Car insurance no claims rip-off

Michael59

I have just renewed my car insurance and on the quote selected the longest no claims discount that I could - 9 years+. In fact, I have never claimed in 25 years. However, when my renewal notice came it only showed 7 years. I think this is because last time I changed insurers the maximum that you could claim was 5 or 6 years. Because I can't prove 9 years + I now have to pay another £20. Not the end of the world I know but this seems to me to be another insurance scam that will make the insurance companies a fortune. Has anybody else found this and is there a way around it. It annoys me to see them getting away with yet another rip-off.

Quentin

They ask about "no claims discount", (which you have to prove), not how many years you have been driving without making a claim which are separate items.

icsys

Quentin wrote: »

They ask about "no claims discount", (which you have to prove), not how many years you have been driving without making a claim which are separate items.

Not exactly separate - they are closely related.

it is a rip off! plain and simple.

There are a few companies that offer additional discounts beyond 9 years. Most will only give discount up to a maximum of 9 years and some as few as 5.

The majority of these companies have an infuriating habit of only showing those 9 years maximum bonus and do not increment claim free years beyond their ‘maximum’ meaning any additional years are effectively lost. I do not expect to receive additional discounts beyond a company’s maximum but I do expect all claim free years to be acknowledged by them.

The only way a motorist can hope to prove claim free years beyond a company maximum is to request a covering letter from their insurer.

Too late now I know but you should have written to your insurer and demanded proof of all your claim free years which they are obliged by law to provide.

Quentin

icsys wrote: »

Not exactly separate - they are closely related.

They are totally separate!

And have completely separate sections to be completed when asking for a quote!

1) How many claims/losses have you had in the last x years?

2) How many years no claims bonus do you have?

You could answer 5 to both questions, or nil and 5. So how are they "closely related"?

Quentin

icsys wrote: »

............you should have written to your insurer and demanded proof of all your claim free years which they are obliged by law to provide.

Which "law" would that be?

Many insurers would oblige if you asked them, but going in with demands and telling em they break the law if they won't oblige could mean you get nowt!

vaio

maybe "law" isn't strictly correct but certainly I'd guess the FOS would take a dim view of a refusal to provide the required confirmation

ic

I have 9 years NCB, and recently quized Aviva on this subject, as the paperwork I have with them for my new policy says 5 years. They told me that if at the end of the year I need proof of 10 years, I just need to call them and they'll post it out.

dunstonh

I have 9 years NCB, and recently quized Aviva on this subject, as the paperwork I have with them for my new policy says 5 years.

Not uncommon. There is no standard time period for how long a provider will show a no claims discount. Some may be just 5 years. Others may go up to 12 years.

Most providers will confirm the period with them with no claims held. Although best thing to do is keep your own history and documents so you can show these if required.