7 days to produce driving documents, can't find 2

mackers8923

MattLFC wrote: »

The database can be used at the roadside, however it is essentially a "pre-checking" tool, similar to a pre-application check for a credit card - it is not relied upon by the police, because it can be (and quite often is) incorrect.

My car was siezed last December (2010) for no insurance, because the MID was showing as none held, and the MIB could not confirm the status due to my insurer (Quinn Direct) being closed at the time the car was siezed (it was 21:00ish at night and they shut at 19:00) and stupid me had left the certificate in the house as I had taxed the car online a few days previous. The MIB did advise the PC to give me the benefit of the doubt as they could see the car has been insured upto the day before (it had actually been the same policy number for 4.5 years). Anyway, she was in the process of writing a producer, when her jobsworth suerior came along and said he'd sieze it if it were him (in other words, take the effin thing lol).

Anyway, a few days later, went to pick it up, the police didn't bother with the database after seeing the certificate, they instead telephoned the insurer who confirmed it was insured on the day I went to pick it up. Got whacked for £250 to collect it iirc.

Stupid !!!!take police decided to rely on the information from the database, despite my inusurers faxing confirmation of insurance to them on 3 occasions, and I was taken to court in August. Summons said it was to be a plea hearing and the judge would not reside over any evidence, so didn't take documents, and when I turned up he asked the bloody documents lol. So had another hearing 2 weeks later, took documents, and he got a member of the court staff and CPS to telephone the insurer, who confirmed I was insured on 5th Dec 2010 and the CPS representative came back and withdrew the charges, with a real sense of disappointment on her face, and the judge told me I could be on my way lol.

That's how fantastic the databases are!! And why when common sense eventually prevails, a human speaks to a human rather than relying on a computer. I never did find out why my car fell off the database, but the CPS claimed it had fallen off on 3 seperate occasions since the siezure - as my insurer could not/were unwilling to provide a reason (they did blame it on the MIB, who in turn blamed it on the insurer), I cancelled my insurance with Quinn Direct after 5 years and actually got a cheaper quote with someone else lol.

At the end of the day, the database is only as reliable as the information that it is fed. The police will hopefully want to be certain on this occasion.

Did you get your £250 back? You were after all insured and it was the call of the police to take your car!

MattLFC

mackers8923 wrote: »

Did you get your £250 back? You were after all insured and it was the call of the police to take your car!

I was told to claim it back off my insurer, who have been under Administration (ROI) for over a year now, so there is little point as I'd simply become a creditor of the company, at the bottom of a long list lol. I was advised I may even need to fight them through SMC as it was unclear who was actually at fault.

It was only £250 anyway, so no big issue, on a moral stance I should fight to get the money back, but I see little point in wasting my time over such a miserly sum.

cool-dog

£250 a miserly sum! do you have a spare £250 to chuck my way?

MattLFC

I guess I've simply taken the hit and written it off, there's no point in crying over spilt milk.

I saved about the same amount annually with my new insurer anyway (dropped from ~£450 a year to ~£225 per year) since I changed over after the court case in August, so I guess I can consider that a bit of justice. Had it not been for Quinns arsing me about, dropping the car off the database etc, I'd have still been insured with them until February 5th this year, and wouldn't have even bothered to check for a better price until about now lol.