Insurance refusing to let me change car on policy

[va1o]

Has anyone ever been declined by their insurance when they've changed their car?

I contacted my provider today to tell them I was considering an upgrade and asking how much extra it would cost. Not a significant jump in engine size, going from a 1.4 TSI to 2.0T. Both cars are the same year. Answer was a firm No with the only option being to cancel my current policy, accept a refund minus admin fees and take a new policy for 12 months with another provider. Works out as costing me about £200 but its a lot of extra hassle and inconvenience I could do without.

Can't get my head round this since I've done similar before without issue

[9mm]

It's not unheard of. The most common situation is when you want to insure a more powerful car and it falls outside of the underwriters' criteria.

[Dogwatch]

Your only option for avoiding hassle is to not change your car or change to one they will accept.

Try a broker.

[Devil2575]

I've had this before. The new car for whatever reasons falls outside of your current insurers criteria. For me it was switiching from a Nissan Primera 2.0 to a BMW 328i.

I ended up cancelling my insurance and taking out a new policy.

[ChrisRS6]

If you cancel because of this would you loose any no claims?...midway through term for example?

[aka_kerrly]

ChrisRS6 said:

If you cancel because of this would you loose any no claims?...midway through term for example?

Exactly, so the true cost is £200 + the loss of one years no claims which could be worth considerably more than £200

[FeelingLucky]

The only time this happened to me, I was in an E46 M3 paying around £900pa, I was in the last month of my policy, and was fully expecting renewal to be £950 to £1k.

I rang to inform them of my intended change, and the woman in a very snippy tone told me they would not insure a Porsche 997 Turbo, and as they only refund full months, I had nothing coming back to me.

With some trepidation I hit the comparison sites, and as it populated the first page of results, all of them where between £500 and £600. I was astonished (and still am) I can't figure out why a 911t would be so much less of a risk then an M3.

[alock]

Had this when I was 19 and changed my Polo for a Cavalier. Phoned Swinton the day before I bought the car and they said they wouldn't insure me on the Cavalier. On the day of purchase, I took out a different policy via a different company for my new car and then phoned Swinton to cancel. They then tried to convince me they could insure me on the Cavalier and I should stay with them

I think it was something to do with them being a broker and they could find a different underwriter to insure me even though my current policy couldn't be switched.

[Devil2575]

How much left do you have to run on your policy?

If it's just a few months then why not wait till you renew. If you're only a few months in why not just write the months off.

The question is how important are those months no claims that you've gained so far.

The benefit of being 39 is that I don't have this kind of trouble with car insurance anymore, but it was an issue up to me turning 30.

[Devil2575]

FeelingLucky said:

I was astonished (and still am) I can't figure out why a 911t would be so much less of a risk then an M3.

I knew a lad who won the lottery. 2.7 million IIRC.

He had an M3 up until he was 25 because insurance on a 911 was a problem if he was under 25.

I'm sure he could have got insured if he'd tried hard enough but through the conventional routes a 911 and under 25 didn't work.

[djfaulkner]

RAC refused to add a courtesy car onto my policy as it was brand new
It was only a year younger than my car.

[Buff Mchugelarge]

I've changed my car on my current policy 7 times last year
Never any hassle, just a quick call. Tesco. So far, can't fault them

[bomma220]

Friend of mine changed from an 02 Mondeo 2.0LX TDi to an 06 Passat 1.9TDi and was refused cover on the VW by his insurers. They told him 'the risk is outside of our underwriting criteria'
I asked another friend who worked in car insurance for many years if he could shed any light on why this would be, he said it was a strange one as the cars are similarly rated insurance wise. He suggested that the particular underwriters involved had had bad claims experience on Passats ?

[NPI]

va1o said:

I contacted my provider today to tell them I was considering an upgrade and asking how much extra it would cost. Not a significant jump in engine size, going from a 1.4 TSI to 2.0T. Both cars are the same year.

I guess the first car is some VAG thing - what's the other?

If it's something similar it's hard to imagine what the insurer's problem is.

I'd be minded to try them again this evening if they're open and see if I got the same answer.

[Aeroresh]

Sounds about right to me.

My insurance provider wouldn't let me change from a modified 570 bhp M5 Touring to a diesel Porsche Panamera. Granted the Porsche is worth more than twice the value of the M5 but you'd still think it would be a lower risk...

Ended up going to a new company and paying less than I did on the BMW.

[maniac886]

I have a similar issue when trying to change the car on my policy. My current insurer will not insure my new lease car (M135i) when it arrives as it is not owned by me. When the car arrives I will have 4 months left on my policy but I will have no choice but to move to another insurer but will lose 1 years no claims. I will have 5 years so doubt 1 year will make too much difference!

[ZOLLAR]

Dogwatch said:

Your only option for avoiding hassle is to not change your car or change to one they will accept.

Try a broker.

It's probably a broker that's the problem, the insurer underwriting the policy may not wish to accept change of vehicles so the broker has no say in the matter bar "You'll have to cancel".
Unlikely to happen with a direct insurer unless their was an age restriction but based on the car change in OP unlikely to be one.

[Herman Toothrot]

I had it last week on a motorbike, takes the P. In my case it was a unplanned trade in as my bike developed an electrical fault and I didn't want it back. I only had a month on the policy left, got offered a good deal on basically the same thing but with a fairing, same engine, same output, same chassis etc. Didn't give it a 2nd thought concerning insurance, phoned to say traded my old bike in got this new one and the gits cancelled my policy, could possibly understand if I was a new rider but i'm not, it was a 2nd bike and nothing special, not even a proper sports bike, my other bikes a superbike and insured no problem.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

In order to change an agreed contract, the change has to be agreeable to both parties. If you change your car to something the insurers don't fancy, I can't see the issue in them refusing to do it. That's their choice. You're the one who wants to move the goalposts, not them.

[Steffan]

As others have said a contract can only be altered by agreement. Insurance companies can either agree or refuse. You are seeking to alter the contract. If the IC refuse you are left with either accepting their new offer or insuring elsewhere. Best of luck, many insurers want particular forms of business and will refuse business in other forms. That is their choice.