra charge.

 

Just returned home and have had to make a claim due to damage from the high winds of last Sunday.They have accepted the claim without a problem, just waiting for their approved bodyshop to call me and give me a date to take it in for the quote.

 

The excess payable on this policy is £200, So, in the unlikely event that the claim is not much more than this amount, I can cancel the claim after receiving the quotation and protect my no claims record, I was informed.

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