Having an exchange with Adrain Flux re car alarm discount on my premium. Knowing I had no information regarding the system on the vehicle, the previous owner had the car for 9 years and had no info I declared it as a CAT 2 Thatcham, despite it being what I suspect is a CAT1 with alarm and internal motion sensors. I have been able to provide the name of the manufacturer only (from a sticker on the window). I have explained this, however I'm expected to take the car to a garage and pay someone to tell me! As you would expect all the system is hidden away (i suspect under the dash) I've taken a look but there's no obvious signs or indication of the make / model. Sort of the idea with a good alarm system!!!!! So sent pictures of the alarm fobs, sticker on the window and a video of the alarm being activated upon opening the door, dash ignition lights going on when key put in, key being turned twice, and not working, the video includes an external shot of the car (reg no). However got a lovely reply; Quote: We can confirm in order to continue your policy with the discount given for the additional security on your vehicle; we do need the full make and model of the immobiliser. Unfortunately we are unable to accept any less, however as previously advised we are able to remove the discount and an additional premium is due. If you are unable to get proof of the full make and model of the immobiliser in seven days we will automatically remove this discount and advise you of the additional premium. We trust that the above is clear. Can't believe they don't come across this all the time with such vehicles, where's the flexibility! Where's the consideration of a set of circumstances where clearly someone is trying there best to provide all the evidence they can! I've sent them a video of it working for god sake!!! The cynic in me says they know it's going to cost me more to take it to a garage so I'll just pay the additional premium! The most annoying thing is that I was aware of this and declared it as a CAT2 to start with rather than a CAT1 in consideration of these possible problems. Sometime these guys just make me weep they really do!!!!
Come on, are you seriously expecting an insurer to give you a discount without a certificate for the alarm?? Get it certified, or just accept it.
Your missing the point the AP is no doubt going to be less than the cost of having a garage look at it to get the information. It's the principal. The other more important this is that Adrian Flux are not an insurance company they are a broker, in an insurance contract the broker is acting for the assured / insured, i.e me. They are supposed to get the best deal for me, negotiate with the insurance company for me, raise such issues and seek a compromise from the insurance company for me. Car insurance always works like the broker is working for the insurance company. That should not be the case. They should be working in my best interest! That's the theory . . . . the reality of course is starkly different!
I agree it's a PITA but you can see it from the insurance company's point of view. You can't expect their workers to make a techncial assessment of your alarm system from pictures and videos; they need proper paperwork to show that someone 'qualified' has installed and / or inspected it. Along similar lines, I write the embedded software for alarm panels and I have one of our panels in my house that I installed myself, yet my home insurer won't give me discount even if I were to provide proof that I work for the company's R&D department, because it was fitted by me, not an installation company. These people require certificates, and you can understandably not expect them to make a technical assessment. The main thing is that an approved alarm installation, be it car or house alarm, tends to need to meet quite a lengthy and stringent set of requirements (perhaps to meet a given BS or EN standard) and so when an installer signs that bit of paper, they're giving proof that they've ensured it works to those requirements. But yeah, I hate the fact that I can do a lovely job of installing an AI606 or something in a car, but have to pay for an inspection.
This ^^^. Could you also not try searching Google images for photos of alarms from the appropriate era and possibly identify it that way? Back in the day I had to have an immobiliser "professionally" installed to satisfy my insurers. I could've done a better job myself using only my teeth, spit and sellotape - but nevermind, got the certificate and that's all that counts. The fact that when I lost the immo fob and got the car started in under a minute without it is irrelevant - it'd been installed by a certified installer, so the insurers know it's done to a particular standard even if it's a poor one!
Problem is that a proper certificate is needed isn't it, with what I assume contains an ID number or something of the qualified installer.
if it's an aftermarket alarm, to be properly thatcham approved it needs to be installed by an approved installer, who will issue a certificate. No certificate, no approved alarm. It could be the best alarm in the world, but if it's installed by an idiot it'll be useless. Your insurance can only discount for an alarm that's been installed properly, by an approved person who will have issued a certificate. Also think you're a bit confused over the ratings: Cat 1 is alarm & immobiliser Cat 2 is immobiliser (electronic) Cat 3 is a mechanical immobiliser etc..
I had this recently with the same company for my mk2 16v on a classic policy. I thought my immobiliser was CAT 2 but turns out its one of the very first types of immobiliser fitted in 1991 so obviously no good! (still works good thou). Fortunately although it was made to sound like it was very important when i took the policy out, I asked the guy to remove it and it didnt affect the premium - result! Hopefully you may find the same. Cheers Dan
Adrian Flux have been nothing but trouble for me. I insured my Red GTI mk2 on a classic policy with them. I had to sweet talk them into insuring it without having an immobiliser fitted as they requested. Great, after photo copying half of my life for them, filling in countless forms, taking photos of my standard GTI and sending it off in the post they then come back to me saying the hadnt recieved it all and I need to get it all to them within so many days. Not happy! So my Red GTI mk2 got crashed into (Non fault) and I bought a Black GTI mk2 to replace the now broken and non usable Red GTI mk2(Due to complicated insurance reasons), it was the same age, same spec etc. No immobiliser fitted- this took a hell of a lot of sweet talking to get them to insure it on the policy and I had to pay an admin fee. So winter was comming up and I wanted to store my Black GTI mk2 in the garage and I bought a solid but slightly tatty Grey GTI mk2. Phoned up Flux again to swap the cars over, they asked me for the value of the Grey GTI mk2, after having paid 250 for it needing work which I carried out I told them it was worth 800 max, they refused to insure me as it was not worth enough! The current policy I had with them was for cars 1000 or more. So fair enough, I asked if I could insure my (Uk Spec) Mazda RX7 with them then as I wanted to use it for a while, "Has it got a cat 2 immobiliser fitted?" No, it has a factory fit Laserline Alarm and Immobiliser in fully working order, I use a Stoplock Disclock aswell. I asked them to be flexible and insure me but without theft cover which I was willing to sign for, they would'nt budge so I ended the policy with them. I mean WTF! Stupid Cu*ts. Never in my life have I had so much hassle!
