Car insurance rip off?

Ivesy

This is a new one for me but here goes.

I've just changed my car insurance from Privilege to Swinton. I got a call from Swinton telling me there was a small problem about my protected no claims. They said I had told them it was 9 years but Privilege told them it was only 6.

I told Swinton when I completed the on line form with Privilege when the question 'how many years no claims' came up the most you could put was '5 or more'. This is the same for most companies I 've found (give or take a few years). I always thought once it got beyond 5 years it didn't make much difference to amount of discount you got anyway.

Swinton's reply was that they know this happens and gave me an example of somebody who had 44 years no claims but got only 4 with them because the persons last insurer said they only had 4! They said my premium would go up £9 which isn't a great deal but begs the question is this right? It seems really unfair to careful drivers that because some forms only say 5 years or more that you are not getting your full discount.

In Swintons case does this mean the amount of discount for each claim free year is infinite?

Has anyone else had this happen to them?

Quote

Swinton aren't the insurers.

lumar

This annoys me too. Some insurance companies seem to have a max of "5 or more years" no claims. Yet some allow you to build it up year after year, but if you change insurers you can drop back down to 5 or more years again. Not fair.

johnmc

When you "do it online" with Swinton and, IME, most companies require that you send your renewal showing your NCD within 7 days of purchasing the policy.

I always take a copy before sending it.

Check what it says on the renewal.

Swinton must be doing a good trade at the moment. £40 cashback online through their web site plus £55 through Quidco makes it quite respectable if they are to be believed.

Anyone had both?

lisa364

I posted a similar question a few weeks back, I`m due to renew mine on 20th Feb on my renewal it says I have 6 years NCB not 7 I should have, I got same excuse that previous insurers said I had 5+ years not 6 so have dropped down, Im very annoyed, I don`t expect extra discount but I do expect my full claim free years to be acknowledged. I did have protected no claims until last year so I thought if I had carried it on maybe that would have made a difference, but going on your problem this is not the case I cant understand why insurance companies dont play on the same ball park

zkw29

I think you would need to contact your previous insurers (before Privilege) and ask them for proof of your 9 years and send that to your current insurer with an explanation that the Privilege website didn't give you the opportunity to use any more than that.

johnmc

Anyone had both?

Just checked and it's tracked. Also had the voucher so not only one of the cheapest but a decent rebate too.