How long before I lose NCB?

Norfolk_Jim

How long can I stay uninsured (without a car) and retain my NCB for the next policy bought please?

My car had a breakdown and is beyond economical repair. I don't currently have any money to replace it with, nor can I borrow more, so I will need to save up instead

I just wondered how long before the insurance companies will disregard my currently 5 years NCB for future insurance

mikey72

Most places are two years, some odd ones are three, but you can't count on that being the same in three years time..
Be careful when the two years starts though, if you are mid way through now and cancel, get a letter from them stating your ncd at the moment, otherwise you may find the date gets set back to your last proof of ncd.

dacouch

Don't forget to SORN your car and keep it off road if you're not insuring it

lisyloo

An alternative is to keep your insurance and tax until your insurance year ends.

The benefit is the extra years NCB. The difference between 5 and 6 is very small, but if you currently have 4 and are near the end of your policy then you could just continue until then end.
If you have 5 aready and are less than half way then you might want to cancel the insurance, cancel the tax and SORN the car (you can't store it on the public road).

You definitely need to try to get that letter stating NCB otherwise you need your last renewal notice that you probably had to send off (I always scan or photocopy mine, so I at least have a copy, although many insurers want originals).
You do need proof of you NCB, preferably an original.

scheming_gypsy

dacouch wrote: »

Don't forget to SORN your car and keep it off road if you're not insuring it

If it's beyond economical repair it won't need SORN'ing as it'll be scrapped and the OP's problem is that they don't have a car to insure.

lisyloo

When I scrapped my car, I kept the insurance going for a few months until the end of the policy.
I know if you sell a car and keep the insurance there is a small risk of a claim but in this case there was no danger of any claim as I had the "certificate of destruction".
Is there any problem in doing this? either in theory or in practice? I can't really see one.

BTW - I got £40 for my car and £120 for the tax disc - although that was 2 years ago and scrap prices do change.
So Jim, if you have no money you may get something for scrapping it. Take what you want before you scrap it - the scrap yard won't be interested in your car mats etc. but they might be useful to you even if only to kneel on.

dacouch

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

If it's beyond economical repair it won't need SORN'ing as it'll be scrapped and the OP's problem is that they don't have a car to insure.

Assuming he gets the car scrapped rather than leaving it to rot or is selling the parts off of it

Norfolk_Jim

indeed it has already gone to the scrap yard - I had indeed sent off my renewal notice to a new provider I had intended to move to when my existing policy expires on the 12th of next month. I'm not sure if they'll send it back to me, I'd only just posted it off as well.
Thanks for the answers. It might take me up to a year to save enough for another car, or if I'm willing to risk my luck on an old cheap car, maybe a bit less.

scheming_gypsy

for the cost of cars these days it's easy enough to pick something up cheap on eBay. Look for something with a decent MOT and drive it till you kill it or risk MOTing it.

I've seen MR2's go for £300 and i paid £500 got a Volvo and ran it for 6 months till the MOT failed and sold it for £350...

lisyloo

Ring up your exising insurer - say you haven't had it and can they resend it please.
Don't forget to tell them to lapse it if it's on auto-renew (after you've got the renewal notice - they will be a lot keener to help you if they don't know you are leaving).

mikey72

Make sure the new policy doesn't start, if you have paid up front, you may get it all back, they may try to keep the cancellation fee.
Phone your old insurer, ask them to send you another renewal quote, then phone, (and write) to make sure it doesn't autorenew.
I wouldn't mention yet on what you plan to do with regard to the car, or your existing insurer may (will) insist on cancelling, and you'll probably end up oweing them money.