Thinking of insuring with Bell? You might want to read this first...

[BeXE]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/...efore+insuring+you+-+wtf?&mid=216732Obviously this isn't me (this was taken from Pistonheads). The thread does go on for some time, but the crux of it is this - installation of a 'black box' tracking device is compulsory for cover with Bell. The thread actually makes for some interesting reading - if this is the future of the insurance industry, things are looking bleak....

 

[G3 NYX]

I would never have a black box in my car!

 

[105e]

Not good if thats right, be no point driving a performance car.

 

[JackJack]

I would never have a black box in my car!

+1

From that thread

Secondly raw data on it's own is useless.

case 1)
Driving along minding own business. Someone steps out without looking. Stand on brakes, screech to halt, avoid hitting them. Well Done. Oh No - the Ins. Co. will see this as harsh braking and not paying attention or aggressive driving.

case 2)
Driving along minding own business. Car pulls out of side road in front of you. Too late to brake, you swerve and avoid hitting them or anything else. Well Done. Oh No - the Ins. Co. will see this as hard steering and .....

See where this is going ?

 

[sbridgey]

Lad at work has one installed, apparently bell wanted £100 more to not install it, so he thought he would save himslef £100 and get it. He reckons its amazing and the benefits are superb.

 

[DaveDreads]

Well if this happens with all insurers which I doubt tbh, then i'll be getting the comfiest boat with cruise control I can,
and just sail down the road in a comfy leather arm chair listening to my tunes, every cloud and all that.

The Clio will be caged for track days and taken there on a trailer.

But it won't happen.

 

[Cezney]

Interesting. I renewed with Bell on 24th September with no mention of this at all...

 

[jam.]

If this became made compulsory I'd probably stop driving.

Not that I've got anything to hide whatsoever, but I just hate the idea of them.

 

[MarcoB]

If this became compulsory Id buy two of the same car and swap plates when the engineer came to install it Then sell the other one.

 

[Knuckles]

I got a good quote off bell for renewal (£300 cheaper than best quote)

when I came to buy it they said I need this box so I said kthnxbai... But then he asked me what I knew about the boxes and said theirs is different; when I said don't they track location, accelleration, braking, steering, time of day etc he said nope, theirs just let's them know if you too 100mph (which is illegal on uk roads).

Sounded ok but I still pressed forward and he confirmed that it doesn't matter how I drive, where I drive and when I drive, they won't know unless I top 100.. And that even if I speed a little it won't affect my premium at all.

i even told him I live near back roads so obviously it'll be a lot of braking, accellerating etc and he said don't worry.



so I agreed, even ended up getting 2 days free insurance and a 12 month multicar policy through admiral* for £18 extra.

*the guy didnt mention passing me onto admiral (same company I know. So now I have my hard copy of my policy (with a few mistakes) that mentions nothing about the box. Afaik only bell have the mandatory box (not admiral and elephant) so hopefully I've dodged a bullet here. But we'll see

 

[SkidMarx]

Tin foil round said black box, job done

 

[chrisb25]

My brother has had to have a black box installed in his car with 'Insure the box' not only is it, well what I feel to be an invasion of privacy, knowing where your car is etc at all times, he can log onto the internet, see how many miles hes used out of his 6,000 for the year, which is the standard issue by Insure the box, but if you want to add another 1,000 miles its £150 with them, or you can go to Amazon, eBay etc, buy random stuff and convert the money into miles... Just a massive money making ploy by all companies involved tbh.

Although there are no time contraints (night driving disallowed etc) all braking, acceleration, speed, g force etc are all measured, however, I once, for a laugh, hit said box installed in the car, and within 10 mins we had a phonecall at the house asking if my brother was ok, as he had just been recorded to have had an accident... Scary!

 

[Knuckles]

Tin foil round said black box, job done

i was thinking of that lol

i think its a tracker too, so if the car is stolen they can locate it


* i dont think the bell box flags up location unless you ask them to find the car though

 

[Knuckles]

I once, for a laugh, hit said box installed in the car, and within 10 mins we had a phonecall at the house asking if my brother was ok, as he had just been recorded to have had an accident... Scary!

LOL!

 

[chrisb25]

I laughed too, I said, an accident? The woman sounded worried and said 'yeah the box has detected an accident', I then preceeded to tell her that the car was parked on the drive, she then told me to go check the car... What the actual hell...

 

[r&skxa]

For new drivers this is an awesome idea. They can't drive for toffee and think they are invincible. I've had my license for 12 years, I think I've earned the right to drive like a t**t sometimes

 

[brisa4984]

madness

 

[BeXE]

Of more concern is having some unskilled monkey arsing round in your cars electrical system trying to install the bloody thing. I know it says in the first post they are covered under the manufacturers warranty - but really?

Oh, the other thing - to get it transferred to another vehicle? £40.
To have it removed entirely? £100.

Rumour has it too the box monitors when you go above 80 mph, which is then used to bump up your premium the next year.

I hate the idea of this Big Brother device.

 

[Knuckles]

Of more concern is having some unskilled monkey arsing round in your cars electrical system trying to install the bloody thing. I know it says in the first post they are covered under the manufacturers warranty - but really?

Oh, the other thing - to get it transferred to another vehicle? £40.
To have it removed entirely? £100.

Rumour has it too the box monitors when you go above 80 mph, which is then used to bump up your premium the next year.

I hate the idea of this Big Brother device.

the £100 for removal is for if you cancel the policy/ have your insurance voided iirc

the box monitors when you go over 100mph, not 80 according to the bloke.

 

[Brett]

How does it know if your on a track then? How do you go about that?

 

[Knuckles]

they mention 'on a public road'

so i think youll have to ring them up and let them know youre going on a private road

 

[BeXE]

Or drive on a de-restricted section of autobahn?

 

[Knuckles]

same afaik

if you know youre going to be driving 'erratically' or breaking 100mph then you should let them know why and they should do something to allow it/pardon it

 

[DrR]

hmmm, it doesn't like you driving over 100? Hmm i couldn't have one

 

[chilleyd]

I honestly dont think I could of had the self control to drive Timidly with a black box fitted at the age of 17... how much % roughly does this lower young drivers insurance? I suppose for those people that have a car as a mode of transport and not a hobby/toy it wouldn't affect them how they have to drive.

 

[MarkCup]

I think this is the future. I don't whole-heartedly agree with it, but can see it doing some good with learners and commuting kn*bheads.

 

[Gildstar]

Friend of mine had one in his old 106, got cought driving past 11pm and he would get a 100 fine added to his account then pay it off at the end of the year , this wasent Bell the name of the company escapes me now but at the end of the first year he wanted to leave them , apprently the notice was too short and they charged £220! for the box, not going to lie i just laughed at him, I think he only played 1600 for the year but then around 600 on top of that for the fines and box to be removed, still beats my 2800 for my first year on the clio ..

 

[Harpham]

Id never have one installed. I don't drive like a nob, but I think my 0 claims and the amount of money I give to them, they can afford to trust me.

Also, as said, I don't want some mong routing around my car.

I'm with Admiral atm, so if they adopt Bell's approach, id leave them.

 

[Jordanb29]

i almost got one for my first year on the road thanks to the mother when she was looking at car insurance due to it being a whole £300 cheaper than the cheapest quote i had found without the black box.. i even said to my mum i would rather pay an extra £300 than have a box put in my car to monitor my driving. But even then, my friend got one put in his for his first year as hes got a 1.0 corsa and drives about 20miles a week at most, hes just got £360+ back this year for driving slow and stead and never going over a certain revs and not driving late at night! so it does pay off as a young driver but im on my first year of insurance and still wouldnt go for it!

 

[BeXE]

I have no qualms with it being used to lower new drivers premium - that can only be a good thing. My concern is due to the success of the scheme, older and more experienced drivers will find themselves penalised .

 

[DrR]

Not going about certain revs, and not doing 100, this is not sounding good lol

 

[Paddy_g46]

f**k that! I work for a vehicle tracking and telematics company and those boxes see EVERYTHING! once they are connected to CANbus they can tell if you didn't wipe you arse properly after your last s**t. I'm out.

edit: That's assuming that do they do connect to CANbus, if they don't then it's not so much an issue.

 

[Knuckles]

Not going about certain revs, and not doing 100, this is not sounding good lol

i was told they dont see* anything apart from if you top 100... which i dont normally do anyway so it doesnt matter.

*i assume the vehicle data is logged somewhere... but the way the guy said it is they arent arsed about keeping track of it

 

[Paddy_g46]

so what happens when you go above 100mph then? they cancel your insurance?

 

[Knuckles]

yup. you get a letter through within a week saying gtfo

 

[jam.]

Or they just phone you up and shout "SLOW DOWN!" before slamming the phone down.

 

[Camble]

For my first 3 years driving I've paid £4600 (2 years) for my Clio and £1100 for my VRS.

I'm a sensible driver and I wouldn't mind a black box to monitor speed, I'd want to fit it myself though and I'd want my premium at a ridiculously good price.