Car Insurance Job Picker Discussion

PollyLL wrote: »

The fact is that I manage let properties for a living. It's immaterial whether I own them or not. Does it matter if really the lenders own them and I'm just the pig in the middle between the bank and the tenants.

Obviously to some insurers it does.

So your arguement now is the question on what your occupation is unclear.

This arguement does not normally succeed as the question on what is your occupation is fairly standard throughout the industry and a similar question is used by all Insurers.

When assessing your complaint the Ombudsman will normally take into account that in your case you have the intelligence to run a portfolio of properties so must be of average or above average intelligence. They may also ask you what occupation / business you put on your tax return is or your mortgage applications

The ombudsman will look at the questions you were asked and any other information you were supplied with for instance the Terms and Conditions you ticked that you had read that contained the following.

Your responsibilities

We will provide you with a quotation based on the information you have provided to us. It is essential that all information and answers are true and accurate and that you also disclose all relevant facts. If you do not provide accurate information and disclose all relevant facts this could lead to your insurance being invalid and claims may not be paid. If your insurance is invalid, you could also be liable for any third party costs in the event of an accident.



https://www.gocompare.com/about/terms-quoteprocess.aspx?popup=1&BrandID=6112007

For the record there have historically been Insurers who do not like eg apply a load to or decline to offer cover to for Landlords and /or Property Developers (And other occupations). This was because in the past a high percentage of these type of people were seen as a Moral Hazard eg they were dodgy. Whilst in recent years property landlords and property developers are now rarely dodgy there are still some Insurers who have not changed the way they perceive these occupations (And other occupations).

Someone who is a "Property Manager" in the "Property Letting" Industry would normally be someone who manages a single or multiple properties on behalf of the actual property owner / residents association or manages rental properties for a letting agent.

You mention in a previous post that you refer to yourself as a Property Manager to friends etc as it's easier than saying Landlord. This would indicate to me that you are aware you are a landlord.

Insurers do not generally like Casino owners or Bookmakers, putting yourself in as a Property Manager is akin to a Bookmaker putting their job in as a betting shop cashier eg an employee rather than the actual proprietor.

Placing your complaint solely on the facts the non disclosure was innocent and the question was ambiguous is not a good stratagy. All Ombudsman has to decide is whether the question was ambiguous, if they decide it was not then your whole arguement falls down. Your best stratagy would be for the non disclosure to have been innocent AND that Highway would have accepted you as a client if you had declared the correct occupation, you could also then through in that the question was abiguous

No doubt you will take the information / advice I have posted here as confrontational and post an arguement back. You really need to take a deep breath and look at this from an indepedent view and read the advice you have been given. Putting forward arguements to an Insurer / Ombudsman that are not likely to succeed is not the way for you to win your case.

I find it very interesting that this forum is the only place wher people are against me on this subject. Every single person I've spoken to has thought I was perfectly reasonable to state Property Manager/Property Lettings as my occupation/type of business.

PollyLL wrote: »

I find it very interesting that this forum is the only place wher people are against me on this subject. Every single person I've spoken to has thought I was perfectly reasonable to state Property Manager/Property Lettings as my occupation/type of business.

Here is Wikipedia's explanation of a Property Manager

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_manager

here is another

http://www.ehow.co.uk/facts_5024372_definition-property-manager.html

Bear in mind the Insurers and Ombudsman will look into the duties of a Property Manager and a Landlord. Here are google returns on Property Manager

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&q=property+manager+definition&meta=cr%3DcountryUK|countryGB&aq=f&oq=property+manager+definition&fp=4aad3bc6abb93df5

and job duties of a Property Manager

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&cr=countryUK|countryGB&q=property+manager+job+duties&revid=2132569221&ei=kCEMS6WXNoWOjAe_hvXTAw&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-revision&cd=2&ved=0CCwQ1QIoAQ&fp=4aad3bc6abb93df5

You cannot use this as an arguement with the Insurer or the Ombudsman either.

Out of interest Landlord seems to be in fairly everyday use in Australia

http://www.google.com.au/#hl=en&q=landlord&meta=&aq=f&oq=landlord&fp=2c744f47aab57b72

http://www.google.com.au/#hl=en&q=landlord+responsibilities&revid=643111401&ei=1V8MS9SrMsj84AaQ_biNBA&sa=X&oi=revisions_inline&resnum=0&ct=broad-revision&cd=3&ved=0CEUQ1QIoAg&fp=2c744f47aab57b72

http://www.google.com.au/#hl=en&q=landlord+insurance&meta=cr%3DcountryAU&aq=&oq=landlord+insurance&fp=2c744f47aab57b72

http://www.google.com.au/#hl=en&q=landlord+definition&meta=cr%3DcountryAU&aq=1&oq=landlord+de&fp=2c744f47aab57b72


Once again for you to succeed in overturning the decision you either have to demonstrate the question is badly worded / ambiguous which is very unlikely as it is used throughout the industry and there have been people who have argued against it and lost. Or your better option is to demonstrate Highway would have accepted you as a client if you had declared you were a landlord and the non disclosure was innocent.

It is not sufficient for you to just demonstrate it was innocent.