You don't always get NCB even though you didn't claim on your car insurance!!!!!

iwillretireatfifty

Just wanted to make others aware of this little pitfall that I have just found myself in!

I always thought that if you had car insurance for a year and didn't claim on it, then you earned 1 years 'no claims discount' (NCD). If you had 2 continuous years without a claim, then you would have '2 years NCD' at the end of the 2 years etc - THIS IS NOT ALWAYS THE CASE!! :mad:

I have an MG ZS, and 2 years ago I shopped around for the best deal, Lancaster came out as the cheapest, not by much only £10 or so but obviously I went with them as they were the cheapest overall. I already had 2 years of NCB prior to this, so thought great I now have my 4 years NCB and can therefore protect them. However, I have since discovered that my policy with Lancaster is one where you do not accrue NCB - I certainly never heard of this before. (Apparently it is because my policy was one for classic cars, never knew that either, the car was only 4 years old, not exactly a classic really).

So, please spread this information to your family and friends, especially those youngsters starting out without NCB and are trying to build it up. You do not accrue NCB automatically, read the small print on your policies!! It might be worth paying the extra £10 not to go with Lancaster!!

JF77

If you were to get a letter from Lancaster stating that you have been claim free for the time you have been with them and combine this with the NCD letter from the previous insurer then most new insurers would be happy to provide you with the total amount of claim free years.

Classic car policies have always been underwritten in this way but, yes you should have been told this.

iwillretireatfifty

Thanks for that, but I'd love to know who, I just rang a few insurance companies today explaining the situation (just got off the phone to Diamond) and none will accept my last 2 years as NCB, I can only claim for the 2 years that I already had originally not the 4 I should have :rolleyes:

JF77

Gosh, I'm shocked they won't accept it.

I worked for an insurance brokers for 8 years and would always accept a letter saying something like "the policyholder has been insured with us for 2 full years and has not had any accidents/claims"

We would then keep this on file along with the proof of NCD prior to this.

Do you have a local insurance broker you could try?

mancitychick

iwillretireatfifty wrote: »

Thanks for that, but I'd love to know who, I just rang a few insurance companies today explaining the situation (just got off the phone to Diamond) and none will accept my last 2 years as NCB, I can only claim for the 2 years that I already had originally not the 4 I should have :rolleyes:

I to find this starnge. My hubby had 6 years no claims then we had a lease car for a year through a relative that worked for Citroen. When the year was up we got a letter off citroen emplyee insurance co stating that in the past year we had had no claims. We sent this, with the old doc showing 6 years and our new insurance co accepted this as 7 years.

Hope the above makes sense!

Quentin

iwillretireatfifty wrote: »

Thanks for that, but I'd love to know who, I just rang a few insurance companies today explaining the situation (just got off the phone to Diamond) and none will accept my last 2 years as NCB, I can only claim for the 2 years that I already had originally not the 4 I should have :rolleyes:

You may be getting off lightly.

If the last two years incident free driving are unnacceptable, then this means your previous NCB evidence is 2 years old.

Most companies won't allow you to use NCD that was earned 2 years ago.

iwillretireatfifty

mancitychick wrote: »

I to find this starnge.......

I know, and nobody finds it stranger than me, that's why I have posted this - to make other people aware too, only wish I had known the system myself or someone had told me! There is some sort of loophole/glitch or whatever the word is, that means the car is insured as a 'classic car insurance policy', thus different from a normal car insurance policy and thus NCD is NOT accrued on the lifetime of the policy. It does say it in the small print (although I never noticed when I bought it online) of the insurance document, but I never did read them all through when I took it out - honestly, it is all strange but true unfortunately!

Quentin

iwillretireatfifty wrote: »

....I never did read them all through when I took it out

All down to you! They will have urged you to make sure the policy was what you wanted when you first bought it, and again when you renewed!

iwillretireatfifty

Quentin wrote: »

All down to you! They will have urged you to make sure the policy was what you wanted when you first bought it, and again when you renewed!

Thanks Quentin, I know and I hold my hands up!! I should have read and understood it all, I wish I had and certainly will in future!! I just want to spread the word that these policies don't accrue NCB, I now know they exist, bet you many aren't aware though!!

JF77

Like I said earlier, speak to a local insurance broker's.

Quote

iwillretireatfifty wrote: »

I shopped around for the best deal, Lancaster came out as the cheapest, not by much only £10 or so but obviously I went with them as they were the cheapest overall.

You deserve everything that has happened.