Should I inform insurance? No damage to anything else.
Discussion
Was driving my old micra, caught the verge on a country road and rolled the bloody thing. The car is in the verge on the other side and im getting it recovered by the local garage as we speak. Rung 101 at the time and the police came out and had a look, said everything looked fine and that I hadn't caused any damage to anything else.
I'm moving to the city and won't need to drive for a year or so and am privately scrapping the car. Everyone has told me not to tell my insurance as it will just cause problems (even the police officer said just say you are scrapping it!). However- I have read that you should always tell your insurance that you have had an incident but 'for information only' and then it wouldn't affect your premiums much (if at all) and you could still keep your no claims. I know if I had just scratched or dented the car you wouldn't ring insurance; this is more serious but if people don't bother to inform their insurance about damaging their car less seriously, as long as I haven't caused damage to myself or anyone else I don't need to either? I don't want to be dodgy- have a big accident in 5 years that goes to court and they bring up and accident on the police database that I never officially reported- but I also don't want to cause myself unnecessary costs and stress when I eventually do need to take out insurance again.
Want to let them know ASAP either way as it happened last night. I can either tell them I'm scrapping it because im moving to London and leave it at that or tell them I damaged my vehicle and scrapping it but I don't want to claim. What would you guys do?
I'm moving to the city and won't need to drive for a year or so and am privately scrapping the car. Everyone has told me not to tell my insurance as it will just cause problems (even the police officer said just say you are scrapping it!). However- I have read that you should always tell your insurance that you have had an incident but 'for information only' and then it wouldn't affect your premiums much (if at all) and you could still keep your no claims. I know if I had just scratched or dented the car you wouldn't ring insurance; this is more serious but if people don't bother to inform their insurance about damaging their car less seriously, as long as I haven't caused damage to myself or anyone else I don't need to either? I don't want to be dodgy- have a big accident in 5 years that goes to court and they bring up and accident on the police database that I never officially reported- but I also don't want to cause myself unnecessary costs and stress when I eventually do need to take out insurance again.
Want to let them know ASAP either way as it happened last night. I can either tell them I'm scrapping it because im moving to London and leave it at that or tell them I damaged my vehicle and scrapping it but I don't want to claim. What would you guys do?
Edited by tanderson on Friday 29th August 15:37
Indeed there was no damage. Luckily didn't go through the farmers hedge, just scuffed up the verge. I'm just worried that now its been registered with the police I might get in trouble in the future if I ever need to make a serious claim and the insurance do some digging and find I had an accident which I didn't admit to in the past- hence making my future policy invalid. Yes I'm a worrier haha.
Also If I don't admit it should I just ring up and say: I'm moving away from home and have scrapped my car today. I would like to cancel the policy- they won't ask any further questions? Insurance just went past renewal so I'm in the 14 day grace period if that helps as well?
Also If I don't admit it should I just ring up and say: I'm moving away from home and have scrapped my car today. I would like to cancel the policy- they won't ask any further questions? Insurance just went past renewal so I'm in the 14 day grace period if that helps as well?
TVR1 said:
Quoted, you know, just in case.....
Although the above story is absolute rubbish, please humour me with a question- As there is no grace period after the expiry of your insurance and you are, in fact, uninsured, how have you managed to avoid being done for no insurance after plod attended?
You've got the wrong end of the stick. By 14 day grace period I meant my car insurance had automatically renewed less than 14 days ago and I know its easier to cancel during this period. The police checked all my details at the road side, before you call me a liar or a crook. Although the above story is absolute rubbish, please humour me with a question- As there is no grace period after the expiry of your insurance and you are, in fact, uninsured, how have you managed to avoid being done for no insurance after plod attended?
Just to confirm I DO HAVE INSURANCE! My insurance company does auto-renewal- it happened 10 days ago and automatically carried on for the next year. I was just saying grace period because I know its easier to get more of your money back if its in the first 14 days or so of a policy renewal.
So the general consensus is I should ring up and just say I am moving away and scrapping my car. WIll they ask where I'm scrapping it or some kind of report. I'm just worried they might somehow get wind that it was rolled and then put on some insurers database that I didn't announce and accident. I may be paranoid I just don't want to get involved in a big claim in say 4 years time where they try and discredit you and find out that I had an incident (albeit with no damage to anyone or anything else) and then claim my future policy was invalid as I didn't tell them about the incident in the past. But you guys seem to think thats unlikely. Don't want to be a crook just don't want to cause my self unnecessary monetary loss and stress, especially when even the officer who gave me a lift home just told me to tell them I'm scrapping it!
So the general consensus is I should ring up and just say I am moving away and scrapping my car. WIll they ask where I'm scrapping it or some kind of report. I'm just worried they might somehow get wind that it was rolled and then put on some insurers database that I didn't announce and accident. I may be paranoid I just don't want to get involved in a big claim in say 4 years time where they try and discredit you and find out that I had an incident (albeit with no damage to anyone or anything else) and then claim my future policy was invalid as I didn't tell them about the incident in the past. But you guys seem to think thats unlikely. Don't want to be a crook just don't want to cause my self unnecessary monetary loss and stress, especially when even the officer who gave me a lift home just told me to tell them I'm scrapping it!
xRIEx said:
Just to clarify, it's not a 'grace period' as such, it's a cooling off period which begins when you receive the documentation. It exists to give you a chance to ensure that you've bought the correct cover that you need.
In the case of a brand new policy it often starts as soon as you instruct the insurer, so the 14 days starts when the docs land on your doorstep (or inbox); with a renewal, if they sent you the renewal 21 days before the renewal date, you've had that information, so you may well find the cooling off period has expired.
Thats fine I dont mind if I lose an extra month of insurance payback or whatever. I just don't want to screw myself over long term. Not sure what to say when I ring them eitherIn the case of a brand new policy it often starts as soon as you instruct the insurer, so the 14 days starts when the docs land on your doorstep (or inbox); with a renewal, if they sent you the renewal 21 days before the renewal date, you've had that information, so you may well find the cooling off period has expired.
A) Scrapping it
B) Damaged my car not worth repairing, not making a claim and I'm scrapping it.
???
TVR1 said:
I didn't get the wrong end of the stick, you gave us incorrect facts. I have neither a crystal ball nor a divining rod to ascertain that what you stated was not actually correct.
Apologies for the incorrect information. Now what you know the situation what do you think I should do? It seems like the majority would just say they are scrapping it? I suppose people don't ring up their insurance if they scrape their car or back into a wall, though technically they should as should I? The only difference is I involved the police?xRIEx said:
There is a contractual (and with motor insurance, legal) obligation though 
Is there anyway they could find out? Would the police inform them? I mean if you've ever knocked your wing mirror or bumped your car you are breaking the law not reporting that to your insurer as well right? Only difference is I caused more damage to my own car, but so what? Its technically just as bad to not report a small bump surely, and nobody in their right mind would tell me to report me knocking my wing mirror off. Obviously I'm playing deviles advocate here- just as the poster 2 above said. Seems pointless to needlessly f**k myself over...Just did 2 quotes (one with a no claim no cost accident and one with nothing and it made about £150 difference)...
moebiusuk said:
I've called the insurance company before with a notice of information and haven't noticed any increase in my quotes.
Just did 2 quotes on an insurer online with the only difference being I put a no claim accident on one with a cost of £0 and the price difference was relatively wide?http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-24...
"A separate dispute over renewal prompted Umang to complain again to Hastings this month about his notification being treated as a claim. After contacting The Mail on Sunday, he has been refunded £250.
Hastings Direct says: ‘We would like to formally apologise to Mr Anand and we will be offering £50 compensation in recognition of any inconvenience caused."
I actually did my quotes with Hastings and they were still different. But according to this article that shouldn't happen any more?
"A separate dispute over renewal prompted Umang to complain again to Hastings this month about his notification being treated as a claim. After contacting The Mail on Sunday, he has been refunded £250.
Hastings Direct says: ‘We would like to formally apologise to Mr Anand and we will be offering £50 compensation in recognition of any inconvenience caused."
I actually did my quotes with Hastings and they were still different. But according to this article that shouldn't happen any more?
moebiusuk said:
I've called the insurance company before with a notice of information and haven't noticed any increase in my quotes.
EDIT: Did you get any Accident Report number? If so, it's definitely recorded a traffic accident so you should tell your insurer.
No they didn't give me one but I rung 101 so I'm guessing its reported as an accident. When the police officer turned up he just told me to tell my insurance I was scrapping it though? He obviously doesn't think theres a record they could see.EDIT: Did you get any Accident Report number? If so, it's definitely recorded a traffic accident so you should tell your insurer.
Edited by moebiusuk on Friday 29th August 17:34
I'm erring towards just telling them it got damaged but I'm not claiming and scrapping my car but there was a hefty price difference in the quotes (even though there apparently shouldn't be) so I'm not sure what to do..
xRIEx said:
That's what I meant above about getting away with it, and that I don't know with any certainty either way; I'm fairly sure the police won't be informing them.
Although the law has changed recently, the old wording was any 'material fact' had to be declared, a material fact being something that would affect the insurer's decision to take on the risk or the premium to charge; a small scratch on a wing mirror is not likely to affect their decision, but rolling a car through driver error most definitely is.
The questions when getting quotes are most likely to be along the lines of, "has any incident occurred that might give rise to a claim, whether a claim has been made or not?" Rolling the car certainly falls into that category and as stated, even though no claim has or will be made; it's the incident they want to know about.
Yes I completetly agree. But surely anyone that has scratched a relativley nice car would also fall into this category. If I were to inform them- can I play it down and just say car was damaged noone was invovled. Or do I have to say "I rolled my Nissan Micra through my own error". Just worried about opening a can of worms by informing them- don't want "rolled his car through driver error" on the insurance database through my own doing but don't mind "No Claim Incident reported- no cost", if that makes sense?Although the law has changed recently, the old wording was any 'material fact' had to be declared, a material fact being something that would affect the insurer's decision to take on the risk or the premium to charge; a small scratch on a wing mirror is not likely to affect their decision, but rolling a car through driver error most definitely is.
The questions when getting quotes are most likely to be along the lines of, "has any incident occurred that might give rise to a claim, whether a claim has been made or not?" Rolling the car certainly falls into that category and as stated, even though no claim has or will be made; it's the incident they want to know about.
I really don't like being sneaky but numerous people have just told me I'm screwing myself over??
In conclusion could I compromise by informing them but saying "I scraped the verge and damaged my car, no damage was done to anything else" or will they ask loads of questions?
xRIEx said:
Completely different situation - that driver was not at fault and no damage was done; in your situation you were at fault and significant damage resulted.
True but I put a quote through with "No Claim- No Cost" - in effect the same thing that the guy is claiming to have and the quote did go up even though Hastings claimed that was an error and shouldn't happen?sherbertdip said:
You are being an idiot asking advice on PH, you will get a huge spectrum of "advice", anecdotes, maybe's and do's don'ts.
Only you can decide what to do, take responsibility for your actions, whether it is the correct thing maybe time will tell, but stop fannying about, stop answers questions, listening to strangers who know best and just do something!
I'm not going to tell you what I would do in your situation because then i would be a hypocrite.
You are however a liability, you must have been driving too fast for the road, luckily this time you didn't hit or damage anything but your car, let's hope there isn't a next time.
You're right I will just tell them, its worth the piece of mind and I won't be driving for a few years anyway. This was I should keep my no claims as well?Only you can decide what to do, take responsibility for your actions, whether it is the correct thing maybe time will tell, but stop fannying about, stop answers questions, listening to strangers who know best and just do something!
I'm not going to tell you what I would do in your situation because then i would be a hypocrite.
You are however a liability, you must have been driving too fast for the road, luckily this time you didn't hit or damage anything but your car, let's hope there isn't a next time.
StottyEvo said:
Personally I'd call my insurance and say "I'd like to cancel my policy please" if they asked why I'd say "I'm scrapping the car". It's not rocket.
Although I might not be the best person to dish out advice as I wouldn't have called the Police, I'd have called a friend with a recovery truck to come and take the car to the scrappers.
Well my car rolled and people driving pulled over. If I had not informed the police and someone had called them it would have looked like I was doing a runner for drink driving or something. I'm just going to bite the bullet and tell them what happened and that I don't want to claim and no one else was involved. Hopefully when I get another policy in a year or two it won't put the price up too much as I will still have my no claims and it will just be an incident with no cost. Not worth it I reckon in case I have an accident on my next policy that the insurance really want to wriggle out of. If they ended up really digging round and found I hadn't announced an accident I could be in deep sh*tAlthough I might not be the best person to dish out advice as I wouldn't have called the Police, I'd have called a friend with a recovery truck to come and take the car to the scrappers.
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