Outrageous attempt to rip me off

Utter rip off. A failed attempt to rip me off after 8 years by trying to charge me over 51% (£182.71) more for classic car insurance than that provided by another well known and renowned classic car insurance provider. I have been with Footman James ... Read more

Utter rip off. A failed attempt to rip me off after 8 years by trying to charge me over 51% (£182.71) more for classic car insurance than that provided by another well known and renowned classic car insurance provider. I have been with Footman James for over 8 years for classic car insurance. Unfortunately, they decided to use that longevity in order to try and rip me off with the upmost contempt. I can only assume that those 8 years loyalty suggested to Footman James that I am either stupid or gullible or too lazy to shop around. Probably all three. I received a classic car renewal quote of these people showing a marked increase in my premium that I believed could not be justified. A premium quoted at £436.91. Upon questioning their price they stated that if I came back to them with a cheaper quote off another supplier they would look at their pricing. I came back to them with a quote at £100.91 cheaper for increased insurance provisions. I also informed them, as I had the other provider, that I had had a modern car wrote off by a lorry in December 2019 as a no fault and settled claim. A no fault settled claim as my car had been parked in a car park, empty with no one in it when a lorry decided to drive over it. That declaration was like a green light for them to really treat me like a fool. Upon this notice they decided to stick on a further £98.80, increasing the quote from £436.91 to £535.71. They even threw at me the added insult of claiming this further £98.80 increase included a 10% discount. On my challenge this was all justified by way of claiming the increase was computer driven and there was nothing they could do to reduce it. To that end I have dropped Footman James with the same contempt they have shown towards me. I have now insured with another renowned classic car insurer with better provisions at just £353. This includes full breakdown, home start, recovery, tax and arrangement fee, etc. To spell this out in no uncertain terms, Footman James wanted £182.71 more for providing less cover than that which I now have with another well known provider. In percentage terms that is approximately 51.25% more for less cover. This was nothing less than an outrageous attempt to rip off even though I had been with them for over 8 years. I hope as many people as possible read this review in its entirety.

Reviewed on 25th February 2020

T Johnson

Simply the Best

I have or have had all (10 at present) classic and modern motorcycles covered by FJ for many years. They offer great value are very knowledgeable and you can always speak to a human being. I have learned to my cost recently hoe frustrating your... Read more

I have or have had all (10 at present) classic and modern motorcycles covered by FJ for many years. They offer great value are very knowledgeable and you can always speak to a human being. I have learned to my cost recently hoe frustrating your portal! or live chat! can be. John Knibb

Reviewed on 4th September 2019

John Knibb

Over £400 stolen from us

My husband and I are having awful problems with Footman... Read more

My husband and I are having awful problems with Footman James!
My husband rang to inform them that his bike was no longer being held in a garage, and they said they wouldn’t insure it and that he’d have to cancel his policy. He was then told that they couldn’t cancel his policy until his third instalment of £225.68 which was due to come out the following week had been paid, and that his bike would no longer be insured. I found this exceedingly odd but agreed and when the third instalment was due, he paid it.
I knew he was due a refund as he had paid three instalments (one of £225.69, and two of £225.68) which makes up for 9 months of the year, and he’d only had the policy since 11/01/19 and he’d called at the first week of March! But he received a call today to say he would only be getting a refund of £218. So extremely unfair! I am very unhappy that he has been first made to make a payment when they told him he needed to cancel, and then have the audacity to only give him a refund of £218.
Absolutely disgraceful. They pretty much put the gun to his head and stole the money from him. I’d warn everyone to stay away.
Seriously, it’s not worth the time or money.

Reviewed on 15th March 2019

Megan Dalton

Great service

When I bought my classic car I looked at numerous Insures but came up with Footman James great personal advice and service. Thanks to very one

Reviewed on 6th February 2019

Mr Alan Housley

Footman James are Wonderful

Footman James offer a friendly, personal service adaptable to you and your needs. Their insurance service is clear and affordable, while offering high quality cover for you and your vehicle's.

Reviewed on 16th January 2019

Jen

friendly and helpful

A very personal experience making insuring my vehicle simple and hassle free.

Reviewed on 12th October 2018

whiteeedotcom

Perfect

Excellent service and Customer Care

Reviewed on 2nd October 2018

Tracey Dawn

Great Insurer

Great communicators, swift and helpful in understanding needs. I will continue to use FJ for my insurance needs

Reviewed on 1st October 2018

Jamie Tunbridg

Everything I need and more.

Friendly efficient staff helped me find the right cover for my Caterham R500 Duratec. For a competitive price I have insured my car for use on the road and track and have an agreed valuation should the worst happen. With Footman James I have complete... Read more

Friendly efficient staff helped me find the right cover for my Caterham R500 Duratec. For a competitive price I have insured my car for use on the road and track and have an agreed valuation should the worst happen. With Footman James I have complete peace of mind.

Reviewed on 22nd September 2018

Simon Frost

Great service and value

I started off with one classic and have gradually increased to three bikes over the past 8 years. The changes were easily accommodated with very little increase in premium. The renewals are easy and hassle free.

Reviewed on 21st September 2018

Nigel

Great cover and easy to deal with

I have been with Footman James for more years than I should, but each year I check my insurance requirements and their quote and they always remain competitive. The fact I remain with them speaks volumes.

Reviewed on 21st September 2018

Mike

Very easy to do business with

That’s it so far. Fortunately but like the newsletters

Reviewed on 21st September 2018

Ray Paice

Great Deal

I went to Footman James for my classic Jaguar insurance and was very pleasantly surprised, they were a fraction of the cost of my previous insurer.

Reviewed on 21st September 2018

Gerard

Good value for money

Classic car policy with agreed value on the car for a very reasonable price!

Reviewed on 21st September 2018

PSW

Excellent service plus the extras

I have been with this company for over 20 years and I have never ever had a problem they've always been very nice on the telephone and they've always been very good with the prices been very happy and that's why I have been very loyal to them as... Read more

I have been with this company for over 20 years and I have never ever had a problem they've always been very nice on the telephone and they've always been very good with the prices been very happy and that's why I have been very loyal to them as they've been very loyal to me. Definitely recommended if you got a classic car footman James number one

Reviewed on 20th September 2018

Paul

Great option for a classic car

Fully comprehensive with breakdown cover at a great price

Reviewed on 20th September 2018

martin lowe

Does what it says on the Tin

Great experience with Footman James everything seems so easy

Reviewed on 20th September 2018

Richard Gaynor

Customer Focused

What makes any insurer great, is making a nasty experience painless. This applies to brokers as well as underwriters. After years with this company, I can say that human errors are rare, the company attitude is great, the culture is positive - never... Read more

What makes any insurer great, is making a nasty experience painless. This applies to brokers as well as underwriters. After years with this company, I can say that human errors are rare, the company attitude is great, the culture is positive - never defensive. It is possible to build up mutual trust, almost impossible with lesser companies who love you when paying premiums, but confront you when you need customer service. And this is what an Insurance Award should be all about.

Reviewed on 20th September 2018

John Smyrniotis

Friendly, well-informed agents

It's good to speak to someone who actually rides a motorcycle and who understands what's involved and required.

Reviewed on 20th September 2018

Miles Barry

Friendly, good servcie and good pricing.

The insurance industry seems to become less personal and less customer-focused each year, with auto-renewal cons and difficulty speaking to a representative, but Footman James are easy to talk to, respond quickly to communications and offer polices... Read more

The insurance industry seems to become less personal and less customer-focused each year, with auto-renewal cons and difficulty speaking to a representative, but Footman James are easy to talk to, respond quickly to communications and offer polices with good cover at excellent prices.

Reviewed on 20th September 2018

Lawson Smith