Help - Move in 2 weeks but must renew car insurance now!

cockbongo

Ok, a particularly sticky problem...

We move house in a fortnight but our car insurance renewal needs done by the end of the week. The quotes we are getting are...ok....but the quotes for our new address are about £100 cheaper because of the area. But we have to get the car insured before we move.

The question is, if we buy the insurance now will we be able to reclaim the difference in premium from the insurer once we've moved to the new "safer" address? Anyone have any experience of a similar quandary?

Of course we're also thinking that we could just put down the new address for the new policy even though we don't move for a fortnight - what implications could this have?

Any help would be much appreciated guys - thanks a lot.

C

raskazz

In this case you have to set the policy up with your current address. Then call the insurer to notify them of the change of address.

At that stage most insurers will give you a refund for the redcution in risk but possibly not the full £100 difference that you are finding now - this is because there will normally be an administration fee for making the change, so you would get the £100 minus the admin fee.

cockbongo

That seems bloody harsh, but hey, it's insurance companies we're talking about.

Thanks very much for the help mate.

raskazz

You might want to hint that you are aware of the initial 14-day 'cooling off' period when you call to make the change of address, if the return premium is falling very short of £100.

cockbongo

That is a very good point. If I was to attempt to cancel within that 14 day cooling-off period (say, at the *very* last moment which would be the day I moved house), what would be the implications if I was just to then take out a new policy at my new address? Presumably i would still have been insured for the final fortnight at my existing address but now be in a position to take out the cheaper new policy?

Although that does sound like it may involve a lot of hassle waiting for refunds....

raskazz

cockbongo wrote: »

That is a very good point. If I was to attempt to cancel within that 14 day cooling-off period (say, at the *very* last moment which would be the day I moved house), what would be the implications if I was just to then take out a new policy at my new address? Presumably i would still have been insured for the final fortnight at my existing address but now be in a position to take out the cheaper new policy?

Although that does sound like it may involve a lot of hassle waiting for refunds....

Yes. You would have been insured for the fortnight - and they can charge a fair pro-rata amount for the two weeks cover but nothing that can be considered a penalty. Then of course you would have to go through the process of setting up a new policy.

Hopefully though, if you hint at cancellation they will use common sense and agree to reduce any administration fee.

cockbongo

Marvellous - thanks very much mate.