Elephant insurance
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Discussion

sm0273

Original Poster:

888 posts

219 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
Gave me the cheapest quote so naturally went for them being young and wanted a fastish car my head ruled my heart. About 14k car, 8k deposit. 200quid a month or something with GAP insurance, group 17 car. Was superb fun until water got into the engine. Own fault I guess.

Anyway, this was 2 and a half months ago. I was in states for a part of that time and all that had to be done was apparently a call to the dvla to check license details.

So I got the finance company to fax them the details. I send them emails everyday asking what is going on. Then they send me an email today saying they are waiting to reciveve the details from the finance company! So I call the Bank and ask them if they faxed the info, they confirm they faxed it over to two of their numbers. So I call elephant to see whats going on and it turns out they have have recieved it and it has to be looked at by the 'file handler'. Apparently all the file handlers go home at 5 and don't work weekends so I can't ask them whats going on until Monday.

I further explain I only have 120days to fill in the GAP insurance form after the initial claim. Also, I have to include the letter of offer and the proof that there is no outstanding finance on the car (a letter from insurance company) She then tells me I won't need to deal with GAP insurance because they are dealing with my claim. This is not making any sense and which point I thank her for her help and I will call back over th e weekend in hope I can get someone who understands the process.

My family seem to be under the impression that I am entitled to a refund also, and if I insure a car of less value I get a refund. But as I have made a claim for a total loss this is not the case. Which makes sense to me.

One question resulting from all this (apart from the rant).

So I go looking for a snotter and I have found one I am going to pick up tomorrow for 300 quid. It's a v reg stbucket xsara 1.4, new clutch, good tyres, mot until next summer, 2months tax, 85k on clock, £250 quid. Bargin it looks.

So I call them to pay a month fee and its 350 upfront with elephant or like 48 quid a month as I don;t think ill be keeping the car long. It also costs 50 quid if I cancel the insurance early! Is this the norm with all companies?

Do any of you guys intend to keep a car for 6months or so and pay cancellation fee's and such like?(is this the norm)

Sorry if this is a bit jumbled folks, interested to hear if you guys have same problems/expenses when dealing with insurers.

10 weeks since a total loss claim and it's still not sorted out. They really are terrible at getting things sorted.

cheers

SM
Guess thats what I get from budget insurers...

Edited by sm0273 on Friday 28th November 18:19

BruceV8

3,325 posts

276 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
Oh THEM?

Sorry, I thought you wanted a quote for a pachyderm. "and is the elephant garaged overnight?"

Soovy

35,829 posts

300 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all


"Looking for cheaper car insurance...."



sm0273

Original Poster:

888 posts

219 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
Can't be the only PH elephant customer...!

tubbystu

3,846 posts

289 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
I thought we had a progress report on the elephant for hire" thread

linky

Now that was a classic rofl

sm0273

Original Poster:

888 posts

219 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
lol better than my rant I guess.

Do you guys think the xsara could have a profit to be made from it?! cheap as chips.

trooperiziz

9,457 posts

281 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
sm0273 said:
Do any of you guys intend to keep a car for 6months or so and pay cancellation fee's and such like?(is this the norm)
I usually just transfer the policy onto the new car, no cancellation fee and I either pay the difference or get a refund for the difference.

sm0273

Original Poster:

888 posts

219 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
trooperiziz said:
sm0273 said:
Do any of you guys intend to keep a car for 6months or so and pay cancellation fee's and such like?(is this the norm)
I usually just transfer the policy onto the new car, no cancellation fee and I either pay the difference or get a refund for the difference.
That makes more sense.

300quid for a 90k v reg Xsara seems real cheap. Perhaps thats the norm for a bucket...

carmonk

7,910 posts

216 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
I'm with Elephant and have been for about 5 years, although I'm changing soon. On the upside they're fairly cheap and good with sending paperwork out, on the downside their extras add a fortune I've heard they take ages to get claims sorted.

Last month I bought a new car and put the old one onto a month's temp insurance until I could sell it (turned out I didn't need anywhere close to that but still). The old car cost £290 per year to insurance but to insure it that extra month cost another £89! Quite how that works I'm not sure.

At this point I've forgotten what your question was and I suspect that even if I did remember I wouldn't be able to help because I didn't really understand it smile

hot metal

2,019 posts

222 months

Friday 28th November 2008
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I haven`t got an elephant smile

Holst

2,468 posts

250 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
I was insured with elephant for 2 years.
I went with them because they were substantially cheaper than anybody else.
The call centre have been helpful when I have talked to them.

However, when I bought the policys I accepted that claims would take ages to sort out and that changes to the policy would be expensive.
I took the risk as I didnt think I would be in an accident, and fortunately I was right.

Ive now changed to More Than as they are cheaper with 5years NCB.

sm0273

Original Poster:

888 posts

219 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
carmonk said:
I'm with Elephant and have been for about 5 years, although I'm changing soon. On the upside they're fairly cheap and good with sending paperwork out, on the downside their extras add a fortune I've heard they take ages to get claims sorted.

Last month I bought a new car and put the old one onto a month's temp insurance until I could sell it (turned out I didn't need anywhere close to that but still). The old car cost £290 per year to insurance but to insure it that extra month cost another £89! Quite how that works I'm not sure.

At this point I've forgotten what your question was and I suspect that even if I did remember I wouldn't be able to help because I didn't really understand it smile
Cheers for sensilbe reply. Second one ive had. Ridicilous cancelation fee I noticed.

I guess I wasn't very clear. Just asking about other problems people have had and ridicilous charges/lack of ability to sort things out.

eccles

14,378 posts

251 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
"So I go looking for a snotter and I have found one I am going to pick up tomorrow for 300 quid. It's a v reg stbucket xsara 1.4, new clutch, good tyres, mot until next summer, 2months tax, 85k on clock, £250 quid. Bargin it looks."


Is it £250, or £300?, and are you Yoda?




Cheeky Jim

1,276 posts

309 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
Having done some work recently with some of the cheaper car/internet insurers, I'm told that they don't make much/if any on the basic premium. Their profit is all the extra's like windscreen insurance etc. Hence they try and include post intial quote...

ASBO

26,140 posts

243 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
Am I the only one who hasn't got the foggiest clue what the OP is on about?

xrv

544 posts

244 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
Be careful when you use them and always cancel direct debits with them at your bank.
I had my old focus insured with them for a year. At the end of the year I got rid of the car and canceled the insurance. I just forgot about it till 12 months later I looked at my bank statement and they had just restarted the policy and taken £400 from my account.

sm0273

Original Poster:

888 posts

219 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
eccles said:
"So I go looking for a snotter and I have found one I am going to pick up tomorrow for 300 quid. It's a v reg stbucket xsara 1.4, new clutch, good tyres, mot until next summer, 2months tax, 85k on clock, £250 quid. Bargin it looks."


Is it £250, or £300?, and are you Yoda?
sorry, it;s advertised as 300, going to offer 250.

sm0273

Original Poster:

888 posts

219 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
xrv said:
Be careful when you use them and always cancel direct debits with them at your bank.
I had my old focus insured with them for a year. At the end of the year I got rid of the car and canceled the insurance. I just forgot about it till 12 months later I looked at my bank statement and they had just restarted the policy and taken £400 from my account.
Hope you got it back. They appear to be very helpfull but with no idea what's going on/slow, high charges.

ASBO said:
Am I the only one who hasn't got the foggiest clue what the OP is on about?
Sorry, ill summarise.

Went with elephant cos they are cheaper and now im complaining about service. Helpfull but slow, with high charges, guess that's to be expected.



xrv said:
Be careful when you use them and always cancel direct debits with them at your bank.
I had my old focus insured with them for a year. At the end of the year I got rid of the car and canceled the insurance. I just forgot about it till 12 months later I looked at my bank statement and they had just restarted the policy and taken £400 from my account.
christ, I have no faith when dealing with almost any company. In the past year everything has been so much hassle. Sky, gas+elec, dealers, phone company(espeically BT!). You name it.

Edited by sm0273 on Friday 28th November 20:09

richyb

4,615 posts

239 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
I have been with them for 4 years now because they are substantially cheaper than everyone else. I read about the 'pitfalls' on here and decided I like the saving over the hassles. Had not made a claim in all that time till this week (car broken into) and they have been really good about it all. The call centre staff were great. Very helpful, called back when they said they would and had a really great approach to it. As long as they keep offering the cheap renewals I'll stick with them.

sm0273

Original Poster:

888 posts

219 months

Friday 28th November 2008
quotequote all
richyb said:
I have been with them for 4 years now because they are substantially cheaper than everyone else. I read about the 'pitfalls' on here and decided I like the saving over the hassles. Had not made a claim in all that time till this week (car broken into) and they have been really good about it all. The call centre staff were great. Very helpful, called back when they said they would and had a really great approach to it. As long as they keep offering the cheap renewals I'll stick with them.
yeah I agree, not so good with a full claim and as I said they tend to be quite helpfull.

Edited by sm0273 on Friday 28th November 20:56