Car insurance expired - won't let me renew

poontang

My car was insured with morethan. It expired on 8th november. I don't drive my car very often (normally on my bicycle), and I didn't get round to renewing.

Called them today to renew, got through to someone in India, and she said 'this policy has been cancelled, why did you not renew before?' I told her I just didn't get around to it, 'can you please renew it now'. 'No it's too late', she said, 'but we can put you through to our insurance broker partners 'call plus'' (or something like that). 'No thanks', I said, 'bye'.

Is this usual?

Obviously I need to go through the price comparison websites and get new insurance, but is there anything to stop me going back to morethan as a new customer, or is there anything I should consider here?

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I don't understand your questions.

bengalknights

If you dont renew your insurance and the insurer doest use auto renew then they will cancel your insurance and it is upto you to find new insurers.

As for joining as a new customer i dont see why you couldnt do it although you will probably get a higher priced quote then your renewal figure.

Dan_Smith

poontang wrote: »

'this policy has been cancelled, why did you not renew before?' I told her I just didn't get around to it, 'can you please renew it now'. 'No it's too late', she said, 'but we can put you through to our insurance broker partners 'call plus''

It's hard to say but it almost sounds like you've got a cancelled policy mark against your name and due to this they are unwilling to quote you.

more_than wrote:

Have not been refused car insurance renewal or had a policy cancelled

https://www.morethan.com/Process/Motor/MotorEligibilityCriterion.aspx

That would probably explain why they tried to put you through to their insurance broker partners.

I would phone them up and check whether this is the case (have a cancelled policy mark against yourself).

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Dan_Smith wrote: »

It's hard to say but it almost sounds like you've got a cancelled policy mark against your name and due to this they are unwilling to quote you.

It doesn't sound anything like this.

vaio

Nah, I'd say it's not "cancelled," it just wasn't renewed and it's now too late to resurrect it

bouncydog1

The policy has lapsed due to non-payment of the premium by renewal date. Some insurers may allow a little leeway but the premium is due on the due date.

Probably nothing to stop you going back to morethan, but they may not give you the same discount as a genuine new customer, as they may have a policy that you have to have left them for say 6 months or more. You would still get your no claims, but as discussed here many times, lots of insurers discount first year premiums to attract business.

You have not got a cancelled policy - this term applies when insurers decide to cancel a policy because of say non-disclosure (e.g. not declaring convictions, telling fibs about who the main driver is, etc.) or decide that they don't want to insure you because you have too many claims during the policy year.

poontang

Dan_Smith wrote: »

It's hard to say but it almost sounds like you've got a cancelled policy mark against your name and due to this they are unwilling to quote you.



That would probably explain why they tried to put you through to their insurance broker partners.

I would phone them up and check whether this is the case (have a cancelled policy mark against yourself).

Dunno. If you change your insurer every year, then each previous policy is 'cancelled' by this logic.

So that doesn't really make sense.

She did use the word 'cancelled', and the renewal has the same policy number as last year (12% increase in premium) though , I guess it would be easier just to get a new insurance company.

Hooloovoo

Funny, just the other day there was a thread on here with someone complaining about auto-renewal. I guess you can't please everyone ...

Quentin

Dan_Smith wrote: »

It's hard to say but it almost sounds like you've got a cancelled policy mark against your name and due to this they are unwilling to quote you.....

Ignore this scaremongering.

1) You don't get a black mark against your name for not renewing a policy.

2) They are not "unwilling at all". The agent you spoke to has explained the policy ended on its expiry date. As he is not a salesman he offered to put you through to someone able to quote you for a new policy.

Now you have no policy you can shop around (including with morethan again) and choose the policy/insurer you want.

But note any policy won't be backdated to the expiry date of your "old" policy, so don't drive till you have this new cover in place!

Dan_Smith

poontang wrote: »

Dunno. If you change your insurer every year, then each previous policy is 'cancelled' by this logic.

So that doesn't really make sense.

Sorry but I wasn't trying to say that at all.. I questioned the fact why they wouldn't let you buy or put you through to someone at morethan to buy the policy direct with them? Instead they put you through to insurance broker partner? Did they give an explanation why you couldn't buy a policy direct through them instead (e.g don't fit into their criteria anymore)?

Quentin wrote: »

Ignore this scaremongering.

1) You don't get a black mark against your name for not renewing a policy
.

I never said that!! I said "almost sounds like you've got a cancelled policy mark" not knowing the whole situation here (say if the op has a e.g non disclosure and morethan found out) as first posters on here generally don't post the full facts of the situation.

Why would morethan rather put them through to a insurance broker instead of buying direct with morethan themselves (strange?).

Quentin wrote: »

2) They are not "unwilling at all". The agent you spoke to has explained the policy ended on its expiry date. As he is not a salesman he offered to put you through to someone able to quote you for a new policy.

Er did you even read it correctly (and it's a SHE not a HE!)?

poontang wrote: »

'No it's too late', she said, 'but we can put you through to our insurance broker partners 'call plus'' (or something like that). 'No thanks', I said, 'bye'.

They DIDN'T offer to put them through to morethan sales person, they said "we can put you through to our insurance broker partners 'call plus'' which as I've said is strange (as the op hasn't said now that they've had any non disclosures, I would NOW safely assume that isn't the case).

Sorry for the confusion everyone.