Need some advice/help with insurance please?

Need some advice/help with insurance please?

Author
Discussion

Ari

Original Poster:

19,347 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Ok, long story short.

Had company car for 20 years till made redundant in March 2009.

Bought Golf diesel, organised insurance with Direct Line, they accepted company car history as full no claims.

Got job with company car in Oct 2009, sold Golf, cancelled insurance.

Got bored with company Fiesta, bought MX5 fun car April 10, insured with Direct Line, happily accepted full no claims.

Swapped MX5 for better MX5 August 10, swapped insurance.

Changed job Jan 11, lost company car, MX5 became main car, informed insurance, no probs, premium went up slightly due to increased mileage limit, then down fractionally due to business use being applied (oddly).

Now I'm about to buy a Merc SLK so I phoned Direct Line. They're happy to swap insurance to Merc, and happy to let me have a months insurance on MX5 for £35 whilst I sell it. Years insurance would be about £500 (Mazda was about £480 I think so fine).

BUT, they want a Tracker fitted to the Merc and that's going to cost £350 plus £130/year subscription. Which seems daft for a six year old 1.8 litre £12,000ish Merc.

Asked owner of Merc if Tracker happens to be fitted, says no but had same problem, went with Swiftcover.com and they don't require Tracker. Went on line for quote, they won't accept ex company car no claims and therefore refuse to insure me full stop.

Next I tried Adrian Flux. Explained the history. They don't require Tracker but came up with a best quote of £830(!!)

So I'm struggling a bit. I don't want to fit a Tracker and I don't want to pay £800+ a year to insure (I'm a 42 year old middle aged fuddy duddy with a clean licence and a cheapish Merc, can't be that bad a risk).

Any suggestions?

trickywoo

11,780 posts

230 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all


I know what you mean Ari.

Harji

2,198 posts

161 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Have you tried moneysavingexpert.com ?

Ari

Original Poster:

19,347 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
No, do they insure cars? confused

EK993

1,925 posts

251 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Ari said:
Ok, long story short.

Had company car for 20 years till made redundant in March 2009.

Bought Golf diesel, organised insurance with Direct Line, they accepted company car history as full no claims.

Got job with company car in Oct 2009, sold Golf, cancelled insurance.

Got bored with company Fiesta, bought MX5 fun car April 10, insured with Direct Line, happily accepted full no claims.

Swapped MX5 for better MX5 August 10, swapped insurance.

Changed job Jan 11, lost company car, MX5 became main car, informed insurance, no probs, premium went up slightly due to increased mileage limit, then down fractionally due to business use being applied (oddly).

Now I'm about to buy a Merc SLK so I phoned Direct Line. They're happy to swap insurance to Merc, and happy to let me have a months insurance on MX5 for £35 whilst I sell it. Years insurance would be about £500 (Mazda was about £480 I think so fine).

BUT, they want a Tracker fitted to the Merc and that's going to cost £350 plus £130/year subscription. Which seems daft for a six year old 1.8 litre £12,000ish Merc.

Asked owner of Merc if Tracker happens to be fitted, says no but had same problem, went with Swiftcover.com and they don't require Tracker. Went on line for quote, they won't accept ex company car no claims and therefore refuse to insure me full stop.

Next I tried Adrian Flux. Explained the history. They don't require Tracker but came up with a best quote of £830(!!)

So I'm struggling a bit. I don't want to fit a Tracker and I don't want to pay £800+ a year to insure (I'm a 42 year old middle aged fuddy duddy with a clean licence and a cheapish Merc, can't be that bad a risk).

Any suggestions?
If Direct Line issued the policy in your name and accepted the NCB from your employer, once you cancel the policy they will issue a NCB proof in your name showing however many years they allowed on the policy. It will not mention that it is company car NCB.

Harji

2,198 posts

161 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
They have an independent car insurance comparison section, you may find more companies that will insure you without any extra hassle.

dibblecorse

6,875 posts

192 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Only real option is to wait until you've completed a full 12 months with DirectLine as at that stage they will just issue you with a proof of NCD that is complete, no reference to your company car history should be there, you can take that to any other insurer.

Theyve obvioulsy had poor claims history on the SLK hence insisting on the tracker.

By getting a tracker fitted and staying with DL you're effectively buying max NCD that will then become portable, better betthan starting this ex company car driver merry go round again.

Ari

Original Poster:

19,347 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
It's starting to sound that way. So £500 to "buy" my 20 year no claims. mad

Ari

Original Poster:

19,347 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Harji said:
They have an independent car insurance comparison section, you may find more companies that will insure you without any extra hassle.
Ah, right, I'll take a look.



dibblecorse

6,875 posts

192 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
EK993 said:
If Direct Line issued the policy in your name and accepted the NCB from your employer, once you cancel the policy they will issue a NCB proof in your name showing however many years they allowed on the policy. It will not mention that it is company car NCB.
Only if the policy has run the full 12 months with them, otherwise they won't issue an NCD.

Ari

Original Poster:

19,347 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Just checked, it runs out April 28th.

Currently it seems the cheapest option is to leave the Direct Line insurance in place on the Mazda as is, and take out the £830 insurance with Adrian Flux. Cheaper than £500 insurance with Direct Line plus nearly £500 to install and activate Tracker.

No, that won't work, Adrian Flux require proof of no claims within 30 days and I won't get it till after 28th April..! smash

D1bram

1,500 posts

171 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Try Sky, they had no problems matching company car NCD on my MX5, same goes with Admiral on my Astra.

JQ

5,740 posts

179 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
I was with Direct Line after my 12 years of company car. After 12 months I got my renewal through showing a full NCD and then was able to use that to get a much more competitive quote. Am now with Footman James.

Can't you wait until the end of April to get your new car - it's only 6 weeks.

Ari

Original Poster:

19,347 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
I've already arranged to collect the car on Saturday, not anticipating all this "computer says no" nonsense.

I've tried a broker in town in the hope that speaking to a real person might help. But all the real person does is key into a computer and get the same results. They got a price of £925 with Aviva with no No Claims.

I think I'm going to have to take the Aviva quote, pay £925 (ouch), wait till end April, get the Full NCD notice from Direct Line, cancel with Aviva, get 10/12ths back (minus an admin fee no doubt), then re-insure with full NCD elsewhere.

What a nightmare!

EK993

1,925 posts

251 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Word of warning - check the short term cancellation fees in the first year of the policy with the Aviva contract. Ask for a copy of the policy wording.

Ari

Original Poster:

19,347 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
G'naaaah, really? weeping

Ari

Original Poster:

19,347 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Ok so another question if I may?

If I've had 11 months of insurance with Directline and I cancel when the Mazda is sold, will I get confirmation of full no claims at that point as DL have taken my company car history as full no claims from the start?

Or will I have to let it run to end of term (end of April), and if I do, is that going to cause a problem for a new owner buying the Mazda as the car will effectively be insured twice, my policy still running plus theirs?

geeteeaye

2,369 posts

159 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Leave the SLK garaged for 6 weeks IMO and continue driving MX5.

Ari

Original Poster:

19,347 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
It may yet come to that, but the idea of having it and not being able to drive it... frown

Plus I really need to get the MX5 gone and balance the books a little..!!

Ari

Original Poster:

19,347 posts

215 months

Thursday 10th March 2011
quotequote all
Well thanks to our furry Meerkat friends and Admiral, the SLk is now fully insured from Saturday with no NCD at all for £650, which is only £150 more than DirectLine were quoting with full NCD.

So I can leave my DirectLine insurance in place on the MX5, put it up for sale in April when hopefully it's a bit more summery, and then let it expire naturally at the end of April and receive my full NCD.

Phew, thank feck for that!

Thanks for all the thoughts and advice, appreciated. smile