Club Marine what a JOKE

[seastorm]

This thread is for all the people out there that have insurance with Club Marine or are thinking of using them DON’T. or read your policy!!!

Unfortunately two months ago I had some scum bag steal my offshore fishing gear out of my boat, they also took my seat and wet weather gear. As bad as it seemed at the time I thought at least I’m insured. Time to read my policy, so here is a few things you need to know if you are insured with Club Marine

Fishing gear and Equipment come under one heading, under this heading you can only claim $500 per item and a total of $5000 per claim, and you need receipts of purchase or photos of proof of ownership, Stat Dec are no good anymore.
All items must be locked up and you have to show photos of forced entry with your claim. I was lucky that my GPS and Sounder where not in the boat at the time because they would have come under this heading and they are worth more then $1000 each, as it was the fishing gear came to just under $5000

My boat seat and wet weather gear came under another heading which again is $500 per item and a total of $5000 per claim.
So after getting all my photos and receipts I have sent in my claim (via our insurance broker, which have been good) so after 2 months and having to go a high as the QLD manager, Club Marine have decided to pay me out less $1000 for excess and 10% deprecation on fishing gear (what a joke) it was only three years old. So I have signed the release forms for the money and it seems like it is now going around in circles you speak to one person and they say it will be paid today, you ring the next day and it has been passed on to someone else to pay and so on and so on. So at this point in time we still have no money.

After doing a search on this site about Club Marine there seems to be a common trait starting to form .

[finga]

That's pretty well all insurance now.
I'm about the start the 'prove I had it' episode next week with stolen tools.

It goes to show just how important it is to have pictures of absolutely everything you own. And to update the pictures at least one a year or 6 months.

[Bros]

It goes to show just how important it is to have pictures of absolutely everything you own. And to update the pictures at least one a year or 6 months.

And they would find out a way of wriggling out of that as well.

[bluefin59]

They refused a claim of ours about 10yr ago on a motor on a ski boat we used to own by coming up with something that wasnt related to the problem at hand, anyway to cut the story short we dropped them and went with someone else . matt

[Jarrah Jack]

Thanks for the heads up. I was considering using them for my two boats as they used to be good. Won't now though..

[AnthonyL]

I have never heard a good word about them when making a claim.

I am with NRMA and had my electrical gear stolen out of my boat while it was anchored out front of our holiday cabin. The claim process was quick and easy and had to pay one excess for all items. Only problem was the dealer who I gave the insurance cheque to purchase new gear went bust so I never did get the new gear.

[trueblue]

I was talking to them at the boat show about big boat insurance, just trying to get a handle on what insurance costs would be for a big boat for the future, and they were just painful to talk to.

couldn't get any sensible info out of them, and they convinced me then and there to never use them

[Marlin_Mike]

CGU for me, wont use anyone else

Mike

[PinHead]

my insurance co. does not cover fishing gear etc either...but my insurance broker increased the amount of cover for items away from the house on the house contents insurance..all covered now. Always pays to read the PDS. A lot think they are covered for agreed value on their bmt package...most in the PDS state..agreed value or market value..whichever is the lesser..pays to check that one also.

[Jono_SS]

I had no joy with the boat insurance company when my rods etc were stolen out of the boat while I was on holiday - it wasn't locked up, so I wasn't covered. However, the home and contents insurance I have with Zuric covered everything, and I got new for old after producing photos and putting all the info in a spreadsheet. Mind you, when I think about all the money I have paid insurance companies over the years, it was really not much different to getting a very small rebate! It did mean there was no need to justify my tackle purchases to my wife for months afterwards!

[testlab]

Once upon a time I used Club Marine (in the 80s & 90s) and they were quite good to deal with. The in the late 90s and 00s they changed drastically. Very hard to get proper information out of them. I went to CGU as I had aircraft insurance with them - found their specialist agents (aviation or marine) were very good and the policies reasonable.

I don't know but it seemed CM changed their business model from straight talking and direct dealing on insurance to sellling via agents (dealers) etc. Lots of limitations and exclusions came into play and I have not heard good reports about them for while now, at least from well established owners.

To counter I do know one new owner, who bought their new boat off the dealer and signed up for CM, then it was stolen in-toto a few weeks later. They paid quickly and without question the full replacmeent value, less excess. I guess the dealer helped, after all he got to sell another boat.

I use CGU and AAMI.

[julian1]

yep they are terrible when it come ti a claim, steer well clear many other better insurers out there

[WalFish]

My insurance is due soon on Beer Batter...... I am currently insured with CM. I should be looking elsewhere by the looks of it - any recommendations other than CGU?? I have car and home / contents with NRMA, they might get my boat soon too....?

[PADDLES]

i wouldn't "knee jerk" on choosing an insurance company or product. by law they have to provide a PDS, and you should MAKE SURE YOU READ IT before signing up so you know exactly what it is that you are buying and exactly the limitations of your cover. like pinhead has said there are a couple of ways to skin a cat and cover can be moved around a bit. but the long and the short of it is BE AWARE that you will get exactly what you contracted your insurer to supply, and if you don't like it when you make a claim and they only provide the cover you paid for then the joke is actually on you and you shouldn't be shaking your fist at your insurer no matter how much you hate insurance companies. if they don't provide what you contracted them to provide however then that's a different story and you have every right to be upset.

[Noelm]

I find it kind of silly that a photo is proof that you owned something, I could take a photo of all sorts of gear, but it does not make it mine! but then I guess, if you get broken into, you could say you had anything too hey! Insurance companies are experts on trying to ditch your claim, it is their business, and they love nothing better than making you jump through flaming hoops to get anything, I said this once before, but I had my gargae broken into and heaps of fishing gear stolen, the insurance company to wriggle out of the claim by saying they were 'watercraft acessories" which are not covered by my policy (that I did not know by the way) I argued that you can fish without any watercraft, and it took months to get my money from them.

[finga]

Sad thing it's the scum-bags who try and rip off the insurance companies that make it extremely hard for all the honest claims.
I wouldn't trust 95% of claims either if it was my money I was dolling out.

[Chimo]

Talking about doling things out Finga theres another roadside cleanup here and if your quick these's TVs dishwashers fridges etc looking to be relocated. Watching this am s pickup one needs to be out early to beat the buggers in their vans. They arent collecting until the 29th so there will be some interesting swapping between now and then. Hows your TV going Scotty?

Cheers
Chimo

[Defore]

i wouldn't "knee jerk" on choosing an insurance company or product. by law they have to provide a PDS, and you should MAKE SURE YOU READ IT before signing up so you know exactly what it is that you are buying and exactly the limitations of your cover. like pinhead has said there are a couple of ways to skin a cat and cover can be moved around a bit. but the long and the short of it is BE AWARE that you will get exactly what you contracted your insurer to supply, and if you don't like it when you make a claim and they only provide the cover you paid for then the joke is actually on you and you shouldn't be shaking your fist at your insurer no matter how much you hate insurance companies. if they don't provide what you contracted them to provide however then that's a different story and you have every right to be upset.

That is true, but some insurers have been known to give people the run around.
While others are a lot better to deal with.
Going by reports on Ausfish, CM is one to avoid.
I'm with RACQ and have had past claims dealt with quickly and without any dramas.

Ian

[PADDLES]

agreed defore, but it's all a matter of frames of reference isn't it. we actually have had racq provide all our insurance for the last 20 years for cars, house, contents and boat. i've only had two claims, me/corolla/ @rse (me/corolla/@rse) end of courier van/rode road lights combination plus 4yo daughter/corolla/penguin shaped ice cream scoop combination and racq's assesment and claim/repair process was nothing short of brilliant (especially the second claim where we were just about to put a police report in for the "vandalised" car when the little munchkin fessed up to scratching "waves at the beach dad" on every panel including the bonnet with the ice cream scoop). i've always been a little suss on racq's very loose "market value" boat policy as pinhead has outlined above but when we bought the whittley cruiser they didn't seem to know one end of a boat from the other and alarm bells started to ring. they firstly considered a dry rack to be a public place and that would make the insurance void, they then would not cover anything that they considered "removeable" from the boat, this included the s/s bbq and s/s bottle and the inflateable and it's little outboard. club marine listed and covered all this stuff and have shown me that they know a lot more about boats than racq so they got my business.

i haven't had to make a claim with them yet so can't comment on that, but i do try to minimise both my exposure to risk and therefore their exposure to risk by keeping it secured as best i can and removing anything of value from it and locking it in the shed when not in use.

[mattyd]

I've been with CM for a few years now - never made a claim yet.

The Club Marine Assist would come in quite handy if the need arose for a flat tyre on the trailer (I have no spare) or car keys o'board (they pay for a cab there & back for the spares!).

Just little extra's like that make them worth it for me. Plus when I bought my boat I was going to insure with RACQ until I got the quote from CM and actually found them cheaper. Combine that with all the extra boating-related services they provide and the choice was obvious for me.

When it comes to proof of ownership for the smaller things, I've been burnt before on insurance claims and they're all as bad as one another IMO. I guess it does stop folks getting too 'creative' with their claims, but my god it's a pain in the ass for legit items (who really keeps receipts for everything and how much can a photo with you and the equipment really prove ?).

After a work colleague was broken into recently I went around the whole house and took photos (incl serial numbers) of every electronic device as he said this would aid in the insurance payout.

I might do the same with by boating / fishing equipment.

[geoffmck]

I've been with CM for a few years now - never made a claim yet.

The Club Marine Assist would come in quite handy if the need arose for a flat tyre on the trailer (I have no spare) or car keys o'board (they pay for a cab there & back for the spares!).

Just little extra's like that make them worth it for me. Plus when I bought my boat I was going to insure with RACQ until I got the quote from CM and actually found them cheaper. Combine that with all the extra boating-related services they provide and the choice was obvious for me.

When it comes to proof of ownership for the smaller things, I've been burnt before on insurance claims and they're all as bad as one another IMO. I guess it does stop folks getting too 'creative' with their claims, but my god it's a pain in the ass for legit items (who really keeps receipts for everything and how much can a photo with you and the equipment really prove ?).

After a work colleague was broken into recently I went around the whole house and took photos (incl serial numbers) of every electronic device as he said this would aid in the insurance payout.

I might do the same with by boating / fishing equipment.

Mate, I don't want to point out the obvious but the issues raised here are relating to making a claim. You have not made a claim yet so are happy. That may change if you need to make a claim.
I used to be with CM and was perfectly happy with them also because I never had to make a claim and they were cheaper. The only reason I switched to my current insurer (RACV) is because I have my car and house insurance with them and that made it cheaper to go that way as a package deal.

I had not thought of the photo/proof thing before so that is something I will get on to.

I have read some bad stories on the forums about claims, just hope I never have to make one!

[leelee]

I hate scumbags that steal your gear and I feel your pain.

All the things mentioned above could all be avoided if you read the PDS, like others have said. The reason they only cover up to $500 per item is the fact in most cases when this has happened in the past, majority of people lost 10 x Tiagra's, stellas saltiga's etc, so you can now see why they need proof.

I have separate insurance for my fishing gear, look at getting personal effects, portable goods, insurance. 9 times out of ten the insurance will not cover the breakage or loss of an item whilst you are using it, so if you drop it overboard you can't claim. The upside for portable goods, is that it covers your mobile, your in car gps, and other random goods if they are deemed NOT SPECIFIED.

These days insurance can be tailored to your needs, so make sure you tell your insurer what you want to be covered for.

Also everyone reading this should layout their gear and take a pic so the proof is there. Doesn't need to be pics of each individual item. The reason for this is that its not just CM that require this but just about every other insurer.

If the same claim had been lodged through almost every other marine insurance company, you would be required to perform the exact same tasks.

Previously I have made a claim on my club marine insurance for damage caused to a sounder and after taking a few pics and emailing them to CM I had a cheque in the mail after about 2-3 weeks and I have a few mates who have made claims with the same turnaround time.

Cheers

Lee

[capt]

Thanks for the info Sea Storm. I have been with Club marine for many years without making a claim. As I have 2 boats insured with CM and they have a layup period (which as far as I am aware they are the only ones) it saves a few $.

I will certainly be checking the fine print

cheers JIMMY

[tropicrows]

I have been with CM for a few years now also with out making a claim. From the start they were the most helpful, I bought my boat as a wreck & restore project.

When I came time to insure it, other insurance companies were not that interested and only valued it based on it's original manufactured date plus a bit extra, NOT its current condition or the modification that have been done.

CM did a full inspection and we settle on a agreed value which was very close to what I thought it was worth at the time

However we will see when it's time to make a claim............but I don't like/trust any insurance companies...

[finga]

However we will see when it's time to make a claim............but I don't like/trust any insurance companies...
I have to depend on them for my sole income.
God it's been 'an experience' from time to time over the last 13 years :'(

[GAD]

CGU left a bad taste in my mouth after work gear got stolen out of my car , changed over to suncorp , we'll see if they are any better ,but my house and car are with them so bundling made it cheaper

[fairpractice]

Hi I may stand corrected but i have heard that "club marine" is really a brokerage, rather than a genuine insurer like nautilus or australian marine insurance. check with a broker, you may get a better "product" through him. cheers john

[Ando74]

Not sure how you can blame them if it was written in the policy and you didn't read it?....

I'm with Club Marine and they paid out for the $7000 or so dollars damage done to my boat (by another boat) without any drama. as soon as the repair was completed.

As for my fishing gear I did what others have said, and put it on my home and contents policy.

Club Marine worked out cheapest for me on the boat, and all the gear is covered under another policy that didn't cost me any more.

[Argle]

Just be aware guys that a lot of the big insurers now will NOT cover you for engine damage caused by picking up a plastic bag or other foreign material while underway.
Make sure you read the pds and if you are not sure then ask.

Cheers
Scott

[CHEE-FEE]

Many years ago, I struck an unseen submerged object (probably a log or large stick) in my V-Sea heading up to Mud Island one night. It put a hole in the front of the keel. I call Club Marine and meet the assessor at the fibreglassing place. He turns out to be the most arrogant prick I have ever met; he barely acknowledged me and did not shake my hand when we introduced ourselves, which I think is the absolute height of bad manners. He saw the damage to the boat and did acknowledge that it would have been caused by a strike to the hull as I stated in my claim. He then said that, although he agreed with the cause of the damage, the company would not pay the claim because the boat was a bit older and the keel was not in A1 pristine condition. When I questioned this, he started to try and shout me down and even try and stand over me like the arrogant prick that he is. A fter a short heated adult discussion with regards to insurance policies and the honouring of same, I had to strongly suggest to the assessor that he leave before I said or did something I would later regret resulting in him requiring and health claim insurance to cover surgical removal of a clipboard folder from a human rectum. He got the message (probably been down that road before) and decamped the scene, audibly stating what would and would not happen to me, so I replied with a raised social finger and a suggestion he should go perform protraced sexual intercourse upon his own person.
The point of this story is this: Club Marine are not worth 2 knobs of goat $hit as insurers for the average fisherman. I am not sure what they're like for the owners of the floating Gin's Palaces, but I would not touch them again. They're all well and good until you've got to make a claim, then the world changes forever.

Cheers,
NICK

[Defore]

Nick I feel sorry for you.
I hit a submerged object down the gold coast in one of the canals.
I was stuck at the boat ramp emptying water out of the bungs for almost 10 minutes. Contacted RACQ the next day, they told me to drop it off at a nominated repairer for a quote. Got a call from RACQ accessor the following day saying the repairer had been cleared to do the repairs.
Could not have asked for an easier transaction.
I like the idea of Club Marines trailer assistance, but all the negative reports of how they treat claims has really turned me off them.
This is the third boat I have had covered by RACQ and I think I will be sticking with them. Only wished they had road side assistance for trailers.

Ian

[tednted]

Gee there seems to be some conflicting points of view here towards Club marine ! Club marine is underwritten by Allianz . I'v e been with them for 10 yrs & made 2 Hassle Free claims in that time !. First was 10 yrs ago whilst the boat i purchased was under covernote !!! I hit a sand bar & forced sand up into the water jackets & cooked the the motor :-[ This happened on the 30th of November & the boat was back on the water with a new powerhead by the 12 of december . I repeat this was whilst on covernote8-)
the second occasion was 2 yrs ago getting the boat ready for a trip north & i inadvertantly hooked up 24 vlts instead of 12 & burnt out my trim motror & wiring >:( Took photos of the damage , got a recognised boat dealer to carry out the repairs & replace the trim motor & left for QLD 4 days later on schedule !!
So I can't fault them up to this stage (touch wood )
I've got my renewal sitting in front of me & on mine in regards to fishing gear It says not more than $1,000.00 per item & total not exceeding $10,000.00 unless stated in policy . So the way I read it ,if you want more cover then you need to ring them & discuss it !!
cheers AL

[PADDLES]

Again, read the PDS and make sure you fully understand what it is you are paying for and make an informed decision, it's all very clear in there.

[ozscott]

Again, read the PDS and make sure you fully understand what it is you are paying for and make an informed decision, it's all very clear in there.

Paddles - couldnt agree more that it is a good idea to read the policy wording which they now call a product disclosure statement - it is of course a significant and part of the contract of insurance. What I dont agree with is that any PDS is very clear, or often even reasonably clear.

Cheers