I don't know if I'm being overly suspicious, but a few weeks back my insurance company called me with a query (6 months into my policy).

They'd noted that I bought my Impreza in Feb '02 but my insurance started with them in May '03 and that my NCB had been earned on my Lexus IS200 (which I sold in April 03), they wanted to know whether I'd been insured on the Subaru.

I explained that the Subaru had been uninsured and off the road during this time.

Now they want me to put this in writing and are pretty much hassling me for this information.

My feeling is, what the hell does it have to do with them what I did with the car while it was uninsured?

I no longer trust my insurance company and feel they're either manouvring to put my (already expensive) premium up or storing up excuses not to pay out in the event of a claim.

Any advice or insights from insurance professionals would be very welcome, to either put my mind at ease or to convince me to move my insurance pretty sharpish.

This is common practice but usually asked at inception of the policy if the NCD dates don't tie up with the car etc. Sounds like the insurer has just had some sort of audit.

Clive

OK, now I'm p1ssed off, they've sent me a cancellation notice because I won't put in writing what I did with my car while it was off road and uninsured. Come 9am some poor b4stard is getting it in the neck.

I've informed them over the phone (the same as I informed them of every other peice on information regarding my policy) so why does this part need to be in writing?

I'm extremely suspicious of all insurance companies and I won't have any more contact with them than nessecary, I especially won't put things in writing outside of a proposal/claim form.

Well phoned them. They gave me bollocks about protecting themselves should anyone present a claim to them from the period I had the car uninsured.

Eh? Surely they just go "not our problem, he was only insured from ..."

Your taking this a little to seriously mate. This is normal industry practice.

Clive

Apart from the audit suggestion, it may be that they are just needing you to confirm that while your car was off the road & uninsured you were not actually driving it and had an accident / cause for someone to claim against you? This is just to confirm to themselves the no claim discount is bonafide because of the gap between your last policy and you new / current one. Where there is no such time gap it is usual for new insurer to confirm details with old insurer anyway.

If, as you say, the car was laid up there's no reason to be suspicious. Reputable insurers are not cowboys - the industry is regulated to protect ligitimate policyholders - and providing you've been honest with those you are asking to pay out for you if things go wrong (ie your insurer) they'll be fair with you.

And to add with FSA regulation around the corner the cowboys are long gone!

Clive