Car Insurance, It's like life You just can't make it up!

Less · 03-10-2006, 16:33

I haven't had a claim in since 1992 and if my motor hadn't been a serious write-off I wouldn't even have put one in then. Since that time I have had accident free motoring which had in combination with my age resulted in lower Premiums, (why do they call them premiums? Every other bill is known as a bill).

For a while however I have been Car free so I haven't needed insurance, then I re-inherited the little Ford Fiesta from my daughter.
It needed insurance, I looked on the web and a company offered me a very good deal, I filled in the details and was accepted. Then when the bumph arrived all I had to do was put details of my last insurer in their pre-paid Envelope, this I did, yesterday I received a letter from them please contact urgently, Ring, ring, usual shuffle around departments, We are sorry to inform you Sir, that because it is two and a half years since you had car insurance your no-claims is no longer valid and we will have to cancel your policy.

Gobsmacked was not the word that can describe my feelings, what am I supposed to do I asked, We'll put you through to our sales department for a fresh quote, (fortunatley she added, don't worry we won't cancel this policy until they transfer you back).

I went through all the required details with the salesman, the computer quote he assured me was a very good deal it was after all only two and a half times your original quote!

I tried to explain that although I hadn't had insurance of my own I was the named driver on both my daughter's and my son's car insurance and that because I was on my daughters insurance and she is under 25 she gets 50% off for having me on her policy as a safe driver!

It didn't work, put me back to the other department please there is no way I am paying more in insurance than what the car is worth.

I eventually got back to the original department, ring, ring etc. not the same person! (I then had to explain yet again why I was on the 'phone in the first place).

OK. so are you sorted she asked? , yes I'm sorted I replied cancel the policy I'll find someone else, right sir to cancel the policy, we require the full deposit that you have already paid plus one months payment because you didn't cancel within 14 days, £25.00 legal costs and £1.00 for administration!

I told her to go swivel, That £1.00 Administration, that was the straw on the Camels back. There was no administration they are the ones that should administrate not me! it should come out of the other money they have ripped me off for.

Tune in same time same place, when I give you a description of what the food tastes like in debtors prison!

shillelagh · 03-10-2006, 16:45

Less i can beat you on that one! Because of the epilepsy my insurance premiums when i was driving was bumped up. Anyway i had a fit while driving the car i was lucky i hit a wall and no one else was hurt except for me. So i claimed on the insurance and so lost my no claims bonus. The insurance was £523. for fully comp. When id done my 1yr without a fit i rang round trying to find an insurance company that would insure me especially after having a fit while driving. Anyway rang the insurance company that i'd claimed from. £353 fully comp and on the same car! Before i had a no claims bonus and there was £170 difference. When i asked he said we are treating you as a new driver - so you get a new driver discount! They were the cheapest and they'd sorted everything out when i had the accident so i went back with them. 2 weeks later i had another fit and so had to stop driving again. When i rang em up and told them they gave me back my money minus 1 month. That was in the contract. (I paid my insurance using the credit union - they were cheaper than paying direct debit!)

Less · 03-10-2006, 17:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by shillelagh

Because of the epilepsy

Well, perhaps before we get someone telling us that you shouldn't be driving anyway, we should direct them to this site, (it might save arguments later).

Epilepsy and driving

entwisi · 03-10-2006, 19:06

You are a bit unfortunate Less, IIRC 2 years is the limit for honouring NCD. All you can do is ring round and try and get teh new driver discounts. A fiesta shouldn't cost that much to insure 3rd party anway. now try getting insurance on a 200bhp group 16 car

cashman · 03-10-2006, 19:48

know where your coming from less,many years ago i was carless lol cos i took up cycling, after 25 months and wrecking the bike going to work i though ****** this and got a car again, told them i had full no claims,they said no you aint you have not been insured for more than 2 years so you have to start again, i could not believe what i was being told and being a youngster mid 30s was tempted to swear at them, they say profanities get you nowhere,i disagree i knew i had the full insurance to pay so it made me feel a hell of a lot better.

WillowTheWhisp · 03-10-2006, 19:49

If you'd not been a named driver on someone else's that got them the reduction it might have made sense but considering you were it's a bit daft.

Less · 03-10-2006, 20:23

I'm just glad the advert for car insurance under my first post is NOT for the company I went with or my computer might have ended up in pieces next to the wall!

shillelagh · 03-10-2006, 20:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Less

Well, perhaps before we get someone telling us that you shouldn't be driving anyway, we should direct them to this site, (it might save arguments later).

Epilepsy and driving

I know i've had a lot of that but at the time i learnt drive i hadnt had a fit for 3 years so i was under control. The only thing is if they say that does that mean everyone else who has a medical condition eg diabetes, asthma etc cant drive?

Less · 03-10-2006, 20:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

now try getting insurance on a 200bhp group 16 car

Why?

entwisi · 04-10-2006, 09:01

OK, let me rephrase it, try getting a insurance on a 200bhp Grp16 car that does 30K pa without a large dent appearing in your bank balance

Not cheap these car things!

Still it does make me laugh to hear people winge about insurance going up £100 when their nice shiny new car is depreciating at nearly than that a week

Less · 04-10-2006, 10:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by entwisi

OK, let me rephrase it, try getting a insurance on a 200bhp Grp16 car that does 30K pa without a large dent appearing in your bank balance

Again I ask Why?

Why should I? it's a ford fiesta I'm trying to insure, not a pose-mobile, but if I was trying to insure the type of car you're talking about and after taking out a policy the insurance company told me it was going to be cancelled (at my expense) and a new policy offered at two and a half times their original quote I would probably be just as annoyed.

cherokee · 04-10-2006, 21:17

697-careful.jpg you must have been trying this company less lol

the real michael · 05-10-2006, 05:41

my typical premium on an audi quattro began at 249 gpb.... and after
5 years n/c/bonus the premium became just underf 1000 gbp! it priced me
out of insurance even though i never claimed.... the reason was because of
other peoples whiplash claims, which is nothing to do with me but forced me
out of motorism........ its as unfair as democracy and as corrupt..... car insurance is robbery.....you are paying for others fraud.... i hate this robbing
theiving country................ i hope we all die horribly......i pray every day

WillowTheWhisp · 05-10-2006, 08:02

So what did you do to these other people to cause their whiplash injuries?

entwisi · 05-10-2006, 08:18

I think what he meant was that with the advent of the ambulance chasers persuading people to claim that in general all insurance premiums went up. Those of us who insure powerful/fast cars tend to get hit more than most.