Saga Insurance - a joke!

Writing to highlight some real non-joined-up thinking from our friends of the aged at Saga. Obviously, with increasing years, Saga becomes one of the many options available to insure one’s vehicles and we have gradually migrated over to them having been served les—than-satisfactory treatment by Admiral. At first we insured our 2015 Roller Team motorhome, then both our cars. This year we have flogged the motorhome and re-strategised our holiday ambitions with a new Skoda Kodiaq and a Glossop Elldis Chatsworth 840. Obviously we hoped swapping the insurance over would be painless. How wrong we were.

I am a serving Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy and utilise available motorhome and caravan parking and storage within the Palmerstonian Fort Rowner in Gosport, itself within the high wire of the Defence School of Marine and Air Engineering establishment, HMS Sultan. You’d imagine your caravan being guarded by the former 1/7 Gurkha Rifle company (now employed by the MoD Guard Service, armed and patrolling with anti-intruder dogs), a headquarters which is manned and surveys CCTV 24/7/365 and the access/egress of personnel and vehicles into the establishment by registered, checked passes through a manned barrier to be enough of a guarantee of your caravan’s security, wouldn’t you? It certainly was for the motorhome. But this time, the very helpful operator had to go and clear it with the underwriter who happily declined the insurance - according to the operative, ‘because of all the guns and stuff’. I have yet to read of a caravan theft or theft from involving a motorhome and caravan in a premises so heavily guarded and regulated. Certainly, looking at CaSSOA’s guidance it cites:

1) Robust physical perimeter protection (check)

2) Technical detection systems that supplement the physical protection (check)

3) An effective site management system (check)

4) An effective administrative system (check)

5) All coordinated to provide all round protection (check)

which in anyone’s book, the place fulfils. When I expressed my disappointment and mild anger at their oversight and a request to speak to the underwriter, I was predictably denied. So these faceless beings exist in a place of snap-decision making and ignorance, and consider ‘guns and stuff’ to be some sort of risk to my caravan. As said, they happily insured my motorhome on the same pitch!

This does have a happy ending, as I have successfully insured the caravan with the club. I’m happy they don’t see the presence of patrolling ex-soldiers guarding my kit as something which will cause harm or mishap. So much for Saga’s return of service and understanding. Perhaps they would like to explain to the club exactly what the problem was (not that I'm bothered now)