Car/Van insurance

jps71

I currently have a car but need to purchase a van for solely personal use.
I have done this several times in the past (I like driving vans) without any problems from which ever insurance company I have been with in swapping from a car to a van or from a van to a car.
I have just been in touch with my insurance company and they say they will not let me alter my policy from a car to a van but that I would have to cancel my insurance and then take out a different policy.
I asked the same of my wifes insurance company as we are always insured to drive each others vehicles.
They said the same that my wife would have to cancel her policy then take out a new one to insure a van.
I then asked both companys if I was to cancel the car policy would I be able to carry forward my no claims bonus 9+ yrs on to a van & they both said yes.
When I asked if at a later date I was to change back to driving a car would I be able to carry forward my no claims back on to a car they said no most companies will not let you carry no claims from a van on to car.
This to me sounds totally rediculous.
Has anyone here had problems with this or know of any companies that will let you carry your no claims backwards and forwards between a car & van.
Cheers Jim

Quentin

jps71 wrote: »

........Has anyone here had problems with this or know of any companies that will let you carry your no claims backwards and forwards between a car & van.......

Swapping from car to van should be fairly easy, but van to car is going to be difficult/impossible.

But when you want to (swap from van to car), try a local broker (not swinton), who although probably canot help as far as using the NCD, should be able to get you an introductory discount to reflect your driving experience.

System

Then don't buy a van!
Get something that counts as a car but has removable seats.

paddedjohn

i drive a van as i prefer them to cars and as far as i know you will not be able to use your ncd back on a car, im with gladiator insurance at the moment and they are cheap and even adding my wife to the policy reduced the cost by a few quid, wave goodbye to any dov you may have because you wont get it on a van (in my experience anyway)

jps71

Thanks for the info guys

Clifford_Pope wrote: »

Then don't buy a van!
Get something that counts as a car but has removable seats.

Its a good suggestion unfortunately I haven't seen a car with removeable seats with enough load space for a house move.

Cheers Jim

forgotmyname

Most of the vans available have a car /minibus based version.

Just remove extra seats that you dont need.