Car Insurance Catch 22 (Primary Driver Swap & NCD)

GibsonSt19

Hi all, we've recently bought a second car, for which I'm the primary driver, with my wife as a named secondary driver. The Insurance of our main car needs to change to reflect this, in that my wife now needs to become the primary driver, and me as named secondary.

My new Insurance company, SwiftCover, (for the new car) are waiting for proof of my NCD, which I assume I can only get from the existing insurer (Zenith) once I'm made secondary driver on our main family car? Is that right?

I've spoken to Zenith, to ask if the swap could be made as a mid-term amendment, but they told me this wasn't possible, and that I'd have to have a new policy with my wife as the main insured driver. Their quote for this is £70 more than it was for me as primary driver (despite my wife being older than I, and having more NCD).

I'd cancel our existing insurance (and apply for another with another company), but that would cost us £75 in cancellation fees apparently, leaving us ~£70 down either way.

Does this sound right?

Any recommendations or advice in this situation?

System

Is "main driver" reckoned over the course of a year, in which case perhaps it doesn't need to change until renewal date?

GibsonSt19

Clifford_Pope wrote: »

Is "main driver" reckoned over the course of a year, in which case perhaps it doesn't need to change until renewal date?

Not sure to be honest, but my new insurance company (for our second car) needs my proof of NCD (by 28th November), which the current insurer won't give me until I'm no longer registered as the primary driver of our main car.

Quentin

You cannot "transfer" NCD from one policy to another mid term.

You can only use the NCD on one policy at a time. (You say she has more than you? Yet just bought your second car?)

So (assuming you have the NCD and your wife has none), the only way to use the NCD on the new car will be to cancel your existing policy, then get the proof to give to Swiftcover and start a new policy for your old car with your wife as policyholder.

You will both then earn NCD to use at renewal time.

Alternatively if its cheaper, cancel swiftcover, swap your cars on your current policy and take out new policy for old car with wife as policyholder.

If your wife does have valid ncd then she can buy a new policy immediately and you can put the new car on that one. Thereby using both ncds.

GibsonSt19

Quentin wrote: »

You cannot "transfer" NCD from one policy to another mid term.

You can only use the NCD on one policy at a time. (You say she has more than you? Yet just bought your second car?)

So (assuming you have the NCD and your wife has none), the only way to use the NCD on the new car will be to cancel your existing policy, then get the proof to give to Swiftcover and start a new policy for your old car with your wife as policyholder.

You will both then earn NCD to use at renewal time.

Alternatively if its cheaper, cancel swiftcover, swap your cars on your current policy and take out new policy for old car with wife as policyholder.

If your wife does have valid ncd then she can buy a new policy immediately and you can put the new car on that one. Thereby using both ncds.

Thank for replying. I obviously have a misunderstanding on this somewhere.

My wife had another car (for which she was the primary driver, before becoming the secondary driver on our main family car). As a secondary driver on our main family car, Zenith didn't require proof of her NCD. Since we're now selling her old car, I have proof of her NCD from her own Insurer (Aegis), which I thought I could now use with Zenith to make her the primary driver on our main family car with her NCD in tact, and with this in place, I'd hoped I could then apply for insurance for our new car with my NCD from our main family car.

I was under the impression that NCD could only be used against one vehicle at any one time.

Cancelling the insurance on our main car (with Zenith), would incur a £75 fee), and taking out a new policy with Zenith, with my wife as primary driver of our main family car, would cost an extra £70pa (over what we're paying presently, with me as primary driver of the main family car).

I wouldn't be surprised if I'd confused you, as I've confused myself.

Quentin

If your wife has valid ncd from a previous policy (usually it needs to be less than 2 years since it was issued) then why not just insure the new car in her name?

There is normally no problem switching main driver irrespective of who is the policyholder.

rs65

GibsonSt19 wrote: »

I wouldn't be surprised if I'd confused you, as I've confused myself.

I think you have over complicated things.


The only insurer I can think of that needs the NCB to be in the main drivers name is Aviva.


You just needed to change the main driver on one policy and use her old NCB on the new car.

GibsonSt19

rs65 wrote: »

I think you have over complicated things.


The only insurer I can think of that needs the NCB to be in the main drivers name is Aviva.


You just needed to change the main driver on one policy and use her old NCB on the new car.

I thought I might be.

Changing the main driver (from me to my wife) on our family car's insurance is apparently not possible, and they (Zenith) need to create a new policy. For some reason, the quote for this involves a £70 increase in premium.