Category N

[Grubbyman]

I have a category N car.
When I insured it, I never mentioned that fact to the insurance company.
Should I have mentioned it?
I assume they already know it’s a cat N car as it will come up on their database. I assume I don’t need to tell them???
Nothing was mentioned about cat N by them or by me.
I’m wondering now if it’s actually insured or not. Should I have disclosed the fact that it’s cat N? This was about 6 months ago, so really don’t want to let them know now, then they cancel my insurance…
Does anyone have experience of this?

[Scrump]

If they didn’t ask then I wouldn’t tell them half way though a policy.
They will soon figure it out if the worst happens and the car is written off as Cat N will affect the market value, meanwhile just drive it.

If this continues to worry you then you may wish to volunteer the info at renewal time, I have no idea whether or not it will affect the premium.

[sticks090460]

In consumer insurance practice, if they haven't asked a specific question, they can’t expect to be informed about it. As long as there wasn't a relevant question about it on the proposal form that you answered incorrectly, there isn’t an issue.

[Mr Tidy]

sticks090460 said:

In consumer insurance practice, if they haven't asked a specific question, they can’t expect to be informed about it. As long as there wasn't a relevant question about it on the proposal form that you answered incorrectly, there isn’t an issue.

That sounds sensible to me, but when my renewal comes around in April I'll tell them my car became a Cat N last year just in case.

[smokey mow]

Mr Tidy said:

sticks090460 said:

In consumer insurance practice, if they haven't asked a specific question, they can’t expect to be informed about it. As long as there wasn't a relevant question about it on the proposal form that you answered incorrectly, there isn’t an issue.

That sounds sensible to me, but when my renewal comes around in April I'll tell them my car became a Cat N last year just in case.

At which point surely they’ll start asking questions about how the car was involved in an accident and why they weren’t informed of it.

[MitchT]

In all the years I've been buying insurance online I've never seen an opportunity to declare if a car was an insurance write-off, either on a comparison site or on an insurer's site that I'm forwarded to from the comparison site. As I undertsand it, if they ask something you should answer honestly. If they don't ask something, you don't need to tell them.

I welcome advice to the contrary if such advice exists.

[Mr Tidy]

smokey mow said:

At which point surely they’ll start asking questions about how the car was involved in an accident and why they weren’t informed of it.

And I'll tell them there is only a duty of disclosure at renewal and I claimed from the insurer of the driver that hit me.

Hopefully I learnt more working in insurance claims for over 30 years than the current call-centre numpties!

[Richard-D]

What you are suggesting sounds to me like taking something that isn't a problem (Cat N that they haven't asked you about so you haven't told them) and causing yourself an actual problem (claiming to have been involved in an accident, that you'll need to declare for the next 5 years).

I'm not saying don't, not my place to, but it is an odd move.

[smokey mow]

Richard-D said:

What you are suggesting sounds to me like taking something that isn't a problem (Cat N that they haven't asked you about so you haven't told them) and causing yourself an actual problem (claiming to have been involved in an accident, that you'll need to declare for the next 5 years).

I'm not saying don't, not my place to, but it is an odd move.

I agree, what benefit is there in pretending to having an accident and claiming against another party when in reality you haven’t. It seems madness to me.

[simon_harris]

My S4 is a CAT N car, I rebuilt it in 2020 and have never been asked (or declared) about that when insuring it. I have always assumed that they will know as they have all the access to the insurance category system.

[BertBert]

Mr Tidy said:

That sounds sensible to me, but when my renewal comes around in April I'll tell them my car became a Cat N last year just in case.

Just in case of what?

Mr Tidy said:

Hopefully I learnt more working in insurance claims for over 30 years than the current call-centre numpties!

Then why tell them just in case? You'll be telling them about the accident I assume?

[BertBert]

Insurance companies don't give a toss about asking you about Cat N when taking out insurance. They either know from their systems or it doesn't matter.
If you come to then make a claim, it just affects the market value.

[J4CKO]

BertBert said:

Insurance companies don't give a toss about asking you about Cat N when taking out insurance. They either know from their systems or it doesn't matter.
If you come to then make a claim, it just affects the market value.

This, you can still do as much damage or injury with a categorised car as one that isnt.

They will know if its on the register, but it will only come to light when you claim and they adjust the payout accordingly, or write it off more readily as the repair cost is more than the adjusted value.