Cruise Insurance...
 

I think Aaron posted up in another cruise thread about som einsurance policies not covering vehicles if involved in some sort of Car Club...

I have since had a read of my own (RACV) policy _Very Carfully_ and it states:

We may refuse a claim if your vehicle...
- your vehicle was being used for evenets relating to a motor vehicle club, bash, or charity event (unless you have told us your vehicle will be used for any of these purposes and we have agreed to cover it)

I am now interested to know:

1) how many other peoples current policy has this clause and;
2) is astinaGT classified as a 'motor vehicle club'[/b]

I would imagine that a "Motor Vehicle Club" would be defined as a club that has planned/annual and regular meets throughout the calender year. Seeing as AstinaGT members meet up whenever, I'd be inclined to say that we wouldn't be classified as a Motor Vehicle Club, just a consortium of friends :lol: There'd possibly be another clause somewhere that states how many members or cars actually make up a club.

I'd imagine that if every single member got together on a huge australia wide cruise and something happened, then we'd be in the ****. But then they'd have to prove that it was a club meeting.....

Plausible deniability....... :lol:

Adam

another thing i just thought of is that since we have a central organisation point then we may be classified as a club/society.

There is a "group" in melbourne that get together on their push bikes and clog up traffic and other things with hunderds of people turing up for it. Cannot be charged with anything as they do not post any information up about meets, but somehow the information gets around...

I also note my policy says the _may_ refuse the claim, not necessarily _deny_ the claim...

My findings, (being on a club committee, MCCA) are that a cruise would be considered a 'touring assembly' and while not strictly considered competition should be enough to give the insurance companies a reason to delay a claim.
The questions I would ask,
:?: Is Astinagt.com a club?
:?: Was the cruise organised by Astinagt.com or an individual?
:?: Did I cause the issue or the organiser

When you start racing, circuit, sprint, drag etc. you sign a disclaimer at each event. I hope that if some like minded people want to get together and meet that common sense prevails.

Rod, I totally agree that common sense should prevail and that one should take adequate resposibility for one's actions, but it does pose an interesting point in the case of insurance. I mean, incidents in any case may not be involving two _club_ members, but an outside party...

anyway this is a food for thought topic and I hope it does spark some sort of intelligent debate on these matters...

Thanks for your input Rod !!!

if i recall correctly 2 cars made contact on an astina cruise down here in melbounre last year. fortunatley there was no damage but still. it makes u think :P

cheers mike

That's right, the policy I'm referring to uses the phases "may" and "club" and I think "organised gathering" or some such thing.

Unfortuntely although there may not be a formal club structure, nor a membership fee we actualyl would count as a 'club' due to the way the place operates in the forum. It could be deemed that membership of the forum and participation in the events constitues the action of a club....

In all honesty I doubt the company in question would refuse a claim - but I suspect they'd investigate carefully. In my experience while most driving on club runs is safe and careful there's a certain degree of bravado and performance demonstration that may involve incursions above posted limits or Police/government accepted levels.

We here at astinaGT.com do not condone dangerous driving... :) :twisted:

hahah indeed...we just turn a blind eye ;)

i have no idea if i'm covered, but i'd be surprised if i was :roll:

let me pose another interesting theory on the matter...

we have mentioed about contact between members cars, but what about another member of the public...for instance;

we are aout and about on a cruise and an uninsured driver (in no way associated with a car club) decides in all their infinite wisdom to change lanes into me *trav starts grabbing all the wood he can...*

Now - being on a cruise with you guys I may not be insured, but in any other case I would...

It has been mentioned that it is doubted that claims would be refused, but then again, stranger and less logiacl things have happened...

I can see it now . . .

Insurer - "Boyd, our policy states that you are not covered whilst participating in a car club cruise. Since you were in attendance of the AstinaGT club on the day of the accident, you cannot claim".

Myself - "Oh really, check the details again, what type of car is that insured? You must be mistaken".

Moral of the story? This is why I cruise with _other_ car clubs lol.

** Disclaimer - dramatisation. May not have happened!

Whilst I can't condone insurance fraud 8)
With this knowledge under our collective belts, it would be upto the insurance company to prove that you were indead on a cruise. In my history of cruises no-one has taken attendance, only problem would be the photo evidence.
:?: Is it a cruise if I tell a friend to follow me down to Bunnings :?:

Rod

Ahh, nice try, but they would find out that 'AstinaGT.com' (from the stickers mabey?) is actually (shock-horror) a website. And guess what part of that website is? Yes!!! It's a forum, and guess what is on that forum?? You guessed it, all the messages used to plan said cruise. Now try and tell the Insurance company that you're NOT part of a club/organisation/whatever... :roll:

Oh, and no it's a cruise if you tell a friend to follow you down to Bunnings. :lol:

but AstinaGT isnt a club nor an organisation... it is just a website... a website isnt on your policy is it?

All you have to do is threaten legal action with insurance companies and they **** their pants... then they pay up...

Ok....

Would anyone like to meet me for a cup of tea at the Five Dock Maccas at 11pm Saturday night?

If we start posting threads like this, does this cover our ass if we decide to drive to Wollongong through the Nashy if we decide that Mik makes a better cup of tea than Five Dock Maccas?

~Brad~

In all fairness, this is quite logical tony, but unfortunately because there is some form of central organisation/communication of event, then that makes astinagt a club/society.

It really is one of these things that it will depend on your claims officer...


hahahaha rod - :?: is it a cruise if you have a friend follow you to bunnings... (i wonder if that would stand up in court?)

BTW, this has been quite a topical thread now hasn't it???

I try to choose (reasonably) carefully who i cruise with, which limits the idiots.

dunno how pr1mo slipped thru tho :roll: :wink:

but really, how they you going to prove you were on a cruise when you have an accident? It's not like you're going to say that to them, and you can always use the 'i was driving to my mothers house when all these idiots in Hondas flew past me and one hit me' excuse/reason :wink:

pleanty of people are out and about cruising so i dont think anoyes too worried about it. saw around 15 AUDI TT's all cruising thru geelong when i was on my way home last sunday

cheers mike

I'm not overly worried either, but it did open my eyes that it was a written exclusion on my policy...

as for proving - what if witnesses are needed, and what if the other guy mentions that 'there was a stack of these guys all in astina's...'

again it does all come back to the claims officer, the incident and the other party...

Does your policy, Trav, say specifically that if you hit another club member you're not covered?? [Can't be arsed getting of mine and going to look in the book!]

Also, what happens if some granny sideswipes 3 or 4 of our cars, parked or on the road?? I sure want to know if that is covered....

Why doesn't one of us just ring up an insurance cover and get the operator to explain all the stuff we've talked about??

Adam