Why can you check online others MOT and road tax status but not vehicle insurance?

poppasmurf_bewdley

The information is on there, but you have to know where to look, and have the appropriate authority to access it. 

Many a time, on programmes such as Police Interceptors, the cops check and come back saying something like "the car's insured to a woman" or "there are three named drivers on the car".  

williamgriffin

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

The information is on there, but you have to know where to look, and have the appropriate authority to access it. 

Many a time, on programmes such as Police Interceptors, the cops check and come back saying something like "the car's insured to a woman" or "there are three named drivers on the car".  

That will be because they're looking at the Police National Computer.

Goudy

sweetsand said:

Goudy said:

You can request (and pay for) someone elses insurance data from the Motor Insurance Database quite legally.
https://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

Hi
No, you can't. There has to be a reason as stated below, - please see quote. Thanks.
=========

From website =  I confirm that I am a person or body corporate resident in the United Kingdom claiming to be entitled to compensation in respect of any loss or injury resulting from an accident caused by or arising out of the use of the above UK vehicle within the last seven years. I understand that it is an offence to wrongfully obtain information of this nature without reasonable cause and if I fail to provide true reasons for requiring information I may be committing an offence of unlawfully obtaining data contrary to section 170 of the Data Protection Act 2018. I also hereby confirm that the information provided will not be used for any purposes unrelated to the purposes of this enquiry. I agree that my receipt of such information will be subject to the Terms of Use as stated on this website. *

Yes you can, I even provided the link!
It is perfectly legal to do so if you have reason.

Question seems clear now, why would you want to if you didn't have reason?

neilmcl

williamgriffin said:

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

The information is on there, but you have to know where to look, and have the appropriate authority to access it. 

Many a time, on programmes such as Police Interceptors, the cops check and come back saying something like "the car's insured to a woman" or "there are three named drivers on the car".  

That will be because they're looking at the Police National Computer.

That info isn't held on the PNC, it's on the Insurance database that the police have access to.

Sandtree

Goudy said:

It is perfectly legal to do so if you have reason.

Question seems clear now, why would you want to if you didn't have reason?

Well, its more explicit than that as the reason has to be that you are claiming to be entitled to compensation from the vehicle's insurer.

The OP could just be a nosy neighbour and thinks their neighbours are dodgy and intends to report them for having a SORN vehicle on the road etc... that wouldn't give them authority to check the MID database whereas they can check the other two factors. Others have already however touched on one elements being public record and the other not

Goudy

Sandtree said:

The OP could just be a nosy neighbour and thinks their neighbours are dodgy and intends to report them for having a SORN vehicle on the road etc...

Either versions of the Motor Insurance Database is not fit for that purpose anyway.
A vehicle may be driven on a Motor Trade Insurance policy that won't show as being insured on MID.
Then they'd be wasting everyones time.
There's around 8 million used cars sales every year in the UK and a lot of them would be driven under a Traders policy.

Again, you have to question why someone would needs access to this data unless there's a legitimate reason and if there is, there are legitimate ways to access it.

Sandtree

Goudy said:

Sandtree said:

The OP could just be a nosy neighbour and thinks their neighbours are dodgy and intends to report them for having a SORN vehicle on the road etc...

Either versions of the Motor Insurance Database is fit for that purpose anyway.
A vehicle may be driven on a Motor Trade Insurance policy that won't show as being insured on MID.
Then they'd be wasting everyones time.
There's around 8 million used cars sales every year in the UK and a lot of them would be driven under a Traders policy.

Again, you have to question why someone would needs access to this data unless there's a legitimate reason and if there is, there are legitimate ways to access it.

Well, fit for it other than it states its illegal to use it for that purpose... as already quoted the website has a declaration that you are required to only request it for purposes of claiming compensation and points out that " if I fail to provide true reasons for requiring information I may be committing an offence of unlawfully obtaining data contrary to section 170 of the Data Protection Act 2018".

So yes, you can lie and say its your car on one half the site or make a false reason for needing it on the other half and you will get what you want but in theory there is the "committing an offence" threat (which clearly will almost certainly never materialise). There is a difference between what you can and should do... so you can get the data if you wish to run the tiny risk but there is a lawful way to get it in the same way.

sweetsand

Sandtree said:

Goudy said:

Sandtree said:

The OP could just be a nosy neighbour and thinks their neighbours are dodgy and intends to report them for having a SORN vehicle on the road etc...

Either versions of the Motor Insurance Database is fit for that purpose anyway.
A vehicle may be driven on a Motor Trade Insurance policy that won't show as being insured on MID.
Then they'd be wasting everyones time.
There's around 8 million used cars sales every year in the UK and a lot of them would be driven under a Traders policy.

Again, you have to question why someone would needs access to this data unless there's a legitimate reason and if there is, there are legitimate ways to access it.

Well, fit for it other than it states its illegal to use it for that purpose... as already quoted the website has a declaration that you are required to only request it for purposes of claiming compensation and points out that " if I fail to provide true reasons for requiring information I may be committing an offence of unlawfully obtaining data contrary to section 170 of the Data Protection Act 2018".

So yes, you can lie and say its your car on one half the site or make a false reason for needing it on the other half and you will get what you want but in theory there is the "committing an offence" threat (which clearly will almost certainly never materialise). There is a difference between what you can and should do... so you can get the data if you wish to run the tiny risk but there is a lawful way to get it in the same way.

Only "lawful" as per my previous posts.

ToxicWomble

2 weeks just seems to pass by far too quickly nowadays
You went from aspiring philanthropist to seasoned and respected in 2 weeks - that’s some going
Amazing what you can do when not spamming  forums I guess

williamgriffin

neilmcl said:

williamgriffin said:

poppasmurf_bewdley said:

The information is on there, but you have to know where to look, and have the appropriate authority to access it. 

Many a time, on programmes such as Police Interceptors, the cops check and come back saying something like "the car's insured to a woman" or "there are three named drivers on the car".  

That will be because they're looking at the Police National Computer.

That info isn't held on the PNC, it's on the Insurance database that the police have access to.

Given it can be accessed via the PNC I think you're just arguing for the sake of it.