Free VW insurance can't protect NCD. Options?

[CardinalFang]

Hi PH-ers,
Good news is that Mrs Fang will be collecting her new VW Up (3dr, silver Move UP auto) on Saturday, which comes with a year's free insurance.
Bad news is that I've noticed the policy doesn't include no claims discount protection.
VW offer no flexibility: we can't pay extra because it's a standardised product.
So...
Either I reject VW's kind offer, sort my own insurance and hope that they make some reduction in the PCP. Not a deal breaker if they wont.
Or, I find another insurer that will just cover her NCD (10+ years). Having googled the latter option & spoken to Direct Line, this doesn't seem possible. Direct line advised they thought it was illegal to not have all the components of a policy through one provider...
Would the learned members know who could provide this add-on independently?

Many thanks.

[Bluequay]

Doesn't no claims bonus stay valid for a couple of years if you don't use it on a policy? (Direct line say 2 years), just don't apply it to the free insurance, you will only miss out on potentially gaining an extra year. Maybe ask in Speed Plod and Law a couple of insurance bods hang around there and will be able to let you know if it's a suitable strategy.

http://faqs.directline.com/help/car-insurance/ncd-...

[TwigtheWonderkid]

That's right. If the insurance is free, why do you need to use your ncb on it. Just do the free insurance on nil ncb and then your 10 yrs is protected, because it's not being used so is not at risk.

[CardinalFang]

Blue, Twig,
Wasn't aware of this, so many thanks for the info.
Much appreciated.

[CardinalFang]

Apologies for bumping my own question, but could anyone on here confirm the above advice, or otherwise?

Much appreciated.

[supersport]

Whether or not you have protected no claims, if you have an accident it will cost you more. The base premium will just go up.

[Soov535]

CardinalFang said:

Apologies for bumping my own question, but could anyone on here confirm the above advice, or otherwise?

Much appreciated.

When you cancel her present insurance get a proof letter, and check that in 12 months they'll honour it.

They should do.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

supersport said:

Whether or not you have protected no claims, if you have an accident it will cost you more. The base premium will just go up.

But it will go up more if you haven't protected your bonus, as you'll only be getting 50% off the higher base rate instead of 65%.

[CardinalFang]

so, consensus is that Blue & Twig are correct - get confirmation that my existing NCB won't lapse, don't use it on the freebie and save it for when I need a policy? Correct, or am I missing something..?

[Soov535]

CardinalFang said:

so, consensus is that Blue & Twig are correct - get confirmation that my existing NCB won't lapse, don't use it on the freebie and save it for when I need a policy? Correct, or am I missing something..?

Check with current insurer but I have previously done what I suggested - NCB doesn't "die" for a couple of years at least IIRC.

[ging84]

only protect your ncd i you are going from someone careful enough to have built up 5+ year claim free, to someone likely to have 2 at fault claims in a year, because something like you lost an eye in a bar fight or worse you have kids you've put on your insurance

[TwigtheWonderkid]

ging84 said:

only protect your ncd i you are going from someone careful enough to have built up 5+ year claim free, to someone likely to have 2 at fault claims in a year, because something like you lost an eye in a bar fight or worse you have kids you've put on your insurance

Is this a new game. Arrange the above words into a meaningful sentence.

[CardinalFang]

Ok sorted. VW were happy to change the policy to reflect 0 NC & I'll get the confirm from the current insurer. No kids or bar fights to report...Thanks all.

[iandc]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Is this a new game. Arrange the above words into a meaningful sentence.

The answer is 42!!

[Sheepshanks]

CardinalFang said:

Or, I find another insurer that will just cover her NCD (10+ years).

She might not have made a claim for 10yrs, but max NCD is normally 5yrs. Some companies do extend it a little with small extra discounts (I think LV= go to 7yrs).

Soov535 said:

Check with current insurer but I have previously done what I suggested - NCB doesn't "die" for a couple of years at least IIRC.

Right - but if the policy covering the UP has a fault (or even a no-fault but unrecoverable) claim on her Up then she'll still lose 2yrs NCB when she next has to pay for a policy.

It's not likely to be a massive deal though.

[MrsMiggins]

Sheepshanks said:

Right - but if the policy covering the UP has a fault (or even a no-fault but unrecoverable) claim on her Up then she'll still lose 2yrs NCB when she next has to pay for a policy.

It's not likely to be a massive deal though.

The policy covering the UP will provide 0 ncd at renewal if a claim is made. The OP's OH will still have 10 years ncd from the other policy. She can have an accident a day while using the free cover and still buy her next policy with 10years ncd on it.

Look at it another way. I have 2 cars and 2 policies, both with 4 years ncd. I crash one car and lose 2 years ncd. I still have 4 years on the other. You don't lose ncd for making a claim if the ncd wasn't applied to the policy being claimed from.

[ging84]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Is this a new game. Arrange the above words into a meaningful sentence.

i missed out an f, the 5th word should have been if no i
other than than i think i reads ok doesn't ?

[silentbrown]

ging84 said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Is this a new game. Arrange the above words into a meaningful sentence.

i missed out an f, the 5th word should have been if no i
other than than i think i reads ok doesn't ?

Whoopee! It *is* a new game. Either that, or ging84's computer has a virus that deletes all punctuation and capital letters.

Ging84 almost said:

I missed out an 'f'. The 5th word should have been 'if', not 'i'. Other than that I think it reads like se, doesn't it?

But I agree - protecting NCB is as much use as extended warranties on white goods. Insurance stacked on insurance. Only insure against things that you absolutely cannot afford to 'lose'. Insurance is gambling, and the odds are NOT stacked in your favour.

[Sheepshanks]

MrsMiggins said:

The policy covering the UP will provide 0 ncd at renewal if a claim is made. The OP's OH will still have 10 years ncd from the other policy. She can have an accident a day while using the free cover and still buy her next policy with 10years ncd on it.

Look at it another way. I have 2 cars and 2 policies, both with 4 years ncd. I crash one car and lose 2 years ncd. I still have 4 years on the other. You don't lose ncd for making a claim if the ncd wasn't applied to the policy being claimed from.

The second paragraph makes sense with two active policies, but I would be gobsmacked if, on a single policy, the new insurer didn't try and knock the NCB back a couple of years if a claim was declared.

[silentbrown]

Sheepshanks said:

The second paragraph makes sense with two active policies, but I would be gobsmacked if, on a single policy, the new insurer didn't try and knock the NCB back a couple of years if a claim was declared.

I think your NCB discount isn't affected, but the premium may get a loading because of the claim.