Car Insurance No Claims

november

This involves 2 insurers and my shopping around to get cheapest quote ( I end up swopping insurers every year for this reason - never seem to get a cheap quote 2 years from same company).

Company 1 (this year) - want proof of no claims bonus from last insurers - no problem

Company 2 (last year) - say I have 9 years no claims bonus.

Company 1 (I was with them previous year) - said then I had 13 years no claims bonus.

I spoke to Company 1 and it doesn't currently affect my policy price as 9 years is maximum period apparently (phew). However they couldnt' confirm all policies were like that and even though I have a letter from them saying I left them with 13 years no claims they can only take what Company 2 says as 'I may have had an accident in the last year'. And they can't 'readjust' my no claims back up to the one I left them with because of that. While I understand they need evidence of no claims -

1) Surely if had 13 years with them the previous year even if I did have an accident it would make it 0 years no claims or 1 max (not sure if they round up or down). They don't deduct 4 years for an accident in the previous year do they (not that I had one - I have never had one!) So why can't I send in both - proof from Company 2 I had no claims last year (9 years no claims according to them) and proof from Company 1 previous I had 13 years?

2) Why did Company 2 change my no claims from 13 years to 9? Do they do that automatically if the max period for no claims is 9?

I must admit I don't like losing 4 years as it sounds like I've made a claim in the past 10 years which I haven't (petty I know). I was looking forward to moving on to 14

But my main (moneysaving) question is -

3) Is 9 years always the maximum period for no claims periods or could I lose money on future quotes by their not accepting I have 13 years now? (In other words is this worth arguing about)



eta sorry for long post

Savvy_Sue

Personally I don't think it's worth arguing about ... I'm sure that you wouldn't get any more benefit from 13 years (hopefully 14) NC than you would from 9, because the way it works is that you get a discount on each year's insurance, BUT there's a maximum discount, which AFAIK you normally hit much sooner than 9 years.

But I don't work in insurance so maybe someone who does will contradict me!

november

Thanks for the reply Sue

I am hoping it won't make a difference.

On a personal level I am rather annoyed with Company 2 for recording a reduction and with the chap on the phone for Company 1 for getting ratty when I was trying to explain what I meant Debating it with the companies concerned just seems to confuse them - all this guy kept saying was 'You need to return the form from last year' even when I said I knew that and it wasn't a problem - script? lol