[jo5hm4n]

I use Van Compare for my insurance because they always find me the cheapest prices each year, and thats all i care about honestly.  I'm not into staying with an insurance company for so called loyalty.  All they care about is milking you for money and whenever you need them, they try their hardest to riggle out of helping if they can find a legal loophole in the policy.

My insurance policy from 2018-2019 i was fully covered for 2 people on my van, bear in mind i was 25 aswell so insurance always more expensive when younger.  Policy was for like £1200 but i was covered  for having a water tank in the back for window cleaning.

2019-2020 i got an auto renewing policy as the price was cheaper then original plus no deposit so i went along with it.

Today i phoned up as i have to add another drive onto the policy only to find out that they were not aware of my water tank in the back of the van.  Apparently when you have an auto renewing policy, any vehicle modifications get deleted from the policy notes?  So i should of phoned up to tell them before the policy auto renewed.  I was not aware of any of this.

So basically ive been driving around since Nov 2019 with insurance not covering me for a water tank in the back.

They have just re quoted me with the new driver and the water tank in the back and price is now £1600 for 3 drivers, also they wiped off my 10 months towards another year of NCB because of the water tank issue made it invalid.

Not sure whether to be in a good mood or a bad mood too be honest lol.

Just thought id mention it, incase of you on here have auto renew policies with a broker, careful about the water tank issue.  They did me good and proper there!!!!

[Arnold Palmer]

If you weren't insured, ask for your money back. You won't get it but it'll be a fun argument.

Go with someone else. I recommend using a local broker.

[swanson]

Still sounds really expensive.
My van insurance with tank in the back and two drivers £650.

[Stoots]

I've never declared a tank, but then mines not bolted in...

[zesty]

I've never declared a tank, but then mines not bolted in...

Same.

Even when it was in for insurance repairs after a small crash, they didn’t batter an eyelid. They even asked me if I needed a water tank in my courtesy van!

[NWH]

They won’t wait till there’s a serious injury or worse involved,that thing you carry water in is the biggest loophole you are giving them.
I would want it in writing you are covered to carry a container or tank that contains X LTRS of water,I’ve spoken to various companies about this they’ve all said the same they use brokers and a lot of the time it’s in the small print as a modification as it’s in the back daily I’m only passing on what I’ve been told.

[EandM]

Mine's declared along with a load of other mods and cover for off road use.
£179.

[Bungle]

I've never declared a tank, but then mines not bolted in...

Same.

Even when it was in for insurance repairs after a small crash, they didn’t batter an eyelid. They even asked me if I needed a water tank in my courtesy van!

Whenever I’ve taken out insurance I have never been asked if I carry a tank. I’m not carrying hazardous equipment, just tools for my job. How many flat bed trucks have you seen driving on the motorway with IBC tanks full of water strapped down? I’ve seen loads so I’m not worried.

[NWH]

Are they carrying it to a site or to another field for animals etc,if it’s in the back everyday all I’ve been told is that it’s a modification.

[Arnold Palmer]

I've never declared a tank, but then mines not bolted in...

Same.

Even when it was in for insurance repairs after a small crash, they didn’t batter an eyelid. They even asked me if I needed a water tank in my courtesy van!

Whenever I’ve taken out insurance I have never been asked if I carry a tank. I’m not carrying hazardous equipment, just tools for my job. How many flat bed trucks have you seen driving on the motorway with IBC tanks full of water strapped down? I’ve seen loads so I’m not worried.

A van doing van stuff.

I've yet to see an example of a van doing van stuff invalidating a policy so a claim is not paid out.

[NWH]

My policy got sent out to me with the wrong annual mileage out on it there mistake,I called them up and they said ok thanks for letting us know and checking it probably wouldn’t have been a problem but it could have been lol.
Insurance companies don’t require much to get out of paying you 1000s of pounds their must be a stupid amount of people paying  Insurance on what they think will cover them yet it won’t.

[EandM]

I've never declared a tank, but then mines not bolted in...

Same.

Even when it was in for insurance repairs after a small crash, they didn’t batter an eyelid. They even asked me if I needed a water tank in my courtesy van!

Whenever I’ve taken out insurance I have never been asked if I carry a tank. I’m not carrying hazardous equipment, just tools for my job. How many flat bed trucks have you seen driving on the motorway with IBC tanks full of water strapped down? I’ve seen loads so I’m not worried.

A van doing van stuff.

I've yet to see an example of a van doing van stuff invalidating a policy so a claim is not paid out.

I was told by one company that if I drove my pick up across my field to fill up with water it would void my entire policy.
They argued that as there was no track it consituted off road use which is excluded by most policys.
I pointed out that it was a truck, with 4x4 in a 4x4 environment that I owned.
They still wouldn't have it.
I said Ok, I'll make a track with my car. I'll drive backwards and forwards a few times to ensure there's a route to the water.
They told me my car insurance would be similarly void and still wouldn't have it.
I gave up at that point and went back to the broker but their utterly mental attitude wasn't unique.

[NWH]

Maximum no claims the lot I still can’t get mine below 460-480 if I didn’t mention the tank it would be 200 ish I’ve been told by insurers.

[NWH]

But wouldn’t be covered if it was discovered I was carrying one.

[EandM]

Maximum no claims the lot I still can’t get mine below 460-480 if I didn’t mention the tank it would be 200 ish I’ve been told by insurers.

I have maximum NCB on two policies, live in Devon, drive an old truck and am old.
It all helps.

[EandM]

But wouldn’t be covered if it was discovered I was carrying one.

Did that tell you that explicitly?

[NWH]

A Plan told me that if I insured  as a window cleaner I had to disclose if I carried any tank at all it would change the policy.

[Bungle]

A Plan told me that if I insured  as a window cleaner I had to disclose if I carried any tank at all it would change the policy.

Try another insurance company then.

Side note; I added the Mrs to my van insurance this year when doing comparisons and it actually came down by about £30. Still wouldn’t trust her in it though 

[Ched]

Insurance companies are a law to themselves and will duck out of big payments if they can.

One think to note, if you had not declared a water  tank and, god forbid, killed someone, your insurance company would be looking at a big payout and want to wriggle out of it and void your insurance. If you are a sole trader or partnership then, technically you have no insurance so the victims family/no win no fee lawyer could take you to court and you could lose your house!!!!!!

OK so lots of 'if' there but for the sake of a couple of hundred quid is it worth risking your house???

PS. people who post premiums can you say which company as it may help us all find cheaper insurance?

[EandM]

Insurance companies are a law to themselves and will duck out of big payments if they can.

One think to note, if you had not declared a water  tank and, god forbid, killed someone, your insurance company would be looking at a big payout and want to wriggle out of it and void your insurance. If you are a sole trader or partnership then, technically you have no insurance so the victims family/no win no fee lawyer could take you to court and you could lose your house!!!!!!

OK so lots of 'if' there but for the sake of a couple of hundred quid is it worth risking your house???

PS. people who post premiums can you say which company as it may help us all find cheaper insurance?

I've found Gladiator have been very good for a few years.
Talk to them and tell them what your situation is and exactly what you want covered.
Nine years ago insuring a tank was nearly impossible and I wasted many hours attempting to reason with different companies  but soon realised it was pointless.
I needed off road cover and that was equally fun trying to arrange.
Gladiator are a broker and very good at tailoring an insurance package rather than just box ticking and reading  a script.