Car seized as no insurance but no reminder from insurance

Halley_11

So my mate had her car seized yesterday as police were doing random checks - turns out she had no insurance on her car! It was a genuine mistake as the insurance company (AA) didn’t send out reminder so she didn’t know it ran out. She has been stung with 6 points plus £300 fine and then getting car back from police pound. Does the insurer have any liability as they didn’t send out any reminders?? Bear in mind everything that is happening due to lockdown (she has 4 kids 20-5) with eldest requiring 24 hour care. Any help or guidance appreciated! 

Fruitcake

Insurance companies are not required to send reminders. It is the motorist's responsibility to ensure a vehicle is suitably insured at all times. I believe the vehicle must even be insured when it is SORNED.

Since we specialise in helping people with unfair private parking charges here on MSE, you could ask your question on pepipoo.com, but don't hold your breath about getting a different answer.

Halley_11

Aren’t insurance companies legally responsible for an insurance reminder as per FCA ICOB guidance??

[Deleted User]

Halley_11 said:

Aren’t insurance companies legally responsible for an insurance reminder as per FCA ICOB guidance??

No, they have to Send clear information in good time IF they are offering a renewal quote. As they obviously didn't offer a renewal quote no other responsibility 

Fruitcake

Halley_11 said:

Aren’t insurance companies legally responsible for an insurance reminder as per FCA ICOB guidance??

As above, no. 
ICOB is not a law or act of parliament, but a code of conduct. Sction 6.5 refers to renewals.

"6.5 (1) This section applies when a firm proposes to a consumer the renewal of a general insurance contract, which is not a group policy, and which has a duration of 10 months or more."

The operative word is "when". If a reminder is not sent then this section does not apply.

With regard to the current covid problems, the FCA advice is,

Renewing your insurance policy

If your insurance is due for renewal, contact your insurance company to discuss in good time. It may be that, after renewal, the policy will no longer cover claims due to coronavirus.

This puts the onus on the motorist in contacting the insurance company, not the other way round.

Redx

People should take responsibility for their own affairs

You do not get reminders for all sorts of things , MOT is just one , so although insurance is one of them I fail to see why people expect reminders for everything in life nowadays and I have had this happen on many occasions over the years for MOT, insurance etc

You do not get reminders for making a will either , but it's a good idea to get it done

I doubt there is anything that can be done in this case , but I hope that the lesson has been learned because I have drummed in mot and insurance into my kids heads annually for years and they regularly get pcn reminders from me too so they dont fall foul in car parks etc !!

Be it parking or mot or insurance or road tax or driving licence , people need to take responsibility for what they do in life ,including marking renewals in their paper or phone calendars 9so no excuse really, years ago its why we had diaries , which was one of the statements in a pcn case we had on here a few years ago, where a judge remarked on it to a young legal beagle who was in error)

Scrapit

Your insurance, your responsibility. No different to you being responsible for keeping the vehicle road worthy. Its not down the the main dealers to chase you if you dont have a service etc.

[Deleted User]

"Regularly get PCN reminders from me".... classic. I must try this with wife and daughters.

Redx

Last night my eldest said he had received his insurance renewal for his vehicle

Comparing notes , we were both reminded of the fact that companies who have asked for renewal dates of house or vehicle insurance , plus companies we have been with previously , plus go compare , money supermarket (who own mse and this forum ) , compare the market , plus any other price comparison sites too , email and or post reminders out before the big day , usually with quotes on hem etc

So generally speaking we all get postal or email reminders , sometimes texts as well , which is what my lad had received about his car insurance , so I reminded him that his mot was due but the lockdown has given him an extension on getting it done, but no reminders will arrive about his mot. We both agreed that we get plenty of letters and emails offering insurance a few weeks before the expiry date , I know plenty of people get the same

The point about car insurance is that it covers up to 70 million people in this country , in case of accident

It can help with personal liability , in case the person you put in a wheelchair sue's for a million or two due to care needs etc once they get out of hospital

And sod,s law says you will maim somebody after your insurance has expired so my grand daughter is at greater risk and I would help her to sue the perpetrator so that they have nothing at all , especially not a vehicle to drive

Sorry if it's melodramatic and maybe it's an oversight by a stalwart of the community , but take some responsibility for not diarising the renewal on paper or on her phone , stop whining , pay the charges , take it on the chin and learn to be better organised , the rest of us do this annually , but the nanny state isn't there to remind you about deadlines 

If this person wants mandatory reminders for not and insurance , they should lobby their MP

Meantime , it's an easy fix with a pound shop diary and the calendar app on their phone