Insurance insured someone else's plate? Car to be crushed?
Insurance insured someone else's plate? Car to be crushed?
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Discussion

CarysScott

Original Poster:

2 posts

110 months

Monday 31st July 2017
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Hi so I need some help and advice!
My partner was driving home from work when he got pulled over by an undercover for no insirance. They've taken the car to an impound and it's due to be crushed. Problem is, his car has been insured since we baught it in April. The officer said if we can prover his insurance then he'll tare the ticket.
Naturally we got in touch with the insurance company to find out what is going on. Turns out they have someone else's plate on a car that is the next model up to ours. They are saying it is our fault because we input the details wrong and when we did a quote online it must have been an old quote that we finished off and sent it. Only we didn't look at other cars. And my partner said he didn't either. They didn't post any paper work to us, call or anything. They didn't even send a welcome package as I have always received from company's in the past. (I understand not everyone is the same). So my partner went through his spam box and by chance we came across spam mail from them about the car. Nothing was said in the spam about what type of car is insured or what plate the car is under. However they did ask him to confirm the vehicle Insurance. He didn't as he never received it in his eyes; yet they still took payments. Their policy is that the insurance is null and void if they do not receive accurate information, confirmation and the usual stuff. So they have the wrong information and no confirmation of my partners car. They are refusing to get the car out of the impound and are telling us we have to insure his actual car to get it out at a higher price as it was seized by the police because they did not insure it.
Just to add I can't afford to get the car out or 're insure it even temporarily and my partner has lost nearly £1,000 in work because of all this. Took 2 weeks for the insurance company to give us answers. I called every other day.

What action can I take to get my partners car back, my money back and be rid of this ticket and go skippie car insurance? Need help fast.

Gary C

15,212 posts

208 months

Monday 31st July 2017
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If I'm reading this right, you have no other choice but to get the car insured and pay the recovery cost to get the car back. From the police's point of view, it wasn't insured.

You can then argue with the insurers who was at fault, but I think you won't have a leg to stand on if you did not check the insurance certificate was correct (which I do sympathise, it's easy to do things online and miss following up with checks)


CarysScott

Original Poster:

2 posts

110 months

Monday 31st July 2017
quotequote all
Thanks Gary. They didn't send a certificate with the vehicles details on though. Just an email to say it was insured? Can I get my money back? I can't afford to get the car out as it's too expensive since we had to wait 2 weeks for the insurance to come back to us with feedback. It's already up to £950 and I'm the only one with an income as my partner can not work without his car.

strain

419 posts

130 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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unfortunately with most comparison sites you input the data and you check it, its not down the the company to ask you to check them.

Speak to the insurance company and point out they have been taking the payments monthly and that they have to deliver a service for that money or refund it, they cannot take the money and not provide a service. This will either leave you with money to get the car out or they will keep the policy and update the car under it, they should then provide a proof of insurance (as you have been paying) to get the car out.

it always pays to check that your cars are insured on askmid website.

Retroman

975 posts

162 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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Normally when an insurance policy is taken out online it asks you to check all the details before submitting.
Then you'd normally get a confirmation email asking to check details are correct etc.

Personally, if i never got the confirmation email i'd have been chasing it up within 48 hours.

Unfortunately the only way i can see of getting the car out, is to get someone who can be insured on the car and the insurance covers removal from police impound (most don't)

But i don't see any way of getting the charges waived or the no insurance charge / ticket dropped

mgv8

1,657 posts

300 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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Get all the paper work together you have. Write down all the details of what went wrong. Go to the police and talk to them. The main point here is your did not gain anything from the error.
Talk to the insurance compney and get the police moved to the new number plate (should just be an admin charge).


Cat

3,134 posts

298 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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CarysScott said:
Took 2 weeks for the insurance company to give us answers. I called every other day.
I would suggest whatever you are going to do you need to do quickly. The usual policy is that no insurance/DL seizures are disposed of if not claimed within 14 days.

Cat

PurpleMoonlight

22,362 posts

186 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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CarysScott said:
Thanks Gary. They didn't send a certificate with the vehicles details on though. Just an email to say it was insured? Can I get my money back? I can't afford to get the car out as it's too expensive since we had to wait 2 weeks for the insurance to come back to us with feedback. It's already up to £950 and I'm the only one with an income as my partner can not work without his car.
Are you 100% sure you are dealing with an actual insurer and not a scammer?

I find it hard to believe they have not issued a policy and insurance certificate, even if via email.

effkay

737 posts

218 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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Why you should always check on AskMid too.

https://ownvehicle.askmid.com/

Durzel

12,994 posts

197 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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PurpleMoonlight said:
Are you 100% sure you are dealing with an actual insurer and not a scammer?

I find it hard to believe they have not issued a policy and insurance certificate, even if via email.
And harder still that one would take out insurance and receive nothing and think "welp I'm probably insured, that'll do"

mickmcpaddy

1,445 posts

134 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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Durzel said:
PurpleMoonlight said:
Are you 100% sure you are dealing with an actual insurer and not a scammer?

I find it hard to believe they have not issued a policy and insurance certificate, even if via email.
And harder still that one would take out insurance and receive nothing and think "welp I'm probably insured, that'll do"
This basically, when I go through the rigmarole of changing insurance every year I usually have a very nervous wait for an hour or so before any documents are emailed to me in case there is any sort of problem and they end up not insuring me.

Blue Oval84

5,394 posts

190 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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I'm absolutely certain that the insurers will have sent a certificate of insurance either via email or in the post, it'll be there somewhere.

As discussed already, the car won't be crushed, just get it insured and take the proof down to the impound yard, along with some money, and they'll give you the car back.

Then you can pick up with the insurers. If you really believe they didn't send you a certificate then your first question should be "On what date and via what method did you send my insurance documents?" then work from there to establish who was at fault.

Defconluke

320 posts

183 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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The last couple of times I have changed insurers online, I have been required to input some details or create an account on their site to confirm my identity and be able to access the insurance certificate, terms and conditions etc.

With Tesco Bank it was Postcode and Date of Birth and with Go Skippy I had to create an online membership on their site.

Depending on who he is with, your other half may have been required to do the same as the emails themselves do not have the policy documents attached.

bigandclever

14,336 posts

267 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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Blue Oval84 said:
I'm absolutely certain that the insurers will have sent a certificate of insurance either via email or in the post, it'll be there somewhere.
Admiral don't. Well, they didn't to me this year. You have to register, log in, and get it yourself.

Blue Oval84

5,394 posts

190 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
quotequote all
bigandclever said:
Admiral don't. Well, they didn't to me this year. You have to register, log in, and get it yourself.
I'll bet they sent an e-mail saying "click this link to get your documents" though?

Second Best

6,534 posts

210 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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bigandclever said:
Admiral don't. Well, they didn't to me this year. You have to register, log in, and get it yourself.
You can ask them to update your preferences so that they always send you an email with the cert after your call - they always send me a copy via email immediately after speakingw ith them.

Pica-Pica

16,537 posts

113 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
quotequote all
Durzel said:
PurpleMoonlight said:
Are you 100% sure you are dealing with an actual insurer and not a scammer?

I find it hard to believe they have not issued a policy and insurance certificate, even if via email.
And harder still that one would take out insurance and receive nothing and think "welp I'm probably insured, that'll do"
Indeed, junk box is best checked at least once a week. Most insurers send policy details, usually about 3 or mor files, by e-mail, or by a downloadable file. Best to at least download or print the certificate of insurance (a bit of a clue something is up if you did not have that arrive).

bigandclever

14,336 posts

267 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
quotequote all
Second Best said:
bigandclever said:
Admiral don't. Well, they didn't to me this year. You have to register, log in, and get it yourself.
You can ask them to update your preferences so that they always send you an email with the cert after your call - they always send me a copy via email immediately after speakingw ith them.
Fair enough, that wasn't offered at the time and, in fairness to the OP, the email they sent saying 'register an account so you can get your documents' went to my Junk folder. Anyway, I checked, so I'm alright smile

ging84

9,548 posts

175 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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Just kill this thread now
it's clearly a fantasy

Nickyboy

6,823 posts

263 months

Tuesday 1st August 2017
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Going by how hard the post was to understand i'm going with OP fked up the inputting of data somewhere and/or deleted relevant email from insurer if it existed. If you buy a policy online the email you receive is normally automatic with policy details on or a link to your policy online. Even so you would have been given a policy number after you bought it displayed on the screen.