Void Insurance Causing Problems

Franky0707

Hi all.
I recently had my car insurance made void by the underwriters due to them interpreting my occupation as different to what my business ACTUALLY is.

Asda/Southern Rock are claiming I should have put "Door Supervisor" as my occupation in their dropdown box. I selected "Other - Professional" from the first dropdown box, and "Security Services" from the second dropdown box.

I argue that even though I was performing Door Supervisor duties at the time my car was maliciously damaged, my business includes Surveillance, Security Guarding, Manned Guarding, and other security duties within the security industry.
In fact, the Nature of Business as described on Companies House is "80100 - Private security activities".
I also argue that if I were to put Door Supervisor as my occupation, and were to perform one of the other duties that my company provides, then Door Supervisor would be misleading to the insurers. Hence, why "Other - Professional" and "Security Services" was the most accurate description from the dropdown boxes.

I have complained to the Financial Ombudsman about this.

I have a new job starting with Sunwin/Co-Op over the next couple of weeks, where I will be employed, rather than self-employed. The job is a Cash and Valuables in Transit Officer, which mainly involves driving.

My question is: Now that the underwriters have made my insurance void, I am struggling to get personal motor insurance.
Will my personal insurance being made void affect me getting insured on my new employer's business motor insurance?

InsideInsurance

Industry and your job is two separate things

What do you personally do?

On the basis you mention "self employed" and "companies house" it sounds like you are a little confused anyway as if you have a limited company then you are an employee not self employed and you are presumably a company director which would have been the easiest occupation to chose from the list and one easily ratified by the annual return to companies house.

Franky0707

Yes, my company is a limited company. And I put down self-employed.
And would it not be Asda's duty to ring me if there was anything unclear about the options I selected?

Quentin

Franky0707 wrote: »

Yes, my company is a limited company. And I put down self-employed.
And ould it not be Asda's duty to ring me if there was anything unclear about the options I selected?

You declare that the info you give is correct, so the onus is on you to clarify any area you are unsure of.

Though you must have known that doormen is an occupation that motor insurers generally don't "like"! As they don't "like" sportsmen bodyguards etc.

dunstonh

Yes, my company is a limited company. And I put down self-employed.

Which is an error as you have been told.

And would it not be Asda's duty to ring me if there was anything unclear about the options I selected?

From their end there is nothing unclear until they know the facts.

SuperHan

I think if they wanted to be petty, you lied on your application. You're not self employed as declared, you are an employee of a limited company you are the majority share holder. They could void your insurance on those grounds too...

dacouch

Franky0707 wrote: »

I argue that even though I was performing Door Supervisor duties at the time my car was maliciously damaged

Coincidently the large increased risk of malicious damage is one of the reasons many Insurers load or decline doormen, that and the moral risk.

Franky0707

I did not lie on my application. I am self-employed of which the company I own is limited. I am not strictly a doorman. My company provides a range of security services.
If I selected door supervisor and then performed one of the other services my company provides, would that not be misleading the insurer?

Quentin

From what you say you are an employee of the limited company!!

FlameCloud

Franky0707 wrote: »

I did not lie on my application. I am self-employed of which the company I own is limited. I am not strictly a doorman. My company provides a range of security services.
If I selected door supervisor and then performed one of the other services my company provides, would that not be misleading the insurer?

Do your clients pay the company and the the company pays you a salary?

dunstonh

. I am self-employed of which the company I own is limited.

No you are not. To be self employed you would be paying class 2 NI. You are an employee as you pay class 1.