to be gobsmacked at the stupidity of insurance!

[motheroftwoboys]

DS1 is 23 and works as a freelance camera grip in the tv industry. Basically he puts together the equipment that allows the camera to do all the moving shots in tv drama. He hasn't needed to drive up until now as he was at uni in London and worked there for his first year - spending a fortune on public transport. He has a contract to work on a programme back in the north east up until November and really needs transport into work as it is in the back end of beyond and he has to be there really early. He is having driving lessons but fears the cost of insurance. He has the cbt motorbike license so has decided to get a learner legal scooter or bike as cheaper to run and (presumably) insure. However, solely because he works in tv he is being given the most ridiculous quotes. 2,700 yesterday!!! . Apparently a car would be more. They said it would be a tenth of the cost if he had a "normal" job. How can that matter? He is driving to the same place of work, parking his bike/car and driving back home again but he was an office worker at the same place, of the same age and with the same car/bike it would be so very much cheaper. He (we) are in despair at what to do. Any clues anyone?

It's a statistical risk - they clearly have either more or higher claims from people working in TV. If that is the case they would be stupid to not charge more for their insurance.

Amend his job title. MSE have a guide explaining it all on their website.

For example, for my job I could choose "manager", "customer service", "office staff" or "banking". All are technically true and yet none of them are my official job title (which is never listed as an option anyway).

Camera technician, photographer, engineer - anything else similar could still be true- our family has similar problem. It's when they ask the industry it's difficult not to lie though...

Try getting life insurance!

If he's not a member of BECTU he should be- they may advise suitable deals on insurance

Try going through a specialist insurance broker as well. There are some that specialise in the entertainment industry and do individual car insurance (I just googled).

They should be able to quote a better price than using a comparison website or ringing up.

Also, as above, try being creative with job title.

Thanks everyone. yes, he is a member of BECTU (and Equity) so will get him to check. Problem is he works silly hours so never much time. My DH (a TV cameraman) has never had this much trouble. Pico - presumably this must be so but, for instance, an 18 year old student I was talking to yesterday, is buying the same sort of bike and his insurance is only going to be 200. Our whole family work in tv - not quite sure how that makes us so racy! . I know one of the (very outdated) worries is that crew members are going to give lifts to actors but that simply doesn't happen now. Everyone has too much sense. Also, as a new bike driver, he can't carry any passengers. Sisyphus - yes, it was one of those we tried (the one we are insured with) - they gave us the silly quote. Job title thing is so annoying because as a relatively new starter he hasn't finally decided on the role he will end up doing - just the profession. He has had many tv jobs - often office based - but as a freelance he works for different companies.

My son is a car mechanic and he pays a lot more than average too.
You would think that it should be less as his car is the best maintained there is.
The insurance company say he is capable of modifying it so may make it dangerous.
You really can't win although he went through a specialist broker who eventually got him a much better deal.

My son had this when he was a mature student. It's ludicrous.

there are some industries insurers just don't like. They hate journalists too. I have been refused car insurance by a couple of well known companies.

I could choose from 'mature student' 'bar staff' or 'shop assistant' the difference in quotes was ridiculous. I have to pay a high life insinsurance premium for being a barmaid too.

*higher

I feel your pain - insurance for musicians is ridiculous, on the grounds that they will often be parked outside venues, driving late at night, have expensive equipment in their cars, and generally be the kind of feckless idiot that doesn't get a real job!

Dh had the same problems as a golf professional. Based at one golf club running the shop, giving lessons etc - not the likes of Nick Faldo or Colin Montgomerie. He used to put himself down as a shop keeper, though I think these days there is a category for a club based pro.

Don't call him a photographer if you try again with a different job title! I tried to add my bil to my insurance some years ago and got hammered by that title. I called him a lab technician next time (he was in dark room most of the time) and that gave better results. They hate anything vaguely creative.

Both Bectu and NUJ have special insurers to give you a good rate in the industry. Also, agree with the "creative" job title. I called myself "data input clerk" to get a better rate, on the grounds that I did, technically, put news into a computer.

It seems that anything freelance/self employed is considered a bigger risk than an employee.
My premiums went up when I became self employed, even though I now work mainly at home and don't drive to/from an office every day.

I work as a lighting technician, most of my work is corporate and exhibition based, 9-5 in the same places that admin/office manager/similar staff work and insure their cars etc for much less than me because I happen to have a job that also exists in rock and roll (where I dabble occasionally on a weekend). It's all a big game. Play with the job titles, mine halved if I changed to 'technician' or something else a lot more generic.

DS has thought about becoming a nail technician

According to the woman on the phone at my insurance company doctors have one of the most high risk occupations as far as car insurance is concerned. I think its to do with shift working and being knackered when going home.

Don't amend job title. Take it from me, DH works in insurance, and it will be construed as misrepresentation, and insurance is a contract of utmost good faith, so the insurer can and will avoid any claims, which would be a catastrophe if there was an accident and someone was crippled with you being liable (so terrible for you and the injured person). The insurers will find out in event of claim, as they actively check these things.

But what if the job title is still an accurate representation of what you do?

I doubt it should have been a tenth of the price if you used a different occupation because he is only 23 and hadn't passed his test yet. He's a high risk driver and they are insuring risk.

I switch from being a large animal vet to small animal vet with 9 years no claims and being over 40 insurance dropped by £500 only my job title changed. I still drive on the same roads. I apparently have less risk of having an accident and if the accident happens it is statistically less likely to kill me.

In the interests of accuracy I should correct jaundiced slightly; there are mechanisms in place to make sure that an injured 3rd party (including a related passenger) in an RTA will get full compensation even if the perpetrator lied through their teeth on their insurance application. However bending the truth too far is still a dangerous thing to do.

But how far is too far?