Old Racer's Insurance?

[pancho]

 I remember back in '63 [yeah, I know, old farts memory time]  I had a policy  with Combined Ins. Co. of A. and broke my left wrist scayfoid bone.
I put on the claim form 'Fell off my motorcycle while racing at Arcadia.'
 They paid up no probs. For three months till I was passed as fit.
 I asked the sales rep would he come out to our club meeting night and sign up some more riders.
 He came to our meeting and explained the ins. works on numbers and would only sign up any more riders from opu club on condition that ALL members got a policy. Some wouldn't so no deal.
It occurs to me that if C.I.C.of.A was approached with a sizable number of customers [which spreads the risk] maybe they would come to the party??
 cheers pancho.

[Curly3]

Pancho, I also had a policy with Combined of America back in 77 and had 8 months off work due to a crash at the old Syd Showground, given I was a first year apprentice on $58.00 a week, my policy as well as the government's sickness benefits meant I was getting more than double that, I was 17 & thought I was a millionaire.
As we know times have changed heaps since then, from early on people took injuries as just a part of the life experience and no one knew about compensation, not the case today.
 

[maico police]

Fark. Things don't change do they? 
I didn't realize that every post on here had to be positive to your point of view.
I have been self employed for about ten years. I'm just recently become an employee again. In that time I've had some massive offs that put me out of work for substantial periods of time but life went on. I think I'm entitled to an opinion and that is........

It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees. (Apologies to Midnight Oil)

It's no use having a whine that the insurance companies are pricks. Everyone knows that. You either ride/race or you don't.

Pretty simple I would have thought.

[mainline]

From what my broker told me recently if you haven't negotiated coverage via a real 'income protection' insurance policy, then the terms can change at any time. I'm only going on what I've been told, but Combined offer a product which is classed as General Insurance and as such the policy can be changed at any time to exclude whatever they deem relevant. So even if you're currently insured with them you may want to check you're still covered for VMX etc.

My policy with AIA/AIG was written up with clear disclosure of my participation in VMX at a club level. ie non-championship no sheep-stations stuff.

[VMX247]

Oh No !!

Quote MWA:Share the message below with your friends regards Combined Insurance pulling the pin on motorcyclists. BTW when I spoke to them withdrawing services had nothing to do with high claims.

Quote from MWA
Urgent Info regards Combined Insurance policy holders.
Below is a copy of a message sent to Combined Insurance senior managers. Am I cross, you bet.

Very disappointing to learn from your help line that all your new policies from November will exclude motorcycle related injuries . I represent Motorcycling Western Australia and as we have an interest in the welfare of our members we will be inform...ing ALL of our 25,000 members many of whom have policies with Combined that your organisation no longer is interested in the business of looking after motorcycle customers. For those existing policy holders that I know are still covered we will be encouraging to source alternative coverage from other insurers who are motorcycle friendly. I talked to Combined senior management early this year who assured me this change was not occurring. As you are clearly not interested in further business from motorcyclists please remove the picture of the young rider from your pds it is misleading and insulting. Could I also advise that in order for your frontline staff to be actually informative about major changes to policy such as this that they are given information that is timely and accurate, your office struggled to answer my questions and the actual answers had to be forced. For all your reps that are calling my office wanting contacts to sell new policies to our members, you can be assured they will get short shrift. We have promoted your services for a long time and will refuse to do so anymore. Please pass this message on to your senior management.

[Curly3]

Thanks for posting that Alison, I haven't been with Combined for over 30 years but heard that that's what they intended.
We're becoming " Lepper"s ", I think it's all about what their underwriter's want them to do but it doesn't sound good for us.
I'm still weighing up if I'll actually race again, maybe I need to get in before November to be safe?

[John Orchard]

Hmmm, over the years I  have pulled much more out of Combined than I have put in, was almost a professional crasher for a while there  :-)

If Combined was to stop covering motorcyclists, I guess my next claim would be from a fall off my skateboard  :-)

[Curly3]

Or you swerved to miss a kid & fell out of bed, do they cover carpet burn?
In all honesty this is a serious issue for us which is why I raised this topic, when combined pull the pin there won't be many options.
As with you John, I have a mate who's son races MX and has claimed more than he's paid over the years without a hiccup.
From what I can tell they will continue any existing policies.

[VMX247]

quote from Perth WA :

had my combined insurance rep out yesterday as i was concerned about this issue and he stated that so long as the policy is in place before the November cut off date, the policy would remain valid so long as it was maintained, so if you havent got any cover for racing, you need to get the policy going now.

[mainline]

I'd be checking that with another source or getting it in writing from someone in authority. The reps are paid on commision.

[GD66]

No, that is the case. If you're a bike-racing policy holder and are signed up before the end of October, you are covered. Of course reps are paid on commission. Doesn't necessarily mean they are swindlers. I have had a few claims with Combined and they have stumped up every time.

Call my rep if you like, Andrew Robinson 0433 242 959.

[mainline]

I've been told the type of insurance policy combined offer can be changed at any stage, obviously you'd be notified. It just means that you may not be 'locking in' certain conditions just because you've signed up by xyz date.
 No skin off my nose either way, just thought people should check things out for themselves.