Insurance Company Demand Photocopied Driving Licence

UnconsciouS

In all my years I have never been asked by an insurer to show my driving licence. However, I have recently bought a new motor insurance online and this was followed by a letter from the company, Churchill (after the purchase), telling me that I must now send photocopies of both sides of my driving licence and the photocard.

I called the company and they told me that I don't have to send the d/l copies. just the NCB copy. Great. Then the letters started coming with the threat of cancellation of the policy.

I have nothing to hide but I do have an objection to this for the following reasons.

a) Nothing in the terms of purchase, the policy document, the internet pages, or on the company website make any reference to this. They do make it clear on purchase, that you will need to send a photcopy of your proof on no claims bonus. (Fair enough) - but nothing more.

b) They said "everybody has to do it now". (Not according to their t&cs'.)

c) There are over 30,000,000 drivers in the UK. If we are all asked to do this, that means there will be a vast number of amazing quality copies of driving licences sitting around in offices waiting to be taken and forged. I asked the company what happens to the copies, they said they store them in files for a year, then they are kept in our warehouse for ever, "so we can look at it at anytime in the future".

d) If I give in to this un-agreed term and post purchase enforced condition, then I would have to do the same for every other insurer for the rest of my days, and so would you! This means billions more photcopies potentially circulating, at a time when driving on forged documents is a serious matter.

e) The insurance was purchased for Churchill, and all the paper work still arrives on Churchill headings, but it is another insurer who is supplying the insurance - purchased via the Churchill site. However, they do present themselves as Churchill - using the Churchill trademark.

I have two problems, I like clarity in trading, and I have a concern over data protection. The insurance company have forced me to cancel my own policy now, because they told me that if I did not, they would cancel it which will go against me in my insurance record. I cancelled stating that I was doing so under duress.

Yesterday with the deadline approaching, I purchased from a different company not connected with Churchill - and I will never use the Churchill site again. I fully understand that some people will say I am being silly, but the Information Commisioner's office have said that this activity is not known to them. The FSA have said that they are unhappy about the manner in which this is being done. The DVLA said the photocopy is a breach of copyright and has serious data protection implications. In essence, I am being asked to be complicit in forgery.

Churchill will now recover a cancellation fee, which they will take from my payment fee - returning the difference. Do you think this style of trading is a breach of trading law, and that I should make a counter claim for beach of contract?

Had I had a poor driving history or an accident, claim etc, I would understand. But deep sea trawling through everyone's documents for a way to get out of policies, charging for cancellations and storing details forever - may be good business for them - but it is surely not a wise security move for customers.

I think that sections of the insurance industry may be acting like a police force. They are not - they are just another company we deal with. Do they feel trading openness doesn't apply to them?

At every stage, the company refused to examine the licence.

Any thoughts? (Sorry this is long!).

colino

If you want to stay insured with them, send the copy. Seems pointless though as they can check you out direct with DVLA, just like the hirecos do, in a phone call.

vax2002

They have just made you break crown copyright, an offence punishable at a Crown court carrying a maximum 10 year prison term .

Nice company !

NeverInDebt

My insurance company ask this last year, first time I got asked. Plus NCD and also proof of ownership which DVLA had as I just changed cars and had a lot of aggravation from insurance company over that part a it can get dvla weeks to send it back and I got threatened with no insurance

I got told they do random checks now on people

dacouch

Plenty of companies will request to see a photocopy of your driving licence when you take out cover.

The vast majority will insist on seeing a copy (Or a conference call to the DVLA) if you make a theft or fire claim.

UnconsciouS

colino wrote: »

If you want to stay insured with them, send the copy. Seems pointless though as they can check you out direct with DVLA, just like the hirecos do, in a phone call.

Here is where the plot thickens; there is a suggestion that they LEFT the Churchill umbrella - but still use their letter heading! As such, they may not have access to the Churchill's computer system any longer - therefore no access to DVLA. However, the document themselves don't worry me excessively, but the picture part does. This could be the creation of a picture database by the back door - and that would seem to be something the Data Commisioner should be involved in deciding.

If the insurers asked you for a photgraph of yourself at the time of purchase, would you think this was wrong? If not, why are sending our picture on a demand that comes later?

I asked the company to provide a photcopy of a document that proves they are part of Churchill! So far nothing!

mikey72

UnconsciouS wrote: »

............There are over 30,000,000 drivers in the UK. If we are all asked to do this, that means there will be a vast number of amazing quality copies of driving licences sitting around in offices waiting to be taken and forged...........

Standard of copy of my printer scanner is barely readable, with a lot of lines. I doubt they could forge antything off it. It's also an old, non-picture licence, greatly dog eared, and split on all he crease lines. But it shows I have a licence, and it's a full licence for the vehicle I'm insuring, so that's all they care about.

UnconsciouS

dacouch wrote: »

Plenty of companies will request to see a photocopy of your driving licence when you take out cover.

The vast majority will insist on seeing a copy (Or a conference call to the DVLA) if you make a theft or fire claim.

I have no objection to showing my licence. I just don't want them to keep a potential faked copy of one.

UnconsciouS

mikey72 wrote: »

Standard of copy of my printer scanner is barely readable, with a lot of lines. I doubt they could forge antything off it. It's also an old, non-picture licence, greatly dog eared, and split on all he crease lines. But it shows I have a licence, and it's a full licence for the vehicle I'm insuring, so that's all they care about.

Good point - I could send them a copy that was so dreadful that it would be hard to verify - therefore difficult to use as a forgery

mikey72

UnconsciouS wrote: »

I have no objection to showing my licence. I just don't want them to keep a potential faked copy of one.

I can see why the need it. Adding non existent drivers to reduce premiums, provisional drivers driving pretending they have a full licence, disqualified drivers, drivers claiming more years since they passed to reduce premium, and the rest. The insurer will still be liable for third party claims, and the car will show as insured to any police check. So I have to admit, I'm behind them here.

colino

I think the "other company" you think is mysteriously involved will be UK Insurance. RBS put/is putting all of their insurance "brands" into a new umbrella so that they can float it off from core business.
So you will find references to UK Insurance on your paperwork from Churchill, Privilege, DirectLine etc., too.