No Claims bonus and renewing car insurance for someone who has been driving for just over a year

socnsum1

Hi everyone.
I am looking for some advice please.
I am trying to renew my car insurance for the first time after passing my test in March 2019. As advised by this site and other sites, I have been looking for renewal prices around 20-26 days before my insurance expires. The price comparison site that I used last year has put one year no claim bonus in my search results giving me the cheapest prices quoted.
When I don't include one years no claim, my prices are the same as last year or in a lot of cases even higher.
I don't want to defraud any insurers but I'm really not sure what to do. Should I wait until my current insurance is closer to expire before I can claim one year no claims?

facade

You will have one years no claims at the start of your policy, as you will arrange it to start after yours ends.

e.g. your current policy expires at 23:59 on 18 April, your new one starts 00:01 19 April. (Don't worry about the 2 minute gap, it isn't real)

You current insurer should write to you, or email you a PDF offering you a renewal, and stating that you have 1 years no claims bonus at renewal.  You need to send a copy to your new insurer.

socnsum1

When I tried to renew now saying I had one years no claims, the insurer terms and conditions said that I had to have held my car insurance policy from 2018 though. That gave me the impression I couldn't claim one years no claims until the one year had actually been up?

facade

You can't until the anniversary of your policy.

If your new policy started today, then you can't include the no claims.

Your new policy will start after you achieve 1 year no claims, so it can be counted.  The policy starts when you want, not when you pay for it.

socnsum1

Ok I am confused, you say I can't then later on you seem to say that I can as I can choose when my new policy starts?

Sorry if I am misunderstanding what you are saying?

fb1969

As facade says in the first reply, your new policy will start the day after the current one finishes.  So using their example of dates, you should be getting quotes for a policy that starts on 19 Apr 20.  At that point you will have one year's NCB so can get quotes with that included.

socnsum1

Thanks. I thought that might be the case. Problem I had when I did this one of the insurers (QuotemeHappy) wanted me to already have the one years no claims now and not on 19 April.

Thanks for the clarification.