Paying for repairs - not notifying insurance?
Discussion
In the event you have another "bigger" bump and claim, if your insurance find out you had a previous bump, which you paid for, but didnt declare, they may tell you that if they had been informed, they may have increased your premiums, and you may find they wont pay out.
This certainly was the situation some years ago which I saw on a documentary on TV
This certainly was the situation some years ago which I saw on a documentary on TV
Edited by Vipers on Thursday 8th November 11:13
No but in the event you have another "bigger" bump and claim, if your insurance find out you had a previous bump, which you paid for, but didnt declare, they may tell you that if they had been informed, they may have increased your premiums, and you may find they wont pay out.
This certainly was the situation some years ago which I saw on a documentary on TV
This certainly was the situation some years ago which I saw on a documentary on TV
Edited by Vipers on Thursday 8th November 15:22
Vipers said:
In the event you have another "bigger" bump and claim, if your insurance find out you had a previous bump, which you paid for, but didnt declare, they may tell you that if they had been informed, they may have increased your premiums, and you may find they wont pay out.
That's the suggestion here - although there's some debate as to whether you would be able to "plead ignorant" and pay the "difference"A minor bump could be bashing the car with the lawnmower while getting it out of the garge. I doubt if this would fall under the conditions of notification if you just went in for a paint touch up.
Also if the car has had previous owners who is to say which owner carried out the repair.
Also if the car has had previous owners who is to say which owner carried out the repair.
good point.
Also, I think the notification is required "in case there is a comeback", i.e. they might receive a claim from someone else and you had not pre-warned them.
If you drive into your own garage wall, and repair the damage at your own expense, there is no reason why you should inform your insurance company.
My dealer damaged a wheelarch on a previous car, and repaired it at their own expense. Why would I report that to the insurance co
Also, I think the notification is required "in case there is a comeback", i.e. they might receive a claim from someone else and you had not pre-warned them.
If you drive into your own garage wall, and repair the damage at your own expense, there is no reason why you should inform your insurance company.
My dealer damaged a wheelarch on a previous car, and repaired it at their own expense. Why would I report that to the insurance co
Remember, it's a 'No Claims Discount'. IMHO,if you don't claim, and no-one else could claim against you, then there is no change of status in respect of the risk. The danger is that you don't claim to protect your NCB and then, a couple of months later, the other party starts a claim against you about which your insurer has no knowledge. If 3rd party is involved you should always inform the insurer, even if you tell them that you are not claiming for yourself, just in case it comes back and 'bites you in the bum!".
Vipers said:
In the event you have another "bigger" bump and claim, if your insurance find out you had a previous bump, which you paid for, but didnt declare, they may tell you that if they had been informed, they may have increased your premiums, and you may find they wont pay out.
And if this is the way they work then their 'reputation' is well deserved.........over_the_hill said:
And isn't the idea of an excess to discourage people from making claims for minor sums which they can sort out themselves without the cost/expense of a full claim with paperwork etc.
Officially it is a way of offsetting some of the cost of each claim to keep the insurance cost to the insured party less. However, this is of course a side effect!
Unfortunately the law on insurance means that you are obliged to tell the insurers of anything that can relate to the assessment of insured risk. Not them ask, but you volunteer. Having a crash relates to the insured risk that's why you have to tell them regardless of whether you claim or not. You would have to exercise judgement on what that means.
Coming off the road and hitting a wall would probably count. Scratching the side of the car getting the lawnmower out of the garage probably doesnt!
Bert
Coming off the road and hitting a wall would probably count. Scratching the side of the car getting the lawnmower out of the garage probably doesnt!
Bert
catso said:
Vipers said:
In the event you have another "bigger" bump and claim, if your insurance find out you had a previous bump, which you paid for, but didnt declare, they may tell you that if they had been informed, they may have increased your premiums, and you may find they wont pay out.
And if this is the way they work then their 'reputation' is well deserved.........Also consider the driver with all these little bumps may be an elderly driver with failing eyesight, which just may be picked up by an investigation to the incident?
If the damage is just from scratching your car against a static object which is itself not damaged, then the insured risk does not change. For example, my wife put a big dent into the door of her car one night last year on a low concrete bollard in a private car park in our village. No one else was involved and we just paid my local body-shp buddy to straighten it out and re-paint it. There was no need to tell the insurers.
Years ago I bent the rear axle beam on my SAAB avoiding another car in the snow.I did not hit him, but I hit a kerb sideways. I started a claim, but then decided to withdraw it and just pay for the damage. The insurer then said that they had no further interest in this and my NCB was not affected in any way.
Years ago I bent the rear axle beam on my SAAB avoiding another car in the snow.I did not hit him, but I hit a kerb sideways. I started a claim, but then decided to withdraw it and just pay for the damage. The insurer then said that they had no further interest in this and my NCB was not affected in any way.
Another scenario to consider.
You are not a company car driver but your company sends you out on a business trip. They either give you a company car for the day or hire one in their name and the company gives full insurance cover to you. During the course of the trip you have a crash and a claim results. You were driving on roads that you normally would not drive on at times you would not normally drive and the company or their insurance picks up the bill.
Yet you must disclose this to your own insurers (possibly more than one if own multiple vehicles) and take the hit at renewal time even though no claim has been made by you. Your NCB will not be affected but this is just a discount off the base premium that they decide to charge which is some arbitrary sum. (I could offer very generous NCB of 95% but my minimum base premium is £20,000 so it suddenly doesn't look so good.)
You are not a company car driver but your company sends you out on a business trip. They either give you a company car for the day or hire one in their name and the company gives full insurance cover to you. During the course of the trip you have a crash and a claim results. You were driving on roads that you normally would not drive on at times you would not normally drive and the company or their insurance picks up the bill.
Yet you must disclose this to your own insurers (possibly more than one if own multiple vehicles) and take the hit at renewal time even though no claim has been made by you. Your NCB will not be affected but this is just a discount off the base premium that they decide to charge which is some arbitrary sum. (I could offer very generous NCB of 95% but my minimum base premium is £20,000 so it suddenly doesn't look so good.)
over_the_hill said:
Another scenario to consider.
You are not a company car driver but your company sends you out on a business trip. They either give you a company car for the day or hire one in their name and the company gives full insurance cover to you. During the course of the trip you have a crash and a claim results. You were driving on roads that you normally would not drive on at times you would not normally drive and the company or their insurance picks up the bill.
Yet you must disclose this to your own insurers (possibly more than one if own multiple vehicles) and take the hit at renewal time even though no claim has been made by you. Your NCB will not be affected but this is just a discount off the base premium that they decide to charge which is some arbitrary sum. (I could offer very generous NCB of 95% but my minimum base premium is £20,000 so it suddenly doesn't look so good.)
?You are not a company car driver but your company sends you out on a business trip. They either give you a company car for the day or hire one in their name and the company gives full insurance cover to you. During the course of the trip you have a crash and a claim results. You were driving on roads that you normally would not drive on at times you would not normally drive and the company or their insurance picks up the bill.
Yet you must disclose this to your own insurers (possibly more than one if own multiple vehicles) and take the hit at renewal time even though no claim has been made by you. Your NCB will not be affected but this is just a discount off the base premium that they decide to charge which is some arbitrary sum. (I could offer very generous NCB of 95% but my minimum base premium is £20,000 so it suddenly doesn't look so good.)
Hold on. You say that there actually is a "minimum base premium" ? Surely this qualification is something that should be shown on every quotation!!
over_the_hill said:
Another scenario to consider.
You are not a company car driver but your company sends you out on a business trip. They either give you a company car for the day or hire one in their name and the company gives full insurance cover to you. During the course of the trip you have a crash and a claim results. You were driving on roads that you normally would not drive on at times you would not normally drive and the company or their insurance picks up the bill.
Yet you must disclose this to your own insurers (possibly more than one if own multiple vehicles) and take the hit at renewal time even though no claim has been made by you. Your NCB will not be affected but this is just a discount off the base premium that they decide to charge which is some arbitrary sum. (I could offer very generous NCB of 95% but my minimum base premium is £20,000 so it suddenly doesn't look so good.)
But surely by having this accident you have proved that you are a greater risk than someone who hasn't?Whether in your own car or not....?You are not a company car driver but your company sends you out on a business trip. They either give you a company car for the day or hire one in their name and the company gives full insurance cover to you. During the course of the trip you have a crash and a claim results. You were driving on roads that you normally would not drive on at times you would not normally drive and the company or their insurance picks up the bill.
Yet you must disclose this to your own insurers (possibly more than one if own multiple vehicles) and take the hit at renewal time even though no claim has been made by you. Your NCB will not be affected but this is just a discount off the base premium that they decide to charge which is some arbitrary sum. (I could offer very generous NCB of 95% but my minimum base premium is £20,000 so it suddenly doesn't look so good.)
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff