Insurance - I messed up - 24 hrs without cover

Insurance - I messed up - 24 hrs without cover

Author
Discussion

BobBuilds

Original Poster:

3 posts

26 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
Hi

I’m incompetent rather than a mastermind criminal. Is there any hope for me?

I had a renewal quote for my car insurance a few weeks ago and obviously like everyone, it had rocketed up so caused me to shop around. I found a new company and took out insurance starting today on 23rd March.

About 0100 this morning my old insurance company emailed me saying “you’re no longer insured. Here’s your no claims blah blah ….your cover ended 2359 on 21st March 2024”

I called them and asked if I could extend it by a day - “no way” they said. I asked the new company if I could bring my insurance forward 24hrs - “no way” they say.

The car was off the road (ie on my driveway). Wasn’t driven. Nothing happened to it - so there’s no claims happening for that one day.

I didn’t think it was a big deal but my mates just been telling me about the continuous insurance rules - so - can I get insurance for 1 day yesterday? Am I worrying over nothing? Because it wasn’t driven - is it irrelevant?

Ta for any advise

fatjon

2,205 posts

213 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
nobody will ever know or care. Forget it.

Decky_Q

1,512 posts

177 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
You are worrying over nothing.

pinchmeimdreamin

9,964 posts

218 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
You’re going to jail, practice picking soap up with your foot.

Or more realistically as above sod all to worry about.

Riley Blue

20,961 posts

226 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
Ignore your mates, pour yourself a beer, enjoy the rest of your life; you've nothing to worry about.

Biker 1

7,735 posts

119 months

Saturday 23rd March
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If you haven't driven on a public road during that time, you've done nothing illegal. Luckily nobody nicked it or set fire to it though....

sixor8

6,295 posts

268 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
It would have happened a day later though wouldn't it..... biggrin

jondude

2,345 posts

217 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
I have quite regularly done as you at renewal time, often having 3-5 days between policies. Nothing to worry about. Am not too sure about this, but I think you get a warning letter after 30 days rather than any fine anyhow.

I presume even our authorities know that setting up a new policy can take time. There was a time not long ago your car would show as uninsured on ask.mid for a week or so even if you did match the switchover dates perfectly.

alscar

4,137 posts

213 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
Biker 1 said:
If you haven't driven on a public road during that time, you've done nothing illegal. Luckily nobody nicked it or set fire to it though....
This.

alscar

4,137 posts

213 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
jondude said:
I have quite regularly done as you at renewal time, often having 3-5 days between policies. Nothing to worry about. Am not too sure about this, but I think you get a warning letter after 30 days rather than any fine anyhow.

I presume even our authorities know that setting up a new policy can take time. There was a time not long ago your car would show as uninsured on ask.mid for a week or so even if you did match the switchover dates perfectly.
It’s only something to worry about if your drive on a public road or as above ,getting your car stolen or it catches fire.
Not sure the authorities are too bothered if it takes time to set up a new policy and it probably isn’t a good excuse either.

TwigtheWonderkid

43,386 posts

150 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
alscar said:
Biker 1 said:
If you haven't driven on a public road during that time, you've done nothing illegal. Luckily nobody nicked it or set fire to it though....
This.
Well he has. He didn't declare sorn for that day it wasn't used, and so it should have been insured under the continuous insurance regs, which is wasn't. But as others have said, no one will ever know or care.

The Gauge

1,889 posts

13 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
I wasn't particularly aware of the continuous insurance rules, so I've just googled it..





But as other posters have said, I think that's more about if your car came to the attention of the police during those 24 uninsured hours, such as if you were found driving, or it was parked on the road and involved in an accident etc, so now that that period of time has passed I don't think anyone will really ever know it was ever uninsured for 1 day.


E63eeeeee...

3,865 posts

49 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
20-something years ago I bought and insured my first car on the 1st of April. These days my insurance renews on the 4th of April. I couldn't even tell you when this happened, but you're definitely not alone, and so far I am not in jail.

Aretnap

1,663 posts

151 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
Continuous insurance enforcement takes the form of (1) a letter warning you that your car is uninsured and that you'd better insure it or else, then (2) a £100 fixed penalty if you don't insure it or SORN it promptly after you get the letter (and then (3) prosecution if you don't pay the fixed penalty).

Not sure exactly what the timescales are but it takes significantly more than a day just to do (1). When my wife managed not to insure her new car (I know, I know) it took eight months before they sent her the warning letter.

Durzel

12,272 posts

168 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
If you didn't drive the car it's a complete non-issue for the reasons Aretnap mentioned.

The systems involved don't operate that quickly and I should think there is probably a lot of latitude in how quickly you get a letter given MID often isn't updated expeditiously, assuming your broker even bothered to update it before clocking off for the day.

Even if you had driven it, since you didn't get stopped then again - non-issue.

BobBuilds

Original Poster:

3 posts

26 months

Saturday 23rd March
quotequote all
Thanks guys. I’ll carry on regardless and give my mate stick for making me worry about it’s much as I did at 9am! Normal service will resume. Thanks again to everyone.

LotsOfLaughs

188 posts

15 months

Sunday 24th March
quotequote all
This happened to me, I transfered a policy from my old car to my new car, whilst both were on the driveway.
I had no idea that I had to declare the uninsured car as SORN
Moments later, armed police arrived at my door, kicked it down and shot my for my crime. Thankfully the buller wound proved non-fatal, and I managed to SORN my un-insured car whilst cowering behind the sofa, thus bringing the purge to an end.
All I can say is thank god for fiberoptic broadband.

jeremyh1

1,358 posts

127 months

Sunday 24th March
quotequote all
If your running an insurance business and your business model is 12 month policies and in a financial environment where your market is rocketing in prices Then why would they give the customer a 24 hour policy?

If you cant afford to run a car then sell the car
If you need a car and you dont have the money then you might have your priorities wrong

Hope this helps

Oceanrower

923 posts

112 months

Sunday 24th March
quotequote all
jeremyh1 said:
If your running an insurance business and your business model is 12 month policies and in a financial environment where your market is rocketing in prices Then why would they give the customer a 24 hour policy?

If you cant afford to run a car then sell the car
If you need a car and you dont have the money then you might have your priorities wrong

Hope this helps
Bit early to be drinking, isn’t it?

croyde

22,919 posts

230 months

Sunday 24th March
quotequote all
I bought a new car and transferred my insurance to it and left my old car parked on a quiet street until a buyer collected it a few weeks later.

Looks like I did wrong but I'm free and didn't receive a letter.

This was 3 years ago.