After nearly 3 years I get my Caravan repaired

Martin Clarke


118 East Street

Sittingbourne

Kent ME10 4RX



4 March 2011



Dear Editor

Can I warn all your readers about Caravan Insurance especially those with Caravan Guard and RSA Royal Sun Alliance. In May 2008 while travelling along the M26 my caravan had a puncture, with it snaking eventually turning 90 degrees facing oncoming traffic, then it turned over. We were extremely lucky on an occasion when we should have been killed, 1) there was very little traffic on the road and no lorries, as the caravan turned it went into the grass verge, as it began to turn over with the Car it jumped of the tow bar and just tipped on to its side. So God in his mercy let us live another day.

The Accident itself was stressful but that did not even compare with what would happen with the Insurance Company. First we had to contact the Police this we were charged for and then we had to have caravan collected and taken home cost £350. The accident happened in the morning we got home in the evening we had travelled 25 miles.

Our Caravan a Rallye Compass 650 was brought two years previous for £18000, on returning home I contacted the Insurance Broker Caravan Guard only to be told I had not given the right address for where my caravan was stored (what this has to do with the accident is beyond me) I emphatically denied this but when I looked at my policy the old storage address was present. I then told this was a mistake and was informed that I should have checked my details! I then pointed out that they had also made another mistake by including the wrong make of tracker this admitted to but would not admit to the storage venue.

I then had to go to the Ombudsman where I had to collect all evidence in my support, one thing I did was to ask for all telephone calls which they reluctantly gave me and which I had to pay for, I then had to pay to have them transcript into a word document. Two important messages were on the Telephone messages 1) I Had told them I had changed storage addresses 2) The agent I was dealing with laughed and said he has no chance of getting his money, when she put me on hold. Further copies of letters finally confirmed my story.

The Ombudsman made his decision in November 2010, RSA final paid up in February 2011, 2 years 10 months after the accident. Oh yes I had my caravan repaired and got back my £350 but I got no compensation for being without for nearly 3 years, no compensation for the loss of value and not a word of apology. By Law we have to have insurance but is not about time someone started checking on this greedy uncaring companies.



I have sent the editor the full transcript from the Ombudsman



Yours Faithfully



Martin Clarke