Car insurance didn't auto-renew last January!!

[dickymint]

Wifey just had a letter from MIB stating er car was not insured She has no idea why and has never opted out from auto-renew. Can't get hold of them right now. Now me being cynical about these things would think had She had to make a claim after the last payment they would refuse to pay out. But asking them to renew it now they would expect three months 'back pay' ?

Any thoughts appreciated thanks.

[Unreal]

My thoughts are that you want to ensure they confirm you have been continuously insured.

Starting it from now might save you three months but you will have been uninsured for that time and anything could come out of the woodwork.

It's probably an admin error. I once discovered half a dozen cars weren't showing on the register but my broker confirmed I had been insured and that it was due to them failing to notify whoever it is they have to inform.

[Pica-Pica]

Check your bank direct debits. Did anything go out? Is there any insurance that shows in the 'standing orders and direct debits' folder of your account?

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Scenario 1. The policy did auto renew, money has come out of your account, but the car hasn't been added to the database. In which case you are insured, always have been, any claim would have been paid, and a quick phone call should sort it with them adding it on to the database.

Scenario 2. The policy didn't renew, no money has been paid, and you have been uninsured since January. You haven't been covered, a claim wouldn't have been paid, and your insurers can't sell you a policy from January even if they wanted to because it's illegal to backdate insurance.

Auto renew isn't a legal requirement that insurers have to provide. It's a service they offer, but ultimately, the onus is on your wife to ensure it's happened. If you never paid any money, never received any documents, by post or email or whatever, that's on you. Their failure to auto renew is a mistake it was down to you to spot.

[Sebring440]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Their failure to auto renew is a mistake it was down to you to spot.

Good advice as usual from Twig.

I'm with LV for two of my vehicles (Astra GTC and E89 Z4); premiums have dropped considerably over the past two years with them, so no complaints from me.

However for some reason this year, when the renewal email came through, there was a link to "renew". So no automatic renewal this time.

[numtumfutunch]

I had been with one of the big names for years and suffered the non auto renew thing

Utterly no idea how or what happened however got pinged on APNR after 2 weeks or so with resulting IN10 and points

Thanks

I was never given an explanation as to why it happened and now diligently check for evidence of renewal each time the year clicks over

In my defence I bought my first car when I started work and so have a gazillion direct debits leaving my account for all manner of work related expenses as well as the car insurance

Take care

[sixor8]

When I've deliberately not renewed or allowed to expire, I always get an email (or a letter in the old days) providing evidence of NCD and telling me I'm no longer insured. If nobody got this, the insurance company have not carried out an obligation.

I have 3 cars and 2 bikes so am often juggling policies, especially since multicar policies seem totally hopeless for me.

[Wacky Racer]

I have my motorhome insured with RSA.

A thick envelope dropped through the letterbox a few weeks ago, I foolishly filed it unopened in my documents for the van without opening it, assuming my new certificate would be inside,

It was actually my invitation to renew, and a couple of weeks later I got my reminder letter,

I assumed it was an automatic renewal, so I would have been uninsured.

Lesson learnt.

[Opapayer]

I thought the generally accepted view here is that auto-renew is a bad thing, exploits the customer and should be banned.

[Armitage.Shanks]

I'm surprised DVLA haven't picked this up noting there's no insurance in place and issued a fine for failure to sorn? Happened to me once when I didn't renew the VED as the vehicle was winter stored but I ended up with a £100 for failure to tell them The vehilce was however insured (I think).

Perhaps whilst they can monitor VED lapses they're not yet sophisticated enough to recognise no insurance and no sorn applied?

I wouldn't expect the insurer to honour the renewal price either. I noticed a few days after my insurance had expired they didn't auto renew so went on the website but the renewal 'offer' was no longer available and the 'new' renewal was +£100 more! I don't think backdating is possible. Didn't the insurer send an email to say it had finished telling you where you can get proof of NCD?

I make a point of opting out of auto renewal (usually having to navigate the insurers website as they don't often make it easy to find the relevant box to untick) preferring to run comparison quotes every year. If there's only a few £ in it I'll renew, if not I'll move.

If you're happy with the company renew from now, if not move on.

[Sheepshanks]

Armitage.Shanks said:

I wouldn't expect the insurer to honour the renewal price either. I noticed a few days after my insurance had expired they didn't auto renew so went on the website but the renewal 'offer' was no longer available and the 'new' renewal was +£100 more! I don't think backdating is possible.

The price difference may be because you needed insurance instantly. It's supposed to be cheapest setting a start date 3 weeks away - I played around with it when getting another car last year and in practice it didn't make too much difference to quotes until you got within three days, then the quotes jumped up.

As for auto-renewal, I have it, but I ring up when I get the renewal and grumble about the price and they reduce it. With LV, the renewal price has always been less than the new quote price and, while they're not the cheapest, they'll come down a bit so they're in there with other known insurers.

[Unreal]

My case wasn't connected to auto renewal. I had paid for the policy and the broker or insurer hadn't updated the relevant database.

In the OP's case, if the policy lapsed he may find it difficult to back date as the insurer will not want a back dated claim in their inbox.

[Sheepshanks]

Unreal said:

My case wasn't connected to auto renewal. I had paid for the policy and the broker or insurer hadn't updated the relevant database.

In the OP's case, if the policy lapsed he may find it difficult to back date as the insurer will not want a back dated claim in their inbox.

They won't backdate it. We had when LV set up a policy for the wrong year, so it expired a few days later. Thankfully they sent a "sorry you've left us" letter. They did say they would consider themselves to be held liable, but couldn't backdate the start date.

[the-norseman]

Not all insurers automatically offer auto renew, some of them get you to opt in rather than out.

Edited by the-norseman on Tuesday 5th May 23:42

[Mr Tidy]

I always opt out of Auto-renewal as it just seems to encourage the insurer to take the piss with their renewal price that comparison sites can always beat!

[Pica-Pica]

Mr Tidy said:

I always opt out of Auto-renewal as it just seems to encourage the insurer to take the piss with their renewal price that comparison sites can always beat!

I always have auto renew. You get the new offer in good time, and it's easy to look around and even easier to cancel.

[Mr Tidy]

Pica-Pica said:

Mr Tidy said:

I always opt out of Auto-renewal as it just seems to encourage the insurer to take the piss with their renewal price that comparison sites can always beat!

I always have auto renew. You get the new offer in good time, and it's easy to look around and even easier to cancel.

Maybe, but I don't even need to cancel!

[Sheepshanks]

Mr Tidy said:

Maybe, but I don't even need to cancel!

With multiple policies, car, home, travel, medical, I prefer to have the safety net that if, for some reason, I don't do anything, then I will still be insured. The cost difference will be trivial compared to what could happen. For a car, even ignoring claims, you really don't want an IN10 on your licence.

Of course, this does rely on auto-renewal actually working, so examples of it failing are alarming. LV couldn't take payment for a car policy one year, but they renewed it anyway, then wrote and asked if I'd kindly call them with new payment details.

I don't just let policies renew - I always do a quick check on comparison sites and then call them if the quotes give me any ammunition. I just cancelled our travel renewal as I'm moving to a different type of cover - the existing insurer tried very hard to keep me. I'm guessing here, but I'd imagine they really don't like losing auto-renew customers, whereas as others come and go.

[911Spanker]

It's part of life admin that we all need to keep on top of. No one else to blame I'm afraid.

[POIDH]

Doesn't everyone have thier phone/digital calendar set up with MOT/Insurance/VED reminders in there with notification 1 month before?

It's not that difficult.