HELP! Car Insurance - What are my options?

PRDMKT

I am young so car insurance is normally a tricky thing for me as it is( <25y/o with 6 years no claims)

I always pay annually and set up the next years policy 21 days prior to renewal, however, this time around my insurer Esure, have declined to give me a renewal for my policy due to "internal upgrades" and have advised this is not my fault and I don't need to declare this with my new insurer. However right at the bottom, they've included a little note that says "Your proof of no claims discount won’t be confirmed and available to download until your policy ends. This is because it can be subject to change before this. For more information visit the ‘no claims discount’ section of your schedule via your Account."

In my head, this now leaves me with three options:

#1 renew as per normal and hope that the new insurer accepts this email as proof of no claims, and doesn't void my policy eternally screwing me

#2 wait until my policy lapses, apply for the no claims and then renew the policy 21 days later leaving me with no car for 3 weeks.

#3 either roll back my no claims and lose the current year or pay the premium for renewing only a few days prior (This seems rather unfair that I am going to be stung due to their "internal system upgrade")

Any advice offered would be greatly appreciated.

DullGreyGuy

Legally you must have continuous insurance or SORN the vehicle so your possibility for option 2 is only possible if you have somewhere off road to keep the car and dont mind the impact on your VED/car tax

Most insurers dont ask for proof of NCD up front, many now can check various databases, some have always only asked for it at point of claim and others have only ever done spot checks. You'd really need to be choosing a real bottom of the barrel kind of intermediary that would ask for NCD up front and not accept that it can only be provided once the existing policy has lapsed - those kinds of companies are probably best avoided for plenty of other reasons too. 

PRDMKT

DullGreyGuy said:

Legally you must have continuous insurance or SORN the vehicle so your possibility for option 2 is only possible if you have somewhere off road to keep the car and dont mind the impact on your VED/car tax

Most insurers dont ask for proof of NCD up front, many now can check various databases, some have always only asked for it at point of claim and others have only ever done spot checks. You'd really need to be choosing a real bottom of the barrel kind of intermediary that would ask for NCD up front and not accept that it can only be provided once the existing policy has lapsed - those kinds of companies are probably best avoided for plenty of other reasons too. 

Ok, this gives me some form of hope, the only thing I will say, is I have come under so much scrutiny from insurers in the past (never has a crash or claim) for literally any and everything, admittedly they were bottom of the barrell- 1st central being the worst. I was getting email after email requesting information a day after the policy began.

I am aware the ramifications that can be sought should the insurer void a policy on me, so I am really cautious to make sure that doesn't happen. Like you have said, I will have the 6 years at the end of my policy, I just can't prove it until then. 

I have been asked before, and usually the renewal quote is sufficient until the insurer updates there database, however, I obviously wont have that this time around.  

DullGreyGuy

For those that do ask for it, a renewal quote is often enough full stop and they take on trust nothing happened between renewal quote and renewal date (or at most check CUE). Never heard of someone accepting the renewal as interim evidence and then asking for further evidence after (bottom of barrel excluded).

Thankfully, somewhat, bottom of the barrel prefer to use their processes to grossly increase their premiums after they find your error rather than voiding policies. 

Unless you are planning to go back to your previous broker then I think you are over worrying. People commonly cannot get proof of NCD until the policy has ended and increasingly insurers use other mechanisms to check.

prettyandfluffy

Agree with the above, this is quite common.  Once you have the new policy in place and the old one has expired, request a proof of NCD and send it through - just make sure you don't forget which I have done in the past.

PRDMKT

prettyandfluffy said:

Agree with the above, this is quite common.  Once you have the new policy in place and the old one has expired, request a proof of NCD and send it through - just make sure you don't forget which I have done in the past.

I had read that they can give you 7 - 21 days to provide proof after which they cancel the policy- I assume this is from the onset of the policy and not the date of arrangement, I am sure I have been asked this before.