CrisPDuk

So, Norwich Union's latest wheeze is to remove the third party other vehicle cover from their fully comprehensive policies as of New Year.

Apparently we are all buying and insuring cheap low risk runabouts then borrowing expensive cars off other people on the grounds that we're covered. You can still get the any cars cover, you're just going to have to pay through the nose for it

I don't know about you lot, but I wish I knew people who would lend me their expensive motors on a regular basis, to save me having to put miles on my Benz all the time

Aren't NU the same company who decided that all of a sudden fast cars were going to cost the earth to insure, immediately after house insurance claims rocketed as a result of the '87(?) hurricane?

:tw@ts:

NotoriousREV

I won't use NU on principle what with universally shipping their entire call centre operation to India and being crap at the same time, they don't deserve my business.

Richard_P

When I call a company for a quote and get someone who can barely understand me on the end of the line its a bad sign for me and I don't wait for the price.

I couldn't even begin to imagine the nightmare of trying to argue a claim with a foriegn based call centre.

So Norwich Union I don't even phone nowadays.

scoobydooooo

i think that all insurance companies are doing this !! as in removing third party cover !!

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

Going to be a total pain in the **** if they do. How are you going to test drive a car you are thinking of buying from a private seller....legally??

I just don't get it According to the Piston Heads article they have police support to do this. What the issue? OK, its technically illegal, but what prat buys an expensive car and then drives it only on 3rd party, fire and theft

Richard_P

I can get cover through my insurer (tesco) for about a fiver for days cover, I just need to tell them what cars I will drive and give the details, it insures me fully comp as well.

LUCKO

iTrader: (3)

i work for a broker's and what you say is correct, if your over 25 then driving other cars isn't being removed as much but for the 21-24 market it is really difficult to get driving other cars now.

i'm 28 and have had it taken off mine when renewal is due DOH

Luminous

iTrader: (3)

Hmmm, I was told that you could not do this the last time that I tried. Something called "dual insurance", whereby as there is an existing policy on the car, it cannot be insured again

Tis all just too complex

CrisPDuk

Had this problem when we bought the wifes MX5, it was a fair trek down to where we got it from, so we were staying overnight. We bought the car, phoned the ins co to get cover for it and were told that we couldn't insure it as it was already insured, BUT, she wasn't covered to drive it either as her still operating policy on the old car didn't cover her for driving other cars.
The guy we bought it off couldn't cancel his policy because it was after 5pm and his company were only open to quote new business, NOT deal with the business they already had

So I ended up driving HER new car to our hotel, whilst she was stuck with MY battered old Benz

boomer

It is all down to Bliar's plans for a police state...

• Police stop car and ask driver for proof of insurance.
• Driver sez the Ferrari is TP on his insurance, and owner gave permisson to drive.
• police can't easily cross-check insurance - thus manual effort required.
• Thats gunna cost admin money to process, so lets change the rules.
• Rules changed regardless of the inconvenience to law abiding citizens
• Law abiding citizens get shafted
• Low-lifes continue to drive uninsured cars

mb

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Ahh that would explain why my work collegue got a quoted "happy" price of £1000 for a 1991 1.2 Nissan Micra worth £200 by Norwich Union

At least Admiral pulled through and did it for £250 fully comp instead

dpb

:eeeeK:..Im with Norwich union .....thro the AA...

suppose this does apply to existing polices

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Your right about the new age limits, My dad's business running 10 works vehicles insured by almost everyone to drive ALL of the drivers are below 30years...A few months back the company insurance renewal came through.....on Friday!....policy expired the following Monday

Not only that, they decided to charge MORE and completely remove driving privelidges for nearly ALL of the workforce as most of the drivers are below 30 and they put an age limit of 30 on the plant and 25 on the vans FFS 25years old to drive a bog standard transit?? Leaving the company with NO drivers come monday and very short notice to arrange alternative cover


Insurance companies have far too much free reign....when will the goverment decide to reel them in and tether them?

fast bloke

Lum and Crispyduck - sounds like you got talking to the wrong person in the call centre - you can have as many policies as you like, but if they cover the same risk, they will only pay proportionate benefit. Crispy - in your case, your wife would only have been covered under the new policy. If she had taken a new fully comp policy and the car had been stolen before the old policy had been cancelled, both policies would have paid 50% of the claim. If the previous owner had stuck it through the garage wall, his policy would have paid and if your better half had wiped you out her new policy would have paid. Many of the changes are designed to prevent fraud, but unfortunately have been poorly thought out.

Ian_S

Im sure the FSA guidlines state they have to give 21 days renewal notice, give them a call tomorrow.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

T'was 3 months ago..sorted now. Although costing a fair chunk more than last time, which there was little choice at such short notice...a "mistake" they admitted. If that renewal came though on monday or the (unnotified) change in the policy terms was never noticed, it could have ended up with everybody driving with no insurance!

Ember

A woman I work with pays £100 a year fully comp. NU want her to pay an extra £300 to drive her husbands car third-party...

All they are after is makin more money and it's most likely due to wanting to cover where they've lost out, such as in the US where insurance is going up to cover hurricanr claims. It doesn't take much thinking about. Natch.

fatherpierre

Just shop around - not rocket science!

There's always somewhere that will drop your premium by a good bit if you spend 30 mins calling the free phone numbers.
er
I find Elephant to be by far the cheapest of them all - I pay less than £200 for a 5 litre Merc in London! I tried NU and they wanted just over £500 for the same cover.

Ember

But was that just for you driving the Merc or driving something else 3rd party too?

fatherpierre

I'm covered on any other motor for 3rd party cover.

As long as insurance is held on a car by someone, I can drive it as long as my licence covers me.

Leslie

If they lose enough business they may change their minds

Les

TonyG

As far as I'm concerned, Norwich Union are slightly less useful than a chocolate fireguard*. I used to be insured with them, but after my experience with them back in 1990, I swore I'd never use them again. I did ring up a couple of years ago to check what their rates were, and was quoted some ridiculous figure (approximately twice what I'm paying now).
"Quote me happy"? They're havin' a larf


*You can eat a chocolate fireguard. Hence it's a bit more useful imho.

SJ_Skyline

Just watch your premiums rocket if the government bring in their proposal to tax insurers on their reserves. This will have a similar affect on the insurance industry that taxing pensions has had.

source

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

To be honest mate, I wouldn't let anyone test drive a car I was selling unless they had comprehensive cover, as if they stacked it, you'd get nothing....except a big fight in the courtroom!

A more sensible way for the insurance companies to deal with this would be to put restrictions on the type of cars your entitled to drive 3rd party based on age and driving record. This could also be used to deal with the "insure a fast car on your dad's policy when you're 18" problem.

NS04

NS04

pslewis

Norwich Union were excellent with me when I needed to make a claim ..... yes, I dealt with India - yes, the 'understanding' bit was a problem .... but, there was no issue with the claim and it was paid in full.

And thats what you want from a company who deals in Insurance.

I am no longer isured with them as they cost too much now.

3rd Party Cover was useful when looking at secondhand cars ....... but, its being abused - so, it has to stop.

No issues with that .....

Pete

rik1471

I find Privilege to be pretty good and cheap to boot.

robski

Gonna stick my neck out here and say its a good idea.

Having worked for AXA (previously) I saw some of the lengths people would go to to try to get around paying the premium for the main driver to drive the vehicle they normally drove.

I say they should scrap everything but named driver apart from commercial policies. A lot are sensible enough to give short term insurance for nothing more than an admin fee, Ive seen some absurd broker admin fees though but thats another story .

The dual insurance thing is nonsence, it happens constantly, just look at travel insurance, most of the items you take on holiday are already covered by your house insurance. Thats why when you claim on travel insurance you may well find your house ins co will have to pay part of the claim as well.

Can't stand indian call centres myself, wont talk to them anymore. One thing I have found with a few companies (e.g. Sky) is that if you call AM you get England, but come lunchtime it switches to India.

The insurance industry have been working on an insurance database for a while now, think of the bigger picture, the police can see who is insured to drive the car when/if someone gets pulled, so they can look into it an the roadside, this will start to catch those who have no insurance out over time.

Would you rather have a bit of inconvenience when you drive a car that isn't yours or have the number of uninsured drivers increase year on year?

fatherpierre

The problem with the insurance database is that not every company subscribes to it so it shows certian people as driving a car with no cover simply because their insurers won't provide any info to the system.

GC8

All insurance companies have to 'subscribe' in order to comply with the EU's fourth directive. They have 14 days in which to add new risks though, it doesnt necessarily happen in 'real time'.


Simon

fatherpierre

They may have to, but don't as yet.

I've stopped several people who have come back as uninsured who have full cover and the follow up I did revealed that their insurers don't subscribe to the database.

2 days ago was my last check........