Scratched company pool car - will it affect MY insurance?

elsien

The timescale varies between insurers - having just phoned round to get quotes, some ask for any accidents in the last 3 years, some in the last 5.
But the ones that did need to know wanted all the details - date, cost etc. If you haven't got any of that, if you do want to tell them, you're a bit stuffed unless you can refer them to the company insurer. So you might be better off either keeping quiet, or only getting quotes from people who ask about the last 3 years. Or just being honest and telling them you don't have access to the information, if it's a 5 year company.
TBH, they're probably more concerned about any points on your licence, so it that's clear it shouldn't make too much difference.

Quentin

Northerness wrote: »

Thanks, I don't think I'd be able to use that though as you have to write to this organisation - and it's likely I'll need insurance this week.

I don't actually even know any of the details of this business claim (month, car-make etc) - and very much doubt my old company still has this info (plus I don't want to flag it up in case they ask the insurers - and they then keep a record of the enquiry). Such a minefield!

The insurer who paid for the repairs will have the details. And could well have put them on the database.

But the decision is yours. When you submit your application, you agree you have told the truth.

Many insurers don't check you out at the time of your application, and you may only discover they know about your non disclosure if a claim turns up, when your breach could allow them to void your policy, meaning they won't pay out for your own damage, but will have to for any third party you injure/damage. They can then come after you to reimburse them tgheir outlay!

Do some virtual quotes online with and without this incident in your history, and you may find that the difference in premium just isn't worth ending up with a void policy (and then being unable to get insurance through the normal channels after that!)

Northerness

Quentin wrote: »

you may find that the difference in premium just isn't worth ending up with a void policy (and then being unable to get insurance through the normal channels after that!)

Thanks but it's not like I even have the incident details to give them though, I genuinely have no idea. You would have thought that my company or their insurers would have given me some information on it at the time - if it were to affect my own insurance in the future? They didn't, I just reported it and it was fixed without any drama - so I literally only remembered about it last night.

Anyone who works in insurance know the answer? Anyone look after fleet cars and pool cars for a company? This car I scratched was driven by around 20+ people and I wasn't the car's named driver.

Quentin

Northerness wrote: »

You would have thought that my company or their insurers would have given me some information on it at the time - if it were to affect my own insurance in the future? They didn't, I just reported it and it was fixed without any drama - so I literally only remembered about it last night.

Anyone who works in insurance know the answer? Anyone look after fleet cars and pool cars for a company? This car I scratched was driven by around 20+ people and I wasn't the car's named driver.

Insurers don't tell you anything like this following a claim. (though obviously they will be told the driver's id!)

But you are asked when applying to disclose your history!

Northerness

Quentin wrote: »

Insurers don't tell you anything like this following a claim. (though obviously they will be told the driver's id!)

But you are asked when applying to disclose your history!

What a nightmare, well I definitely can't tell them anything. I don't even know the make of the car or the month it happened or how much the damage was *sigh*.

Quentin

You will cover yourself if you tell them the "approx" date. The cost you can say you "don't know". Then they cannot say you withheld the info!

Christopher7

Northerness, are you sure it went through the company insurance, the reason being, if it was a large company you worked for, and they had a large amount of vehicles, there is a good chance the company would have been only third party insured and therefore could have paid to fix both cars themselves.

Northerness

Christopher7 wrote: »

Northerness, are you sure it went through the company insurance, the reason being, if it was a large company you worked for, and they had a large amount of vehicles, there is a good chance the company would have been only third party insured and therefore could have paid to fix both cars themselves.

Yeah I recall it going through the company insurance as I remember giving my neighbour their details (it was a large company with a lot of cars all over the UK too). I think my best bet is to do what some have advised and get insurance where you only need to declare three years.

As everyone is saying to declare this, does this mean that if you had a minor scrape in a company pool car, you would then ring your own insurance and inform them too? I can't imagine many people doing this...

Quentin

Northerness wrote: »

As everyone is saying to declare this, does this mean that if you had a minor scrape in a company pool car, you would then ring your own insurance and inform them too? I can't imagine many people doing this...

If you don't, you breach your policy conditions, which (as already posted), can mean you end up with no cover in the event of a claim!

Northerness

Quentin wrote: »

If you don't, you breach your policy conditions, which (as already posted), can mean you end up with no cover in the event of a claim!

This really makes me wonder what "No Claims Bonuses" are all about. If they can find all of our details and company car scrapes on their computer, then surely a No Claims Bonus means nothing - they would already know about it without needing a certificate. Most insurers don't count years driving company cars as 'no claims' anyway.

Gosh, if I really didn't have to get a car to get to work- I really wouldn't. :eek: