We all know that the biggest test of the quality of an insurance policy or insurer is when you need it most, and that is in the unfortunate event of a claim. Caravan insurance is no different and in the event of a claim you need to know that you are backed up by a professional service that treats you fairly, swiftly and correctly. It is important when purchasing caravan insurance to keep a copy of the documents and policy wording and to take this with you when travelling. These documents will provide a guide as to what to do in the event that something goes wrong, and the important numbers to contact.
With your insurance you will normally have purchased the cover through an insurance broker or through a direct insurer, this is important as this will affect who you need to call. With an insurance broker or intermediary you can either contact them as your agent, or in the majority of cases you will be passed directly to the insurer. This will mean that you get instant advice from the caravan insurance provider as to the best course of action and typically a claim form will be sent to you to complete. It is also general practice that you will need to provide 2 estimates for the repair of the caravan to show the costs are accurate.
It is typical that insurers will require notification of an incident within 30 days of occurring, or 7 days in the case of a riot or civil commotion, though it is always best to advise the insurer as soon as possible. After all, this will speed up the process and lead to a swifter conclusion which is what will make everyone happy.
Many worry that the claims form will be pages and pages long, but in reality many caravan insurers have a 2 or 3 page document, which only requests the essential information needed to process the claim and the details.
It is important to note that every insurer suggests that you can take all reasonable steps to prevent or reduce the risk of a loss. In other words if there are emergency essential repairs needed which will lessen the amount of the claim then you are able to carry these works out. Again this can only be seen as a positive for each party but it is best to keep any receipts for works carried out for the insurer records and your own.
One of the more common claims, particularly in the winter months is for damage to awnings, and it is vital to note that if you are not with your caravan you must take any awnings down. These items are very fragile and not meant to be used in stormy conditions, and there are no insurers that will offer cover in these circumstances (it is known as uninsurable as it is an avoidable situation).
The general advice that we would give is to check your policy documents very carefully and query anything that you are not clear on, it is best to ease your mind on these things.
There is much more that we could write about claims, but in real terms as mentioned at the beginning, the best caravan insurers put claims at the top of their agenda and show a real commitment to service, after all what are you paying for otherwise?
