Saga Insurance - flat roof inspection
 

On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 22:10:24 +0000 Alan wrote :
I guess that many people believe that SAGA is some form of charity set
up to help pensioners and those approaching retirement. This was never
true although some of their previous advertising gave this impression.

The present owners of SAGA appear the have a mountain of debt so what is
the correct level of premium for their business?

The same is true of Age Concern/Age UK and funeral plans. They earn stacks
of money selling funeral plans for Dignity, Britain's most expensive
undertaker, whilst if 'concern' was any part of their agenda, they'd be
pointing people in the direction of lower cost quality independents.

--
Tony Bryer, Greentram: 'Software to build on',
Melbourne, Australia www.greentram.com

Saga Insurance - flat roof inspection
 

In article ,
djc wrote:
On 11/03/13 22:10, alan wrote:
On 11/03/2013 13:56, Martin Brown wrote:


If you have been with them any length of time almost any other provider
it would seem. The heat is definitely on them for ripping off grannies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21717085



I guess that many people believe that SAGA is some form of charity set
up to help pensioners and those approaching retirement. This was never
true although some of their previous advertising gave this impression.

In much the same way as RAC/AA would like you to think of them as
'motoring organisations' rather than breakdown insurance companies.

i think that SAGA and the AA are owned by the same organisation.

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

Saga Insurance - flat roof inspection
 

On 11/03/2013 22:10, alan wrote:
On 11/03/2013 13:56, Martin Brown wrote:


If you have been with them any length of time almost any other provider
it would seem. The heat is definitely on them for ripping off grannies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21717085

I guess that many people believe that SAGA is some form of charity set
up to help pensioners and those approaching retirement. This was never
true although some of their previous advertising gave this impression.

Unfortunately a lot of vulnerable old people believe this and are very
reluctant to be disloyal even when they are so obviously being ripped
off by premiums that are 3-5x too high. The same applies to utility
bills - my parents refuse to move from their original geographic
suppliers and pay an extra 30% or so for their misguided loyalty.

(this latter minor ripoff sounds quite reasonable compared SAGAs)

The present owners of SAGA appear the have a mountain of debt so what is
the correct level of premium for their business?

Tough. If they can't service their debt they go bankrupt. Next question.

The market rewards serial disloyalty so they should not be surprised if
that is how savvy consumers respond.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Saga Insurance - flat roof inspection
 

On 12/03/2013 06:17, Tony Bryer wrote:
On Mon, 11 Mar 2013 22:10:24 +0000 Alan wrote :
I guess that many people believe that SAGA is some form of charity set
up to help pensioners and those approaching retirement. This was never
true although some of their previous advertising gave this impression.

The present owners of SAGA appear the have a mountain of debt so what is
the correct level of premium for their business?

The same is true of Age Concern/Age UK and funeral plans. They earn stacks
of money selling funeral plans for Dignity, Britain's most expensive
undertaker, whilst if 'concern' was any part of their agenda, they'd be
pointing people in the direction of lower cost quality independents.

I am pleased that the charity with which I am involved has only minor
commercial links - things like they allow you to use their Amazon
affiliation, a few highly relevant items are available with a small sum
going to them. But the facts are obvious and open. I would prefer none
were necessary.

On the other hand, if they managed to get a serious link of the type you
are talking about, maybe they would achieve much more?

In the long run, too much reliance on such sources of funds does leave
you unable to walk away.

--
Rod

Saga Insurance - flat roof inspection
 

On Sat, 09 Mar 2013 11:36:26 +0000, David.WE.Roberts wrote:

Our insurance with Saga is up for renewal.

This year there is a new endorsement which says that any flat roof must
be inspected at least every 8 years.

Presumably this means that you will need a certificate from a builder or
roofer signed and dated.
Otherwise how do you prove that it was inspected?

While I can see that regular inspection is a good thing (as with all
other aspects of a house) this seems to be yet another item where you
will have to buy a certificate.

I also wonder what liability said builder or roofer would be taking on
when issuing a certificate to say the roof was O.K.

Does anyone currently have to do this, and if so what does it cost?


Just to note that the price Saga quote for landlords' insurance seems
quite competitive.

Perhaps because landlords tend to be more active and involved that elderly
people insuring their own homes.

It would be interesting to know if the hike on premium is cynically based
on the age of the insured and their time with the company.

I might expect that those in their early 50s would be less likely to be
gulled than those in their early 90s.

Cheers

Dave R

Saga Insurance - flat roof inspection
 

On Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:02:32 +0000 Polygonum wrote :
I am pleased that the charity with which I am involved has only minor
commercial links - things like they allow you to use their Amazon
affiliation, a few highly relevant items are available with a small sum
going to them. But the facts are obvious and open. I would prefer none
were necessary.

On the other hand, if they managed to get a serious link of the type
you are talking about, maybe they would achieve much more?

In the long run, too much reliance on such sources of funds does leave
you unable to walk away.

In the late 1990s when what is now Dignity was the UK arm of Service
Corporation International it was the subject of numerous press and
broadcast exposes of its then business [mal]practices. Age Concern's
silence was telling: they weren't going to upset a key funder.

In contrast at the time Mind was refusing to accept funds from drug
companies, not because they were bribes, but because it wanted to be free
to speak its mind about drug treatments and not leave people wondering
whether they had been bought even though they hadn't. Don't know whether
this is still their policy but it's a principled one I admire.

--
Tony Bryer, Greentram: 'Software to build on',
Melbourne, Australia www.greentram.com

Saga Insurance - flat roof inspection
 

On 12/03/2013 10:13, Tony Bryer wrote:
On Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:02:32 +0000 Polygonum wrote :
I am pleased that the charity with which I am involved has only minor
commercial links - things like they allow you to use their Amazon
affiliation, a few highly relevant items are available with a small sum
going to them. But the facts are obvious and open. I would prefer none
were necessary.

On the other hand, if they managed to get a serious link of the type
you are talking about, maybe they would achieve much more?

In the long run, too much reliance on such sources of funds does leave
you unable to walk away.

In the late 1990s when what is now Dignity was the UK arm of Service
Corporation International it was the subject of numerous press and
broadcast exposes of its then business [mal]practices. Age Concern's
silence was telling: they weren't going to upset a key funder.

In contrast at the time Mind was refusing to accept funds from drug
companies, not because they were bribes, but because it wanted to be free
to speak its mind about drug treatments and not leave people wondering
whether they had been bought even though they hadn't. Don't know whether
this is still their policy but it's a principled one I admire.

Since when sales of anti-depressants have, I believe, continued to rise.
With older ones (which everyone now says were not much use as A/Ds) now
heavily recycled for pain relief, etc.

And people with depression *as a symptom of another disorder* continue
to be inappropriately offered A/Ds rather than treatment for the
fundamental disorder.

(Not blaming Mind for this! :-) )

--
Rod

Saga Insurance - flat roof inspection
 

In article ,
Tim Lamb writes:

I was dumbstruck to discover that an apprentice (electrical) had claimed
the cost of a sports jacket, burned by leaning on a hot soldering iron,
from his father's contents insurance!

Reminds me of my first job after university, and I'd not been there
long, so "working in the real world" was still new and intriguing
to me. One of the senior engineers was walking through the computer
room, and one of the 19" rack units was pulled out on its runners,
which he didn't notice, and it ripped the shoulder off his jacket.
He claimed a new jacket on expenses, and it was rejected.

A few weeks later, there was a customer meeting, and both he and I
were there as the technical reps, and lots of senior management on
both sides. He turned up in his ripped jacket, with several layers
of brown parcel tape holding the shoulder together. I couldn't
look at him for fear of breaking out giggling. The company bought
him a new jacket after that. (That was GEC.)

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Saga Insurance - flat roof inspection
 

On 12/03/2013 09:02, polygonum wrote:

On the other hand, if they managed to get a serious link of the type you
are talking about, maybe they would achieve much more?


Many charities seem to spend most of their money on administration.

In the past few years I have been targeted by a couple of charities who
seem to have an endless bucket of money sending me large envelopes
stuffed with begging letters, Christmas cards for me to "buy" etc. The
British Legion Poppy appeal must have spent £100+ attempting to part
some money from me - the result being that it is a charity that I'll
never support again.


--
mailto:news{at}admac(dot}myzen{dot}co{dot}uk

Saga Insurance - flat roof inspection
 

On 12/03/2013 18:03, alan wrote:
On 12/03/2013 09:02, polygonum wrote:

On the other hand, if they managed to get a serious link of the type you
are talking about, maybe they would achieve much more?


Many charities seem to spend most of their money on administration.

In the past few years I have been targeted by a couple of charities who
seem to have an endless bucket of money sending me large envelopes
stuffed with begging letters, Christmas cards for me to "buy" etc. The
British Legion Poppy appeal must have spent £100+ attempting to part
some money from me - the result being that it is a charity that I'll
never support again.


One of the issues that irks me is that the various forms of chugger
around seem to do their damnedest to try to make you feel bad for not
giving them anything. Sorry mate, anything I give goes with suitable
added value from HMRC. And I support the charity with which I have a
very strong affinity - not your one just because you have turned up at
the supermarket/my front door/wherever else.

--
Rod