Car Insurance Query
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Discussion

David93

Original Poster:

3 posts

134 months

Wednesday 14th June 2017
quotequote all
Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate section to post this but struggling to find the right one.

My question is I'm planning on keeping my car at my girlfriends potentially a couple of nights a week which is around 25 miles away from my home address, do I need to tell my insurance about this?

Thanks,
David

toddler

1,259 posts

266 months

Wednesday 14th June 2017
quotequote all
David93 said:
Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate section to post this but struggling to find the right one.

My question is I'm planning on keeping my car at my girlfriends potentially a couple of nights a week which is around 25 miles away from my home address, do I need to tell my insurance about this?

Thanks,
David
My insurance asked "Where is the vehicle normally kept at night". I interpret "normally" to mean most often. If it's at yours 5 nights a week and your girlfriend's 2 nights a week, I'd say it's normally kept at yours and you don't need to tell your insurer.



PistonBroker

2,721 posts

256 months

Wednesday 14th June 2017
quotequote all
toddler said:
I interpret "normally" to mean most often. If it's at yours 5 nights a week and your girlfriend's 2 nights a week, I'd say it's normally kept at yours and you don't need to tell your insurer.
Yup.

WillG

87 posts

221 months

Wednesday 14th June 2017
quotequote all
toddler said:
My insurance asked "Where is the vehicle normally kept at night". I interpret "normally" to mean most often. If it's at yours 5 nights a week and your girlfriend's 2 nights a week, I'd say it's normally kept at yours and you don't need to tell your insurer.
The problem with this is that your interpretation of normally may not be the same as your insurers.

I would suggest the insurers view of normally would be as in the the usual course of events, which in your example the correct answer would be its parked at mine or my girlfriends. It's then up to the insurer to ask follow up questions to uncover the relevance of this.

If the op lives in the Welsh hills, and his girlfriend lives in east London it's likely to be seen as relevant.

anonymous-user

84 months

Wednesday 14th June 2017
quotequote all
WillG said:
If the op lives in the Welsh hills, and his girlfriend lives in east London it's likely to be seen as relevant.
It really wouldn't.



WillG

87 posts

221 months

Wednesday 14th June 2017
quotequote all
desolate said:
It really wouldn't.
In the same way that whether he drives a Fiesta or a 911 is irrelevant to his insurers, cause they're both just cars right?

anonymous-user

84 months

Wednesday 14th June 2017
quotequote all
WillG said:
In the same way that whether he drives a Fiesta or a 911 is irrelevant to his insurers, cause they're both just cars right?
Yes just like that.


Providing the OP lives where he stays then he is fine to stay at his girlfriend's, or anywhere else, until he moves in or stays there more often or not.

If he was Alan Partridge and moved into a Travel Tavern then he would have to declare that.

HantsRat

2,409 posts

138 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
WillG said:
In the same way that whether he drives a Fiesta or a 911 is irrelevant to his insurers, cause they're both just cars right?
So if you went to stay in a hotel in Brixton for 2 nights would you inform your insurance? Thought not. OP you don't need to inform your insurance unless you stay at your girlfriends more than you home address.

anonymous-user

84 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
HantsRat said:
WillG said:
In the same way that whether he drives a Fiesta or a 911 is irrelevant to his insurers, cause they're both just cars right?
So if you went to stay in a hotel in Brixton for 2 nights would you inform your insurance? Thought not. OP you don't need to inform your insurance unless you stay at your girlfriends more than you home address.

I'm sure you're right but it does beg the question "over what period of time".

What if he moved to girlfriends for 5 months solid, out of the 12 month insurance period?

All theoretical, I know.

anonymous-user

84 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
REALIST123 said:

I'm sure you're right but it does beg the question "over what period of time".

What if he moved to girlfriends for 5 months solid, out of the 12 month insurance period?

All theoretical, I know.
At the beginning of the 5 month period he would call up and change address, same again at the end of the period.

It's really not complicated.

WillG

87 posts

221 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
desolate said:
Yes just like that.


Providing the OP lives where he stays then he is fine to stay at his girlfriend's, or anywhere else, until he moves in or stays there more often or not.

If he was Alan Partridge and moved into a Travel Tavern then he would have to declare that.
The question is about where the car is kept, not where he lives, of course he's fine to stay and go where he wants, they not going to expect you to account for every night of the year, but if the op is definitely going to stay somewhere else 2 nights a week, then in the normal course of events his car is kept at 2 addresses. This is different to occasionally staying round a mates, or away for the weekend, etc.

If you moved house 100 days before the end of your policy, would you tell your insurers, of course. Then 100 nights over the course of the year is not significantly different.

anonymous-user

84 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
WillG said:
The question is about where the car is kept, not where he lives, of course he's fine to stay and go where he wants, they not going to expect you to account for every night of the year, but if the op is definitely going to stay somewhere else 2 nights a week, then in the normal course of events his car is kept at 2 addresses. This is different to occasionally staying round a mates, or away for the weekend, etc.

If you moved house 100 days before the end of your policy, would you tell your insurers, of course. Then 100 nights over the course of the year is not significantly different.
bks.
That is my considered, professional opinion.

WillG

87 posts

221 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
HantsRat said:
OP you don't need to inform your insurance unless you stay at your girlfriends more than you home address.
That would be right if they asked you where do keep the car most often. But they don't, so it's not.

TwigtheWonderkid

49,130 posts

180 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
WillG said:
HantsRat said:
OP you don't need to inform your insurance unless you stay at your girlfriends more than you home address.
That would be right if they asked you where do keep the car most often. But they don't, so it's not.
They ask where your car is normally kept overnight. Normally can only be the most often in this instance.

Afraid you're talking rot. At home in Cornwall for 5 nights, at girlfriends place in C. London for 2 nights, the answer is Cornwall. That's where it's normally kept. 2 in 7 is not the norm, it's the exception.



ging84

9,548 posts

176 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
I have just check my policy
it says i do have to inform them if i change my address
it does not say i have to inform them about my sex life

djc206

13,580 posts

155 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
There's always one isn't there. No you don't need to tell them.

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

32,033 posts

265 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
Why the debate?

Tell them. If it doesn't matter it doesn't matter, if it does you've done right wobble

WillG

87 posts

221 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
desolate said:
bks.
That is my considered, professional opinion.
Hairdresser? Clearly not an underwritersmile

PorkInsider

6,617 posts

171 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
WillG said:
HantsRat said:
OP you don't need to inform your insurance unless you stay at your girlfriends more than you home address.
That would be right if they asked you where do keep the car most often. But they don't, so it's not.
In that case why is 'normally' included in the question?

It would just be 'where is the vehicle kept at night', if it wasn't allowing for the fact that sometimes it's not kept there.

Sheepshanks

41,150 posts

149 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
quotequote all
WillG said:
If the op lives in the Welsh hills, and his girlfriend lives in east London it's likely to be seen as relevant.
There was a past thread where the poster's family home was out in the wilds somewhere but he drove into London and stayed at a flat during the week.

He fully declared it but his insurer regarded the family home as his main residence and based the premium on that location.