Car insurance without a car

Car insurance without a car

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Discussion

a

Original Poster:

439 posts

84 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
I'm currently selling my car and will be without one for a few weeks while I await delivery of the replacement.

If I cancel my insurance I think there's a £15 admin fee to pay. Also I'm not sure what happens to my no claims bonus if I have a period with no car?

Is it OK if I forget to inform the insurance company that I have sold my car for a couple of weeks? If the new owner gets in an accident could it somehow lead back to me?

Who_Goes_Blue

1,095 posts

171 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
I have no food for you troll - go away

a

Original Poster:

439 posts

84 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
I don't understand. What's wrong with my question?

TwigtheWonderkid

43,387 posts

150 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
a said:
I'm currently selling my car and will be without one for a few weeks while I await delivery of the replacement.

If I cancel my insurance I think there's a £15 admin fee to pay. Also I'm not sure what happens to my no claims bonus if I have a period with no car?

Is it OK if I forget to inform the insurance company that I have sold my car for a couple of weeks? If the new owner gets in an accident could it somehow lead back to me?
Yes, but only if the new owner doesn't get their own insurance. Your insurer will be the sole insurer for the vehicle on the MID.

xjay1337

15,966 posts

118 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
I would leave it insured if it's only a couple of weeks
Many people do this.

I wouldn't shout about it, though.

No claims is usually valid for 2 years after the last policy ended. However if you have say 11 months and 2 weeks of a policy and cancel it, you will get an additional years NCB for that year.

caelite

4,274 posts

112 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
I echo xjay, if it's only a couple of weeks I would leave it to avoid the fee and to gain the extra years NCB. If you cancel it early you won't get any NCB for that year.

However if the new owner is bent and doesn't insure the car himself it can leave your insurance liable.

Iambatman

11 posts

99 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
Some insurance companies provide a function called "suspension" where you effectively pause the insurance which means you're no longer showing as insured against said vehicle and you can then resume the cover when you have the new vehicle. Keeps your policy intact and your NCD ticking over.

In regards to your question about if the new owner gets in to an accident, if the new owner doesn't take out new insurance or the MID takes a while to update and they have an incident then you will show as an insurance hit on Experian (this is an upgraded version of MID) when the registration of the sold vehicle is looked up.

I'd personally ask if your insurance provider offers suspension and if not, leave it running.

KevinCamaroSS

11,640 posts

280 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
Some companies will let you have a couple of weeks 'off' if you are planning a replacement imminently. Talk to your company, tell them you plan to sell it and replace it in a couple of weeks, see what they say. I personally would not leave it insured after sale for the reason given above, do you want your insurance company to be liable if the new owner has an accident, bearing in mind it would affect your no claims?

Iambatman

11 posts

99 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
Forgot to add, if they did have an accident and you showed up as the insured, if you provide evidence you had sold the vehicle and provide the new owner details then the claim would be rejected by your company.

Although you're down as the insured it's clearly not your car and your tie-ins with it have effectively ended.

Edited by Iambatman on Wednesday 19th April 13:52

thebigmacmoomin

2,799 posts

169 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
Just speak to your insurer and explain the situation. You wont be the first person this has happened to so they should have something in place.

xjay1337

15,966 posts

118 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
thebigmacmoomin said:
Just speak to your insurer and explain the situation. You wont be the first person this has happened to so they should have something in place.
Nope, you can technically only insure a car you own. When you sell it, they will cancel your policy.

I would tell the new buyer that it is not insured anymore and ask to see proof of insurance before you will let them test drive it, if you've not sold it already.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

126 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
a said:
Is it OK if I forget to inform the insurance company that I have sold my car for a couple of weeks? If the new owner gets in an accident could it somehow lead back to me?
Fifteen quid, you say?
http://www.visordown.com/news/general/biker-may-be...

xjay1337

15,966 posts

118 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
Did that ever actually get to court?

I very much doubt that the Ombudsman would allow that to happen.

a

Original Poster:

439 posts

84 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
TooMany2cvs said:
And loss of NCB...

I'll ask about insurance suspension, that seems like the way to go if it's available.

imdeman87

894 posts

107 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
a said:
I'm currently selling my car and will be without one for a few weeks while I await delivery of the replacement.

If I cancel my insurance I think there's a £15 admin fee to pay. Also I'm not sure what happens to my no claims bonus if I have a period with no car?

Is it OK if I forget to inform the insurance company that I have sold my car for a couple of weeks? If the new owner gets in an accident could it somehow lead back to me?
Wouldn't do that - if the new owner either accidentally or purposefully drives without insurance and they're to blame for a multi-vehicle accident, who's insurer would pay out? Yours. Depending on the severity of the accident and injuries sustained by people, then that could easily be a 6-figure payout.


xjay1337 said:
I would leave it insured if it's only a couple of weeks
caelite said:
I echo xjay, if it's only a couple of weeks I would leave it to avoid the fee and to gain the extra years NCB.
Madness.

TooMany2cvs

29,008 posts

126 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
xjay1337 said:
Did that ever actually get to court?

I very much doubt that the Ombudsman would allow that to happen.
There was already a legal precedent, from 2001.

http://www.whitedalton.co.uk/motorbike-blog/2014/1...

Edited by TooMany2cvs on Wednesday 19th April 14:29

xjay1337

15,966 posts

118 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
Oops.

Fair enough - check they have insurance then in that case lol.

a

Original Poster:

439 posts

84 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
So really you should cancel your insurance before the new owner drives away wobble

imdeman87

894 posts

107 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
xjay1337 said:
Oops.

Fair enough - check they have insurance then in that case lol.
I wouldn't even advise that.

Buyer shows up with a valid insurance certificate, takes the vehicle away, buyer cancels insurance policy under the 14 day cooling off period (or defaults on payment), seller of vehicle still liable if the the buyer has an accident and the 'old' policy is still in place.

Only way to prevent the above stories from happening is to cancel the insurance. A loss of one year's NCB is nothing compared to some of the horror stories above.

Just try and time it better next time. wink

mgv8

1,632 posts

271 months

Wednesday 19th April 2017
quotequote all
Talk to the people you have cover with. What you are doing is common and more company's will be able to cope. As below, not some thing too get wrong.