Car - Not married - no business cover?!

bakerelli

Here's the issue:
Myself and my partner own 1 car (and don't want another one)
We are not married
We don't work at the same place
We both need the car for occassional meetings etc
My partner is the main driver
We have never had a crash or made a claim
But I can't get covered for business use because we're not married??!!

If we were married I would be covered under business use class 1. As we're not married the only business cover I can get is class 2, which means I can only use the car in relation to the business of the main driver - and since I don't work for the same company as my partner, or work for her, it's of no use to me at all.

Can anyone suggest an alternative, or better still, an insurance company that doesn't just blindly discriminate against long term partners who aren't married?

lisyloo

I would suggest trying an insurance broker.
They deal with insurance companies every day and therefore should know which ones are able to help.
However your "unusual" cirucmstances may mean that you don't get much choie and therefore you may not be able to have the choice of quotes and hence it may not be competitive.
This is unfortunate but I guess you have to look at it as an a minor expense compared with having 2 cars (and the risk is probably greater as both of you are using the car).

An alternative is to tell one of your employers that you need a hire car/public transport/taxis.
Not everyone has a car so surely at least one of your employers can provide an alternaitve?

I have lots of colleagues you either walk to work or their wife needs the car during the day.
The onus is then on the employer to provide transport to the meeting of some sort.

Why are you taking this as your problem and not the employers problem to transport you?

shelly

lisyloo wrote: »

The onus is then on the employer to provide transport to the meeting of some sort.

Why are you taking this as your problem and not the employers problem to transport you?

I agree with this 100%. We are a 2 car household but if hubby has to go to meetings out of office he gets a company car. If he is travelling anywhere on business for the company he uses one of their cars.

clareyp

Alternatively you might find your company provides business insurance for you when driving your own car on company business... - worth checking it out!

lisyloo

The onus is then on the employer to provide transport to the meeting of some sort.

Just want to add that this does depend on your contract and any verbal agreements.
If driving your own car was part of the deal agreed in advance then clearly the onus is on you.
Similarly if they provide a car and/or car allowance then the onus would be on you.

I was really referring to the more "normal" case where it is not automatically your employers right to have use of your personal car for business.

Alternatively you might find your company provides business insurance for you when driving your own car on company business... - worth checking it out!

I am not sure a company can legally insure someone else's car (you need an "insurable interest" to insure something).

If they claim to do this make sure you understand the coverage.
My employers for example covere themselves against negligence when asking people to drive on company business but does not cover the cars specially so make sure you understand exactly what the insurance is for is some admin bod says "we have insurance".
People in my company were confused by the difference between personal car insurance and the employers liability insurance for company cars.

bakerelli

Thanks for posts so far...

I work for local government and get a car users allowance, and my partner works for a charity. We knew before taking our jobs that our employers would not be in a position to provide transportation. Access to transport isn't the issue here though...

I can mostly walk or cycle to work and to meetings. My partner cycles or shares a lift some of the time, but as she works further from our home, she drives more often, and is the main driver on the policy.

I want business use cover for the 2 or 3 times a month I do need to drive to meetings that are further away for me than normal. The risk for an insurer is small, but I can see no flexibility in policy options to cover me for this.

I will ask my employer if they have a vehicle policy that they could add me to - a very useful suggestion, thanks.

Zebedee69

I worked doing pass the parcel appeal one year. They asked us to use our cars......

I went out back to go to the toilet to find that social services has 5 brand new vauxhall corsas just sitting there!!! When I asked why cant they be used.... No reply....

Needless to say I kicked up a fuss and not one of us voluntered our cars. They eventually used the Corsa's

The moral of the story is, there is a fine line between charity and being taken for a ride. My boss runs a Private Ambulance Service and uses the whole "Ambulance.... you do amazing work" thing to never pay bills and make even more money!!! Its a scandal, no other private company would get away with not paying bills but they do...... He has tried it on with me before and iv been daft enough to fall for it. I dont anymore though if he wants something doing he can bloody well pay for it to be done properly!

So before you go getting your insurance, double check if you can get a taxi/bus allowance or something.... While your busy paying £££'s for your extra business cover il bet the boss of the charity gets his for free!!!

lisyloo

I will ask my employer if they have a vehicle policy that they could add me to - a very useful suggestion, thanks.

I am 99% sure this won't work.
You cannot insure for things that belong to other people.

Have you tried a broker? and found NO insurer that will do this.
If so I'm very suprised.

vikingaero

Use a decent scheme broker like Towergate. Small one office brokers may not have the experience or knowledge.

You can insure things that belong to other people if there is an insurable interest.

Under our fleet policy we cover employees for business risk, have fully comprehensive cover on driving other cars extension and also have an extension that allows us to drive vehicles belonging to third parties that are obstructing any access and egress from our premises.

We find that the younger employees generally get business risk cover as most mainstream insurers refuse them cover or charge stupid premiums.

bakerelli

Thank you everyone for your input...after a bit of ringing around I foudn that Churchill do give bussiness class 1 cover for partners living together as well as for married couples.

I can now embark on my twice monthly business drives safe in the knowledge I'm covered... it didn't cost me any more then my previous policy either, happy days!