DavyS Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 My Comfort renewal notice arrived today, and just like the previous years, it had increased by about 8%. I phoned Comfort and pointed out that over the last 12 months I had done only 8 miles (to an MOT and back), that the next 12 months might not be that much better, and so instead of an increase could I have a discount on the quoted premium. Their reply was that the product is offered via Victor Millwell - insurance brokers offering insurance through Aviva. And therefore Aviva inform VM of the new premium and VM have no say in it. Therefore VM cannot offer a discount. So I am left wondering what is the value of VM? Why do we not all place our insurance through the underlying insurance company? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 That’s not a very good response from Comfort - they take their share of the money but not prepared to approach Victor Millwell or Avila to ask the question on behalf of its customers. We were loyal customers of Comfort for a few years but also concerned with the repeated increase each year. Last year I asked why there was no reduction to reflect the lower value of the motorhome and received a similar non committal answer. Checked with Caravan Guard and found the same cover for £60 less. I’ve long been a ‘loyal’ customer to many insurers and utility companies but it does pay to shop around. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don636 Posted February 16, 2021 Share Posted February 16, 2021 My cover from Comfort went up 8% last year but only 2% the previous two years so it will be interesting to see what this years quote is but it looks like being another 8% so time to have a look around. Probably no point having overseas breakdown cover this year as it wasn’t used last year and the mileage could come down as well which might reduce the quote. It was £308 last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandy Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 david lloyd - 2021-02-16 7:32 PM That’s not a very good response from Comfort - they take their share of the money but not prepared to approach Victor Millwell or Avila to ask the question on behalf of its customers. We were loyal customers of Comfort for a few years but also concerned with the repeated increase each year. Last year I asked why there was no reduction to reflect the lower value of the motorhome and received a similar non committal answer. Checked with Caravan Guard and found the same cover for £60 less. I’ve long been a ‘loyal’ customer to many insurers and utility companies but it does pay to shop around. David Comfort and VM are one and the same, Comfort simply being a trading name used by VM. As to the question in the original post of approaching Aviva direct, I don't think that's possible. As far as I am aware they do not sell motorhome insurance direct, only through a broker. If you try to get a quote from their website it redirects you to Comfort's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peejay Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 aandy - 2021-02-17 9:51 AM david lloyd - 2021-02-16 7:32 PM That’s not a very good response from Comfort - they take their share of the money but not prepared to approach Victor Millwell or Avila to ask the question on behalf of its customers. We were loyal customers of Comfort for a few years but also concerned with the repeated increase each year. Last year I asked why there was no reduction to reflect the lower value of the motorhome and received a similar non committal answer. Checked with Caravan Guard and found the same cover for £60 less. I’ve long been a ‘loyal’ customer to many insurers and utility companies but it does pay to shop around. David Comfort and VM are one and the same, Comfort simply being a trading name used by VM. As to the question in the original post of approaching Aviva direct, I don't think that's possible. As far as I am aware they do not sell motorhome insurance direct, only through a broker. If you try to get a quote from their website it redirects you to Comfort's. Thats what I thought but Victor Millwell also have a stand alone website offering motorhome insurance.. https://www.vminsurance.co.uk/motorhome-insurance Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 Sorry aandy didn’t realise Comfort were just a trading name of VM but it makes sense now. I didn’t mean the customer should approach Aviva but rather that should be the job of Comfort/VM as a service to its customers. The response the OP got seemed to be nothing more than ‘take it or leave it’. It’s interesting though, there is a similar thread running on the Autosleeper Owners Forum (this time the C&MH Club are the insurer concerned) with similar responses. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 COMFORT BAHHHHH I lapsed my van Insurance with Comfort last year for 2 months as van was Sorned, When I went to renew after 2 Months Comfort wanted an extra £250 on my premium , WHAT I said, new Policy they said so goodbye Comfort hello CCC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajohno Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 I had some horrendous renewal quotes the first year after a not my fault accident where my car was written off. considering my MH is now 26 years old, a couple of the quotes were for more than I paid for the van! I then found Performance Direct, the quote actually came out cheaper than for my 2009 1.1 Fiat Panda B-) I will have to wait to see how next years renewal stands up....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deneb Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 peejay - 2021-02-17 10:44 AM Thats what I thought but Victor Millwell also have a stand alone website offering motorhome insurance.. https://www.vminsurance.co.uk/motorhome-insurance Pete It's not a standalone website for Victor Millwell Insurance Agency Ltd. It's a website for "VM Insurance". "Comfort Insurance" and "VM Insurance" are both trading names and registered trademarks of Victor Millwell Insurance Agency Ltd, and in many respects other than the "corporate livery", both websites are identical. Both state that (VM Insurance or Comfort Insurance, depending which site you visit) "are proud to be working with Aviva to provide specialist motorhome & campervan insurance cover for our customers". Presumably the two trading names are purely a business arrangement. You would have to ask Victor Millwell Insurance Agency Ltd why they operate websites under two distinct trading names for Aviva backed motorhome and campervan insurance, but one possibility is that a potential customer who is shopping around for quotes might try them twice, thinking that they were two different insurers, potentially increasing "footfall" and business as a result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HymerVan Posted March 8, 2021 Share Posted March 8, 2021 Looking at the Victor Millwell Website it appears to be directed at Agency relationships with brokers and offers a wider range of products. So it is a sort of "wholesale" shop front as opposed to the retail "Comfort " website. It may be that a "retail" customer can buy insurance on the VM site (I haven't tried it). And of course sometimes retailers and cheaper than wholesalers. For what it is worth I have got good service from Comfort. For example when was fed up with my motorhome being called "Dump Code" on the Motor Industry database I spoke to the MID and to Comfort and Comfort arranged for Aviva to modify their processes so that the make and Model was displayed. Later in a year when I got a better quote through CAMC I asked Devitt (who are the brokers appointed by CAMC) to do the same and they said said it was impossible to change (even though the insurer was Aviva) or to put it another way they couldn't be bothered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesspark Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 I am struggling to get insurance quotes although i have not claimed on a car in all my 81 years, and motorhome in 20 plus years. Does anyone know what companies insure the over 80.s? there must be a lot of people driving motorhomes my age or older? my company I am with now have upped next years premium 18% fesspark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 fesspark - 2021-04-22 12:49 PM I am struggling to get insurance quotes although i have not claimed on a car in all my 81 years, and motorhome in 20 plus years. Does anyone know what companies insure the over 80.s? there must be a lot of people driving motorhomes my age or older? my company I am with now have upped next years premium 18% fesspark. Have you actually spoken to them Robert, or only used the on-line quotes? From experience, they are usually very helpful on the 'phone. However, it may be an AVIVA has a policy to exclude drivers over a certain age, that Comfort, despite having an AVIVA broker on their payroll, can't get around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fesspark Posted April 23, 2021 Share Posted April 23, 2021 Hi, I have gone back to caravan guard a couple of times and they have,nt budged, but today I had comfort on and inc 12months eu cover and breakdown less excess they beat my renewal estimate so it looks as thoughI am going back to Comfort fesspark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webby1 Posted April 24, 2021 Share Posted April 24, 2021 We've been with Comfort from the start and happy enough with the service.Last year,when we were locked down in Morocco they extended our Green Card at their own expense,as Aviva would not agree. But they have now stopped issuing green cards for Morocco and we have hope that January 2022 might see us in Marrakesh.They will lose a lot of business as there will be plenty of people looking for 90 days out of Schengen. Anyway we looked around and got a good quote from LV............just had to be sure they knew it was a motorhome and not a car. Just got the renewal from Comfort and its over £100 more than LV..........for as far as I can see the same cover and at the moment LV are issuing green cards for Morocco.................not free though. But a good result Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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