Don't understand crazy car insurance quotes

Ultrasonic

For those suggesting increasing the mileage, what about the legal implications of falsely stating this? At the time of a claim this can easily be checked via MOT records for most vehicles, although I have no idea if this is done.

I would be cautious obout overestimating mileage for insurance purposes.

Hintza

Is the mileage not a maximum as opposed to a minimum? Take a driving holiday to John O'Groats via Lands End.

I read somewhere that the optimum mileage is 8k.

When I was getting quotes for the Panda they ranged from £117 to over £9,000 (most around £200). Just stuck with current for £126.

smssms

Don't want to scare monger and this is just a wild guess, but might identity theft or similar be an issue here?
Maybe they have some erroneous details against your name/address?

Ultrasonic

Hintza wrote: »

Is the mileage not a maximum as opposed to a minimum?

I'm fairly sure it is an estimated annual mileage and not a maximum or minimum that is standardly asked for. This would make sense from the point of view of assessing risk, which is why insurance companies want to know this sort of thing.

There is obviously leeway, but it's rather different estimating 10,000 miles a year and actually doing 9,000, to 'estimating' 5,000 or even 10,000 when actually driving less than 1,000 miles. As I said above, I have no idea whatsoever if insurance companies do check this sort of thing, but they would certainly seem within their rights to do so.

Ultrasonic

smssms wrote: »

Don't want to scare monger and this is just a wild guess, but might identity theft or similar be an issue here?
Maybe they have some erroneous details against your name/address?

Will this be the OP's first renewel since the change in the law regarding charging men a women differently? I think it probably is, which might explain a significant change from last year.

~Chameleon~

Ultrasonic wrote: »

I'm fairly sure it is an estimated annual mileage and not a maximum or minimum that is standardly asked for. This would make sense from the point of view of assessing risk, which is why insurance companies want to know this sort of thing.

There is obviously leeway, but it's rather different estimating 10,000 miles a year and actually doing 9,000, to 'estimating' 5,000 or even 10,000 when actually driving less than 1,000 miles. As I said above, I have no idea whatsoever if insurance companies do check this sort of thing, but they would certainly seem within their rights to do so.

I can't see how it would be an issue to overestimate mileage. For example, I usually put 5000 as my annual mileage which wouldn't be far wrong if I did my usual activities. However, the past 6 months has seen me barely leaving the house so my current mileage is way down but I couldn't possibly have foreseen this when I renewed my policy.

Ultrasonic

~Chameleon~ wrote: »

I can't see how it would be an issue to overestimate mileage. For example, I usually put 5000 as my annual mileage which wouldn't be far wrong if I did my usual activities. However, the past 6 months has seen me barely leaving the house so my current mileage is way down but I couldn't possibly have foreseen this when I renewed my policy.

That situation is different in that you didn't deliberately lie about your expected annual mileage when you took out the policy. Whether your own change in circumstances is strictly one that you should notify your insurance company of I'm not sure, but I doubt many people would, me included.

If the OP has consistantly only driven a few hundred miles a year for a few years and then suddenly claims to be doing 10,000 without actually driving any more then this is very obviously a false statement which could lead to an insurance company assessing risk differently. As such I certainly don't think it is obvious that an insurance company would never consider this a basis to not pay out on a claim.

I'd be interested in what anyone who works in the car insurance industry has to say about this though.

kingstreet

Ultrasonic wrote: »

Will this be the OP's first renewel since the change in the law regarding charging men a women differently? I think it probably is, which might explain a significant change from last year.

I think gender directive is a good shout for this.

giraffe69

Isn't the point to try a different mileage on online quotes to see if it makes a significant difference. That's not fraud, its common sense.

Ultrasonic

giraffe69 wrote: »

Isn't the point to try a different mileage on online quotes to see if it makes a significant difference. That's not fraud, its common sense.

How is lying to get a lower insurance quote not fraud?