Business car insurance cover as a student teacher??

nifflespink

I was just wondering if the following situation was the norm...

I have (or had, depending on how you look at it) a car insurance policy with Marks & Spencers with me as the main driver for social/domestic use only, 3rd party on my Renault 19, due to be renewed beg. December. On Monday I started a PGCE course meaning I would now be using my car to get to uni and also to my school placements. I called M&S on Mon morn before i left (as it only occured to me Sunday night that perhaps I let them know) telling them that my circumstances have changed and would now be using the car to commute, expecting to pay more of course but to carry on with my existing policy. They told me that I would now have to have business cover and that this was not possible on this policy, hence would need to cancel that, forget about the no claims (I was nine months through the policy) and start afresh. The new quote, surprise surprise, came to quite a bit more. Of course I questioned why I need business cover but was told this is the case, that's that. As I was leaving to go to uni at that point I felt I had no choice but to pay for it as didn't have time to mull, but only as there is the 14-day money-back thingy.

Does this seem normal to class it as business use, seeing as I am technically a student and will only be using it to get to my lectures and school placements (plus social of course)?? One of the lecturers mentioned that if you give lifts to pupils then you NEED a business policy, but I will not be doing that. I am just a bit miffed that the nine months I have gathered on my no claims stands for nothing, and am also questioning whether I really do need businees cover? Have M&S mis-sold this to me?

It also leads to the question, when getting quotes from other insurers (as I am of course shopping around), how do I class my usage?

Any thoughts muchly appreciated.

raskazz

It is business use as you will be travelling to various locations in association with your studying/employment, which goes beyond commuting or social domestic or pleasure use.

Headieboy

Try Direct Line. I've got a Fully Comp policy with them & I'm sure it includes Business Cover.

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

i have renewed on Business Class 1 recently only because i occasionally go to more than 1 of our offices. Insurer advised that multiple places of work was Bus Class 1... Bizarrely it knocked about 5% off the annual charge..

nifflespink

raskazz wrote: »

It is business use as you will be travelling to various locations in association with your studying/employment, which goes beyond commuting or social domestic or pleasure use.

This is true, though I will only have one placement at a time, and technically I won't be getting paid. Does this make any difference? I can't find a clear cut definition anywhere!

slummymummyof3

I think most of the policies use the term 'commuting to a permanent place of work' - maybe this is how they are getting around it? I have a policy with Prudential and it automatically covered business in my policy as I phoned them to ask how much it would cost to add that in (as I had to take some children from the school I work at on a trip in my car).

nifflespink

The thing I am most confused about, is supposing I had not had that conversation with M&S and just looked for a new policy - how would I have ever known that it would be classed as business use when filling in online quote forms, as there are only really vague explanations? I would have assumed that I would just need it for commuting as I am a student and my definition of business does not come anywhere near what I would be using the car for! Would that then mean my policy would not be valid had I needed to make a claim? This is so confusing!

tinkerbell84

You know what happens when you assume things.

It's your responsibility to be aware of the cover you need, and there are explanations provided about different types of cover in lots of places.

Perhaps it's something your college should tell students about

GrannyKate

I work for the NHS and need proof of Business Insurance Cover when making claims for travel expenses away from my normal place of work. Do not move patients or anything but do attend meetings at other sites. Does not cost much extra on our policies.

Joannag_2

Seems odd to me. It is commuting to your place of work surely. Don't know but thought you might be interested to know a couple of years ago (as a 32 year old teacher!) I phoned to add business to my insurance to take pupils in my car occasionally. I decided to pay no more than £50......and got a refund of £12!!!! Bizarre or what!!

tinkerbell84

Joannag wrote: »

Seems odd to me. It is commuting to your place of work surely.

It's more than one place of work, hence a different risk