Car insurance quotes - being declined

bairn7

Hello


I've been looking at quotes for car insurance as I'm about to trade in my current car. I have obtained 5 or 6 quotes and, whilst I have a couple of SPs and a couple of claims, I have 2 years NCB and there has been no issues with these.


I have gone for a quote with morethan and they have said, due to the information provided, they are not able to offer me an insurance quote at this time.


Does this mean that when I get the question whether I have ever had car insurance cancelled or declined, I now need to disclose this? And does it have any effect on premiums? Seems a bit unfair because one of my claims is an accident which I didn't claim (but obviously I still have to declare) but more than did not have an option for 'accident - no claim made'. This was the only thing different to information given for other quotes.

Quentin

You don't need to disclose those insurers who have declined to give you a quote to anyone

Aretnap

Everybody who has ever used a price comparison site has found an insurer who is unable to provide a quote for their details. Saga always come back as unable to quote for me, for example, because they only insure over-50s. That doesn't make me a pariah who cannot get insurance.

AIUI the "have you ever been refused insurance" question relates to being declined after being given a quote, and dates from the days when people bought insurance from a broker in their local high street, rather than from a Meerkat or a senior naval officer. The broker would have copies of various underwriters manuals, would recommend an insurer and give you a quote on their behalf, then give you a seven day cover note and send your details off to an underwriter for a final decision. Very occasionally the underwriter might say no, and it was only a refusal at that point that counted as a refusal to insure. Usually it only happened if either (a) you had some very unusual circumstances which weren't covered in the standard underwriting manual or (b) you'd lied about something.

Nowadays of course the whole thing is done online in seconds and the gap between quote and acceptance doesn't really exist, so the question of refusal to insure doesn't really arise. You can still be in trouble if your insurer finds out that you've lied about something of course, but that would result in a cancellation rather than a refusal.

I agree the way the question is worded is confusing.

bairn7

Thanks both. Didn't think it would be right!

forgotmyname

I had the same when younger, oddly insurers though a 21 year old with a 3.5L V8 was an unnaceptable risk. Strange.