car insurance for work.

sarerb18

Hi can anyone advise me please. I am currently insured to use my car for work (as in driving to and from etc.) on level 1 but might occasionally need to take a passenger and have been told by insurance company that I will lose my protected no claims, so is this normal for all insurance companies or should I look around.

thanks Sarer

C_Ronaldo

Ive not been told of that before as i carry passengers but my insurance isnt work related its social,

vikingaero

Depends on the insurer. Protected No-claims rarely applies under business fleet policies because so much discount is inbuilt into the premium already. I'd say that most insurers wouldn't mind ocassional business use but if you need to transport someone everyday then maybe you should ask your employers to stump up for the Policy or insure the car under their policy on business use days.

Andy_L

Does the passenger work for the same company or are they a member of the public?

sarerb18

Andy_L wrote: »

Does the passenger work for the same company or are they a member of the public?

member of the public.
sarer

MarkyMarkD

If you already have an insurance policy in your own name with business use permitted, carrying a passenger on a car sharing or social, domestic & pleasure basis won't make any difference to your NCD or any other aspect of your cover.

Can you explain how they are saying you will lose your NCD?

sarerb18

I'm with Direct Line and they say that if I carry a passenger who is something to do with my work for example a client, to a doctors appointment or solicitors or the council offices then I would have to have class 2 insurance and although it will not make a difference to my premium I would lose the protection of my full no claims. Maybe I didn't make it very clear earlier, sorry.

sarer
thanks for helping

daveyjp

They are probably right. Your current use entitles you to drive to work and leave the car parked until you need it to go home. If you need to be transporting other people you need business use cover.

lisyloo

I use my car for work and have had business use for years and I have never heard of this.

I have a couple of suggestions.

1) Find another insurer that doesn't do this (I've never come across it and I generally spend some time reading my policy).

2) If you aren't happy to do it then refuse until your employer stumps up for an adequate policy.

Is it in your contract that you should do this?

You employer should not expect you to be disadvantaged so they need to compensate you adequately so that you can purchase the right insurance.

Will they provide a hire car or a pool car for these particular journeys?

lisyloo

If you need to be transporting other people you need business use cover.

I agree, but if you have business use then protected NCD should apply.

_Glycerine_

Class 1 business use is needed, but the insurer doesnt have to protect the no claims, you sometimes need to meet certain criteria to have no claims bonus with a particular underwriter.

If you need to have protection on the policy, then i would suggest asking to be assigned to an underwriter who can cover both class 1 and protection, which most underwriters will cover. They will most likely just start a new policy and cancel the current one pro rata.

Thats the process with the insurance company i work for.

Class 2 is not needed, its the same as class 1 except that it covers all drivers named on policy for business purposes.