Insuring a brand new car
Discussion
First time buying a brand new car in 40 years, trying to arrange insurance.
The car, Kia EV3, is sitting in the docks, due at the dealer on 10th January, collecting 15th January.
Dealer has given me the VIN and registration number.
My existing car will be traded in.
My existing insurer (Aviva) doesn't even list the make and model, so I can't just change car details on the existing policy, which expires mid February.
Until recently I had 2 cars, both with 13 years NCB. The other policy ran out in June 2024, so I can just start a new policy using that NCB.
I've got a decent quote online with Tesco, who the expired policy was with. Keeps it simple for the NCB, as well as being the best price.
I can't buy the policy though, as the reg number isn't on the database. I called Tesco, no chance.
Looks like I will have to buy the insurance after the car reaches the dealer and gets properly registered, and before I actually collect the car?
Odds are the price will have gone up, as "everyone" says the best time to get a quote is 2 or 3 weeks before the policy starts.
Is this just how it works now that everything is computerised?
The car, Kia EV3, is sitting in the docks, due at the dealer on 10th January, collecting 15th January.
Dealer has given me the VIN and registration number.
My existing car will be traded in.
My existing insurer (Aviva) doesn't even list the make and model, so I can't just change car details on the existing policy, which expires mid February.
Until recently I had 2 cars, both with 13 years NCB. The other policy ran out in June 2024, so I can just start a new policy using that NCB.
I've got a decent quote online with Tesco, who the expired policy was with. Keeps it simple for the NCB, as well as being the best price.
I can't buy the policy though, as the reg number isn't on the database. I called Tesco, no chance.
Looks like I will have to buy the insurance after the car reaches the dealer and gets properly registered, and before I actually collect the car?
Odds are the price will have gone up, as "everyone" says the best time to get a quote is 2 or 3 weeks before the policy starts.
Is this just how it works now that everything is computerised?
I had the same shenanigans with both Tesco and ALA for gap insurance. That was on a vehicle which had been available to order and deliveries commenced several months. They even had to get some of their IT bods to sort it, though neither actually gave up, was all sorted in one phone call for each even of not possible online. Not sure whether it's insurance industry or DVLA end to sort out.
Tesco managed before it was registered, about a week away. With ALA it was actually registered and sat on my drive and their system still didn't pick up the right model variant so system went :Computer says No."
Tesco managed before it was registered, about a week away. With ALA it was actually registered and sat on my drive and their system still didn't pick up the right model variant so system went :Computer says No."
Perhaps I'm missing something, but can't you just use a comparison site to find a quote. If the reg number isn't recognised yet then tick the box to say you don't know it and confirm later. That gets you a quote in advance for the best deal and dodges the issue of not being able to use the reg yet.
InitialDave said:
DickyC said:
Legally a car can insured on its VIN. The trick is finding an insurance company to do it.
Search 'chassis number insurance.'
Adrian Flux do this, I believe. Friend used them when insuring a fresh import.Search 'chassis number insurance.'
MitchT said:
Perhaps I'm missing something, but can't you just use a comparison site to find a quote. If the reg number isn't recognised yet then tick the box to say you don't know it and confirm later. That gets you a quote in advance for the best deal and dodges the issue of not being able to use the reg yet.
Sometimes the quote can be saved, but the Tesco quotes on several comparison sites say "only valid today".Kia do apparently do "driveaway insurance", but it has to be arranged in advance.
Hopefully the dealer will register the car as soon as it arrives, giving me a couple of days to sort it.
You never know, maybe Aviva will have updated their car database by then, and I can just swap my existing policy, then shop around at my leisure.
It does seem strange that such a big company doesn't recognise cars that have been on the road with owners for 6 weeks now.
Pretty sure Kia like many marques do "driveaway " insurance foc for maybe up to 5 days or so and will also do you a annual quote.
Normally you don't need to insure the car until the day its ready to be taken and of course you need insurance still in place for the car you are trading in.
Your existing Insurer needs to therefore cover the existing car until say say 6pm on the day with the new car being " simultaneously " insured from say 09.00 am on that day.If you know the am or pm slot for pick up then you can tell the Insurer more accurately but either way shouldn't be an issue.
Comparison sites should be able to give you a quote now ( on an annual basis ) although the dealer will also be able to supply you with "your" new registration fairly easily if that assists.
Enjoy the new car.
Normally you don't need to insure the car until the day its ready to be taken and of course you need insurance still in place for the car you are trading in.
Your existing Insurer needs to therefore cover the existing car until say say 6pm on the day with the new car being " simultaneously " insured from say 09.00 am on that day.If you know the am or pm slot for pick up then you can tell the Insurer more accurately but either way shouldn't be an issue.
Comparison sites should be able to give you a quote now ( on an annual basis ) although the dealer will also be able to supply you with "your" new registration fairly easily if that assists.
Enjoy the new car.
To clarify, I've got the reg and VIN numbers for the new car, but the car hasn't actually been registered with DVLA yet.
Normally I'd just phone my existing insurer to get the policy swapped to the new car on collection day.
I can't do this, because Aviva don't have the Kia EV3 on their database yet - quite a few comments on user forums about this.
I can start a new policy with another insurer (using a second NCB from a policy that ran out a few months ago on a second car that I've sold), but I can't actually buy the policy until the car shows up on the DVLA database.
I can't "save" the best quote, from Tesco, because it expires after 24 hours.
I can either get another quote when the car has actually been registered and shows up on DVLA, or ask the dealer to do the driveaway insurance thing when they confirm the collection day.
Not the end of the world, just annoying, and bound to end up costing me more money than if I sorted it in advance.
The last new and unregistered car I bought was a mk2 XR2 - a long time ago - 1986 I think
Since then, it's been used or pre-reg.
Normally I'd just phone my existing insurer to get the policy swapped to the new car on collection day.
I can't do this, because Aviva don't have the Kia EV3 on their database yet - quite a few comments on user forums about this.
I can start a new policy with another insurer (using a second NCB from a policy that ran out a few months ago on a second car that I've sold), but I can't actually buy the policy until the car shows up on the DVLA database.
I can't "save" the best quote, from Tesco, because it expires after 24 hours.
I can either get another quote when the car has actually been registered and shows up on DVLA, or ask the dealer to do the driveaway insurance thing when they confirm the collection day.
Not the end of the world, just annoying, and bound to end up costing me more money than if I sorted it in advance.
The last new and unregistered car I bought was a mk2 XR2 - a long time ago - 1986 I think
Since then, it's been used or pre-reg.
In which case check in advance that Kia still offer the free Insurance and use that to drive it away.
By then the car will be fully registered ( and taxed ) with DVLA and then either try your existing Insurer or a comparison site but given the cost of your new car I'm not sure your overall insurance cost will be necessarily higher per se.
I too had a new XR2 in 1986 -first company car !
By then the car will be fully registered ( and taxed ) with DVLA and then either try your existing Insurer or a comparison site but given the cost of your new car I'm not sure your overall insurance cost will be necessarily higher per se.
I too had a new XR2 in 1986 -first company car !
alscar said:
In which case check in advance that Kia still offer the free Insurance and use that to drive it away.
By then the car will be fully registered ( and taxed ) with DVLA and then either try your existing Insurer or a comparison site but given the cost of your new car I'm not sure your overall insurance cost will be necessarily higher per se.
I too had a new XR2 in 1986 -first company car !
The XR2 was my last decent private car until 2009. String of boring company Escorts, Cavaliers and Mondeos, plus some Granada and Carlton sheds when I was working via an agency.By then the car will be fully registered ( and taxed ) with DVLA and then either try your existing Insurer or a comparison site but given the cost of your new car I'm not sure your overall insurance cost will be necessarily higher per se.
I too had a new XR2 in 1986 -first company car !
As someone who has worked in the trade for over 20 years this issue with insuring brand new cars has only come about in the last 3-4 years, before it was no issue, give the reg, the details of the car and it would be insured, now if it isn't showing on the database when the reg number is put in, some won't insure it issue is it can take a few days for the database to update once the car has been registered.
I am positive this issue is just a "computer says no" attitude liked to the general decline in people not giving a s
t and doing as little as possible and just the bear minimum when it comes to being at work, they just can't be arsed with helping you out and digging a bit deeper to do so.
I am positive this issue is just a "computer says no" attitude liked to the general decline in people not giving a s
t and doing as little as possible and just the bear minimum when it comes to being at work, they just can't be arsed with helping you out and digging a bit deeper to do so.HTP99 said:
As someone who has worked in the trade for over 20 years this issue with insuring brand new cars has only come about in the last 3-4 years, before it was no issue, give the reg, the details of the car and it would be insured, now if it isn't showing on the database when the reg number is put in, some won't insure it issue is it can take a few days for the database to update once the car has been registered.
I am positive this issue is just a "computer says no" attitude liked to the general decline in people not giving a st and doing as little as possible and just the bear minimum when it comes to being at work, they just can't be arsed with helping you out and digging a bit deeper to do so.
In the OP's case it's not that car isn't showing on the DVLA database, it's that the EV3 doesn't yet appear on Aviva's database.I am positive this issue is just a "computer says no" attitude liked to the general decline in people not giving a s
t and doing as little as possible and just the bear minimum when it comes to being at work, they just can't be arsed with helping you out and digging a bit deeper to do so.As he's said, it's a bit odd, as, while EV3 is pretty new, it has been around for a few weeks.
Sheepshanks said:
In the OP's case it's not that car isn't showing on the DVLA database, it's that the EV3 doesn't yet appear on Aviva's database.
As he's said, it's a bit odd, as, while EV3 is pretty new, it has been around for a few weeks.
That's exactly the situation that I described above, online you could go through the don't know the reg number option to get a quote off such as MSM. But try to actually get that the computer says no effect took place as the model wasn't on the insurance company system, even when the reg no was known it was still not working even for their call centre agents.As he's said, it's a bit odd, as, while EV3 is pretty new, it has been around for a few weeks.
Suspect it's like someone posted, some will go the extra to try to help, others just can't be arsed.
Why not just put the date you require insurance from on your application form as the 15th January or whatever suits you and see what they're quoting you.
If it's suitable pay for it there and then. As has been stated just put in the required answer " not bought yet don't know registered number.
Any queries speak to them in person.
I doubt they're going to turn you down.
If it's suitable pay for it there and then. As has been stated just put in the required answer " not bought yet don't know registered number.
Any queries speak to them in person.
I doubt they're going to turn you down.
Volvo1956 said:
Why not just put the date you require insurance from on your application form as the 15th January or whatever suits you and see what they're quoting you.
If it's suitable pay for it there and then. As has been stated just put in the required answer " not bought yet don't know registered number.
Any queries speak to them in person.
I doubt they're going to turn you down.
That's exactly what I did, to get the quote.If it's suitable pay for it there and then. As has been stated just put in the required answer " not bought yet don't know registered number.
Any queries speak to them in person.
I doubt they're going to turn you down.
I couldn't buy online without a reg number that's on the DVLA database.
I called them, and they said the same thing - can't be done until the reg is on the database.
The car arrived at the dealer yesterday. I'd asked them to register it when it arrived, not on collection day (next Wednesday).
This morning, I tried again to transfer my existing insurance with Aviva. Website took all the details, but still said "no". No actual reason given, just a long list of possible reasons.
I insured it with Tesco, no problems at all. Cheaper than my current 2021 XC40. £429 with all the options added.
This morning, I tried again to transfer my existing insurance with Aviva. Website took all the details, but still said "no". No actual reason given, just a long list of possible reasons.
I insured it with Tesco, no problems at all. Cheaper than my current 2021 XC40. £429 with all the options added.
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