INSURANCE OF A.A. MEMBERS

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28447, 29 November 1957, Page 22

INSURANCE OF A.A. MEMBERS

Rejection By Mutual Association ‘‘This is a bottler—they tell us exactly nothing.’’ said the treasurer (Mr B. F. Bicknell) when the council of the Automobile Association (Canterbury) last evening received a reply from the S.I.M.U. Mutual Insurance Association to a request, that it furnish its comments on a complaint by Mr M. F. D. Anderson, of Nursery road. The finance committee reported having given consideration to four other complaints on insurance. . . , The insurance association s reply said there bad to be a line of demarcation somewhere. The A.A. handbook carried an advertisement that all members were entitled to take out insurance with the Mutual Insurance Association, said Mr Bicknell. The president (Mr E. R. Casbolt) said the insurance association was called “our insurance” in its own advertisement. Insurance was available. “It may be available but do they qualify?” asked Mr F. W. Freeman (a director of the insurance association). Mr Casbolt: Well, their advertisements are—“A Bible” “You would not say every advertisement is a bible,” said Mr Freeman. Mr L. W. Broadhead said the insurance association might not be prepared to put in writing matters of a personal record, but the information might be given personally to the A.A. The insurance association had 40,000 policies and it found a number of holders to be accident prone, said Mr Freeman. Those persons took out of the funds in 10 years more than others in 30 or 40 years. They were warned and asked for an explanation. Board members saw only claims for more than £ 100, dozens of them involving life and hospital cases. He did not remember any of the five cases reported coming before the board. Mr Casbolt said the insurance association had lost a policyholder and the A.A. a member.

The committee appointed Messrs Casbolt. Broadhead, C. H. Browne and E. C. Champion a committee to take up the case with the insurance association.