How annoyed am I?

billo786

As a grown adult, I have made an informed choice to pass my test in an automatic vehicle so I was suprised to learn from my current insurer's that in having made this choice, although I have a fully comp policy I am unable to drive any other (auto) vehicle with the owners permission even though this option is open to a manual licence holder (manual/auto). Why do I feel that this is unfair? :mad:

lisyloo

Well you don't actually know that it's unfair.

It's possible that there is statistical evidence that this option is risky in the auto case and not in the manual case.
I have no reason to think it should be so, but what I'm saying is that you don't have the statistical data available to you to say whether it's fair or not.

Let's suppose it's unfair.
So what?
Insurance is a business matter, they can offer what products they like to whom they like for whatever price they like.
That's capitalism for you.
Life is unfair.

Sorry, but that's the way it works in capitalism.
You aren't entitled to fairness at that level.

billo786

I was just stating my personal opinion that I felt that it was unfair.

This was based on the facts I was told by my insurance company that the ratio for accident's is higher for manual drivers than for auto drivers (as there are more manual drivers on the road than auto), Common sense therefore tells me that this would mean paying out more money for manual drivers than auto, but I could be wrong.

So why pick on auto drivers?

Because you can!! :T

Duncombe

billo786 wrote: »

As a grown adult, I have made an informed choice to pass my test in an automatic vehicle so I was suprised to learn from my current insurer's that in having made this choice, although I have a fully comp policy I am unable to drive any other (auto) vehicle with the owners permission even though this option is open to a manual licence holder (manual/auto). Why do I feel that this is unfair? :mad:

Why not, as a grown adult, make an informed choice to take another test and pass in a manual vehicle..that way you can't be penalised. Or complain.

lisyloo

I was just stating my personal opinion that I felt that it was unfair.

You are completely at liberty to do that.
But it's very unlikely to change company policy.

Because you can!!

Maybe, maybe not.
In general insurers pricing models are based on facts and statistics and they aren't out to be unfair to people.
Perhaps it's as simple as they have spent more effort on being competitive for manual drivers as there is a larger market.
That's a perfectly logical step for a business to put effort where there is a larger market.

I think you are going to have to get over it, but you may well be right that life is unfair.

If you make a choice that puts you in a minority category then you are likely to have less choices and therefore not benefit for the most competitive deals.
It's just capitalism and business and yes it's not fair.

Is it fair that I have to pay VAT on my clothes as I'm not a child?
Is it fair that I have to buy sanitary stuff as I'm a woman?

I don't think this rates as one of the worlds huge injustices I'm afraid.

huckster

It is probably just a technical issue. Because you have a licence to drive automatic cars only, they won't add the extension in cover to the certificate, to allow 3rd party cover for driving other cars. They would then have to add an additional wording somewhere, to say that the cover was restricted to other cars which have automatic gearboxes only. The couldn't add the standard extension wording, as this would provide you with 3rd party cover for a car, you were not licensed to drive i.e a car with a manual gearbox. There may be a general condition in the wording about excluding cover, if you breached licence terms/conditions, but I suspect that they can't add the cover to a certificate, as this would breach the relevant rules that apply (Road Traffic Acts?), plus it would confuse people.

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Driving other cars isn't all that.

Badger_Lady

Could it be that you're getting the policy cheaper because it doesn't include that cover? I have campervan insurance on my microvan (my only vehicle), which is much cheaper than standard car or van insurance partly because it doesn't cover me to drive other vehicles.

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Who told you it was much cheaper because of that?

billo786

Duncombe wrote: »

Why not, as a grown adult, make an informed choice to take another test and pass in a manual vehicle..that way you can't be penalised. Or complain.

Simply because I don't want to drive a manual. I live in London so having to constantly change gears every road you travel down was a pain. To me it's like having a TV with a remote control, either get up whenever you want to change the channels or use the remote!

tanith

But when you get used todriving a manual you don't even think about changing gears its like being on autopilot you do it without even thinking about it.. but I guess as it was your choice you are stuck with it .