Insurance extra charge, standard practice’?
Insurance extra charge, standard practice’?
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Discussion

v9

Original Poster:

469 posts

77 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
Couple of months ago I paid c£2k for an insurance policy for my daughter, who’s recently passed her test, with a black box.
Daughter sometimes drives to visit boyfriend in a nearby village and occasionally stays overnight.
Insurance broker has now threatened to cancel the policy. Wife spoke to them today, and they relieved us of a £45 admin fee and an extra premium on top.
I can’t see anything in the policy, schedule or questions asked when taking the policy that states the car can’t be parked elsewhere overnight on occasions, when we queried it we were just told that no, it’s not on the policy but is ‘standard industry practice’

I feel a bit aggrieved that this charge can be arbitrarily levied. Should I just have a beer and, for the good of my stress levels let it go, or should I make a nuisance of myself?

What’s to stop them tomorrow that they don’t like where she parks at college and collect another ‘admin fee’’?


Dingu

4,893 posts

59 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
v9 said:
Couple of months ago I paid c£2k for an insurance policy for my daughter, who’s recently passed her test, with a black box.
Daughter sometimes drives to visit boyfriend in a nearby village and occasionally stays overnight.
Insurance broker has now threatened to cancel the policy. Wife spoke to them today, and they relieved us of a £45 admin fee and an extra premium on top.
I can’t see anything in the policy, schedule or questions asked when taking the policy that states the car can’t be parked elsewhere overnight on occasions, when we queried it we were just told that no, it’s not on the policy but is ‘standard industry practice’

I feel a bit aggrieved that this charge can be arbitrarily levied. Should I just have a beer and, for the good of my stress levels let it go, or should I make a nuisance of myself?

What’s to stop them tomorrow that they don’t like where she parks at college and collect another ‘admin fee’’?
Both I would say.

Have a beer to destress a bit. But also If it isn’t in the terms at all make a pain of yourself.

flight147z

1,382 posts

158 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
Typical issue with taking out a black box policy really. Better off paying for a normal policy

v9

Original Poster:

469 posts

77 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
flight147z said:
Typical issue with taking out a black box policy really. Better off paying for a normal policy
Nearly twice the price! Even £2k stings a bit when you’ve never paid more than about £400 for an insurance policy.

ruhall

578 posts

175 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
A quick search online doesn't immediately show anything obvious about 'standard practice'.

Presumably nothing about 'car must be kept at home address overnight at all times'. What exactly were they not happy about; use at night, postcode where being parked at night, number of occasions implying boyfriend's is main address? etc etc..

Who's raised the issue initially, the broker or the ins company - presumably the latter, assuming they are the ones receiving the blackbox data.

flight147z

1,382 posts

158 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
v9 said:
flight147z said:
Typical issue with taking out a black box policy really. Better off paying for a normal policy
Nearly twice the price! Even £2k stings a bit when you’ve never paid more than about £400 for an insurance policy.
I guess that's why they do it then as you don't have a leg to stand on unfortunately. Unless that start asking for another £2k you'll just have to keep paying them...

v9

Original Poster:

469 posts

77 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
ruhall said:
A quick search online doesn't immediately show anything obvious about 'standard practice'.

Presumably nothing about 'car must be kept at home address overnight at all times'. What exactly were they not happy about; use at night, postcode where being parked at night, number of occasions implying boyfriend's is main address? etc etc..

Who's raised the issue initially, the broker or the ins company - presumably the latter, assuming they are the ones receiving the blackbox data.
If I recall correctly the question was something like ‘where is the vehicle normally kept overnight’ which is on the road outside our home address.

Don’t think the postcode is an issue, both quiet village locations, and theft on a £1k old Aygo isn’t a major contributor to the risk I’d imagine.

Not sure if the broker gets the data direct or the insurer does. They are a large well known broker, not a small backstreet operator.

TwigtheWonderkid

49,027 posts

179 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
flight147z said:
Typical issue with taking out a black box policy really. Better off paying for a normal policy
No it isn't and no you're not.

sjc

16,415 posts

299 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
Whenever I’ve done a policy I’ve said clearly that the main address is at XYZ but it is likely to be parked elsewhere on occasions. They have always said “that’s fine” and I’ve confirmed the call is being recorded.
Touch wood I’ve never had an issue when the kids had black boxes over this do I would deffo think about taking it further if it’s purely about it being parked elsewhere occasionally.

TwigtheWonderkid

49,027 posts

179 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
v9 said:
when we queried it we were just told that no, it’s not on the policy but is ‘standard industry practice’
It's absolutely not standard industry practice. And even if it was, they've admitted, it's not in her contract. A contract is a legally binding agreement. One side cannot vary it unilaterally.

I'd be asking further questions and escalating the matter.

Road2Ruin

6,463 posts

245 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
Our daughter's black policy, a couple of years ago, had the right to alter the premium depending on a number of factors, one of those being where the car is parked and the times of day it was being driven. This may be the case with your policy, but I am sure it would be written down somewhere.
Bell, who she was with, never charged any extra, though.

TwigtheWonderkid

49,027 posts

179 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
Road2Ruin said:
Our daughter's black policy, a couple of years ago, had the right to alter the premium depending on a number of factors, one of those being where the car is parked and the times of day it was being driven. This may be the case with your policy, but I am sure it would be written down somewhere.
Bell, who she was with, never charged any extra, though.
They've already confirmed it's not in the policy.

v9

Original Poster:

469 posts

77 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2025
quotequote all
Yep, checked all 46 pages of the policy and there’s no mention of any stipulation that it has to be at home address every night.

Road2Ruin

6,463 posts

245 months

Thursday 23rd January 2025
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Road2Ruin said:
Our daughter's black policy, a couple of years ago, had the right to alter the premium depending on a number of factors, one of those being where the car is parked and the times of day it was being driven. This may be the case with your policy, but I am sure it would be written down somewhere.
Bell, who she was with, never charged any extra, though.
They've already confirmed it's not in the policy.
Ours was in a separate book about the black box and how it works.

J4CKO

46,824 posts

229 months

Thursday 23rd January 2025
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Two grand to insure you car, but don’t dare use it for what cars are used for ?

Nick67

231 posts

272 months

Thursday 23rd January 2025
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Some of the black boxes have a curfew, which this might fall under.

I'd check with the Insurance Company rather than the broker

DaveCWK

2,400 posts

203 months

Thursday 23rd January 2025
quotequote all
Definitely complain and ask for the specific wording that apparently forbids this.

'standard practice' is that you keep the car overnight at your home address -most- of the time. If it were all of the time, it would say that in big letters. Because normal people go away overnight lol

Liamjrhodes

498 posts

170 months

Thursday 23rd January 2025
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
Two grand to insure you car, but don’t dare use it for what cars are used for ?
It is an absolute con isn't it!
I am so glad I missed the whole black box fiasco

v9

Original Poster:

469 posts

77 months

Thursday 23rd January 2025
quotequote all
Nick67 said:
Some of the black boxes have a curfew, which this might fall under.

I'd check with the Insurance Company rather than the broker
No curfew. Checked this before taking the policy.

v9

Original Poster:

469 posts

77 months

Thursday 23rd January 2025
quotequote all
J4CKO said:
Two grand to insure you car, but don’t dare use it for what cars are used for ?
My thoughts exactly.