Insuring a car with zero no claims bonus.

[Sinbad1900]

I’m looking to insure a new purchase and I’m having to go with zero no claims bonus.

I recently sold a classic but with classic policies you don’t accrue any no claims bonus. However, my old company have sent me a document entitled “Proof of Claim Free Driving” where they have confirmed that I have 9 years of claim free driving behind me.

Is anyone aware of an insurance company that would offer me a discount based on this claim free driving letter?

Many thanks

[SteBrown91]

No claims discount is basically worthless I wouldn't get too hung up on it.

I have insured a 2nd car with no NCD before and the cost was broadly in line of what I expected insurance to cost on it (IE not alot).

Your location, car and driving/claims history is much more relevant.

[Sinbad1900]

Hmm, interesting.

And thanks

[s p a c e m a n]

Yeah sometimes I get a cheaper quote using a normal company with no claims than I do using an actual classic policy. We're also forever adding and selling cars without having an old policy to use for the no claims and the prices are about the same as I would expect with my full no claims policies.

I don't understand why they don't let us use one set of no claims across multiple policies at the same time as it makes little difference to the price, I'm not even sure what the point of them is anymore to be honest.

[Monkeylegend]

Sinbad1900 said:

Hmm, interesting.

And thanks

Do you have full no claims available for the new car or are you looking to mirror this from another car.?

There will be companies who will mirror your no claims, I know Howdens did this for me a few years ago. A quick google should find you other companies that will do this.

If you have no claims to transfer from another vehicle you just declare 9 years no claims, which I think is the maximum you need to get the full discount, backed up by your letter from your old company if asked for proof.

Re the comment that no claims is worthless. Go online and do two quotes, one with no no claims and one with 9 years and see the difference for yourself. It has always made a significant difference for me.

[Bear-n]

Sinbad1900 said:

Is anyone aware of an insurance company that would offer me a discount based on this claim free driving letter?

It was either Aviva or Direct line that did with me a few years back - didn't seem o be anything out of the ordinary to them. I had to be the sole driver though, so not a pool car.

[shtu]

Sinbad1900 said:

I m looking to insure a new purchase and I m having to go with zero no claims bonus.

I recently sold a classic but with classic policies you don t accrue any no claims bonus. However, my old company have sent me a document entitled Proof of Claim Free Driving where they have confirmed that I have 9 years of claim free driving behind me.

Is anyone aware of an insurance company that would offer me a discount based on this claim free driving letter?

Many thanks

It would be interesting if "Joseph Bloggs" from two doors down tried running some insurance quotes both with and without 9 years NCD, just to see what difference it actually makes.

[ARH]

SteBrown91 said:

No claims discount is basically worthless I wouldn't get too hung up on it.

I have insured a 2nd car with no NCD before and the cost was broadly in line of what I expected insurance to cost on it (IE not alot).

Your location, car and driving/claims history is much more relevant.

I have found this as well, when I wanted to insure an extra car some years back I spoke to an insurance company to see which car would be cheaper with the no claims. Both came in within about 10% less with full 30 odd years of no claims, compared to no no claims.

I was old then though and now have 9 years no claims on the second car with no noticeable reduction in cost with the extra no claims. I do have 44 years no claims though, which probably makes the no claims bonus irrelevant.

What's worse is people pay to protect their no claims bonus.

[davek_964]

Bear-n said:

Sinbad1900 said:

Is anyone aware of an insurance company that would offer me a discount based on this claim free driving letter?

It was either Aviva or Direct line that did with me a few years back - didn't seem o be anything out of the ordinary to them. I had to be the sole driver though, so not a pool car.

I've also done that in the past.

However - I also agree with the posts that say it doesn't make much difference. By chance, I was talking to a colleague last week and the subject of car insurance came up. He bought a newer car a year or so back, and kept his old car - and hence had to insure with no NCD. He said he was surprised how little difference that made.
Maybe it's more significant if you're a young new driver.

[alscar]

Some Insurers ( usually either the more esoteric or HNW ones and usually where a number of cars ) rarely give NCB per se but just look at the record and make an underwriting decision based on this.
This may of course come at a more expensive price.
Getting a broker to do this work for you may be an option which wont cost you any more than diy.

[Bluevanman]

You will get a heavy discount by just being a new customer

[ARH]

If you are a new / young driver it will make a difference, but it will be years without claims that make the difference not the bonos, and you can't have claim free years if you are in your first year of driving.

It's a bit chicken or egg though.

[grumbas]

If you use the comparison sites and correctly answer the questions about other cars in the household etc that should trigger any intro discounts available with zero bonus.

Some of the bigger insurers will mirror so you've got actual ncb after the policy expires. The list seems to be shrinking but AXA did for me recently when I added a second car with them. Always worth asking your current insurer.

It's often the second year on the car that gets more expensive if you started with zero, the intro deals aren't kicking in any more and the actuarial models don't understand why you've got experience and no bonus!

[BertBert]

ARH said:

If you are a new / young driver it will make a difference, but it will be years without claims that make the difference not the bonos, and you can't have claim free years if you are in your first year of driving.

It's a bit chicken or egg though.

How does that work. The NCB is a specific percentage reduction, so how does it make more of a difference to new drivers than older drivers?

[ARH]

BertBert said:

ARH said:

If you are a new / young driver it will make a difference, but it will be years without claims that make the difference not the bonos, and you can't have claim free years if you are in your first year of driving.

It's a bit chicken or egg though.

How does that work. The NCB is a specific percentage reduction, so how does it make more of a difference to new drivers than older drivers?

You tell me, I know they say it is a discount, but try some quotes to find out, my guess is it's just another misleading "scam" from the insurance industry.

[WPA]

shtu said:

Sinbad1900 said:

I m looking to insure a new purchase and I m having to go with zero no claims bonus.

I recently sold a classic but with classic policies you don t accrue any no claims bonus. However, my old company have sent me a document entitled Proof of Claim Free Driving where they have confirmed that I have 9 years of claim free driving behind me.

Is anyone aware of an insurance company that would offer me a discount based on this claim free driving letter?

Many thanks

It would be interesting if "Joseph Bloggs" from two doors down tried running some insurance quotes both with and without 9 years NCD, just to see what difference it actually makes.

For my Mazda the difference was £59 extra without any NCB, had a quote a few weeks back as may I need to run it on a separate policy whilst selling it

[Pablo Escobar]

3rd car added last year, 0% no claims £580

Renewal this year with 1 year NCD £280 (different insurer)

[Sinbad1900]

Thanks for the all responses.

Going through them one by one...

[ARH]

WPA said:

For my Mazda the difference was £59 extra without any NCB, had a quote a few weeks back as may I need to run it on a separate policy whilst selling it

what percentage was that?

[Sheepshanks]

Sinbad1900 said:

Is anyone aware of an insurance company that would offer me a discount based on this claim free driving letter?

Going back a bit, LV accepted a proof of no claims letter from our company insurer when I opted out of having a company car.

However, agree with others on it not making much difference. We ended up with an extra car in the family recently and doing quotes with and without NCB made hardly any difference - they just go off driving record.

Of course if you've got some blemishes on your driving record then expect to be spanked.

Another thing, in case you don't know - get quotes well ahead of the required start date and save them - make sure they're valid for enough time. People say 3 weeks in advance produces best prices - in practice I found it didn't make much difference until I got within a few days of the start date, then quotes jumped dramatically.