Has your car insurance group changed?

MissShal

I've just been on Parkers to look up the insurance group of a 1.8 TDCI Focus estate (2003). Came up something daft like group 11 so looked at my old car (Focus 1.8 petrol) which used to be group 8 but is now also a group 11. My current car has gone from a group 4 to a group 9 (another Focus, 1.4 petrol).

Is this a mistake? I'm dreading my car insurance renewal now!

Quentin

Nearly all cars have "changed" in the last year.

There used to be 20 groups, but last year they changed the system - there are now 50.

(Though you are still probably right to "dread" your renewal!!)

MissShal

So it might not be quite as bad as it seems though? It's made even more difficult for me as I can only find one company that will insure the vehicle because it's a Cat C. Oh how I'm dreading August!

Quote

Inevitably the claims experience for a type of vehicle will change over time. A type of car can only ever be involved in more claims, not less claims, so as the claims experience detiorates this will be reflected in the grouping of the vehicle.

The Ford Focus is a classic example in this respect. If an insurer was uncompetitive for a Focus ten years ago then that would have prevented them from insuring tens of thousands of people - maybe even hundreds of thousands. Unfortunately some of those Ford Focus owners have contributed to the claims experience and everyone who owns a Ford Focus will be paying more as a result.

vaio

MissShal wrote: »

So it might not be quite as bad as it seems though? It's made even more difficult for me as I can only find one company that will insure the vehicle because it's a Cat C. Oh how I'm dreading August!

As above, the insurance groups have changed from 1-20 to 1-50, mines gone from 20 to 39 but it doesn’t make any real difference as I just go for the cheapest that gives the cover I want.

On the cat C issue, what makes you think there is only one company that will insure it?

I think you’ll find that there are very few insurance companies that won’t insure a cat C, by far and away the vast majority don’t care.

Just use the online systems and if they don’t ask about it or exclude them in the general assumptions/T&C then they are happy to insure them.

MissShal

vaio wrote: »

On the cat C issue, what makes you think there is only one company that will insure it?

I think you’ll find that there are very few insurance companies that won’t insure a cat C, by far and away the vast majority don’t care.

Just use the online systems and if they don’t ask about it or exclude them in the general assumptions/T&C then they are happy to insure them.

To start with I had a 1.8 Cat D, Egg would only insure it if I could provide an engineers report (which I had). Then I changed to the 1.4 Cat C, got an engineers report ready for the insurance but every one bar Adrian Flux said their underwriters wouldn't cover it.

I've had people say I should just deny knowing about it's status but even if I wanted to (which I don't - I like it all done properly so there's no comebacks later) I couldn't as I work for the company who purchased it directly from the write-off auction.

Quentin

MissShal wrote: »

I've had people say I should just deny knowing about it's status but even if I wanted to (which I don't - I like it all done properly so there's no comebacks later) I couldn't...........

Even with most off the peg on line insurers you don't need to deny anything as they don't ask the question!

vaio

MissShal wrote: »

To start with I had a 1.8 Cat D, Egg would only insure it if I could provide an engineers report (which I had). Then I changed to the 1.4 Cat C, got an engineers report ready for the insurance but every one bar Adrian Flux said their underwriters wouldn't cover it.

I've had people say I should just deny knowing about it's status but even if I wanted to (which I don't - I like it all done properly so there's no comebacks later) I couldn't as I work for the company who purchased it directly from the write-off auction.

If asked you obviously have to tell the truth but there is no requirement on you to volunteer information not asked about.

If you ring them and volunteer information it only confuses them and they say no or £££ because you speak to a poorly paid & trained call centre monkey rather then the well trained/paid bloke who decided what questions go on the proposal form and what terms go into the “general assumptions”.

If he decided not to ask a question about write off status or exclude them in the T&Cs then it’s because he doesn’t care about the write off status.

MissShal

Thanks both, will bear that in mind when it comes to my renewal, that way hopefully I'll actually be able to afford the insurance eh!

adamc260

I think the guide was.... if the grouping has doubled it should be about the same.. if its gone up more than that... expect a price change!