MSM Insurance - Rude!

[Benjybh]

Another one to add to my 'won't take my business there again' list.

Called up five minutes ago as I'm looking to buy a very cheap E30 316i Touring to cart my drums around in; conversation went as follows:

Me: "Hi, do you insure 18-year-olds on classic cars" (Always worth checking)
MSM: "Depends - how old is the car?"
Me: "Well, it's 26 years old"
MSN "That should be fine, what car is it?"
Me: "It's a BMW 3..."
MSN: "Nope, no way. Sounds like that's just a way for a young person to get insured on an expensive car. Thanks, Bye"

^Hangs Up^

Shocking!

[soad]

Expensive?! Hardly an expensive car - or full of performance either, it's only a weeny 1.6 engine, isn't it?!

[Benjybh]

Exactly my point! I didn't even get as far as the '16i Touring' bit before I was interrupted!

[Yelly]

Not really. Classic cars are not used for carting drums, are they? Just because a car is old doesn't mean it automatically qualifies for classic car insurance, irrespective of what you intend to do with the car.

Sounds like they were on to you!

[Benjybh]

I enjoy owning, driving, and tinkering with old cars. Surely it doesn't matter what I put in them, or what I use them for as long as it's covered under my policy? Heck, I take the MGB to do the shopping. Should that be disallowed as well?

[martyn...]

I am currently insured through MSM, have nothing but good feedback for them, always very helpful and managed a 25% lower price than anyone else I tried. Added air filter to policy at no extra cost, other mods I have mentioned seem not to be much hassle to for them.

They even rang me once advising me my e-mail was sending out spam and advised me what to do to prevent this.

Definatly my first point of call on wednesday when my insurance is a month from due. Will see if they have changed in a year and are still ahead of the rest in terms of price!!

[The Wookie]

Yelly said:

Not really. Classic cars are not used for carting drums, are they? Just because a car is old doesn't mean it automatically qualifies for classic car insurance, irrespective of what you intend to do with the car.

Sounds like they were on to you!

I didn't realise drum kit ownership excluded one from legitimately owning a classic car.

And what exactly is the difference between a classic car and an 'old' car?

[Mr Gear]

The Wookie said:

Yelly said:

Not really. Classic cars are not used for carting drums, are they? Just because a car is old doesn't mean it automatically qualifies for classic car insurance, irrespective of what you intend to do with the car.

Sounds like they were on to you!

I didn't realise drum kit ownership excluded one from legitimately owning a classic car.

And what exactly is the difference between a classic car and an 'old' car?

Old st-box: http://www.billyscarrow.co.uk/Images/BMW.jpg

Classic car: http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/0...

It's a linguistic grey-area, but I find it pretty easy to tell the difference without a set of rules to follow!

[Diablos-666]

I have to agree with the above. I found them very good. I was enquiring about 3 cars and they gave me a very very good price within minutes. Very helpful.

Sorry OP, if this wasnt what you wanted to hear

[Benjybh]

Diablos-666 said:

Sorry OP, if this wasnt what you wanted to hear

No, that's fine! I'd heard good things about them from here and elsewhere, so I thought I should give them a try.

[Gad-Westy]

Shame about your experience with them. I was insured with them a few years ago, and my experience was extremely positive. Maybe worth persevering. Could you email them and state exactly what the car is and what your intended usage would be?

[Benjybh]

Mr Gear said:

Old st-box: http://www.billyscarrow.co.uk/Images/BMW.jpg

Classic car: http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/0...

It's a linguistic grey-area, but I find it pretty easy to tell the difference without a set of rules to follow!

By the same token:

Classic car:



A car doesn't have to be fantastic to be a classic...

[mcflurry]

MSM were always one of the politest insurers, as well as offering reasonable prices for their target markets

I only changed from them because they couldn't insure my new car. Service wise they were spot on

[Chris71]

This sounds very odd. I've never known an insurer to define classic on anything other than age and the type of usage. Some might choose to not offer cover for cars used for commuting or those parked outside or those modified for extra performance, but I've never heard them changing their definition of classic based on it.

Assuming this isn't a wind up or an exageration I'd get back to them. Sounds like you drew the short straw with the call centre operative, speak to one who isn't a cock.

[Dick_Phallus]

They should have heard you out, but it's no big surprise that an insurer wont cover an 18 year old on a cheap BMW estate as a 'classic'. As other posters have pointed out, classic is more than just the age of the car, it's about intended use and the level of care you're likely to take of the car. A boggo 20 year old 3 series estate isn't going to be anyones pride and joy, so it's not surprising they don't want to insure it as such.

[Soovy]

You know in your heart you were trying to get cheap insurance at 18 on a BMW.

Will never ever happen.

[bazking69]

It's your age. Even a 316 is deemed a risk.

[mcflurry]

Chris71 said:

Assuming this isn't a wind up or an exageration I'd get back to them. Sounds like you drew the short straw with the call centre operative, speak to one who isn't a cock.

MSM aren't a "call centre"

[Davi]

Dick_Phallus said:

A boggo 20 year old 3 series estate isn't going to be anyones pride and joy, so it's not surprising they don't want to insure it as such.

Says who?!!! There are plenty of weird people around that have very odd definition of what would constitute their pride and joy - hell only earlier I was reading a thread where someone suggested you could "ruin" a Capri, as though it was possible to make them any worse.

Soovy said:

You know in your heart you were trying to get cheap insurance at 18 on a BMW.

Will never ever happen.

Utterly irrelevant to the politeness with which he was spoken to. I get plenty of half wits trying to get substantial investment mortgage who shouldn't even be let loose with a small debit card, I'm still polite in my decline.

[will_]

mcflurry said:

MSM were always one of the politest insurers, as well as offering reasonable prices for their target markets

I only changed from them because they couldn't insure my new car. Service wise they were spot on

Ditto for me - always excellent.