car insurance got cancelled during holiday...

redbuta

Hello everyone,

There is something I need your help!

Back from a three-week long holiday late last night and got a letter from my car insurer (elephant.co.uk) saying there was some problem with my payment of this year's renewal. "If I didn't reply by 5th of May, the renewal will be cancelled"

The fact that I left before this letter arrived and back 10 days after 5th of May makes this situation awkward...

I'm going to call them today to sort out the payment.

But would I be fined by the Motoring authority about this? Can I appeal in this kind of situation?

Many thanks again!

Nodding_Donkey

Well until you sort it out you can't drive the car.

redbuta

It's still in my friend's garage... I haven't collected it.

Just called elephant.co.uk, their database is down at the moment... They suggest me to call in the afternoon...

What a day!

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

Well until you sort it out you can't drive the car.

redbuta

I'm just worrying DVLA will take me to the court with a big fine...

Nodding_Donkey wrote: »

Well until you sort it out you can't drive the car.

AdrianC

redbuta wrote: »

saying there was some problem with my payment of this year's renewal.

HAS it left your account or gone on your card?

But would I be fined by the Motoring authority about this? Can I appeal in this kind of situation?

It is entirely possible. Strictly speaking, an offence has occurred - you have a taxed car that is uninsured. If you get it sorted today, then it's unlikely that DVLA will hit you with a fine for a ten day break - that's the kind of gap in the MID record that can easily occur just through changing insurer. If they do, then a letter with supporting evidence may sort it.

redbuta

That's what I hoped!

But elephant.co.uk seems having a big problem with their database at the moment...

Shall I just go with another company, starting from today?

AdrianC wrote: »

HAS it left your account or gone on your card?



It is entirely possible. Strictly speaking, an offence has occurred - you have a taxed car that is uninsured. If you get it sorted today, then it's unlikely that DVLA will hit you with a fine for a ten day break - that's the kind of gap in the MID record that can easily occur just through changing insurer. If they do, then a letter with supporting evidence may sort it.

worried_jim

redbuta wrote: »

That's what I hoped!

But elephant.co.uk seems having a big problem with their database at the moment...

Shall I just go with another company, starting from today?

No Need. Just wait to speak to Elephant, make the missing payment and if you have any contact from the dvla make sure you have a record of everything that has happened and why.- eg what caused the payment to fail, was it a funding issue or an elephant issue.

Quentin

redbuta wrote: »

That's what I hoped!

But elephant.co.uk seems having a big problem with their database at the moment...

Shall I just go with another company, starting from today?

If you go to another company today (ie before you have resolved the issue with elephant) then you will have to say "yes" to any question regarding "have you ever had a policy cancelled".

This will make getting cover hard to get - most online of the peg insurers won't quote if you have had a policy cancelled.

Better to wait if you can and see if you can get them to reinstate the policy and remove the cancellation from your record.

(As far as being fined for having an uninsured car, they won't do this before first writing to you and giving you a chance to get cover. Though obviously don't take it on the road until cover is in place)

Johno100

Quentin wrote: »

If you go to another company today (ie before you have resolved the issue with elephant) then you will have to say "yes" to any question regarding "have you ever had a policy cancelled".

This will make getting cover hard to get - most online of the peg insurers won't quote if you have had a policy cancelled.

Better to wait if you can and see if you can get them to reinstate the policy and remove the cancellation from your record.

Nonsense, the policy has effectively lapsed at renewal because the insured has not paid the renewal premium. It is not being cancelled mid-term.

vaio

Unless the policy was on auto-renew in which case it was renewed and then cancelled for non payment

redbuta

The renewal date was 11th of April.

I called them on 4th of April to update my new debit card details.

I suspect something went wrong during that update.

However, they never called me or emailed me (email is the preferred corresponding method).

The payment usually occur around 16th of April.

vaio wrote: »

Unless the policy was on auto-renew in which case it was renewed and then cancelled for non payment