Explained

This is particularly important because experts say the van insurance market is set to change even more in the next few years – if you want your business to stay ahead of the game you need to be ready for it.

David Nichols, one of the vehicle experts at Zurich Insurance says two key trends are likely to affect van owners. The first is that car theft figures are falling – largely due to far better security and far lower resale values. The second trend is the ever-rising number of vans on the road. More than 300,000 new vans are hitting the streets every year, many of them containing valuable kit which can be sold easily on the black market. Will small vans be more of a target for criminals in the future? The experts think that they will – though the jury is out on where the worst of the crime sprees will take place. More Than reckons that owners in the North East will be worst hit. That’s where an above average proportion of its theft and malicious damage claims are made. Scotland brings in the lowest figures for the insurer. According to Zurich van drivers in the West Midlands, London and East Anglia face the biggest risks and call in the highest proportion of claims. It finds owners in the North East and North West are among the least affected by van crime.

Self-employed people who use vans every day say it’s not just the financial side of their businesses that take a hit if they fall victim to a crime. Their reputations can also suffer if they have to cancel jobs while they pick up the pieces. That’s why it is important to find an insurance company who understands the business you are in when you look around for a van policy. You don’t just need any repairs to be paid for, you also need them to be done as quickly as possible. Or to have a replacement vehicle on standby so you can keep working while the repairs are carried out. Several of the insurers mentioned already on this site will offer just this, even if it is just for the first 48 hours after a claim. But it is worth checking before you sign up to a new policy so you know exactly what you can claim for and when.

Using the internet will make all of this a lot easier – and it is also worth checking your insurer has 24 hour claims lines so you can start the repair clock ticking as soon as possible if the worst happens. Many self-employed people work bank holidays – criminals certainly do. So it is worth making sure that your insurer will be open for business on those days as well.

Vans’ contents are a continual source of argument and controversy in the insurance world. Industry estimates say that the typical van carries stock, equipment and personal items worth some £3,000 – and goods worth up to £1 billion are stolen every year. These contents may need to be insured separately to the van itself and there can be a raft of special terms and conditions attached to the new policies. If you break even one of these terms and conditions – even one unrelated to a particular claim – then a claim can still be turned down. It’s like homeowners who take out contents cover with policies that specify they need to have key operated window locks. If the claims investigators discover that they don’t have them (or weren’t using them) then a claim for a break-in through the front door can still be refused on the basis that the overall policy terms had been broken before the incident occurred. When it comes to insurance you really do need to stay sharp. Insurance companies know their rule books backwards. Policyholders need to try and be just as well informed to make sure their claims are met properly.

Van owners who aren’t happy with the way insurance companies deal with their cases can take advantage of an industry-wide complaints procedure. Here’s how it works. First, you need to reach the end of your insurer’s own, in-house complaints structure – and along the way you should record every phone call, email or letter you send or receive. Then get in touch with the Financial Services Authority. This is the Government-backed standards board that polices most of the money world and takes a particular interest in insurance. You can get more details of how insurers are expected to act in the Consumer Information section of www.fsa.gov.uk or ring 0845 606 1234. The Financial Ombudsman Service is the final port of call if you still have problems. It is independent, impartial and free to use. Relevant cases will be examined individually by its staff and insurance companies have to stand by the verdicts they produce. Find out more at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk or 0845 080 1800.

With luck most van drivers won’t ever need to go this far. Getting the right policy first time should mean you get fair treatment for a decent price. And with so many new insurers, brokers and information sources now covering the market this should be easier than ever. The key is to take full advantage of the new choices. A couple of hours spent shopping around for the right policy can be time well spent – and tracking down a decent broker or insurer for your van can pay extra dividends because most of them should also be able to offer equally good cover for your house, car or holidays as well.