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Period license held for

anon_ymous
anon_ymous Posts: 2,009 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
edited 21 July 2011 at 7:01PM in Motoring
Hey just wondering what this term means. I can understand that it may literally mean that, but can it also not be understood as "How many years have you driven a car for"

If it is the literal meaning, then that seems pretty good, as I don't want a car just yet and I think it would be best for me to get one when I've came out of university and (hopefully) gotten a well paid job.

I hope to pass my driving test this year, but I don't want a car just yet (mainly to do with costs, and I don't want to act as a taxi driver at university)

I had a look online and wondered what insurance would cost me if I were to buy a car this year, and I noticed that the cheapest insurance I could get was around £5775 for a £300 car (Vauxhall Vectra 1998) Ouch!

However, I could get the Lexus GS 450H in a few(4/5) years time when it hopefully drops down to around 6/7K, and get insurance for 1.5K. Essentially, it would seem that getting a more expensive car brings down the insurance quite a bit (maybe it's because it's a hybrid?) Though if "period license held for" means "How long have you been driving cars for", then I'd be well and truly screwed with a car like that

^ The insurance price is what I've been quoted if I were to hold a drivers license for 4 years. Unless of course, Im over thinking things (which was the key reason to failing about 1 or 2 questions on my mock theory)

Comments

  • ScottishSapper
    ScottishSapper Posts: 2,814 Forumite
    Oh if life was easy!
    There are possibly 3 separate questions an insurance company could ask;
    1. Period (lenght of time) licence held for
    2. How many years have you driven a ....... for
    3. How many years No Claims do you have.

    I think the most important is the last one! You could have held a licence for 20 years but never driven, so no, No Claims. You could have driven a parents/spouse/etc car as a named driver, so once again no, NO Claims. Or you could have been employed driving for the period you have had you licence and on an employers insurance, there again no, no claims!

    I am ex military, passed an HGV at age 18 drove for 5 years UK and Germany before I bought first car, the 5 years counted for 'squat' with insurance.
    The insurance price is what I've been quoted if I were to hold a drivers license for 4 years
    Is that holding a license or 4 years No Claims?
  • Hintza
    Hintza Posts: 19,420 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Which American jurasdiction are you in OP?
  • anon_ymous
    anon_ymous Posts: 2,009 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Is that holding a license or 4 years No Claims?

    Actually, I filled out the bit where it said "License held for" and I typed 4 years to see what I could get 4 years down the line and I put 0 no claims bonus in to the calculator. Ideally, I don't want a car now, but when I do get a car, I'd be looking at getting a fast yet economical car to run:
    http://whatmpg.co.uk/fast%20but%20economical.html

    And in 4/5 years time, the value will have gone down further
    Hintza wrote: »
    Which American jurasdiction are you in OP?

    American?
  • Hintza
    Hintza Posts: 19,420 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    waqasahmed wrote: »


    American?

    I thought you were American by the way you spelt licence, sorry.
  • anon_ymous
    anon_ymous Posts: 2,009 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Hintza wrote: »
    I thought you were American by the way you spelt licence, sorry.

    Damn you for noticing. I don't like that I spell it like that either, but I do it automatically
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    Hintza wrote: »
    I thought you were American by the way you spelt licence, sorry.

    The difference in the two spellings denotes the difference between the verb and the noun (albeit the wrong one in this case), such as practise and practice, or advice and advise, not necessarily the difference between American and British English.
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    waqasahmed wrote: »
    Hey just wondering what this term means. I can understand that it may literally mean that, but can it also not be understood as "How many years have you driven a car for"

    If it is the literal meaning, then that seems pretty good, as I don't want a car just yet and I think it would be best for me to get one when I've came out of university and (hopefully) gotten a well paid job.

    I hope to pass my driving test this year, but I don't want a car just yet (mainly to do with costs, and I don't want to act as a taxi driver at university)

    But happy to ride on the back of others as a taxi no doubt.
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
  • erdd2
    erdd2 Posts: 1,070 Forumite
    Period license held for in an insurance application should be answered using date you obtained license...keep it simple and avoid complication.
  • anon_ymous
    anon_ymous Posts: 2,009 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 23 July 2011 at 9:00PM
    Flyboy152 wrote: »
    But happy to ride on the back of others as a taxi no doubt.

    Actually, yes and no. I'd be happy if someone asked me if I wanted a lift, but I tend to decline kindly with an excuse that I need to walk, it's a nice day etc.... I don't like asking people to do things; where they have to organise their day around my needs. So whilst I wouldn't mind someone asking me if I want a lift, I normally decline.

    Besides, the bus to town is cheap (the university is an unfortunate 30 minutes walk away) and it comes quite often as well. Also, when relatives tell me to stay, whilst they give me a lift, I'll probably be waiting 20 minutes for the lift when a walk might take 5 minutes. I'd expect the same from friends as well
    erdd2 wrote: »
    Period license held for in an insurance application should be answered using date you obtained license...keep it simple and avoid complication.

    Thanks, just me over thinking things again
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