Van Insurance

[Suilven]

First of all hello to you all and apologies my first post is a question.

 

I am trying to become a new startup and have hit a brick wall when it comes to van insurance. I live in what was once a dodgy part of town but it's been over a decade since it was dodgy and the area is slowly gentrifying. So commercial insurance companies I have tried so far either wont touch me based on postcode or (laughably or frustratingly) because I say I'll be carrying a gallon of fuel for the saws - perhaps they expect tree work to be done with a nail file? Tried comparison sites, tried local companies who are probably desperate for custom due to internet, tried the big ones, all similar answer.

 

I've got a van chosen and marked down for me, just waiting on insurance cover before I shell out any money for it, it's not new, only worth £4.5k but isn't full of rust so it would look decent when pulling up to jobs etc. but those that are willing to quote are asking for almost what the van's worth. I'm late 40s, drive another van (not commercial but longer than the tipper) and a car, have more NCB than they log, no convictions driving or otherwise and just feel like I'm living in a regressive country. I've got someone teed up to work with me on a sole trader basis. They're proper jobs, we're not sitting knitting dolls clothing and flogging it on ebay! I know commercial is more expensive and I cant transfer the 20+ years private car NCB over to a works van but simply don't see how I can make this work, and this is before we get to the whole raft of other insurances required plus storage unit fees for chippers and suchlike. I would have thought somewhere between 1.5 - 2k for van insurance, but maybe I have my head in the clouds.

 

Anyway, bit long winded but have tried to give as much detail as briefly as possible, has anyone been in the same or similar situation and can anyone recommend an insurance broker who could come up with something reasonable?

Edited July 9, 2019 by Suilven
e2a I did try a search on this topic before posting

[Steve Bullman]

Have you tried NFU?

[Steve Bullman]

3 minutes ago, Suilven said:

cant transfer the 20+ years private car NCB over to a works van

No you can't, but some companies will offer an introductory NCB based on that.

[Cheesy pete]

4 minutes ago, Steve Bullman said:

No you can't, but some companies will offer an introductory NCB based on that.

that's interesting ..........as i did ! it was 15 years ago though !

 

[Suilven]

3 minutes ago, Steve Bullman said:

Have you tried NFU?

Didn't even consider them no, thanks, I will call the local office tomorrow.

[Suilven]

7 minutes ago, Cheesy pete said:

that's interesting ..........as i did ! it was 15 years ago though !

 

We're all just algorithm fodder nowadays!

[Steve Bullman]

14 minutes ago, Suilven said:

Didn't even consider them no, thanks, I will call the local office tomorrow.

They’ll probably be your best bet by the sounds of it 

[eggsarascal]

Have you tried Adrian Flux?, they insure all sorts at a decent price, don't know what they are like at paying out, never had a claim.

[Suilven]

@eggsarascal I did indeed as that's who the other van is covered with, they quoted 2k over the phone but that had doubled when the text and email arrived moments later!

[aspenarb]

8 minutes ago, Suilven said:

@eggsarascal I did indeed as that's who the other van is covered with, they quoted 2k over the phone but that had doubled when the text and email arrived moments later!

What is this van? Sounds like it must be Mr T`s van off the A team . Most of the 4x4`s and vans we have on the fleetplan which cover any driver irrespective of age or smut on their licences are about £1500 a year each.

 

Bob