Main User Of Vehicle
Discussion
Something that nobody (insurance call centre staff) seem to be able to answer, so thought views of PH matter.....
When insuring a vehicle it is asked who is the main user, so
When insuring a vehicle it is asked who is the main user, so
- Partner #1 uses it locally for school run, shopping, etc and racks up approx 3,000 miles per annum
- Partner #2 drives when visiting relatives, family functions, holiday, etc and racks up 4,000 miles per annum
Common sense would dictate the driver with greater mileage, surely.
As an aside, how does a driver doing 1000 miles less per annum spend more time in the driving seat? Very - horribly - basic maths would suggest that, if the other driver covered those extra 1000 miles at an average of 30mph, the driver with lower mileage would need to spend some extra 33 hours sitting in a stationary car just to bring their time in the seat to some sort of parity.
I'm not that boring usually, by the way.
As an aside, how does a driver doing 1000 miles less per annum spend more time in the driving seat? Very - horribly - basic maths would suggest that, if the other driver covered those extra 1000 miles at an average of 30mph, the driver with lower mileage would need to spend some extra 33 hours sitting in a stationary car just to bring their time in the seat to some sort of parity.
I'm not that boring usually, by the way.
Edited by iphonedyou on Thursday 27th October 13:47
I queried this with my insurance company as I am in a similar boat.
My wife uses the car 5 days a week but I drive it at weekends and often rack up the larger miles (I have never actually calculated it though). Insurance company didn't seem to bothered as I had another car and suggested it was mainly used in cases of fronting with young children or where someone was obvious lying to get a cheaper quote etc.
My wife uses the car 5 days a week but I drive it at weekends and often rack up the larger miles (I have never actually calculated it though). Insurance company didn't seem to bothered as I had another car and suggested it was mainly used in cases of fronting with young children or where someone was obvious lying to get a cheaper quote etc.
A friend of mine had an issue with this.
Insured with More Than (RSA). Mon - Fri his 18 y/o son used the car to commute, 5 miles each way.
Weekday eves and w/ends they followed the mighty Chelsea, over land and sea and Leicester. Dad always drove. Dad did much more mileage than son, but son used the car on more occasions.
Dad declared himself as main user and son as commuting but not main user. Son has an accident (thankfully non fault) on way to work, More Than kicked the claim out and cancelled the policy! The said son was main user as he used the car on more occasions.
I reckon he could have gone to ombudsman and won, but he didn't bother.
Insured with More Than (RSA). Mon - Fri his 18 y/o son used the car to commute, 5 miles each way.
Weekday eves and w/ends they followed the mighty Chelsea, over land and sea and Leicester. Dad always drove. Dad did much more mileage than son, but son used the car on more occasions.
Dad declared himself as main user and son as commuting but not main user. Son has an accident (thankfully non fault) on way to work, More Than kicked the claim out and cancelled the policy! The said son was main user as he used the car on more occasions.
I reckon he could have gone to ombudsman and won, but he didn't bother.
Well If you say driver 1 it will be more expensive. If you say 2 it will be more expensive.
Its how insurance companies work, its how they get such large profits, when I was unemployed they charged me more for being higher risk as I wasnt working, when I got a job they charged me more because id be driving to work.
Its how insurance companies work, its how they get such large profits, when I was unemployed they charged me more for being higher risk as I wasnt working, when I got a job they charged me more because id be driving to work.
iphonedyou said:
Common sense would dictate the driver with greater mileage, surely.
As an aside, how does a driver doing 1000 miles less per annum spend more time in the driving seat? Very - horribly - basic maths would suggest that, if the other driver covered those extra 1000 miles at an average of 30mph, the driver with lower mileage would need to spend some extra 33 hours sitting in a stationary car just to bring their time in the seat to some sort of parity.
I'm not that boring usually, by the way.
Yes, very basic maths. Driver 1 uses it for local driving, let's say at an average of 30mph. 100 hours in the car.As an aside, how does a driver doing 1000 miles less per annum spend more time in the driving seat? Very - horribly - basic maths would suggest that, if the other driver covered those extra 1000 miles at an average of 30mph, the driver with lower mileage would need to spend some extra 33 hours sitting in a stationary car just to bring their time in the seat to some sort of parity.
I'm not that boring usually, by the way.
Edited by iphonedyou on Thursday 27th October 13:47
Driver 2 uses it for long distances, so motorways, and will have an average of let's say 50mph, 80 hours in the car.
Mr Dave said:
Well If you say driver 1 it will be more expensive. If you say 2 it will be more expensive.
Its how insurance companies work, its how they get such large profits, when I was unemployed they charged me more for being higher risk as I wasnt working, when I got a job they charged me more because id be driving to work.
Such large profits! Really! I read a report recently that said the UK motor insurance market had lost money for 18 of the last 20 yrs. But that was in the F.T., so what do they know! Its how insurance companies work, its how they get such large profits, when I was unemployed they charged me more for being higher risk as I wasnt working, when I got a job they charged me more because id be driving to work.
It is based on control. Who has the "keys in their pocket" most often. You might not be driving the car when it is parked in the office car park 9 - 5, but you have control. You "enjoy the use" of it if you need to go to the supermarket whilst it is under your control.
But as people have said, if it makes little difference to the price, then it is largely irrelevant.
But as people have said, if it makes little difference to the price, then it is largely irrelevant.
Nick3point2 said:
Yes, very basic maths. Driver 1 uses it for local driving, let's say at an average of 30mph. 100 hours in the car.
Driver 2 uses it for long distances, so motorways, and will have an average of let's say 50mph, 80 hours in the car.
Who said anything about long distances? Holidays, perhaps, but you certainly can't infer distance from the other two uses stated.Driver 2 uses it for long distances, so motorways, and will have an average of let's say 50mph, 80 hours in the car.
Regardless of 20 or 33, it's still a long time sitting in the driver seat of a stationary car, that's my point.
Been through this before with the wife's car. One insurer needed to know (through the AA) and she was the registered keeper and its her insurance but I had to call and confirm with the actual insurance company that I was able to use it for something other than "limited" use.
On the other hand, the current car and insurance (Direct Line) didnt care. Although I am likely to do more mileage and the car is hers, we are both similar risk. Which is fine as we are not trying to get cheaper insurance by using one person other than the other. The rates would have been the same, so it actually didnt matter and hence they didnt mind.
Its just that they are trying to clamp down on the parents who insure the car for their kids to drive!
On the other hand, the current car and insurance (Direct Line) didnt care. Although I am likely to do more mileage and the car is hers, we are both similar risk. Which is fine as we are not trying to get cheaper insurance by using one person other than the other. The rates would have been the same, so it actually didnt matter and hence they didnt mind.
Its just that they are trying to clamp down on the parents who insure the car for their kids to drive!
U T said:
Mr Dave said:
Well If you say driver 1 it will be more expensive. If you say 2 it will be more expensive.
Its how insurance companies work, its how they get such large profits, when I was unemployed they charged me more for being higher risk as I wasnt working, when I got a job they charged me more because id be driving to work.
Such large profits! Really! I read a report recently that said the UK motor insurance market had lost money for 18 of the last 20 yrs. But that was in the F.T., so what do they know! Its how insurance companies work, its how they get such large profits, when I was unemployed they charged me more for being higher risk as I wasnt working, when I got a job they charged me more because id be driving to work.
hundreds of companies cannot survive for 18-20 years without any profit.
Efbe said:
really? then those other 2 years they must have made trillions!
hundreds of companies cannot survive for 18-20 years without any profit.
The car insurance arm of the company generally doesn't make money. The other arms of the company do (and lots of it.)hundreds of companies cannot survive for 18-20 years without any profit.
That's the party line, anyway.
iphonedyou said:
Efbe said:
really? then those other 2 years they must have made trillions!
hundreds of companies cannot survive for 18-20 years without any profit.
The car insurance arm of the company generally doesn't make money. The other arms of the company do (and lots of it.)hundreds of companies cannot survive for 18-20 years without any profit.
That's the party line, anyway.
Efbe said:
then the main company would ditch it.
I'm not so sure. It's probably the most high-profile form of insurance so it gets them known to the general public. The car insurance arms of the major insurers certainly have recorded losses the last few years, although whether that's realistic or creative accounting is never really easy to tell from outside.
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