Car Insurance Company gives 7 day notice to cancel insurance

Ellogg

Afternoon all hope everyone is OK.

I will try keep it brief but as with all insurance policies its a mine field.

My son is 19 so struggling to find cheap insurance anyway. But managed to get some for a car which has been my brothers (his uncle) for about 15 years. It has been off the road for 12 years (BMW 316i coupe 1998 year) and my son has been working on it and got it back on the road full MOT etc. He got a quote and took his insurance policy out with Sterling Insurance paid deposit etc. Insurance was to start on 1st October 22, he read documents and called them on 27th September 22 to inform them of some miss information on policy. They had car down as a convertible not a coupe and also he told them the car was family owned been off the road since 2010 and had been given to him he was waiting for the Reg certificate to come in his name. They were happy with this and allowed the insurance to activate on 1st October 22 requesting a copy of Reg certificate. Eventually the Reg certif turned up and he forwarded them a copy only to recieve an email stating he had 7 days notice of cancellation from them. On contacting them they informed him the "date of purchase" does not match the Reg certificate he could cancel the insurance himself for a fee of £192 on the spot of would be charged an extra £40 per day for the seven days notice period or pay and extra £4000 to continue the insurance policy. Being backed into a corner he cancelled it on the spot.

Is this a valid reason for them to cancel the insurance, although he was not registed owner at the time of telling them he was going to be the main user. As it states on the registation certificate "This Document Is Not Proof Of Ownership" The policy on shows date of purchase being in 2010 when car was taken off road, which would be the day my brother gifted it to my son.

Should Sterling Insurance of allowed this policy to continue knowing this information as it took him beyond his 14 day cooling off period and they stung him for more money to cancel it?

Hope this was not to long and thanks in advance for any help and input.

Cheers Everyone

Ian

Ellogg

Sorry people just looked if this is in the wrong board I do apologise

Thanks again

Ian

dunstonh

This is the insurance section.  So, its in the right place.

Should Sterling Insurance of allowed this policy to continue knowing this information as it took him beyond his 14 day cooling off period and they stung him for more money to cancel it?

They are comparing what they were told with what the evidence says.  Your son didn't become owner in 2010 as far as the log book is concerned.

I suspect that a complaint should be made as, whilst they are technically correct, they haven't applied any common sense to the scenario.   In effect they haven't treated a 19 year old purchasing his first insurance under unusual circumstances fairly.

DullGreyGuy

When did he declare he purchased the vehicle?
What is the date showing on the V5c?

There is no such thing as a Registered Owner for vehicles in the UK, there are only Registered Keepers. It is common for the keeper and owner both to be the same person and to change at the same time but neither of these have to be true.  His uncle could have gifted him the car at any time and the fact he didnt become the registered keeper until a later date may be unusual its not impossible... may not have been worth the effort of changing it instantly whilst it was still SORN and its between family so not the driver than if it were two strangers. 

Ellogg

Thanks for reply dunstonh,

My concern is they are using the log book as a means of saying he was not the owner in 2010 but as the log book states it is not proof of ownership. It is used as a means of the registering the main user of the vehicle which is what he registed it for. He called to give all the information he had truthful, as you should, they took the infomation and his money and stung him for more seems wrong.

Defo going to have to call them about this 

Ian

DullGreyGuy

Ellogg said:

Thanks for reply dunstonh,

My concern is they are using the log book as a means of saying he was not the owner in 2010 but as the log book states it is not proof of ownership. It is used as a means of the registering the main user of the vehicle which is what he registed it for. He called to give all the information he had truthful, as you should, they took the infomation and his money and stung him for more seems wrong.

Defo going to have to call them about this 

So your brother gave your 7 year old son a car?

Does your son/ you have any evidence from 2010 that he was gifted (or bought) the car?

As an outsider, it seems improbable and not sure a "one day it'll be yours" said at a drunken xmas party to a 7 year old would pass as evidence that ownership was transferred.