Up to one million Brits are planning to go abroad this year to enjoy their pre wedding festivities. But the foreign office has issued a warning advising travellers against celebrating too excessively, as this can clash with local customs and could cause trouble.
According to the Daily Mail, Foreign Office spokesman Phil Lord said:
Stag and hen dos are all about having a great time but the celebrations can come to an abrupt end if things go wrong. Cultural differences mean some people will take offence to risqué fancy dress costumes and rowdy behavior. So, to avoid a hostile reception from the locals or even spending the weekend in jail, make sure you research your destination and know your limits.
swiftcover.com has also advised travelers to ensure they have adequate travel insurance cover in place before setting off on a trip abroad.
May 13th, 2011
Alan Partridge’s car of choice, the Lexus IS, is the most frequently-vandalised car in Britain, according to the swiftcover.com Vehicle Vandalism Index (VV Index).
The VV index found that the majority of vandalised cars are prestige cars. Here is the list of the top ten targeted cars:
1. Lexus IS
2. BMW Z4
3. Mini One
4. Mercedes CLK
5. Audi TT
6. Mazda MX-5
7. BMW X5
8. Skoda Octavia
9. BMW 525
10. BMW 530
Robin Reames, claims director at swiftcover.com, said:
Our analysis shows that luxury cars are more likely to be targeted by vandals however it’s interesting to see the Mini ONE in the top three. The majority of vehicles in the top ten are what we call ‘executive cars’, likely to be driven by high earners who see their car as a status symbol, with just one 4×4 making up the top ten.
Here are a few tips to help protect your car from vandals:
Park your car in a garage (if you have one)
Install security motion lights or cameras
Use a car cover
Get a car alarm system
And always remember to lock your car doors (its easy to forget)
May 11th, 2011
swiftcover.com has launched a new quarterly index which rates the nation’s feelings about different aspects of life.
The index found that the top concern which has driven people to be unhappy is the rising petrol prices. On the other hand, family life was the area which brought people the most happiness.
The top five areas of unhappiness were:
1. Petrol prices - 61%
2. Government’s actions - 58%
3. Local council’s actions - 44%
4. Financial pressure’s - 42%
5. Crime levels - 38%
The top five areas of happiness were:
1. Family Life - 62%
2. Relationship - 58%
3. Social Life - 41%
4. Savings - 26%
5. Income - 26%
The index also found that the average person in Briton only gets 2.5 hours of ‘me time’ each day. With this free time almost half of Brits look to get out and about to see interesting sites across Britain. Swiftcover have done their bit to help everyone enjoy their road trips, by launching their Roadology Facebook page. Roadology enables users to plot journeys and discover interesting places to visit along the way.
May 5th, 2011
You may think that a multi- car insurance policy will save you money. But that’s not always true according to recent research from swiftcover.com.
Swiftcover found that buying a multi-car policy could cost as much as 29 per cent more than if separate policies were bought.
Sarah Vaughan, motor director at swiftcover.com said:
It’s easy to assume that multi-car discounts must offer the best value, but it’s clearly not the case for everyone. It may be slightly easier but is it really worth paying hundreds of pounds over the odds?
In some cases a multi-car policy may be the cheapest option but it’s always worth shopping around to make sure you get the best deal.
April 21st, 2011
Thinking about taking a trip, exploring the open road, taking the family out? Go to Roadology to discover some great places to visit throughout Britain. You can plan a route of your own or even look at other popular routes in the country and the interactive map will suggest exciting and interesting things to do along the way. You can even create or listen to amazing playlists to suit your road trip and journey time to keep you entertained on your journey.
For the chance to win £2000, go to Roadology and simply upload a picture of your favourite place in Great Britain along with the town, city, village or postcode where it was taken. Last day for entry is 24th April. Good Luck!
April 14th, 2011
According to The Telegraph, burst pipes and other leaks cost the industry £644 million last year, and it’s expected that this winter could be worse. The importance of protecting your home has been highlighted even more during the past few weeks of freezing weather. So make sure you don’t have to make an insurance claim this winter by following these handy tips.
1. Heavy snow can cause branches to break and cause damage to your home, so it’s a good idea to prune the trees around your house.
2. Keep your gutters clear to avoid flooding and damage to your home.
3. To avoid frozen pipes and flooding always keep your heating on at a low temperature. And remember to keep it on if you go away over the festive season.
4. Make sure your pipes and water tanks are well insulated.
5. Know how to turn the water off, so you’re prepared in case your pipes do start leaking.
6. If you are planning to use your chimney this winter then check it’s in good working condition. The cost of a chimney sweep is fairly small and could prevent a chimney fire.
7. Make sure you have home insurance home insurance cover for extra peace of mind.
January 4th, 2011
swiftcover.com has teamed up with absolute radio to bring you this fantastic competition. And it’s easy to enter. All you have to do is complete the Best of 2010 music quiz by clicking here and you could stand the chance to win. The prizes which are up for grabs include an Apple iPad, two iPod Nanos and two iPod shuffles. So if you are a music lover why not enter and see how much you can remember from the past year.
Visit swiftcover.com’s Facebook page to keep up to date with the latest competitions.
December 13th, 2010
A woman in Kent called 999 when she went outside and noticed her snowman had been stolen.
The BBC reported that Police said she thought it demanded their involvement because she had used pound coins for the eyes and teaspoons for the arms.
Elsewhere in Nottingham police have been snowballed with 999 calls from people who’ve had snowballs thrown at them. A spokesman for the force said that around 120 calls had been received since the snowfall on Tuesday.
In Kent, Police have received more than 8,000 general and 999 calls within 48 hours, double the number it normally receives.
December 3rd, 2010
swiftcover.com has received an award for ‘Best Digital Media Strategy’ at this year’s DADI awards, which celebrates digital success.
swiftcover.com ran a campaign on their ‘Get a life’ Facebook page over the summer months. The campaign encouraged music lovers to create the summer’s ‘hottest playlist’ by choosing their top favourite songs from a master playlist chosen by Absolute Radio DJs.
The playlist, with the most popular songs, was made available to download on Spotify, and those who voted for their favourite songs were entered into a draw to win Spotify accounts.
Take a look at swiftcover’s ‘Get a life’ Facebook page by visiting www.facebook.com/getalife.swiftcover
November 26th, 2010
Fuel prices are soaring with the average family now paying 18% more on petrol than last year. Swiftcover.com has a few tips that may help you reduce your bills and get more out of the fuel you are spending your hard earned cash on.
1. Make sure you remove any unused clutter such as roof racks, old damaged tyres and anything else that may add extra weight to your car.
2. To be fuel efficient you need to keep your speed between 55-65mph. Anything over that speed will increase how much fuel you consume.
3. Driving erratically by accelerating and braking will also increase your fuel consumption. By driving smoothly and intelligently you can save up to 30% on your motoring costs.
4. Making sure your tyres are inflated to the correct pressure is not only necessary to make sure your vehicle is safe in wet, wintery weather but can also save you up to 10% in fuel costs.
5. Try to avoid driving short distances. Cold engines use much more fuel and by walking or taking the bus for short distances you will not only save money but you will also help save on unnecessary emissions.
6. Turn your engine off if you get stuck in a traffic jam and you won’t waste fuel on going nowhere.
7. Save fuel by changing up a gear only when you reach 2500rpm for a petrol car and 2000rpm for a diesel car.
8. Plan your journey and the times you travel so you can avoid rush hour. Not only will this stop you from becoming stressed but will cut your fuel bills too.
9. Keep you cars service record up-to-date so that your car is running at its optimum level. Doing this will also ensure your engine is clean and not clogged up.
10. Using your air con will eat fuel so if you don’t need it, don’t use it.
By changing a few little things when driving your car, you will be able to save money by lowering your fuel costs.
November 19th, 2010
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