Things John said

dacouch

Question...

"Can I drive an uninsured car on my own insurance?
If you drive another car but it has got no insurance, does yous insurance cover you to drive it?"

Insurance Guru's Answer...

"No, the vehicle you are driving must have a minimum of third party cover on. If it does not, you will not be insured"

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/answer/82485/can-i-drive-an-uninsured-car-on-my-own-insurance-

dacouch

Question...

"My father has died - can I drive his car on my insurance until it's sold?
My 92 year old father has passed away having recently renewed his insurance. I have always had permission to drive his car using my insurance cover, although it only covers me third party. Is it legal for me to drive the car until it is sold?"

Insurance Guru's answer...

"Sorry to hear of your loss. No, because the person who holds the contract is now deceased, the contract is unenforceable. Contact his insurer and advise them of the situation and ask for a refund in full if it was within 14 days. No charge should be made. If it was longer than that, dependent on how he paid, they are allowed to charge a cancellation fee, but will recredit the source of payment for any remaining months. You will need to re-insure to continue using it. It will however show on MIAFTR as having a contract of insurance in place if it was not cancelled, which would cover you on the extension of use on your policy."

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/answer/82750/my-father-has-died---can-i-drive-his-car-on-my-insurance-until-it-s-sold-

A challenge for readers, how many mistakes can you spot in this answer.

I will weigh in with 5 mistakes, can anyone better this figure?

paddyandstumpy

Dang, I count 4...

forgotmyname

dacouch wrote: »

Insurance Guru's answer...

"Sorry to hear of your loss. No, because the person who holds the contract is now deceased, the contract is unenforceable. Contact his insurer and advise them of the situation and ask for a refund in full if it was within 14 days. No charge should be made. If it was longer than that, dependent on how he paid, they are allowed to charge a cancellation fee, but will recredit the source of payment for any remaining months. You will need to re-insure to continue using it. It will however show on MIAFTR as having a contract of insurance in place if it was not cancelled, which would cover you on the extension of use on your policy."

A challenge for readers, how many mistakes can you spot in this answer. I will weigh in with 5 mistakes, can anyone better this figure?

Is that 6? Colour coded for your pleasure?

No, well maybe depending on insurer?

So a contract is unenforceable because someone dies?

Full refund within 14 days with no charge? Lots of people wish.

So they can only charge a cancellation fee if he paid by certain methods?

Recredit the remaining months, err there maybe more to pay, although i would want most companies not to charge and be helpful?

Need to reinsure it, err why not just call the insurer explain the situation and extend the cover or as i had to do last year transfer the cover to my mum?


Although the giel on the line instantly said we will need to cancel the cover. My comment was how is mum supposed to transfer the keepers details over and deal with probate etc. Transferred to someone else who had no issue keeping it insured.
But messed up the following year when they failed to transfer it to mums name.

Direct line came to the rescue on that one. And in the end the paperwork they send did have mums name as the policy holder with the no claims intact.

dacouch

forgotmyname wrote: »

Is that 6? Colour coded for your pleasure?

No, well maybe depending on insurer?

So a contract is unenforceable because someone dies?

Full refund within 14 days with no charge? Lots of people wish.

So they can only charge a cancellation fee if he paid by certain methods?

Recredit the remaining months, err there maybe more to pay, although i would want most companies not to charge and be helpful?

Need to reinsure it, err why not just call the insurer explain the situation and extend the cover or as i had to do last year transfer the cover to my mum?


Although the giel on the line instantly said we will need to cancel the cover. My comment was how is mum supposed to transfer the keepers details over and deal with probate etc. Transferred to someone else who had no issue keeping it insured.
But messed up the following year when they failed to transfer it to mums name.

Direct line came to the rescue on that one. And in the end the paperwork they send did have mums name as the policy holder with the no claims intact.

Good.

The "Recredit the payment method"is BS as it would go through probate so the standard method of settlement would be to send a cheque payable to the executor"

He ignored the most sensible thing he could have suggested which was rather than cancel the Insurance leaving the car un insured would be to recommend they simply ring the Insurers, update the policyholders name to "The excutor of the late Mr X" and to ask them to add their name as a driver.

The more I look at it the more mistakes I notice, my favourite being about the car not showing on the MIAFTR database.

I feel sorry for the call centre employee who deals with the call from the person who posed the question (Or anyone else who read it and assumes it is giving the correct advice) and has to try and explain to someone that the authorative advice given on a website is a load of tosh

dacouch

Question...

"Does parking in a close with five designated parking spots count as driveway parking?"

Insurance Guru's Answer...

"If the land is private, yes. If it's public, no."

forgotmyname

Thats been proven on one of the TV shows about insurance claims and fraudsters.

Guy going fishing left his trailer and gear "on his drive, which is in front of his garage".

Insurance company google earth his home to see no garage attached to the property or in the property grounds. Seems his garage was over the road opposite the home at 90 degrees in a block of garages.

If i remember correctly? His driveway as he called it was just the space outside his garage doors, not marked in any way and it would have caused an issue for other garage owners if he left his car parked on what he called his driveway.

Insurance did not payout. He was rather annoyed because his friend who also lost equipment got paid out from his home insurance with no issues.

dacouch

Charged £800 for changing address on insurance - is a refund likely?

My daughter recently notified her insurer, Hastings Direct, of her change of address for the remaining three months of her insurance policy. She then received a confirmation message from Hastings, followed by them taking over £800 from her bank account. We have since obtained alternative quotes for an alternative policy and it appears the change in postcode does attract a premium of around £800, but for a 12 month policy. It looks like my daughter has been overcharged to the tune of £600, which so far Hastings have refused to refund. Do you think she has any chance of getting a refund?

Insurance Guru's answer...

Tell her to contact her insurer and advise them that they have charged her for a 12 month policy rather than an amendment, as such they need to reimburse her in full. If they do not, she then needs to tell them she is cancelling the contract, and that under distance selling regulations she has a minimum 14 day cooling off period (think it is 21 on insurance) and they need to reimburse her in full. She then need's to raise a complaint with them and also contact the FOS (Financial Ombudsman Service). Phone them first (very important you do this, as they will give a reference number and then contact the insurer). Once the insurer has been contacted they will be charged £500 by the FOS if they do not resolve the complaint. The FOS will advise they will not act until a final response letter has been sent, but for the insurer, just knowing they are "aware" is enough to get them moving.

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/askhj/answer/84100/charged-800-for-changing-address-on-insurance---is-a-refund-likely-

forgotmyname

eh? So 9 months into a policy = within 14 days to cancel the policy?

AND a FULL refund?

I may have to try that...

paddyandstumpy

The FOS fee hasn't been £500 for a long time now.

It's incredulous how much bad advice he can cram into one answer!