Car insurance cancelled

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Aretnap wrote: »

A reportable cancellation occurs when the insurer cancels the policy - usually because the policyholder has lied about something, or not kept up the monthly payments.

Brightside have cancelled the policy. I haven't, I've just moved house. Postcode's the same, car's the same, my car usage is the same.

This type of "cancellation" is not actually a cancellation by the insurer at all - it goes like this.

Says you. But Brightside HAVE ACTUALLY CANCELLED the policy.

Policyholder: "Good morning. I'm selling my Ford and buying a Ferrari - so I wondered if I could transfer my policy to the new car?"
Insurer: "I'm sorry Sir, but we don't insure Ferraris"
Policyholder: "Fair enough. In that case I'd like to cancel my policy please"

You see what actually happened there? The insurer didn't cancel the policy - the policyholder did.

No the 'conversation' went,
ME: Here's my new address
BRIGHTSIDE: We're cancelling your policy. That address is unacceptable for reasons we're not going to tell you.

The OP's conversation with his insurer might not have gone in exactly the same way, but the end result is the same.

No. Brightside have cancelled the policy for unspecified reasons concerning my address. I've cancelled nothing.

rs65

You will have whatever NCD you started this insurance with. You just won't have earned any for this part year.

System

134f76ef1563fb3ade93bb wrote: »

No. Brightside have cancelled the policy for unspecified reasons concerning my address. I've cancelled nothing.

Exactly - it's not like the Ferrari example.
If it had been the conversation might have been:

I'm notifying you that I have moved address.
Sorry Sir, we don't insure properties in that area.
Thank you. In that case I'd like to cancel the policy.

It seems to me there is a very fuzzy distinction between the two scenarios, and what really happens is that there is a kind of mutual recognition/stand-off in which it becomes clear that the policy is going to be cancelled. You can argue either way as to who initiated the actual cancellation, depending on whether you interpret the conversation in the "Ferrari" model or the OP's reported one.
It appears to depend on who manages to get the word "cancellation" into the conversation first.

Considering the profound consequences for the customer's future insurance situation, there needs to be a much clearer defination and explanation.

mgfvvc

I would suggest talking to a broker and see how they think you should handle it. Alternatively get some quotes without declaring this as a cancellation and then choose and insurer and talk to them about it to make sure they know the situation before taking out the policy.

134f76ef1563fb3ade93bb

mgfvvc wrote: »

... get some quotes without declaring this as a cancellation and then choose and insurer and talk to them about it to make sure they know the situation before taking out the policy.

That's what I've done, and sent prospective insurer the soon-to-be cancelled policy. We'll see what happens.

maddogb

134f76ef1563fb3ade93bb wrote: »

That's what I've done, and sent prospective insurer the soon-to-be cancelled policy. We'll see what happens.

whatever you do make sure you get something to show you have discussed this with any future insurers, an email or letter each time do not take the word of any telephone personnel.

PPPro

Despite their wording, they are not 'cancelling' the cover in the way the insurance business normally understands this term. What they are actually doing is declining to insure you on the revised terms you have now requested.

The existing cover will be ended simply because you have advised them that the terms of the original proposal of cover no longer apply, and therefore no longer suits your requirements.

You do not need to declare this to future insurers.

Cancellation is when an insurer terminates cover with no change of declared risk, perhaps because the proposer has not maintained payments, perhaps because the insurer has become aware of a fraudulent application (so the real risk is not as proposed, e.g. failing to declare a previous claim, modifications to vehicle, etc), or perhaps the insurer feels they may be subject to future fraud (e.g the proposer has been convicted of a similar offence), etc

I'm sure you probably realise what it is that differs significantly with this new address compared to the previous one. i.e the risk. e.g. it has no garage (assuming you said the vehicle was garaged), or has no off street parking (assuming you said the vehicle was parked off street), etc

As they said, there can be any number of reasons, and I'm not going to try and guess, (NE40 covers almost 7000 addresses) but if you really don't have a clue why they are refusing the new risk just 2 km away, then make a complaint and I'm sure eventually you will get given at least a hint.

PPPro

134f76ef1563fb3ade93bb wrote: »

Brightside have cancelled the policy. I haven't, I've just moved house. Postcode's the same, car's the same, my car usage is the same.



Says you. But Brightside HAVE ACTUALLY CANCELLED the policy.



No the 'conversation' went,
ME: Here's my new address
BRIGHTSIDE: We're cancelling your policy. That address is unacceptable for reasons we're not going to tell you.



No. Brightside have cancelled the policy for unspecified reasons concerning my address. I've cancelled nothing.

Mind you, insurers don't like inconsistencies in stories...

134f76ef1563fb3ade93bb wrote: »

That's what I've done, and sent prospective insurer the soon-to-be cancelled policy. We'll see what happens.

Like the above :cool:

ninetyfables

You originally presented your insurer with a risk profile that they were happy to insure you with. Have you ever noticed that when you run quotes, you'll get some insurers that quote a reasonable price and some down the bottom that quote thousands? Some won't even quote at all. There's a reason for this. They don't really want to insure you on the risk profile you have presented, so their algorithms price you off the road.

Now you've just moved to a new area. This new area might be a hot bed of car crime. It might be an area with fraudulent claims coming out of its proverbial ears. Maybe drivers of your age bracket with your particular car have crashed loads. The 'droid' on the phone won't know. Wow I bet you really put a smile on some poor operators face their, how rude of you. Even so, all they can inform you when you try to do your amendment is that your company don't like the new risk you have presented. They are cancelling your policy simply because they cannot offer you cover. This is not your fault, it will get cancelled and you will keep whatever NCB you've earned. You do not need to mention this to other insurers. Other insurers by the way, may be more than happy to take on your risk profile, shop around a bit. And try not to think you're better than the guy on the phone, I literally cannot get over how rude I can imagine you being if you think you can call him/her a 'droid'.

134f76ef1563fb3ade93bb

PPPro wrote: »

Mind you, insurers don't like inconsistencies in stories...



Like the above :cool:

No, I've got no idea what's inconsistent about being frank and open with prospective insurers.

But you're, apparently, one of the cool kids so you must be right.