Chris Knott

[NikB]

I took out a new annual policy with Chris Knott last week on my Golf and told them that some rear wheel drive experience may be required. I thought fair enough I can provide some evidence of that.

I have since joined this forum and realised that what they consider some experience is in fact 1 year's ownership of a rwd car. So this afternoon I contacted them regarding this and explained that I have been an IAM driver for 8 years, have been taught over years by my father who is a former police class 1 advanced driver, done a skid pan day with fwd, rwd, awd, attended a bmw car handling day on which my father was an instructor (and got the best time on the obstacle course ), done a track day in a Ferrari, rally day in mk2 Escort, and owned a 190bhp Golf (that also had NOS for a while) for the last 7.5years.

This is still not deemed enough driving experience yet someone who may have only driven a basic low powered rwd bmw could get insured - doesn't make sense to me.

So I've said that given I'm still in the cooling off period I may look elsewhere as I don't want to go and buy a car that I either can't get insurance on or will get stiffed for! When I mentioned this they got quite shirty with me.

[PawnSacrifice]

Nik, sorry to hear about that. If it's any comfort most 1 series drivers would disqualify themselves on that criteria No personal experience with Chris Knott so I won't pass comment on their service. Privilege are worth a call, they were the cheapest of what I consider the proper companies (one I'm confident I'll get a payout from) and were fine about my mods to date... although there was some phoning around when I ditched the RFTs.

Good luck

[pvr]

Never understood this requirement of rear wheel drive experience.

[NikB]

The insurers state that most accidents in rwd vehicles occur in the first year of ownership hence the loaded premium or not insuring until sufficient experience has been gained. I can certainly understand where they're coming from but equally I have loads of experience of driving in general and understand the principle differences between fwd and rwd.

[Tweed]

especially as a Golf is FWD, is it not?

I find Chris Knott's policies pretty annoying too, really... since I have never had a single point on my license & never ever made a claim in 15 years driving, the zed is my 6th car, 5th with RWD... but because the area of Cheshire I live in happens to have an SK post code, I'm instantly not elligable for insurance.

I guess because I live within 10 miles of Stockport, my car is *definitely* going to get stolen?

I'm actually with BMW insurance now, who are in fact very competitive on the price front; coming out almost the same price as Direct Line!

[Greeno]

Yup, i found it a little awkward too. went with Elephant again always very competitive.

It is one of these things where a blanket rule has been set. easy to administer yet has more holes in it than most can count.

Think about it. you could own a Z4 for 2 years and only use it as a weekend driver covering only a few thousand miles. or have it for 6 months and use it as a daily driver and regular motorway cruiser and get 10K +

Who has more experience? (OK you could argue weather and seasons but it is usually wet here)

[RustyZ4]

I find when you hunt around for insurance, some hit the spot and some dont, with no real reason or rhyme to it, with most of the big insurance companies having rwd experience doesnt even come into it (infact I have never been asked)

with regard to chris knott I asked them for a quote and they could not even get near the comparison sites for price and policy requirements, but for someone else they will come out top dog.

[shambolic]

Never been asked about rwd on insurancE but £300 fully comp with esure on a new E89 2.3 isnae too bad TBH

[NikB]

If I didn't have a modified Golf I wouldn't have a problem going elsewhere but not many big companies will touch it so I'm kind of stuck.

[Taz]

never knew rwd made any difference, nobody ever asked me about my previous experience

all my early cars were rwd, shows my age hehe

[Mr Whippy]

I took out a new annual policy with Chris Knott last week on my Golf and told them that some rear wheel drive experience may be required. I thought fair enough I can provide some evidence of that.

I have since joined this forum and realised that what they consider some experience is in fact 1 year's ownership of a rwd car. So this afternoon I contacted them regarding this and explained that I have been an IAM driver for 8 years, have been taught over years by my father who is a former police class 1 advanced driver, done a skid pan day with fwd, rwd, awd, attended a bmw car handling day on which my father was an instructor (and got the best time on the obstacle course ), done a track day in a Ferrari, rally day in mk2 Escort, and owned a 190bhp Golf (that also had NOS for a while) for the last 7.5years.

This is still not deemed enough driving experience yet someone who may have only driven a basic low powered rwd bmw could get insured - doesn't make sense to me.

So I've said that given I'm still in the cooling off period I may look elsewhere as I don't want to go and buy a car that I either can't get insurance on or will get stiffed for! When I mentioned this they got quite shirty with me.

It is a bit stupid, but that is their criteria.

Because they wouldn't insure me either with a rather colourful array of awd/rwd/fwd cars over the years (mainly younger when I drove parents cars), I won't use them now I 'qualify'... I just don't think that they should be rewarded for being so ignorant, but that is my view.

In fact, from my annoyance with them, having now had a lovely safe first year in my Z4, which is possibly one of the safest feeling cars I've ever owned (go figure), I won't EVER use them on principle now.

Dave

[ChrisKnottIns]

Hi
The issue brought up about the year's experience of driving a similar performance car is due unfortunately to the high claims loss ratio's on this type of 'risk profile'.

Only last Thursday, the insurers visited us and said that Z4's are one of the cars which don't preform very well in terms of accidents had, so they give us criteria where they know that they aren't going to get stung everytime.

We would love to help everyone regardless of experience but the from their own experience, the only people who make them money are the ones who fit the criteria.

Saying that, we are more than pleased at the amount of people insuring with us on here which shows the scheme is worthwhile for the majority.

[ChrisKnottIns]

I took out a new annual policy with Chris Knott last week on my Golf and told them that some rear wheel drive experience may be required. I thought fair enough I can provide some evidence of that.

I have since joined this forum and realised that what they consider some experience is in fact 1 year's ownership of a rwd car. So this afternoon I contacted them regarding this and explained that I have been an IAM driver for 8 years, have been taught over years by my father who is a former police class 1 advanced driver, done a skid pan day with fwd, rwd, awd, attended a bmw car handling day on which my father was an instructor (and got the best time on the obstacle course ), done a track day in a Ferrari, rally day in mk2 Escort, and owned a 190bhp Golf (that also had NOS for a while) for the last 7.5years.

This is still not deemed enough driving experience yet someone who may have only driven a basic low powered rwd bmw could get insured - doesn't make sense to me.

So I've said that given I'm still in the cooling off period I may look elsewhere as I don't want to go and buy a car that I either can't get insurance on or will get stiffed for! When I mentioned this they got quite shirty with me.

So Dave, let me ask you this. If I gave you £100 but then you knew you would have to pay me £147 within the next 12 months and therefore make a loss of £47, would you agree to it? And would you do it for say 100 other people as well? Or would you say no but accept £100 from say 3000 people knowing you'd only have to pay £50 back to them on average so you make £150,000 in that year?

Your comments about not using us on principle now you qualify are, and nothing personal, a little immature though if YOU were the person paying out the money, i think you'd use wisdom and logic and understand why in business, decisions have to be made.


It is a bit stupid, but that is their criteria.

Because they wouldn't insure me either with a rather colourful array of awd/rwd/fwd cars over the years (mainly younger when I drove parents cars), I won't use them now I 'qualify'... I just don't think that they should be rewarded for being so ignorant, but that is my view.

In fact, from my annoyance with them, having now had a lovely safe first year in my Z4, which is possibly one of the safest feeling cars I've ever owned (go figure), I won't EVER use them on principle now.

Dave

[mikedav]

So Dave, let me ask you this. If I gave you £100 but then you knew you would have to pay me £147 within the next 12 months and therefore make a loss of £47, would you agree to it?

But you don't 'know'....you think there is a high chance. So you might accept £100 from fifteen guys just like him, on the assumption not all will crash....

Obviously insurance is based entirely around the idea of large number of premiums - small number of claims = profit, and you avoid exceptionally 'high risk' to avoid ending up with a loss...but the risk profile varies massively from firm to firm. It's a business and they can choose who they insure, of course, but Directline and Admiral/Bell never ask me that, and are the cheapest for me too.

If CK aren't comfortable with offering cover there are definitely plenty of people who will. When I do insuresupermarket.com I get quotes from £670 - £3,700.....a massive variance in each companies decision on how big a risk it is!

[ChrisKnottIns]

Sorry, my figures were based on actual fact! (I forgot to mention this).

In certain categories, the insurers were paying out £147 for every £100 they took in so measures had to be taken.

But you are right in the fact that some insurers elsewhere will accept people who fall out of our required parameters. We are only an option for those who do qualify but at least by the levels of business we are doing from this forum it is successful.