Car insurance, business use

[21TonyK]

Fully appreciate business use would be necessary for regular travel during a working day etc but I am being "advised" I must have business use to claim *any* mileage allowance. Even a one off meeting at another site (travelling on my own) or just for picking something (not a person) up on my normal commute even if I don't claim anything.

I don't have an issue with this as the additional insurance cost can be claimed back but the whole things just smacks of typical local authority bullsh*t.

Plus I could be using any one of three cars which is the issue really.

[Countdown]

AIUI It’s a legal requirement (might be something to do with the Corporate Manslaughter Act but IANAL).

IIRC it used to be LA policy not only to check Business Insurance but also that the car was MOT’d and the person had a driving licence.

[21TonyK]

Countdown said:

IIRC it used to be LA policy not only to check Business Insurance but also that the car was MOT’d and the person had a driving licence.

Oh yeah, thats another bit of it, annual check on vehicle and driver, copy of all docs etc. I don't really have an issue with it but expecting me to have business cover on three vehicles just to pick up some stuff on the way to work which I wouldn't be claiming for seems ridiculous. Especially since the comment was... just use one car, ie. you can't choose to drive what car you want/need to on any given day.

[randlemarcus]

Honestly, they're behaving correctly.

If you come across a jobsworth copper on that one off site meeting, you are outside SDP&C cover.

Most policies don't cost more for Class 1 Business in my experience. If you select the lowest price on the meerkat site, your experience may vary.

[21TonyK]

Fair enough. I'll go back with the increased costs (which includes the insurers admin fee for amending the policies) and put in a claim for it.

All so I can pick up a few bits on my way to work once a month, it's already been suggested I could travel with a colleague to the once a year meeting.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

21TonyK said:

Even a one off meeting at another site (travelling on my own)

Yup, that's business use.

If you had a policy covering you only, would you think it was ok to let someone else drive, as a one off?

[snotrag]

Perfectly normal IMO too.

I have business cover on my daily for exactly this purpose, I don't drive a lot for work but the odd meeting of off-site visit. And I much prefer to take my own car than fanny about picking up a pokey engined pool car or rental Vauxhall DisAstra.

It costs practically nothing extra, I think last time it was ten quid.

[loskie]

Tony just suck it up or don't use you car for these errands you are in the wrong with your views on this matter

[Sir Bagalot]

It's not BS.

About 15 years ago I worked for a firm where an employee was travelling to a client site when he ran into the back of someone. He had to declare the purpose of the journey.

His insurance company came back stating that they would cover the damage to the third party but they wouldn't be repairing his car as he wasn't insured for the journey.

[loskie]

exactly: same as a member of the office staff just asked to drop something off at the Post Office on the way home. The commute(for which she was covered) all of a sudden became a business journey for which she had no cover.

[Ynox]

I’ve got class 1 business cover. It’s pretty cheap and means I’m covered if I do drive for work.

I’ve declared 500 business miles a year and it doesn’t make a meaningful impact on the cost of my insurance.

[spikeyhead]

It usually costs about £2.74 extra

[anonymous-user]

I just added business insurance to my wife’s car as I decided to start using it occasionally for work instead of my own car, as neither of our cars move much these days.

Cost £20 for the admin fee, and £0 for the actual cover to be added.

It is legally 100% necessary, and so cheap that it isn’t even worth debating.

[loskie]

Direct Line include it as standard. This isn't an advert for them. I am a customer but thankfully as yet haven't had to claim with them so cannot vouch for how good or bad they are.