Monster Fun In Caerphilly

Image: Courtesy of  The Caerphilly Observer

Monsters have been added to the ongoing list of things Motaquote is willing to insure, thanks to Caerphilly's castle moat acquiring it's own version of the Loch Ness Monster. But this one is no mere myth... it's proudly on show, alongside perplexed swans, ducks and geese. 

The moat of Caerphilly castle is a home to a wide variety of wildlife - including swans, geese, ducks and fish... as you would expect. However, what you might not expect is the addition of a monster who appears to have taken up residence... possibly to the bemusement of the ducks and their aquatic friends. 

The monster is an escapee from Y Galeri - a new art gallery in the town and is part of an exhibition entitled "Barry's Zoo". Barry Lewis is a highly talented Tonypandy, Rhondda based sculptor. Barry has had his work exhibited all over the World - including the UK, Europe and Australia. 

Motaquote insure a wide number of things - whether it's cars, homes, travel, pets, businesses... and now monsters it would appear! It's true... Motaquote are the proud insurers of Barry's latest sculpture. 

Motaquote’s own Richard Bosley worked closely with Y Galeri to obtain an insurance policy that would best suit the situation. 

Commenting on behalf of Y Galeri, Gareth Pennell said: “I was extremely pleased with the service I received from Richard Bosley - he persevered in order to get a satisfactory solution to our request.”

Commenting on behalf of Motaquote, MD Nigel Lombard said:

"It's important for any company to remember its roots - which is why we are proud to support and work with local Welsh businesses and people. Our ability to insure sculptures as exciting as this goes to show how flexible we are and highlights the fact that we are willing to go the extra mile to find the right policy for our customers, no matter how unusual the request.”

Motaquote Supports Aberdare Park Road Races

Here at Motaquote we are extremely proud of our motoring heritage... hence the name! 

From time-to-time we like to take a little jolly out of the office to support local events - in this case the Aberdare Park Road Races, which is a motorbike racing event that's due to take place on 28th - 29th July this year... that's right - this weekend in fact!

Motorbike racing enthusiasts from all over the UK are set to descend on Aberdare to witness what we hope will be a spectacular day out.

Aberdare Park has a proud racing history and has been going since 1950 and was the very first venue to have live televised motorbike racing coverage in 1955.

Motaquote are proud to be attending this event to flog our wears - whether you're looking for car, home, travel, pet of even motorbike insurance. If you happen to see us then I urge you to drop by for a friendly chat and perhaps see if we can help you with your insurance needs.

To find out more about Aberdare Park's road race event please visit www.aberdarepark.co.uk.

Motaquote Proud Finalists - Insurance Times Awards

Motaquote are proud to announce that they have reached the finals for the Insurance Times Technology in Insurance Awards 2012.

Motaquote have beaten off stiff competition to be named as a finalist in the Insurance Times ‘Technology in Insurance Awards’. They have been shortlisted with two other companies in the ‘Best use of Analytics’ category. The finals are due to be held on 20 September 2012 at Altitude 360 in London.

This is largely thanks to the firm's excellent use of telematics to analyse driving behaviour via its black box insurance brands - Fair Pay Insurance and iKube Insurance.

Both iKube and Fair Pay Insurance utilise black box technology to help reduce car insurance premiums for policyholders.

iKube is a young driver "pay when you drive" scheme that rewards young drivers for not driving late at night (between 11pm - 5am). At renewal the young driver can also enjoy additional discounts by displaying good driving behaviour.

Fair Pay Insurance is a "pay how you drive" scheme that rewards policyholders for good driving behaviour. The better they drive - the further the "mileage" points will go. In addition to this black box car insurance policyholders are granted further discounts when it comes around to reviewing the policy.

To find out more about how Fair Pay Insurance and iKube Insurance works please visit:

www.ikubeinsurance.com 

www.fairpayinsurance.co.uk 

Nissan and IAM issue towing advice to Caravan Enthusiasts

A new study suggests that increasing numbers of drivers are towing caravans without proper training.

The study undertaken by Nissan suggests that thousands of motorists in the UK could be posing a safety risk by towing caravans with no training.

It is believed that caravanning is growing in popularity once again, with a fifth of the 3,000 respondents surveyed planning on a caravan or camping trip this year. 

Unfortunately the research also revealed that 40% of those planning on towing caravans, trailers or boats have had no training.

As a result Nissan have teamed up with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) to give guidance to help novice towers.

Tim Shallcross, Head of Technical Policy for IAM commented:

"The results of the Nissan research highlight a key knowledge gap in towing legislation and safety guidelines. We encourage new and experienced 'towers' to ensure they are correctly informed as to their vehicle's towing capabilities and to follow essential safety guidelines."

IAM and Nissan have made the following recommendations:

1. Check that you are legally allowed to tow. Requirements may differ according to when the driving licence was issued and it may be dependent on your car insurance policy.


2. Check your vehicle's towing limit. It's equally important to check the maximum braked and unbraked towing weights - as outlined in the vehicle handbook.


3. Know towing speed limits. For motorway and dual-carriageway driving the speed limit is set at 60mph. For single carriageways the speed should not exceed 50mph (unless stated otherwise).


4. Give yourself more time and space for accelerating and braking. This will help you to avoid accidents whilst on the road and potential car or caravan insurance claims.


5. When approaching a hill it's important to select a lower gear in plenty of time. When going uphill this gives you more power. Going down reduces the strain on your vehicle's brakes.

Source: http://cdn.practicalcaravan.com/blog/nissan-urges-new-caravanners-stay-safe

Static Caravans - The Benefits To Holidaymakers

Do you have a static caravan? Maybe you're considering buying one for your annual holidays? If this is the case then you will no doubt want a little more information about static caravans and the benefits they offer.

The main benefit of a static caravan is that they offer a home, away from home at a portion of the price of a full sized holiday home.

However, they offer many of the same features of a full sized house – including: 

• Separate living and sleeping quarters,

• Double glazing on the windows 

• Quality fittings

The only real problem arises when you go to look for a caravan residential park to install your static caravan. However, there are so many of these around the UK you shouldn't have too much trouble finding one to suit your needs.

It's important to relax when you're on holiday and the vast majority of residential parks understand that. This is why they're setup with CCTV and community watch programs - giving you peace of mind that your holiday home is being well looked after whether you're there or not.

Buying a static caravan could mean that you don't need to blow the family budget on an expensive holiday abroad - saving you a substantial amount in the long-run.

The other thing to consider - if no one is staying in it the caravan can even be let out to provide you with an additional income. However, you may need to check with the residential park owners before sub-letting to ensure this is allowed.

If you already own a caravan check out Motaquote’s competitive motorhome and caravan insurance - quality cover at a reasonable price.

Motaquote Staff Wear Hats In Support Of Brain Tumour Research

Motaquote staff wore a variety of interesting hats on "wear a hat day" and raised a whopping £532 for Brain Tumour Research back in March.

Commenting on the event, Motaquote employee Robert Mumford said:

"I decided to support this charity as a result of being personally affected by a brain tumour. I have had numerous operations to try to remove a long-standing left-sided temporal cyst which became apparent back in 1991. Over the years I have received various treatments to combat this and have ultimately needed operations to try to remove the cyst, which would enable me to lead a normal life."

Robert added that three other members of his family had also been treated for brain tumour related complications.

A brain tumour reportedly affects and kills more children and adults under 40 than any other form of cancer. Around 16,000 people a year are diagnosed with this condition, with only 14% surviving beyond five years - 50% less than any other form of cancer.

Motaquote supports a number of charities – including Brain Tumour Research, Help The Heroes and the Jackson Llewllyn Tribute Fund. To find out more about the charities we support please visit the Motaquote Charities page.

Source: http://www.braintumourresearch.org/motaquote

How To Deal With Flooding

With the recent flooding alerts released by the Environment Agency, Motaquote have put together a short guide on how to deal with flooding.

Here are a few quick tips 

If your home floods the primary thing to concern yourself with is your own safety and that of your family.

If you are concerned that the house is about to flood you should:

• Switch off all electricity and gas supplies.

• Put plugs in sinks and baths and weigh them down with heavy objects to help prevent water rising up.

• Move important items to an area of safety.

• Tune into a local radio station on a battery or wind-up radio as local radio can give you updates on evacuation procedures.

• The Environment Agency also recommends that you are prepared to move quickly to get yourself and your family to safety. You should put safety first and listen to any advice issued by the Police and other emergency services.

Other things to be aware of if it floods:

Flooding is extremely dangerous as it can expose other dangers such as fallen power lines, trees, burst manhole covers and water contamination. 

In addition to this, according to the Environment Agency, 6 inches of fast flowing flood water can knock you over.

The Environment Agency recommend against driving or walking through floods as this could prove extremely hazardous – instead be aware of any safety advice or procedures issued by local emergency services.

As a homeowner you are also strongly recommended to review your home insurance policy to make sure you are covered in the event of a flood.

Motaquote Shows Caravan Enthusiasts The Love

The boys from Motaquote attended the South & West Wales Caravan & Motorhome Show in Carmarthen earlier this month, spending time getting to know local and national caravan and motorhome enthusiasts alike.

In typical Motaquote fashion we wanted to showcase our superb caravan insurance product – available for static, mobile and motorhomes. We’re pleased to say that it went down a treat (along with the bags of sweets the boys were handing out to all interested parties).

The Motaquote team thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were the talk of the show… yet again! With free gifts including bags of sweets and caravan tea-towels handed out to all and sundry!

With visitors gossiping about Motaquote’s excellent customer service and great free gifts we had a great influx of visitors clamouring to talk to us. In short - the event proved a roaring success!

Commenting on behalf of Motaquote, team leader Ceri Jones stated:

“The free gifts with the customers went down a treat! All the passers-by were talking about our free tea towels!!! I would definitely do the show again.”

If you missed us at the Caravan and Motorhome show you can still get a great deal on your caravan insurance.

Visit our caravan insurance page to find out more about the benefits that are included in the policy.

Motaquote takes to the road for the Camarthen Caravan Show

Motaquote are proud to be attending the Daffodil Events Caravan and Motorhome Show in Camarthen.

We offer comprehensive, affordable static and mobile caravan insurance as well as motorhome insurance. It's ideal cover for caravan enthusiasts looking to take to the road for that much needed holiday.

Motaquote also attended the event last year and enjoyed a lot of attention thanks to our exclusive Welsh caravan teatowels and our sunny demenour! 

If you're interested but still want to find out more please check out the video below to see the event in action. If you're lucky you might even get a glimpse of us!

 

Need to know more about the event? Please visit the official website for more information.

Need to know more about what we cover? Check out our caravan insurance policies.

London Olympics Almost Upon Us

The London 2012 Olympics are rapidly coming up and it looks set to be an enjoyable event with a wealth of British talent.

The London Olympics are likely to be a lot of fun and many people from all over the World are going to be attending... in fact many people from our corner of the UK - Wales.

Unsurprisingly many of us will probably be driving down to London (at least those amongst us tough enough to brave the M25 and the busy London streets). 

However, as I'm sure you're aware, breakdowns do happen - especially on longer trips. So have you considered breakdown insurance cover should the worst happen?

Picture this - you're driving down the M40 (or the road of your choice) and your car starts to splutter and smoke - in short you have to pull over. What happens if you don't have some form of breakdown cover? Well - for a start you could miss the Olympic event you've driven all that way to watch or you may have to fork out your hard earned money for a breakdown service and replacement vehicle.

However, if you take out breakdown cover with Motaquote, for example, you get a whole host of benefits that can help ensure that you get to the event in time.

Motaquote's breakdown cover will cover you for all manner of issues - such as roadside assistance and repairs to get you going again, overnight accommodation (should you need it), a replacement hire vehicle to get you where you need to go and more.

To find out more about how our specialist cover can help make sure that you get to the London Olympics check out our breakdown cover page.

Don't risk your livelihood - cover your business

As a small business insurance broker Motaquote understands that it can be a time-consuming process finding the right cover to suit you. However, by simply buying the cheapest small business insurance available you could be putting your company at risk.

This is why it's so important to make sure you fully understand what the policy covers - but that's why we're here.

We will spend time finding out about you and your business so that we understand what your requirements are. By understanding your business needs we can find the right policy for you from our panel of insurers. However, it's essential that the information you give about your company is 100% accurate to ensure that you have the correct type of business insurance at an amount adequate for your firm.

Our small business insurance team are a highly trained dedicated team who can offer invaluable advice. For instance - there may be things you may not have previously considered, such as what conditions you may need to abide by to ensure that you are covered if you need to make a claim. Fortunately our team are always happy to sit down and explain these to you in simple, no-nonsense terms. When taking out business insurance cover with Motaquote you can be sure that you have the right cover at the right price.

What happens if you're not covered?

Think about it like this - if a member of the public has an accident as a result of your company's negligence you could be held liable for any damages sustained. If you do not have some form of public liability insurance you could be putting yourself and your business at risk as you will need to pay out of company funds any legal costs and damages claimed.

Another example is building damages. If your office incurs damage as a result of a fire or flood then the costs facing you could be substantial if you haven't covered the building adequately.

By having some form of building and contents insurance you at least have the peace of mind that your work premises are covered should the building be damaged.

Find out more about Motaquote's small business insurance.

Liability Insurance Encouraged For Street Party Organisers

With the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics coming up a street party may be on the cards for some of us.

However, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have warned those who are planning to play host to a street party to ensure they have the right kind of liability insurance cover in place.

The ABI have forecast that thousands of events are likely to be held all across the UK over 2012 and have urged events organisers to consider the circumstances of the even before decidin on whether or not some form of public liability insurance will be necessary.

As a result the ABI have releaed a guide for planning an event. The guide outlines safety considerations and insurance requirements. The Director General for the ABI, Nick Starling commented:

"With communities across the country planning thousands of events this year, a few common sense precautions will help ensure that events are fun and safe. Our guide sets out the essential information that any event organiser needs to know, to ensure that celebrations planned are memorable for all the right reasons."

Organisers are strongly urged to ensure that they have adequate liability insurance in place. Should anything happen the organiser could be held liable.

Motaquote offers a specialist events insurance package that includes public liability, property cover and even event cancellation insurance.

Source: http://ccventures.co.uk/acquisitions/news_article.aspx?id=801332524&art=ABI:%20Street%20parties%20should%20be%20carefully%20planned

European Breakdown Cover with Motaquote

Motaquote isn't just about delivering great rates for car insurance - we can also offer terrific deals on breakdown cover.

Did you know that with Motaquote you can take out either UK breakdown or European Breakdown cover?

If you're currently booking your next holiday and looking to take a road trip with the family over to mainland Europe then breakdown cover is a must.

Think about it for just a minute - can you afford not to take out breakdown cover if you're driving around Europe? My guess is probably not.

A decent EU breakdown policy will include things such as roadside assistance & repairs, provide overnight accommodation if required, 24 hour vehicle hire and a number of other excellent benefits to help keep you on the road.

However, Motaquote goes a little further with it's breakdown cover and can even provide extra cover if you're towing a trailer or caravan as well as provide an emergency driver should the driver be taken ill or get injured whilst on the journey.

So our breakdown cover isn't just about getting your car going again - we offer so much more.

To find out how it works please visit our breakdown cover page or simply click Get A Quote and you can buy online today!

Small Business Confidence On The Up

It could be good news for Great Britain - a recent report suggests that with small business confidence on the increase we could see an improvement in employment rates.

Confidence amongst small business insurance policy holders is up, according to the Federation of Small Business (FSB), who have said that in spite of the increasing cost of overheads and issues gaining access to business finance small business confidence has bounced back from the all time low reported at the end of last year.

The report undertaken by the FSB shows that almost 50% of the 3,000 companies surveyed is expecting to see some form of growth over 2012.

Commenting on this John Walker, Chairman of the FSB, stated:

"It is a testament to the hard work and determination of the UK's small businesses that, in the face of rising costs and falling demand, they are still confident about the year ahead."

As business picks up over the next few months many small businesses could start looking to take on additional staff to help with work-loads.

Motaquote are dedicated to supporting small businesses around Wales and the UK. Motaquote guarantees to beat on shop insurance and office insurance.*

*Terms & Conditions Apply

Source: http://www.fsb.org.uk/News.aspx?loc=pressroom&rec=7655

Liability Insurance Reforms Called For

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has called for a change to the way in which employers’ liability and public liability insurance claims are handled.

This request for change has come about as a result of overzealous interpretations of health and safety legislation which has hampered growth of the UK economy and harms small business expansion.

The ABI claims that the current legal system encourages people to make exaggerated and, in some cases, fraudulent claims – which are fuelled by “no-win-no-fee” claims management firms. They believe that this has left UK businesses with high and disproportionate legal costs – which they pay for through their employers’ liability and public liability insurance premiums.

The Director of General Insurance for the ABI, Nick Starling, has stated that insurance companies play a very important role in allowing and encouraging small business to grow without the burden of red tape and other issues.

Mr Starling added that the ABI "has long argued for reforms to make our legal system more efficient, tackle spurious claims and relieve the burden on UK business.”

Following this the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have stated that a healthy balance between protective regulation for employees and giving firms sufficient leeway to perform their roles well needs to be struck.

Source: http://www.postonline.co.uk/post/news/2159394/abi-calls-reforms-free-businesses-uk-compensation-culture

More Than Just Any Old Home Insurance

Motaquote is an insurance broker with a difference... we like to offer our customers more than just a standard motor or home insurance package which is why we go the extra mile to give you more.

Did you know that our home insurance policies come with extras? Not only will we guarantee to beat your home insurance renewal quote by £20* - whether you go for our standard or platinum package but we will also chuck in a whole load of extras for free!

So what's so great?

What - other than us guaranteeing to beat your renewal quote by £20? Well Motaquote's home insurance also includes cover for legal expenses, identity theft protection, home emergency assist and we will even throw in student contents cover for your child's belongings whilst at University (up to £5,000).

But why do you need home insurance?

Think about it like this - you've just bought a new house or you've extended your existing one. Maybe you've even bought yourself a new expensive television or had a sparkly new kitchen installed. Whatever the case is you will undoubtedly want to make sure they're protected should anything happen - whether it's due to a flood, fire or burglary.

Home insurance really is a very straight-forward policy - you buy it to cover your house and it's contents. The last thing you want is to pay-out for expensive repairs should your house have a flood or fire or experience the expense of replacing damaged or stolen personal belongings.

Interested?

If you are looking for home insurance cover Motaquote may be the insurance broker for you. We offer two types of policy - a standard and a platinum home insurance policy.

Find out more about these great policies here: Motaquote Home Insurance


*Terms & Conditions Apply.

Planning Your Holiday This Year?

If you're anything like me you're probably already thinking about where you're going to go on holiday. I know we're bearly out of winter and it's still March - hardly holiday season but surprisingly it's the time a lot of people start making travel arrangements for the summer.

Well if you are thinking about taking a trip abroad have you thought about your travel insurance? I'm guessing that you probably haven't, which is fair enough - who really wants to think about travel insurance when they're planning their next holiday?

Unfortunately travel insurance is something you really need to think about as it can cover you for numerous problems that can and unfortunately do happen whilst holidaying abroad.

Motaquote's travel insurance covers you for a wide range of things including - your expenses should you fall ill and need to be hospitalised, should you lose luggage or have personal items stolen. In some cases we can even cover you should you be unable to travel due to a recent death of a relative.*

In addition to this Motaquote's travel insurance even offers cover for a wide range of sports and activities as standard.

If that still doesn't sound like enough cover to you did you know that Motaquote's travel insurance can offer an option to add on winter sports cover if you're considering your next skiing or snowboarding holiday?

*Dependent on insurer.

Motaquote Supports Small Retailers

Here at Motaquote we believe it's increasingly important that, as a small business insurance broker, we continue to support small retailers around the UK.

Let's face facts – many independent shops and even their larger equivalents are struggling in the face of the economic downturn and with the rise of online shopping. However, Motaquote feel that it's just as important to support retailers who don't solely sell online – retailers who have and want to maintain their high-street presence.

We recognise that many shops are still a vital part of the community they serve – much like Motaquote's retail branches. With high levels of inflation and the increasing costs of running a shop-front we understand that it's proving difficult to continue trading – this is why we are proud to be able to bring shop owners competitive, affordable cover through our shop insurance scheme.

We are able to offer highly competitive shop insurance cover - in fact we are so confident that we can actually GUARANTEE to beat any shop insurance quote.*

Our comprehensive shop insurance comes with a whole host of excellent features and benefits unique to our policies.

As you would expect from a shop insurance product ours comes with public and product liability, building and contents cover, employers liability and business interruption insurance, however, you also receive:

Legal expenses cover and a glass replacement service. It doesn't end there. Motaquote also offers online shop safety training, online health and safety management, access to the business law library and free legal advice and employee stress counselling hotlines - all part and parcel of one simple shop insurance policy.**

Sound good? Want to find out more? Check out our shop insurance page or give us a call on 0800 587 8989.

* Subject To Terms & Conditions
** Insurer Dependent

Did You Know Motaquote Offers Motorbike Insurance?

Do you own a motorbike? Maybe you've been looking for quality, affordable motorbike insurance cover... well, other than car insurance, we can also offer an excellent motorcycle insurance policy.

Unfortunately it seems that people looking for a decent motorbike policy still aren't aware that Motaquote is more than car insurance. This is why we want to remind all our loyal customers out there that we can and want to offer you more.

Whether you simply enjoy a Sunday afternoon ride into the heart of the Welsh valleys or even a daily commute it's important to have the right kind of cover. So why not consider Motaquote's motorcyle insurance?

What does our motorbike insurance include?

Well we can offer three types of cover - comprehensive, third party fire and theft and third party motorbike insurance for a whole range of bike types.

From mopeds and scooters to larger motorbikes and even classic models if you enjoy cruising down the road on an old Triumph or Harley. In addition to this we can even add a second bike to your motorbike insurance policy for a highly competitive charge - please note the insurance will be based on the highest rated bike.

Interested? Why not drop into one of our local Welsh branches or call us on 0845 602 6925 and one of our friendly staff will be more than happy to help!

More Than One Player In Motaquote’s Telematics Family

With the highly publicised launch of our sister brand – Fair Pay Insurance we felt it important to talk a little about the differences between Fair Pay and iKube as they are two quite different forms of telematics car insurance (or “black box insurance”) that will suit different people.

Let’s take a quick look at Fair Pay Insurance.

Fair Pay Insurance is what’s known in the press and media as “pay as you drive” car insurance. Whilst this is the case to an extent, there is still a lot more to it than just that.

It has essentially taken basic telematics car insurance and optimised it further by giving the customer even more control over their premiums.

But how has this been done?

To start with – if you tell Fair Pay you are a good driver it will believe you and reward you up-front. So you get given a pot of mileage points as well as the bonus mileage points when your policy starts. However, Fair Pay can offer the functionality to top up mileage points on your account as well if you want or need it through its Dashboard.

Fair Pay, like iKube, monitors and tracks the way in which you, the policy holder, drives. It measures elements such as speed, harsh braking, time and location, G-Force impact, Cornering and the routes and types of roads used. The TomTom navigation device that is bundled with the Fair Pay product will alert you to any incidents you may have whilst out on the road – these can be monitored both in real-time and once you get home via your computer.

Using this information, as long as you have driven safely and well, you could be due a considerable discount at renewal.

Who is Fair Pay For?

Unlike iKube, for example, Fair Pay is aimed at a broader market – i.e. older drivers (over 25s), female drivers and anyone who thinks they pay too much for their car insurance (i.e. over £1,000) and don’t deserve to be penalised.

Now Let’s Take A Look At iKube

iKube’s black box insurance is quite different to Fair Pay. It’s a usage based car insurance product specifically aimed at 17 – 25 year old full licensed drivers and those learning to drive. iKube doesn’t restrict on mileage but does ask that you  avoid driving between the hours of 11pm – 5am.

If you are found to be driving late at night then you will incur a £100 fee for driving at that time (iKube of course make exceptions for those people simply moving their car less than 100 yards to let someone else move their vehicle).

In much the same way as Fair Pay the black box device installed in the car will monitor elements such as speed, time of day the car is driven, harsh braking and cornering, etc. This can be viewed on your online dashboard that is provided when you take the iKube policy out.

As long as you have been a good, careful driver during the term of your policy then you could be due a significant discount at renewal (in some cases up to 40%).

Who is iKube For?

iKube is solely aimed at young and learner drivers between the ages of 17 – 25 who feel that they are penalised due to their age and inexperience on the road.

Motaquote & TomTom Launch Fair Pay Insurance

Motaquote are proud to announce the launch of Fair Pay Insurance, a new telematics car insurance product that's aimed at motorists who feel that they are unjustly penalised because of where they live, how old they are or their gender.

Motaquote has joined forces with TomTom to launch a product that recognises that drivers willing to be monitored and gives them the ability to demonstrate how good a driver they are. Fair Pay gives the customer preferential insurance premiums bundled with the latest navigation technology to feedback their driving behaviour. Just like a car’s MPG, the better the car is driven, the further the customer's ‘insurance fuel’ will go.

Fair Pay Insurance is ideal for anyone who is or expects to pay more than £1,000 for their car insurance and, in spite of being good drivers, feel that they are being unfairly charged.

Motaquote's Managing Director, Nigel Lombard, commented:

“If you genuinely believe you’re a good driver and are happy to have your driving behaviour monitored, we’ll believe you and we’ll even give you the benefit up front.”

Mr Lombard goes on to say:

“And our unique partnership with TomTom means that we are able to offer customers the very latest high-tech in-car TomTom navigation device with real-time driver feedback, enabling them to monitor and adapt their own driving behaviour on a day-to-day basis so they won’t get any nasty surprises as they go along or when it comes to renewal.”

Fair Pay is specifically designed for motorists who genuinely believe that they are good drivers but feel that they are unfairly charged due to "risk factors" that insurers use to calculate car insurance premiums - including their postcode, age, gender, an isolated motoring conviction or even the type of car they drive. All of these factors does not necessarily impact their ability to drive well. To prove that they are good drivers they're happy to have their driving behavious monitored.

The Managing Director for TomTom Business Solutions, Thomas Schmidt, commented:

“We are delighted to be working with Motaquote , who have recognised this potential in launching such a groundbreaking product.”

As car insurance premiums continue to rise, Fair Pay Insurance really does offer a fairer deal to motorists.

To find out more about how Fair Pay works please visit www.fairpayinsurance.co.uk

To find out more about TomTom and their technology please visit:
business.tomtom.com/en_gb/landingpages/telematics-services/

Keep Us Up To Date With Changes In Your Life

Did you know that changes in your life can affect your insurance policy? Whether you have your home insurance or your car insurance with Motaquote, we need to know about changes to your personal circumstances. Here's why:

Home Insurance

Whether you're planning on making significant home improvements (i.e. adding a new room) or simply moving into a bigger house - it's crucial that you let us know.

Why You Need To Let Us Know About Home Improvements

As you would expect - adding rooms on to your house is likely to increase the sum insured for repair costs of your home... so if you haven't updated us on any changes there is no guarantee that your house and it's contents will be completely covered under your existing home insurance policy.

Why You Need To Let Us Know If You're Moving House

This might seem obvious to some but let's be honest... with the excitement and hussle and bussle of the move it's easy to forget about your home insurance.

It's vital that you let us know if you are moving house so we can ensure that you are covered for the correct sums insured when you move... a home insurance policy for one house may not be suitable for another.

Car Insurance

Whether you are moving house, upgrading your car or even if you’ve recently got married and plan on adding your spouse to your car insurance policy you should let us know!

Car Insurance – Moving House

You need to tell us if you’re planning on moving house as it might affect your car insurance policy as the postcode of the area you move to may affect the policy. Besides, we need to know your address if we’re going to be sending out car insurance certificates, policy documents, etc.

Car Insurance – Adding A Newly Married Spouse To Your Policy

As odd as this might sound adding a spouse to our car insurance policy might reduce your annual premium. It’s definitely worth considering just for that fact alone!

You simply add your spouse as a named driver to your car insurance policy and voila! Car insurance policies have been known to drop significantly in some cases. However, this is not the case in all circumstances - it really depends on their driving history.

Car Insurance – Upgrading Your Car

Perhaps you’re looking at that sporty little red number in the car showroom… maybe you’re looking at upgrading to a big 4x4. Whatever the car is you’re looking to upgrade (or downgrade) to you need to let us know before you drive it away otherwise you will not be covered.

Did you know that car insurance is a legal requirement before taking to the road? For this reason alone it is vital that you update us so we can update your car insurance details.

Motaquote branch staff take to the speedway

Our Motaquote branch staff took to Cardiff's TeamSport Go-Karting track alongside the likes of GoCompare, Admiral, Confused.com and TheAA. But that's hardly going to faze us is it?! Well no - not when we outnumbered each team 3 to 1 - except for GoCompare.

With 2 iKube teams and 1 Motaquote team we were a force to be reckoned with... or so we thought.

Unfortunately it didn't turn out to be so... whilst our teams  did put up a valiant fight until the end of the race the final figures were in GoCompare's favour.

However, on a more positive note - I manage to wrangle a free cup of tea and GoCompare didn't bring Gio Compario.

But I digress - in the end it was a night to remember and everyone had enormous amounts of fun in spite of the freezing conditions (you should have seen them spinning out at all the big turns).

On another note - did you know that our branches are offering some great deals on home insurance, car and caravan insurance at the moment? If you're looking for cover then pop-in to your local branch and our friendly, helpful staff will be more than happy to help.

Motaquote Staff Take To Lifting Weights For Charity

With Christmas and New Year behind us the staff at Motaquote Insurance are looking to get fit, work off some of that holiday fat and raise some money for Help The Heroes and locally run meningitis charity - The Jackson Llewellyn Griffiths Tribute Fund.

Motaquote employee, Lee Harris, has agreed to run some "taster" kettlebell classes over lunchtime for the keen folks at Motaquote.

The kettlebell exercises are designed to combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training – and all round workout that should get our staff in tip-top condition – ready for the demands of the year ahead.

As an organisation Motaquote is keen to promote the health and welfare of its staff as well as the charities it supports. Over the next 12 months there will be a lot going on – from this blogger’s quest to run his 6th half marathon to fun, games and plenty of pie to raise money for charity.

Keep your eyes open – there’s more coming soon!

To find out more about the charities Motaquote supports please visit our Motaquote Charities page.

Public Liability Insurance – A Big Cost To A Small Business?

Owning a small business isn’t as easy as it used to be. It’s long been acknowledged that we now live in a society who are very conscious of their rights, and as such small businesses really can’t neglect health and safety. Whilst this is a good thing, businesses around the UK also have to contend with unfair allegations – leading to potential court proceedings. Whilst a healthy respect for health and safety is required it’s also vital to consider a public liability insurance policy – you could say that it’s the first step to protecting your business.

Many have said that we live in a nanny state, protected and wrapped in cotton wool from day one, where everything is insured or has some form of legislation attached to it. This may well be true, and it is always a good idea to make sure that you and your business are as protected as possible in this complicated and unpredictable day and age.

If you own a business, then it is a good idea is to take out public liability insurance. In fact, for many businesses it’s essential protection to ensure they’re covered. Liability claims are commonly associated with very high costs to businesses. Whilst the type of cover you need may differ from one business to another, the same fact remains – huge bills and huge costs can cripple you whether you are a small or large business.

It is worth bearing in mind that the world we live in is filled with companies who offer no win no fee legal representation, meaning that anyone with a semblance of a case can take it to court. Whether or not the claimant is justified in their actions is largely irrelevant to your business – the costs required to protect and represent your side of the case can be just as damaging for your bank balance no matter which way the “verdict” sways. Public liability insurance, dependant on the level of your cover, will protect you against and cover for these costs (unless the business is negligent in any way) including settlements, meaning that your business can afford to carry on.

If you decide that public liability insurance is right for your business, then you should research what level of cover matches the style of your business. By assessing the type of business you are involved in is a good place to start. Always make sure you investigate every option fully. While £1 million worth of liability cover could suit one business, others may need to consider more.

The world isn’t as straight-forward as it once was, so it makes sense to try and reduce your costs - public Liability Insurance is a significant step forward to ensuring your business is protected.

Gadget Insurance - Do You Need It?

With gadgets becoming more and more advanced and quite costly as a result, having an expensive gadget stolen or lost could prove more expensive than you realise. This is why gadget insurance could be ideal.

Think about it for a minute - you've just bought that expensive tablet computer or smartphone and you use it every day - whether it's for work or pleasure. The next thing you know it's been lost or stolen! Without gadget insurance you have to fork-out another £400+ just to get it replaced! That's £400 that could go towards your next holiday or your next gadget...

As technology advances we are becoming more and more reliant on things – such as smartphones and SatNavs, especially if you are a business man out on the road visiting clients on a regular basis. Let’s face it – without a SatNav you could be “lost” and without your smartphone you might be left with no way to call a client if you’re going to be late for a meeting.

The great thing about Motaquote’s gadget insurance cover is the fact that we can cover 3 gadgets in one go for £99 a year (or 10% off if you buy online). That equals around 27 pence a day!

So in the likelihood that you do lose, damage or have a gadget stolen you don't need to concern yourself with the cost of replacing them... we'll do that for you with our competitive gadget protection.

Need to know more? Check out our gadget insurance page and see for yourself.