Broker In Focus

Ford Transit Remains Top Of The Thief Hit List

2011-06-17T02:32:00.000-07:00

The Ford Transit remains at the top of a car thief’s hit list reveals the UK’s police unit dedicated to vehicle crime, the ACPO Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (AVCIS).

Thieves’ Favourites

The workman’s favourite is the most popular vehicle to be stolen in the first quarter of 2011,* illustrating that it’s not just those with high-end vehicles that need to be wary of theft. Not only does a van such as the Ford Transit prove to be valuable in terms of spare parts or as scrap metal, but the lure of potential tools and other contents stored in the back makes it irresistible for thieves.

“Vehicles appearing in the list may surprise motorists,” said Head of AVCIS, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hooper. “Although high-end cars are stolen to order by criminals, those driving more affordable vehicles should not be complacent. Whatever vehicle you drive, security should always be a priority.”

The list has been released as part of Car Crime Awareness Week, which runs 13-19 June 2011, in order to raise general awareness of vehicle crime and remind motorists to be vigilant and security-conscious.

Top ten stolen vehicles in Q1 2011

1) Ford Transit

2) Vauxhall Astra

3) Ford Fiesta

4) Volkswagen Golf
5) Vauxhall Corsa
6) BMW 3 Series
7) Ford Focus
8) Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

9) Ford Mondeo
10) Honda Civic
As part of Car Crime Awareness Week, AVCIS is advising motorists to follow these guidelines to prevent their vehicles from being targeted by criminals:

• Ensure that car keys are not left in sight within your house: thieves often fish keys through letterboxes and open windows
• If you have a garage, store your car there whenever possible

• With the summer months approaching, people often leave doors and windows open: ensure your keys aren’t easily accessible for opportunist thieves, but equally do not hide them and put yourself at risk of harm from a determined thief

• Lock your car whenever you leave it. Even if you are simply unloading the car, make sure that you remove the keys and lock the vehicle. If your car is stolen through these means if often invalidates your insurance
*1 January – 31 March 2011 AVCIS data on file

Almost 9,000 vehicles across the UK were stolen in just 36 days at the beginning of 2011, reports the Association of Chief Police Officers Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service (AVCIS).

The statistics have been revealed ahead of AVCIS’ Car Crime Awareness Week, which takes place on 13-19 June 2011. The initiative aims to raise the public’s awareness of vehicle crime methods in order to drive down offences.

This new data illustrates that 50 per cent of thefts were made when a vehicle was left at the owner’s home address or close by, including 17.6 per cent through the burglary of properties to obtain car keys.

A third were stolen when vehicles were away from the home and four per cent of crimes during the 36 day sample were made by opportunist thieves, where keys were left in or within easy reach of the vehicle. Shockingly, this would mean that annually 3,400 thefts could be easily prevented through heightened awareness.

“These figures demonstrate that vehicle crime continues to be an issue across the UK,” said Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hooper, Head of AVCIS. “Criminals will use a variety of means to steal cars, from towing them away or simply driving them off when owners leave the keys in the ignition to burgling houses and sophisticated attacks on manufacturers’ security systems.

“Our aim is to increase general awareness, including encouraging motorists to take simple precautions and advise manufacturers of criminals’ methods so they can continue to help drive down vehicle crime.

In the lead up and during Car Crime Awareness Week AVCIS will release information on the current state of vehicle crime relating to freight vehicles, agricultural equipment, caravans and motorhomes, as well as to the general motorist.

For more information on vehicle crime and AVCIS visit http://www.avcis.police.uk/ or the Car Crime Awareness Week Facebook page www.facebook.com/CarCrimeAwarenessWeek .

UK lost or stolen vehicles 1 January 2011 – 5 February 2011
(36 day sample*)

Number & Method of theft

• 2,916 (33%) Home address or vicinity where the owner claims to have the keys
• 2,824 (32%) Unattended away from the home where the owner claims to have the keys

• 1,555 (17.6%) Car key burglary

• 1,037 (11.7%) Unrecorded details/unconfirmed loss/vehicle not stolen

• 342 (3.9%) Unattended with keys

• 98 (1.1%) Direct robbery of vehicle

• 54 (0.6%) Acquired by fraud
*Statistics have been generated from the Police National Computer using keywords. Additional offences may have occurred and are not identified within this report.

TO OUR EXISTING PARTNERS . . . . PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO YOUR STAFF – IT WILL HELP WITH PROMOTING FURTHER SALES OF THEFT PROTECT ®

TO OUR FUTURE PARTNERS . . . . IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO OFFER OUR THEFT PROTECT ®, GUARANTEED COURTESY VEHICLE OR XS PROTECT RANGE TO YOUR CUSTOMERS, OUR CONTACT DETAILS ARE BELOW.
Kind regards

Steve

P.S It is now even easier to process Theft Protect, Guaranteed Courtesy Vehicle & XS Protect sales, via our automated CSV update facility, eliminating the need for accessing external sites, thereby saving your valuable staff time.

Are you blacklisted? We reveal the addresses insurers won’t touch and the disturbing reasons why...

2011-05-04T03:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383317/Insurance-blacklists-The-addresses-insurers-wont-touch-disturbing-reasons-why.html?ITO=1490

Birmingham generates one in 10 fraudulent claims

Honest motorists face soaring premiums as a ‘fraud epidemic’ sweeping the country causes insurers to blacklist certain postcodes in secret.

Motorists have seen a record 40 per cent hike in premiums over the past year, with the average annual comprehensive policy forecast to break the £1,000 barrier within 12 months.

Insurers say a major reason for this increase is fraudulent claims that are estimated to cost £2.7billion a year, adding £44 to the annual premium of honest motorists

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383317/Insurance-blacklists-The-addresses-insurers-wont-touch-disturbing-reasons-why.html#ixzz1LNaSH8zU

Confidential documents from a leading fraud specialist shown to Money Mail pinpoint areas across the country where insurers are putting premiums up even further because of high concentrations of fraudulent claims. And brokers say some insurance firms are refusing to cover motorists at all in certain areas.

Common frauds include staged accidents, often perpetrated by criminal gangs who deliberately cause innocent motorists to crash into them. Last week, three more people were jailed for a £5.3 million ‘cash-for-crash’ scam at Luton Crown Court.

Other examples include bogus injury claims — whiplash being the most common — and fronting, where parents cut costs by claiming they are the main driver on an insurance policy for their child’s car.

Each year, Keoghs — a law firm specialising in investigating suspicious claims on behalf of insurance companies — publishes the worst areas for fraud. But it also provides insurers with secret information on the worst postcodes. This list, which is not made public, has been obtained by Money Mail.

The top ten areas for suspicious claims are parts of Birmingham, Liverpool, Bradford, East London, Manchester, North London, Bolton, Blackburn, Southall and Oldham. These towns and cities account for more than four in ten suspicious claims.

The worst ‘blackspot’ is Birmingham — generating almost one in ten suspicious claims. This compares with fewer than one in a hundred in West London. But the analysis given to insurers also shows huge variations within towns and cities.

The postcode B8 — east of Digbeth in Birmingham — generated almost 13 per cent of suspicious claims in the city. Meanwhile, just over 1 per cent came from B15 in Edgbaston, according to 2010 analysis.

Areas that have seen the biggest growth in suspicious claims this year include Newcastle, Peterborough, Preston and Chester — all now rated as ‘fraud blackspots’.

James Heath, head of counter fraud strategy at Keoghs, said: ‘We are now seeing what can reasonably be described as a fraud epidemic across the UK.

'It is clear from these results that fraud is no longer restricted to the country’s most heavily built-up areas.’

The result is that even law-abiding drivers without a claim to their name who live in these areas can struggle to find affordable insurance. One insurance broker, based in London, told Money Mail about several quotes he had recently secured on behalf of customers where most insurers had refused to provide cover because of the area in which they lived.

One 58-year-old male driver living in Wood Green, North London — N22 — saw his premiums double from £727 to £1,598 when his policy came up for renewal this year.

Zurich, Ageas, Axa, Provident and Royal & Sun Alliance all refused even to provide a quote, labelling it an ‘unacceptable’ area. A customer living in E4 — Chingford, East London — had a similar problem.

The broker said: ‘There is no doubt some postcodes are blacklisted by most insurance companies because these areas are deemed to be too high risk.’ Other insurance brokers report a similar story.

Ian Crowder, from the AA, said: ‘It’s a bit of a postcode lottery. Certainly some areas are in danger of being blacklisted by certain insurance companies because they are seen to pose such a high risk.’

Graeme Trudgill, head of corporate affairs at trade body the British Insurance Brokers’ Association, said: ‘As with flooding, there are certain areas that insurers are just not keen on. We’ve heard of rates in some parts of Birmingham tripling.’

The insurance industry — spearheaded by its trade body the Association of British Insurers — says it is doing everything it can to crack down on fraud. In 2006, it set up the Insurance Fraud Bureau to detect fraud and expose criminal gangs. It pools the information of insurance companies and is helping police on 27 police investigations.

Glenn Marr, director of the IFB, said: ‘This fraud has an impact on the cost of insurance for genuine customers and the industry is committed to rooting out and bringing to justice those criminals who target insurers.’

An Axa spokesman said: ‘For areas where there is a high risk, we do refuse cover and we use historical claims information to help us determine these areas.

‘Our experience shows us that certain areas give rise to exceptionally poor claims, but these are not exclusively driven by fraud.

‘Axa employs a number of fraud prevention initiatives to ensure we are preventing certain individuals from getting cover rather than penalising large groups.’

See how your postcode affects your car and home insurance at www.thisismoney.co.uk/postcode

'My premium rose £300'

Stuart Lea saw his annual motor insurance premium with Direct Line jump from £800 to £1,100 when it came up for renewal this year.

Mr Lea, 33, from Birkenhead, near Liverpool, says he was baffled because he has an impeccable driving record and has built up 15 years of no claims.

‘Every year my premiums go up,’ he says. ‘It’s disgusting that honest drivers have to foot the bill for fraudsters.’

Mr Lea shopped around for a better deal using comparison website Moneysupermarket, securing an annual policy for £670 from Admiral.

Andy Goldby, from Direct Line, says: ‘We have witnessed an increase in both the number of claims and their severity in Mr Lea’s postcode, in particular relating to whiplash claims.’

Insurance Times - Independent broker blog: High time for a hike

2011-03-25T19:09:00.001-07:00

Insurance Times - Independent broker blog: High time for a hike

Excellent article by one of our most esteemed brokers, Peter Smits MD of Ashbourne Insurance Brokers, who celebrated 30 years in business this week. CONGRATULATIONS GUYS!!

By Peter Smits

The government's investigation of the rising costs of motor insurance smacks of opportunism – it would be better off looking at the aggressive pricing of larger direct writers

So that’s it then. Underwriters can no longer use “gender” as a rating factor following an EU ruling. Where will it all end up?

Hot on the heels of the “gender” announcement, the UK government was quick to point out that insurance would remain exempt from age discrimination rulings. I wonder how long it will be before the EU decides to over-rule this too?

What next, a ban on postcode ratings? One standard vehicle rate? No discrimination against those with accidents claims or convictions? I suppose it would save insurers actuary costs – every cloud has a silver lining!

Remember the banking crisis?

This news has coincided with the current press frenzy concerning the rising costs of motor insurance, particularly for younger drivers, and the report published by the transport select committee on claims referral fees.

At the risk of sounding cynical, I would suggest to the government that it would be better placed to investigate insurance premiums at a time when they are too low rather than too high and that, while costs to insurers have undoubtedly increased due to the claim and compensation culture, a contributory factor is also getting the wrong risk at the wrong price!

I’m no financial whizz kid but even I know that you can’t carry on selling £1 for 80p forever without it effecting the bottom line.

Perhaps I just don’t understand the pricing model of these larger direct writers. They are currently very aggressive with their pricing and, as I said in this column a few months ago, the biggest threat to our motor book during 2011.

We’ve seen quotes form them that are 50% or even 75% cheaper than the market rate and offers of 25% “cash back”! Why isn’t the government investigating this? If memory serves, the results of the banks' efforts to “stack it high, sell it cheap” were none to clever either!

Not always price, price, price

I understand the need for additional revenue streams – insurance companies can no longer rely on investments propping up underwriting losses and brokers cannot live on the insurance commission alone. I don’t mind if we can't offer “cheap” insurance. I happen to think that we are worth that little bit extra, even if some clients do like to debate this very fact when phoning to discuss renewal terms at 10 o’clock on a Sunday evening!

Clearly we can't have one rate for motor insurance in the UK, but sensible pricing for all would go some way to reducing the hard-soft cycle that the actuaries tend to roll out annually at various insurance conferences.

A healthy insurance market needs multiple forms of distribution, and I believe that there is enough out there to “feed” everyone. Those that buy online are not interested in what the broker has to offer – it's price, price, price. However, there are those that want the reassurance of talking through their needs with a trained professional. What we must do is educate the insurance-buying public that not all insurance policies and associated services are the same.

Following the EU gender ruling, we were inundated with calls from both female policy-holders worried about price hikes and young male drivers, assuming a level playing field would entitle them to a discount. With the same amount of publicity, uninsured drivers and claim referral fees never even generate so much as a text!

Low motives

Let's face it, we all like the higher premiums and everyone connected with motor insurance has been saying that prices need to increase for as long as I can remember. Now that we’ve got movement in the right direction, albeit perhaps a little too high in some instances, the government sees an opportunity to win support among the masses and cries “foul”.

On the subject of misguided and mistimed intervention, while sitting at home on my sofa watching TV on a Sunday night debating the value of my service with my client over the phone, at least I feel secure that my FSCS fees are being put to good use when I see my screen fill with an advertisement encouraging consumers to claim compensation!

Peter Smits is managing director of Ashbourne Insurance.

BRITAINS CAR CRIME HOTSPOTS

2011-02-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

To see the Car Crime Hotspots report, CLICK HERE.

NEW BROKER GROUP ON LINKED IN

2010-12-29T14:18:00.000-08:00

Nice 1 have launched a private discussion and business networking group FOR INSURANCE BROKERS on Linked In.

Welcome to Broker Link, a place where invited UK Insurance Brokers, Intermediaries and selected providers can share information, opportunities and news about insurance broking in general.

Over the coming weeks we will send out invitations to selected UK insurance brokers and providers to get the ball rolling. Thereafter, it is intended that the brokers and providers should drive the group, exchanging opportunities, contacts, product and industry news and shared success stories.

The success of the group is up to you. If you need information about new products, feel free to start a discussion. If there are operational issues you want to discuss, feel free to post them on here to check out what your colleagues in the industry know and have exeprienced. You never know, the answer to your question may be minutes away.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Steve
Broker Link - Nice 1 Ltd

Operation Yankee - Jail Time For Car Crime Gang

2010-12-22T06:32:00.000-08:00

Operation Yankee - Jail Time For Car Crime Gang

£3.4 million worth of cars stolen and recovered in Q2 | Easier

2010-11-16T22:47:00.000-08:00

£3.4 million worth of cars stolen and recovered in Q2 Easier

Midlands tops stolen used car league

2010-09-10T03:01:00.000-07:00

Midlands tops stolen used car league

EXCITING NEW PRODUCTS FOR UK INSURANCE BROKERS

2010-05-07T04:40:00.000-07:00

Nice 1 Ltd, the providers of the popular Theft Protect policy, are delighted to announce that we have secured some really exciting new and innovative products that I think might be of interest to UK Insurance brokers.

We have attached our product brochure to this link, that provides a brief outline of 18 new products for brokers. Please feel free to download the brochure, have a look at the innovative products and contact us if any of them would be of interest to your customers. The brochure can also be obtained by clicking the link in the side bar to your right.

Here is a brief resume of the product range we can now offer:-

• Lifestyle Protect - Income and Payment Protection Insurance – Accident, sickness, unemployment & life cover – standalone income replacement product.
• Cash Protect - Single & monthly premium designed to cover monthly bills such as mobile phones, car insurance, gym membership.
• Excess Protect – A must for brokers requiring competitive rates. Designed to ensure customers are not left financially disadvantaged should they be unfortunate enough to have to pay an excess on one of a range of policies.
- Motor Excess Protect : Cars, motorbikes, owner/user taxis, driving instructors and motor homes, cover levels £300, £500 & £1000 excesses.
- Commercial Vehicle Excess Protect : Covers vehicles up to 3.5tonne and fleets up to 30 vehicles
- Tradesman Liability Excess Protect : Refunds excess under Tradesman Liability insurance policy.
- Home Excess Protect : Refunds excess after a claim under buildings & contents policies. Cover levels from £50 to £2500 per year. A perfect “add-on” for your home insurance customer.
• Lifestyle XS Protect – Covering any excess on motor/buildings & contents/travel/pet & medical … really good for brokers that hold more than one policy per customer, with cover options from £250 to £2000 per year.
• Multi Appliance Protect – Covers white & brown appliances for repair or replacement with no depreciation.
• Gadget Protect – Gross rated, excellent monthly and annual rates with 20% commission for the broker. Worldwide accidental damage, extended warranty & theft cover for mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players, Ipods, MP4 players, portable sat navs, cameras & games consoles. 3 & 5 item cover, monthly and annual rates.
• Home Emergency Protect – A range of home emergency cover for the cost of a tradesman to attend in the event of an emergency. Includes labour and cost of materials. Options include increasing levels of cover from £150 to £750 per call out and can be taken with or without an extension for central heating systems.
• Garden Protect – A stand alone policy providing £1500 or £2500 cover per year against theft or damage to the customers’ garden.
• Briefcase & Handbag Protect – Cover and assistance when a briefcase or handbag is lost or stolen, including contents & a wide range of support services included.
• Concierge Protect – Access to a personal assistant with countless uses – see the brochure for more information.
• Vet Protect – A uniquely simplified approach to pet insurance stripping out the non essentials, proving cover for vets fees only. No postcode rating or loading for breed of animal, with simplified age rating – under 5 and over 5 years old.
• Premium Waiver Protect - Protecting the customers’ monthly motor or buildings and contents insurance premiums. Can be sold as an option or included on a mandatory basis, providing up to 12 benefit payments of up to £250 per month should the customer be unable to work due to accident, sickness or unemployment. No exclusions making for a speedier sales process.
• Car Protect – Includes : car warranty, Gap & Multi Gap, Key Cover, Tyre Insurance, MOT Cover, Roadside assistance.
• Licence Protect – Providing benefits covering alternative travel costs if prevented from driving as a result of disqualification following the accumulation of 12 or more penalty points, disqualification for single offence speeding. Monthly benefits from £500 to £2000. Excludes drivers under 25, drivers with more than 8 points on licence, drivers who have held licence for less than 2 years, drivers convicted of alcohol or drug abuse offences.
• Mis-Fuel Protect – underwritten and supported by the AA’s fuel assist specialist service to drain, flush and replenish vehicle fuel systems on the spot after misfuelling.
• Scratch, Dent & Alloy Protect – Protection against day to day damage of vehicle bodywork and alloy wheels. Cover per claim between £250 & £1000 with aggregate limits between £500 & £3000. Particularly popular with customers acquiring a new vehicle.
• Total Loss Protect – Exciting this one… pays 25% of motor insurers settlement on top of that received from insurer, really cheap excellent benefits, no restrictions.
• Theft Protect – The pride of our stable. Theft protect provides a like for like replacement vehicle for up to 28 days in the event of a Theft or Write off incident. For brokers wishing to offer the service on a mandatory basis to all customers, we now have a guaranteed courtesy vehicle product providing a replacement in any eventuality where a courtesy car policy fails. Ask for details.

To see the product brochure now, click here

http://www.theftprotect.co.uk/library/brokers/Nice%201%20Product%20Pack%20May%202010.pdf

It may be useful to arrange a meeting to run through which of the products you think might work well for your business. Alternatively, feel free to contact us to discuss these exciting new products.
Nice 1 Limited – Providers of Theft Protect

e mail : enquiries@nice-1.co.uk

UK BROKERS WELCOME THEFT PROTECT

2010-01-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

Click the image to view full screen

In an increasingly competetive motor insurance marketplace, insurance professionals are welcoming Theft Protect, a simple online scheme that provides a like for like replacement vehicle to your customer for up to 28 days, in the event of a theft or write off incident.

Theft Protect is an excellent complimentary add on product for your insurance sales and with motor insurance expected to experience further challenge over the coming months, intermediaries are recognising the importance of maximising the opportunities of each customer, and of added value products the customer actually wants to buy.

With over a million vehicle related thefts and many thousands of vehicles written off every year, there has never been a better time to add Theft Protect to your product portfolio.

Every day we witness the relief and pleasure experiences by Theft Protect customers assisted by the service. To read a few of their experiences click here.

Theft Protect isn't just about providing replacement vehicles for customers in need. For brokers and consumers alike, we provide current information about all aspects of crime in the UK. Naturally, we are particularly keen to provide regular bulletins about car theft hotspots, the most vulnerable vehicles and vehicle security advice from the experts. Our exclusive contacts with the 43 police forces of England and Wales provides us with first hand knowledge of the current and growing "modus operandi" - or means by which criminals steal vehicles. The most popular growing trend by far is Car Key Burglary, where the offender will break into houses solely to steal car keys. We have conducted extensive research and produced a number of revealing reports on the subject. Click here to see a sample article.

IGNORE GOVERNMENT HYPE - WE HAVE THE FACTS!

CAR CRIME IS ON THE INCREASE - CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE . . . .

For more information about how Theft Protect can help your business . . . .

Telephone : 0844 414 2286
E Mail : steve.bennett@nice-1.co.uk
Website : http://www.theftprotect.co.uk/
Twitter : http://twitter.com/niceoneuk
LinkedIn : http://linkedin.com/in/theftprotect

Looking forward to speaking to you soon.

Steve Bennett

Nice 1 Limited
Providers of Theft Protect

URGENT INFORMATION FOR UK INSURANCE BROKERS - DONT LOSE YOUR THEFT PROTECT FACILITY

2010-01-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

HSBC Platform 24 to be replaced on 31st January 2010

Brokers who are users of the HSBC Platform 24 product portal will be aware that the facility is due to be replaced with "IM Online" on 31st January 2010.

The HSBC technical support staff will be working on the new site over the coming weeks and this will involve some product providers dealing directly with the broker to ensure serve levels are not interrupted.

Theft Protect is available to all brokers directly via our website http://www.theftprotect.co.uk/

All of the functionality of Theft Protect on Platform 24 is mirrored on the back office of our own site (as our site captures the data and delivers all of the documentation, management reporting and billing), so brokers are guaranteed seamless use of the facility.

DISGUISED BY FUDGED CRIME FIGURES

CAR CRIME IS ON THE INCREASE!

As we are discovering, with the surge of brokers contacting us to access Theft Protect for their customers, there has never been a better time to ensure your customer is covered in the event of a theft or write off incident.

EXISTING BROKERS

For the convenience of brokers already selling Theft Protect, we have set each of your businesses up to immediately transfer over to our own portal, with passwords and all of your gross and net rates pre set into the system. We will e mail each brokers seperately to advise passwords.

NEW BROKERS

The process for selling Theft Protect immediately is simple.

Log onto http://www.theftprotect.co.uk/
Front end is for consumer awareness only
For back office administration ....
Click Agent Login
Complete the registration page
Create a username and password
Click the online Terms of Business
Explore the functionality
View the default net rates
Edit the Gross rates to set your desired commission levels
Remember to set the Gross rate for "Fault Write Off" as this is an additional income opportunity
When adding a customer and selecting the required replacement vehicle and hire period, the system will auto populate the certificate from the tables you have edited.
5% IPT will automatically be added to the gross producing a customer total price
Having completed the customer detail and selected the vehicle choice, click submit
A checklist will appear. If you are happy, click view certifcate.
The customer certificate and key facts will print automatically together

The system was designed with broker assistance and kept simple and fast for your convenience.

CUSTOMER BENEFITS

Immediate like-for like replacement vehicle for up to 28 days
Theft , Attempt Theft, Unauthorised Take, Vandalism & “Fault Write Off” cover
10 passenger car (2 prestige), 3 cv, 3 motorcycle & 7 Private hire vehicle groups
Avoid exposure to car hire costs, typically £300 for 14 days hire of a Group A vehicle
Can be purchased in 1,2,3,4 or 5 year multiples
Stand alone, not tied to buying other products (Now generating significant interest for aggregator brokers)

To see the full customer AND broker benefits click here

Brokers share their success stories and strategies with us. To see a few of these click here and for top tips click here

Every day we witness the relief and pleasure experiences by Theft Protect customers assisted by the service. To read a few of their experiences click here

ADDED VALUE

Theft Protect isn't just about providing replacement vehicles for customers in need. For brokers and consumers alike, we provide current information about all aspects of crime in the UK. Naturally, we are particularly keen to provide regular bulletins about car theft hotspots, the most vulnerable vehicles and vehicle security advice from the experts. Our exclusive contacts with the 43 police forces of England and Wales provides us with first hand knowledge of the current and growing "modus operandi" - or means by which criminals steal vehicles. The most popular browing trend by far is Car Key Burglary, where the offender will break into houses solely to steal car keys. We have conducted extensive research and produced a number of revealing reports on the subject. Click here to see a sample article.

IGNORE GOVERNMENT HYPE - WE HAVE THE FACTS! - CAR CRIME IS ON THE INCREASE

A useful free online toll is provided to check the secutiry level of vehicles. Click here to see it.

For brokers, we are happy to provide a bespoke reporting service that provides current crime information by post code to assist with your marketing efforts. Brokers report that this greatly assists their customer targetting.

You may also wish to visit our sister sites :-

http://theftprotect.blogspot.com/ where we keep consumers appraised of car crime news in their area,
http://carcrimeuk.blogspot.com/ where we provide statistical analysis of car crime, both geographically and by vehicle types.
http://thinbluelineuk.blogspot.com/ where we have strong links with police sites throughout the UK.

BROKER SUPPORT

We like to share useful experiences and business benefits that we discover with our business partners.

Here are a few for you :-

Accelerate your business success with Linked In Over 100 broker contacts have joined us on Linked In, the professional business networking site that actually works. Entirely free, it's a must for anyone serious about growing their business.
A thorough grasp of the internet is an essential pre requisite for brokers. We share some of our search engine optimization experience with you. Click here to view the article.
E Mail is rapidly becoming a successful means of maintaining contact with customers. We are pleased to introduce you to Chili Shot, an experienced team with excellent software to assist you with your customer management campaigns. Click here to learn more.
We love blogs! As you can see from these pages, blogging tools have greatly assisted us to grow our business and stay in touch with our cusromers and contacts. We are happy to help you get started with a few tips and pointers. Click here to find out more.
At the foot of this page, you will find free short tutorial videos on Linked In and successful business Twittering.

CONTACT INFORMATION

So, if you are new to Theft Protect and would like some assistance setting up your online facility, have some questions you'd like to ask, feel free to ring us on the telephone number provided below, or e mail us at enquiries@nice-1.co.uk (Nice 1 Ltd administer and deliver the Theft Protect product).

If you are already selling Theft Protect and need some help moving over to our site from Platform 24, please do not hesitate to call us on :-

0844 414 2286

Looking forward to working with you!

From the Team at Nice 1 Limited

Providers of Theft Protect

Telephone : 0844 414 2286

E mail : enquiries@nice-1.co.uk

Web : http://www.theftprotect.co.uk/

Twitter : http://twitter.com/niceoneuk

LinkedIn : http://www.linkedin.com/in/theftprotect

Write : Nice 1 Ltd, Nice 1 House, Broad Lanes, Bilston, West Midlands WV14 0RQ

Nice 1 Ltd are Authorised & Regulated By The Financial Services Authority.

Comparison websites aren't keeping us satisfied - Which? News

2009-11-18T04:43:00.000-08:00

Comparison websites aren't keeping us satisfied - Which? News

A Minute For Madelaine McCann

2009-11-04T14:32:00.000-08:00

We would call upon every visitor to these pages to click the link below to Inspector Gadgets' site to see the post he has entered -

http://inspectorgadget.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/4258/

On the site you will see a short video about Madelaine. There are some interesting comments below that post. One of which has a lists some very good points. There is a lot of unanswered questions about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann and we sincerely hope that someday the world will know the full truth of the matter and pray for her safe return to her parents.

Crime Analysis Team
Nice 1 Limited

Car Crime UK - Going Up Not Down?

2009-10-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

ANALYSIS of official crime figures has led one industry expert to question the Government’s statistics.

Carl Brandrick, MD of Nice 1 Ltd, has been looking at the just published British Crime Survey figures, and comparing it to official Police Recorded Crime. He’s discovered big disparities – with a huge relevance to to the owners of the 30million+ licensed vehicles on UK roads.

British Crime Survey figures, he says, show there were 10.6 million crimes last year. Police data, however, puts this figure at 4.7 million. Why the huge difference? Simple: Police data shows recorded crime only.

‘When you consider that only 65 percent of house burglaries are reported (and, thus, recorded) – and just 45 percent of car crime is reported, you can see how concerned I am.’

"Indeed, the difference, he suggests, runs contrary to headlines claiming crime is going down. And there’s even more to it than just that", says the replacement vehicle insurance company boss.

A big car crime growth area is the theft of keys from houses. Which is reported by the Police as… house burglary…… and thus NOT included in car crime stats.

The former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith released the number of car key thefts in 2008. There were a hefty 18,600 of them. ‘When these numbers are factored into the car theft figures, it reverses the headline-grabbing -14 percent decrease in car theft, to -2 percent’ reveals Brandrick.

Looking at other factors too, it’s led him to state that ‘it is almost certain we are talking about a car crime increase, not a decrease.’

To read the full article click here

Comments are welcome.

The Crime Analysis Team

Nice 1 Limited

PETITION TO BRING THE MURDERER OF WPC FLETCHER TO JUSTICE

2009-10-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

WPC Yvonne Fletcher was shot and killed outside the libyans people bureau in 1984. Her killer was released from the bureau and returned to Libya a few days later. In view of the compassion shown by the UK to the lockerbie bomber, her killer should be returned to the UK to face justice.

A petition has been raised on the site http://www.number10.gov.uk/

To support this petition click http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/YvonneFletcher/

Crime Analysis Team

Nice 1 Limited

Cash For Crash Fraudster staged almost 100 car crashes and cost insurers £1.6m

2009-10-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

• Mohammed Patel charged £500 a time to stage 'accidents'

• Office workers noticed high number of crashes at roundabout

A "crash for cash" fraudster who lived the high life on the proceeds of staged accidents and cost the insurance industry £1.6m was jailed today.

Mohammed Patel, 24, charged £500 a time to stage accidents which enabled fraudsters to claim an average of £17,000 from insurers. He staged at least 93 crashes, earning himself around £46,000, Manchester's Minshull Street crown court heard.

Patel, of Bolton, Greater Manchester, admitted one count of conspiracy to defraud, six counts of dangerous driving and four counts of driving while disqualified. He was jailed for four and a half years and banned from driving for three and a half years.

William Baker, prosecuting, said Patel's earnings funded an "Aladdin's cave" at the home of his unemployed girlfriend, Ettorina Hay. The court heard the pair enjoyed luxurious foreign holidays and drove expensive cars.

Baker said the scam was exposed by suspicious office workers at Bovis Homes, who overlooked the Eden Point roundabout on the A34 at Cheadle Hulme. He said that in the latter part of 2005 "they became suspicious that road traffic accidents were being staged" because of the number and similarities of crashes.

Baker, describing the set-up, said: "One vehicle colliding with another at low speed with minor damage and often the same person driving the lead vehicle. They told drivers of the rear vehicles they thought they were the victim of fraud."

Baker said: "Mohammed Patel staged the road traffic accidents. He drove cars on to the roundabout and then stopped them so abruptly the vehicle behind could not avoid a collision.

Fraudulent claims, submitted by people not present at the scene whom Patel purported to be, were then made. Claims would include compensation for injuries such as whiplash, damage to the vehicle, a hire car, and storage of the damaged vehicle.

Baker said Patel staged the accidents between May 2005 and August 2008. Patel was arrested in Bolton on 7 August last year and gave a prepared statement to police. He pleaded guilty to the charges.

Crime Analysis Team
Nice 1 Limited

CRIME MAPPING - IS POLICE RECORDED CRIME A TRUE MEASURE?

2009-10-21T05:11:00.000-07:00

Click on the map or the link in the sidebar

An interactive map offering detailed crime statistics on every street in England and Wales crashed hours after its launch yesterday.

Those attempting to visit the site, http://maps.police.uk/ were shown an automated message saying it was temporarily unavailable.

The teething problems surfaced as Home Office minister David Hanson officially unveiled the website during a visit to a regeneration project in south west London. He was joined by National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) deputy chief executive Steve Mortimore, whose colleagues drew up the map.

The website aims to offer members of the public unprecedented access to information about crimes taking place in their neighbourhood. The national map follows on the heels of regional versions created by the 43 forces across England and Wales.

Users should be able to access figures on levels of burglary, robbery, violence, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. They can also compare one area against another and compare figures against the same period the previous year to see if crime is getting better or worse. The website also offers messages from senior officers and links to local policing priorities and information about forthcoming crime-fighting events.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The high level of public interest in the new national crime map has put temporary pressure on the website. Urgent work is under way to resolve this and the website should be working again shortly."

The launch of the “Crime Mapping” facility, http://maps.police.uk/ unites the crime statistics of the 43 police forces of England & Wales under one software banner for the first time.

This is long overdue. Earlier in the week an article posted on http://thinblulineuk.blogspot.com/ complained that the Home Office were allowing 8 forces responsible for 40% of the population and 48% of crime to use their own software. Cynical perhaps, but we suspected that this was yet another Home Office strategy to prevent the general public from accessing the full picture of current recorded crime, and also continuing the “fudging” of figures.

After the shaky start when the facility kept freezing up, it started to work more efficiently this evening. We have attached a composite report of the 43 forces current recorded crime for Burglary, Car Crime, Robbery and All recorded crime. On completion, we are not one bit convinced that the police recording of crime is now an accurate reflection of crime in the UK.

A few observations.

• The “All Crime” monthly average for the most recent three months is 357,365 incidents
• On that basis, the full year forecast will be 4,288,380 crimes
• In 2008 the recorded crime incident was 4,703,814 (-415,434)
• Will we be expected to believe a crime reduction of 13.4% ??
• This is more than a months full crime reporting for the nation!

Click on table below to see larger image

• In 2008 as in previous years, the BCS estimates of crime were over twice that of recorded crime
• Front line officers tell us that if anything, the volume of crime is increasing NOT decreasing
• Crimes are often misclassified… robbery downgraded to theft, car theft included in burglary when keys are stolen on egress
• How many crimes are not now reported as such, if the victim does not insist? (Citizen focus?)
• Has public confidence sunk so low that they have simply lost all faith in reporting?
• The BCS last year suggested that reporting had dropped as low as 33% for some offences, to 38% overall

To quote from the Home Office BCS : “For the crime types it covers, the BCS provides a better reflection of the true extent of household and personal crime than police recorded statistics because the survey includes crimes that are not reported to or recorded by the police. The primary purpose of the BCS is to provide national level analysis but some headline figures are available at regional and police force area level. The BCS is also a better indicator of long-term trends than police recorded crime because it is unaffected by changes in levels of reporting to the police or police recording practices”.

• This implies that the Government will place importance on police recorded crime only when it suits them. i.e. If recorded crime shows a decrease, with all the measures introduced to achieve that.
• The table below shows a steady decline in reporting of overall crime in the last 12 years, coincidentally the years of New Labour.
• Does this explain the “gap” of crimes that seem to have appeared in the reduction of reported crime?
• With so many new offences created, we are advised that it is simple to reallocate a reported offence to a lesser category.
• Section 5 Public Order Offences (crimeable) are now commonly demoted to drunk and disorderly (no crime report)
• Of those interviewed by BCS, 76% said they did not report because they felt the police would not/could not do anything

Click on table below to see larger image

• Is that what the Criminal Justice System has come to, that the public won’t report because they have lost heart?
• Could this be a major contributory factor to the decrease in recorded crime?
• Has the massive surge in bureaucracy resulted in the massive misreporting of crime?
• How timely that the Government have pushed through the alignment of 43 forces data for current crime
• Are they planning yet another media spin about how crime has been dramatically decreased thanks to their effort?
• The recorded crime shows reductions of 5% burglary, 18% car crime, 7% for robbery and overall crime
• The target, performance and senior officer bonus culture will continue to “fudge” until stopped.
• We are guessing that a Home Office release will be imminent.

We wish we could accompany all of this skepticism with a dose of solutions, but unfortunately, we cannot yet see an answer. Clearly, the crime recording system is flawed and unreliable as a measure of crime. Detections are similarly distorted it would seem. It will be a courageous team that arrives at an acceptable solution that will encourage confidence to return, in the face of a Government and senior management teams that will apply many more dirty tricks to keep their noses buried in that trough. The BCS is only based on a trawl of 46,000 members of the public which hardly seems representative.

We would advocate and support the proposal to make crime statistics properly independent. This would remove responsibility for compiling and publishing crime figures from the Home Office. The responsibility should be placed with the Office for National Statistics which is totally independent. The pre-release access that Ministers and political advisers get to crime statistics should be abolished – so the public would be the first to get an honest account of the facts. Any politician can talk about resuscitating public trust.

The party that demonstrates their intentions and follows it up with decisive transparent and honest action that is genuinely in the public interest, will have the best chance of achieving it.

Crime Analysis Team
Nice 1 Limited

Car stolen in man's final hours

2009-09-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

A cancer patient had his car stolen from his Birmingham home while his family members were at his side during his final few hours, police said.

Thieves entered Scott Wright's home and took the car keys and his mother's handbag as the family gathered at his bedside on Wednesday night.

Mr Wright, 26, of Holliday Road, in Erdington, died the next morning.
To read the full story click here

POLICE AND CRIME IN THE UK

2009-09-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

The team at Nice 1 Ltd, providers of Theft Protect replacement vehicle solutions, are delighted to announce the blistering launch of their new site "The Thin Blue Line", whose aim is to support the front line police officers of the UK. To visit the new site click here

The site collects valuable experiences about real life crime and policing issues, and combines them with the crime analysis efforts of our sister site "Car Crime UK" to raise consumer awareness about the true picture of crime.

To see a few of the new articles posted on The Thin Blue Line click the link(s) below :-

Crime Statistics Hide The Truth - click here
Focus report on police resources - click here
Recent articles by police from the frontline - click here
Police strength disputed - click here

Please feel free to visit the sites and share your thoughts about crime and policing.

Kind Regards

The Crime Analysis Team
Nice 1 Ltd

NICE 1! - Theft Protect Comes To Aid Of Expectant Midlands Mum

2009-08-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Check out this article on our sister site by clicking here

"CASH FOR CRASH" - TOP 20 HOTSPOTS

2009-08-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

See the latest article on Cash For Crash in the UK. Visit our sister site by clicking here

NICE 1 PRESS RELEASE VIA PR LOG

2009-08-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

To view press release click here :-

http://www.prlog.org/10311862-car-crime-uk-going-up-not-down.html

Car Crime UK - Going Up Not Down?

2009-08-16T22:04:00.001-07:00

Car Crime UK - Going Up Not Down?

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Nice 1! - A USEFUL FREE RESOURCE TOOL FOR BROKERS

2009-08-12T03:46:00.000-07:00

FREE ONLINE CAR SECURITY CHECK

The team at Nice 1, providers of Theft Protect Replacement Vehicle Insurance, are delighted to provide access to a great new resource for UK motorists that is totally FREE.

Type a postcode and registration number into this free online tool, confirm the vehicle make and model, and you are then presented with a security rating for that car and the location it is kept.

This solves the age old mystery for UK motorists – how to get free access to information about how safe from crime their vehicle is, or how safe the vehicle they are planning to buy is, according to the area where it’s parked in and the type of vehicle it is.

This unique tool also provides the ABI security ranking, and explains how that system rates male and female drivers according to age. Few people know that a female under 24 or a male under 30 will get discounts for driving vehicles between one and 20 ABI groups. Insurance will go up rapidly after ABI 20, and most insurers will decline above ABI 33. Females over 24 will get discounts for driving vehicles between one and 33 ABI and insurance will go up rapidly after ABI 33. Males over 30 will get discounts for driving vehicles between one and 33 ABI and insurance will go up rapidly after 33.

The security rating is an estimate based on government and industry vehicle crime data. The data is combined to take account of where the vehicle is kept overnight, the vehicle's theft desirability and manufactured security. Scores range from 'excellent' - nine stars or more - to 'extremely poor' - one star. An 'excellent' score has an approximate probability of less than 1-in-1000 chance of being stolen, broken into or vandalised over the year and 'extremely poor' has a greater than 1-in-10 chance."

The tool draws its data from the ABI and the Thatcham vehicle security site. Thatcham is the research and development unit owned by the UK insurance industry.

So, whether your customer is thinking of buying a new car, getting or renewing their car insurance, or simply want to find out how secure their car is, click the link below or to the right of the page.

Brokers should do this on behalf of the customer, as the link directs to an alternative insurance portal.

Click the back button once you're done to return to these pages.

With compliments & kind regards

The Theft Protect Team at Nice 1 Limited

CHECK CAR SECURITY NOW – CLICK THIS LINK

THE TOP 10 SAFEST & RISKIEST PLACES FOR CAR THEFT - CAR CRIME UK 2009

2009-08-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

double click the map to see it larger then hit back button to return here

The team at Nice 1 Limited regularly produce car crime information for the UK motoring public and to assist the marketing efforts of our authorised Theft Protect agents.

For the first time in the UK, Nice 1 are delighted to produce the 2009 Car Crime figures by Post Code area. The information contained on the map above and tables below is extracted from the full Home Office statistics. Insurance companies and intermediaries frequently publish similar data, however, their data is only drawn from the sample of their own customers. The information reprinted here is the most accurate and current information compiled from the car crime incidents recorded by the UK police forces.

Full UK car crime data is available, both as incident counts per town or city, and as the detail below, on the basis of a count per 1000 head of population. The national average for car theft is around 7 per 1000. The map and tables below provide an indication as to the vulnerability to car theft offences in the safest and riskest places in the UK.

THE TOP 10 RISKIEST PLACES FOR CAR THEFT

THE TOP 10 SAFEST PLACES FOR CAR THEFT

Nice 1 Ltd collate car crime statistics from Home Office and police sources in order to provide the UK motoring public with the most accurate picture of car crime across the country and in specific areas. In addition to the offences per head of population, information is also gathered about the number of incidents recorded per town and city.

Further details may be requested by e mail at the contact address at the foot of the page or by clicking the contact me button elsewhere on these pages.