Why are MCE trying to shaft me!!

[Robin_Hood]

I passed my test on 08/11/13 and bought a GXSR 600 a week later.

When I took my insurance with MCE they said they could give me 15 months for the price of 12, which meant my renewal would be 02/15.

In 06/14 had a non fault accident which killed the GSXR so replaced it with an R6, called MCE they said I could keep the same policy with the change of bike at no extra cost.

On 02/15 I renewed my policy and paid for the year as I always do, it cost £615.

I have been thinking of changing my R6 for a while due to suffering from carpal tunnel and the wife wanting to come on ride outs with me.

The bike that I have a fancy for is a Ducati Diavel carbon, so thought I will get it next month when I have 2 years no claims.

So before buying thought better check the price of the insurance, gave MCE call and the first shock was I don't have 2 years no claims until 02/16 as the free 3 months don't count towards my no claims.

The next shock was I would have to pay them an additional £604 to change my policy to cover the Ducati till 02/16.

This made me think I can't get this bike because it will cost me £1000s to insure for the full year when my policy is up for renewal on 02/16.
I asked the guy from MCE could he give me an idea of how much it would cost for the year when I have 2 years no claims, he said his computer wouldn't allow him to do it.

After a bit of thinking I thought why not get a dummy quote off a comparison site and pretend that I already have 2 years no claims.

Well shock horror.......cheapest quote came back £202, straight away I thought I must have filled the quote info out wrong. I checked once then again, 100% correct.

Hmmmm wonder how much it would cost with 1 years NCD......wait for it........lowest quote £288, MCE even quoted me £468 WTF.

So what should I do ?

Just cancel my insurance with MCE and lose a years NCD and get a new policy with 1 years NCD.

[Ste]

[bamt]

Looks like two options to me:-

1. Stick with your current bike until February, letting it take the worst bits of winter and buy a nice shiny one next year, insuring through someone else when you've got your 2 years no claims.

2. Cancel MCE and insure with someone else now. The loss of one year's no claims (plus the cancellation charges that MCE will no doubt give you - which may mean you get almost nothing back) will be less than you'll save in the first year.
I definitely wouldn't pay the extra £600 they are asking.

[Dave70]

MCE always give me absolutely ridiculous quotes, usually with an excess close to the full amount of replacing the bike.
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There ain't no devil, there's just god when he's drunk.

2012: R125 killed by white van. 2016 R125 killed by 30,000 miles of redline. Current: 2016 Kawasaki ER6f.

[DrSnoosnoo]

I would wait until feb for the more no claims.

You don't want to be getting the diavel covered in (too much) winter crap so just let the R6 take the brunt of it.
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I'm Sam; Northern, Ginger, Lover
Did have: '95 ZZR600 '83 CG125 '97 ZZR1100 '15 Hypermotard 821 SP Do Have: '10 ZX10R

[Matt B]

Quite often this comes down to the underwriters that the brokers use. MCE underwriters for your current policy consider the Diavel a high risk, whoever gave you the lower quote do not.

Motorcycle Direct wanted £400 to change my policy over to the Bandit when I was getting quotes of £80 elsewhere and this was down to the underwriter of my policy at the time. After a lot of bitching and moaning I got them to cancel the current policy, waive their admin charges and start a new policy (with different underwriter) for the Bandit using the refund from the old one. Paid them about £40 in the end I think.

Try it, see what they say. If not I would be tempted to wait until the policy runs out and you have an extra years NCB.
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stinkwheel: He had an animated .gif of a cat performing fellatio. It's not socially acceptable. It can have real life adverse effects on other people.

[Robin_Hood]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I have spoken with MCE they said that the best they could do is charge me £502 for the change of bike for the last 3 months of my policy with a £1500 excess.

I have decided to lose my 2nd years no claims and take a new policy out with another company with my 1 years no claims for £202 and a £450 excess.

I will never use MCE again the robbing gets.

[..]

I don't trust MCE full stop. stopped insuring with them when i cancelled the insurance on a bike past its worthwhile restoration - then MCE phone me up...father answers the phone & hands it to me' i said Hello? several times & they put the phone down on me this happened on 4 occasions' don't know what they were up to but was less than amused with the silent phone call pranks been insuring with Bennetts ever since.

[J.M.]

MCE are unfortunately the only company stupid enough to insure me on my R1 currently

But Matt B is correct. MCE is just a pretty face covering your insurance policy. They're the broker. Behind that, you have the underwriter that the broker is selling the policies on behalf of.

MCE may use several underwriters.
MCE => Underwriter A
MCE => Underwriter B

Underwriter A may have given you the cheapest quote for your current bike, so that's who you're with. When you phone MCE to request changing bikes, it will be Underwriter A that will be insuring the risk against the new bike.

When you checked online, it might be the case that Underwriter B is far cheaper than Underwriter A for that bike.

When you change your policy, you can't (as far as I know) change your underwriter. To do that, you must cancel your policy and take out a new one.
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[doggone]

Don't forget they'l charge you a fee to cancel too.
If you are expecting part of the premium back their fee might well take all that and some more.
So it might be best not to change until that policy runs out.

[talkToTheHat]

MCE policy is to pro rata refund unless you are in the last 90 days of your policy.

They will fight and lie to avoid paying you.

Require the same interest and penalty fees they charge you for late payments. It's great fun having mce employees describe your terms as completely unreasonable before you remend them that those are the same terms they impose on you.
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Bandit. does. everything.

[Robin_Hood]

I sold my R6 a couple of days ago to part fund the Ducati, then contacted MCE to cancel my insurance.

I got no refund for 3 1/2 months left on the insurance that I paid for, I have decided that I can't even be arsed to argue the toss with them any more.

I have resigned myself to the fact that they are robbers and hell will freeze over before I ever insure anything with them again.

I have taken a new policy out with a company called highway £271 for the year with a £350 excess. Get the new bike on Saturday, bet it's going to be pissing it down.

[Musketeer]

Wait until February for 2 years NCD.. No point to change your bike just before winter months, not a great time to take your wife for ride outs anyway.

EDIT: I just read the last post. Why so impatient to get a new bike now? lol
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Current Bike: Yamaha XSR900 Previous bikes: Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, Aprilia RS125 2-stroke

[Robin_Hood]

Lol I got a deal that I couldn't refuse on the new bike and a good sale price on the R6.

The fact that I lost a years no claims only makes a difference of £40 on a years insurance so I thought F**k it I am going to treat myself....because I deserve it