Greenlight Insurance Thread

[svensktoppen]

It's not about whether it's any better or not. Most "factory" immobilisers these days can be bypassed with £10 worth of kit off Ebay, and the Thatcham thing is really just snake oil on top.

It's an audit thing. It's not about whether you can do a good job of it. Of course you can. It's about them knowing that you can. Yes, it's stupid, but lots of things in life are. It's either certified by the importer, or it has to be Thatcham by a certified fitter.

So I guess your other option is get Subaru UK to certify that what's on your car is the same spec as what's on UK cars. Which it probably is, but would they certify that for a car they didn't import and sell themselves? Don't know.

If you can find someone else that's happy to insure an import without either of those then happy days. Go with them.

I guess the other option is simply tick the box and say nothing. But then there's the risk of the insurance not paying out if the car gets stolen and you can't produce the relevant certification.

 

[Carson]

As you say, I’d say it was just the goal posts being moved @ace275.

 

[ace275]

It's not about whether it's any better or not. Most "factory" immobilisers these days can be bypassed with £10 worth of kit off Ebay, and the Thatcham thing is really just snake oil on top.

It's an audit thing. It's not about whether you can do a good job of it. Of course you can. It's about them knowing that you can. Yes, it's stupid, but lots of things in life are. It's either certified by the importer, or it has to be Thatcham by a certified fitter.

So I guess your other option is get Subaru UK to certify that what's on your car is the same spec as what's on UK cars. Which it probably is, but would they certify that for a car they didn't import and sell themselves? Don't know.

If you can find someone else that's happy to insure an import without either of those then happy days. Go with them.

I guess the other option is simply tick the box and say nothing. But then there's the risk of the insurance not paying out if the car gets stolen and you can't produce the relevant certification.

Agree with that, though the Subaru system is an absolute nightmare as it very thorough. The BCU, ECU and Cluster all need to match, currently the only way to swap clocks is to desolder and reprogram the ROM chips on the back, which is what is holding me up from doing a UK Cluster swap. Subaru themselves can granted reprogram this stuff, but they often refuse to unless they're supplying brand new modules. It's a very solid system, but I understand it's not worth the insurance companies time when it's easier to just blanket ban all imported systems and fit a Thatcham system as you say.

I've even tried to become Thatcham registered as I'm a sole trader and work in a very similar industry, but they'd want public liability insurance for fitting of car alarms which makes it not worth it. But it often is snake oil as you say, I've came across alot of shoddy, and somewhat dangerous work from 'Registered' installers in my time.

I did contact one or two companies about certifying a system after I install it which is like the bi-annual test to confirm it's still working, but no-one wants to know if it hasn't been installed by an approved installer. Another requirement of a Thatcham registered Cat 1 system is that bi-annual test, where the system has to be tested and re-certified every 2 years to keep it within date which alot of people don't even know about, but can give the insurance company an 'out' if you can't produce a certificate. Then if companies refuse to do the test and certify if the installer is unknown, where does that leave you with a second hand car where you don't have any original documentation? Madness.

 

[svensktoppen]

I know, it's a total mess. It's all just legal balls, zero to do with security.

I didn't know about the bi-annual thing, lol I guess it's to stop people getting a cheap install just for the certificate and then rip out to stop it messing everything up

But it is what it is.

 

[BobSpounge]

Total waste of a phonecall for me too.

They should change their name to Redlight.

 

[weeloaney]

I’m back with greenlight this year, last 2 times I tried I got the same dickhead. Once time I got a quote, flux beat tho I got screwed by direct debit charge but carried on as I had spent to time going through everything else.
2nd time I rang them about the Mazda the fella remembered me and it and flat out said he won’t bother do a quote as I didn’t take the previous years.
Didn’t bother for 3 years and stayed with flux partly due to forgetting and it just renewing lol.

Rang again this year and got someone different who was actually pleasant to deal with tho told me if I didn’t accept this quote they would never quote me again which I find extremely strange practice. They came in cheaper and I took it and partly didn’t want to lose another option.

The customer service definitely has gone down hill since I was with them before I got the Mazda.

 

[Rossӏmac]

Man alive, I can't wait to have a claim with these guys...

 

[Lyons]

Man alive, I can't wait to have a claim with these guys...

I’ve thought about that since they first appeared. Has anyone on here claimed with them? The whole thing would make me very nervous.

 

[NickR]

Last time I used them was with the Impreza, for which they were really good but they refused to quote my F31 as it was a BMW and my Golf R as the value was too high.

I haven't tried them again since and to be honest wouldn't touch them with a bargepole given the recent experiences on here.

 

[Eddies]

They point blank refuse bmw. It was on their site in big red writing saying they don't cover bmw of any type when I was searching before.

 

[NickR]

Didn't say that when I was asking them though.

 

[Eddies]

Still listing it on their site. Not as noticeable as before.

 

[mikey]

View attachment 404146

Still listing it on their site. Not as noticeable as before.

Wonder what it is about BMs? I tried quoting for an E36 328i last year and it was ridiculous. Anyone who would cover me were in around £1000 for the year, 33 with 12 years NCB Unless it’s the culchie wrecking crowd have pushed premiums up for them.

 

[ryan2focus]

They refused to quote for me previously on a 3.2 A3 and recently on a B8 Rs4.

 

[svensktoppen]

Some of the smaller engined BMW map to silly numbers, from like 180 to near 300 with just a remap. I imagine there's some crash statistic you go with that. Maybe age correlation too. High quotes or no quotes for at least certain BMW models seem to be the norm across all insurers.

 

[ace275]

They haven't quoted BMW's for a long time IIRC

Some of the smaller engined BMW map to silly numbers, from like 180 to near 300 with just a remap. I imagine there's some crash statistic you go with that. Maybe age correlation too. High quotes or no quotes for at least certain BMW models seem to be the norm across all insurers.

As far as I remember the 116i goes from 100bhp to 200bhp according to Celtic tunings website . I'm more shocked a 1.6 turbo only makes 100bhp to begin with

I don't know of any other cars that hit that sort of an increase

 

[Coog]

Cost of parts to repair and history of incidents meant they never insured BMW.

They had me on a very good rate for years and were always 100% then something changed and they were no longer competitive. I’ve not tried them since.

 

[svensktoppen]

I have had several cars with them for a long time and have had no problem at all. It's like any other insurer - they want some things and don't want other things. The things they want they've always been competitive on. The things they don't want they just say so up front. I prefer that rather than getting a ridiculous quote they know you are never going to accept.

They're a specialist insurer at the end of the day.

 

[Broomy]

I’ve thought about that since they first appeared. Has anyone on here claimed with them? The whole thing would make me very nervous.

I claimed with them albeit 6/7 years ago. Was completely hassle free tbh, wouldn’t hesitate to use them again if they were cheapest.

Did get the ‘you didn’t take our best price’ last year chat last time I rang.

 

[svensktoppen]

Yep, they do say up front of they don't think they will be competitive. Saves them a load of hassle getting quotes they know you won't take, and saves you getting a stupid quote you won't.

I've had them tell me that, and then the flowing year tell me they see they didn't quote the previous year and still won't be able to.

That's fair enough I think rather than waste everybody's time.

I've had the opposite too - turned down one year and then get a good quote the next come renewal.

 

[BBSBOY]

I haven’t tried them for years due to them being useless, but decided to try them again. Again utterly useless. Wouldn’t even quote because I hadn’t owned the car for 12months and had been driving a van for a year. How they are in business I don’t know. Adrian flux were very competitive.

 

[gpaevo]

They're a specialist insurer at the end of the day.

In what

Every year I try them in my annual insurance shopping days for the craic, i've yet to have a quote from them as they dont' insure them, or can't be arsed is the vibe I get on the phone. I asked them to quote on VAG stuff, Evo's, BM, Alfa's, Saab, Ford. Nope, nothing, jog on sir.

 

[svensktoppen]

I have Evo, Lotus, Honda, and a Volvo with them. Had the Audi with them too. Never any issues. Always the best quote, no problem with any mods, etc.

Only one they didn't want to quote was the Polestar, they didn't think they would be competitive. Fair enough. Rather they say that up front than waste everyone's time with a pointless quote.

Just the usual, everyone is different. If it works for you, happy days. If not, go somewhere else.

No big deal.

 

[Burt2000]

What sort of quote on the lotus @svensktoppen? I got admiral done to £325 which I thought was pretty good, they gave extra discount for adding my daily driver when the renewal is up aswell as our house insurance next year.

 

[ace275]

I have Evo, Lotus, Honda, and a Volvo with them. Had the Audi with them too. Never any issues. Always the best quote, no problem with any mods, etc.

Only one they didn't want to quote was the Polestar, they didn't think they would be competitive. Fair enough. Rather they say that up front than waste everyone's time with a pointless quote.

Just the usual, everyone is different. If it works for you, happy days. If not, go somewhere else.

No big deal.

They were great for me for 9 years with the turbo mx5, then I sold the car and didn't need a specialist policy, a year later I tried them again on a new car and they didn't want to know. Seems once you're out you're out