Car Quote Declined

Dustyevsky

Just a quickie. I applied online for a car insurance quote today, and this was declined.

I'd find this less weird if the company concerned weren't already insuring me as a named driver on my wife's two policies!

Neither of us has had any accidents, convictions, or claims in the past 15 years, we own our home outright, and we've no debt or defaults. The area where we live is rural, so I'm really puzzled.

Could it simply be my age? I'm 75, but relatively sane, and with no physical impediments beyond wearing specs.

Also, does this mean I've had insurance refused? As I understand it, I've only had a quote refused. My current insurers are happy to continue cover.

I realise it's, “Computer says no” and I won't be given a reason, but can any kind MSEer suggest what may be 'wrong' here?

Hoenir

Insurance isn't like selling baked beans. Companies can be selective as to their target markets. Declining to quote isn't to be taken personally. 

BarelySentientAI

And it isn't "having insurance declined"

Dustyevsky

Hoenir said:

Insurance isn't like selling baked beans. Companies can be selective as to their target markets. Declining to quote isn't to be taken personally. 

I'm not particularly upset, more intrigued, especially as the company are apparently happy to insure me in two other vehicles owned by my wife. As one is a 3.5tonne van my current insurers won't touch, I understand what you're saying. I suspect there's an age cut-off point with the company who decline to quote.

DullGreyGuy

Dustyevsky said:

Just a quickie. I applied online for a car insurance quote today, and this was declined.

I'd find this less weird if the company concerned weren't already insuring me as a named driver on my wife's two policies!

Neither of us has had any accidents, convictions, or claims in the past 15 years, we own our home outright, and we've no debt or defaults. The area where we live is rural, so I'm really puzzled.

Could it simply be my age? I'm 75, but relatively sane, and with no physical impediments beyond wearing specs.

Also, does this mean I've had insurance refused? As I understand it, I've only had a quote refused. My current insurers are happy to continue cover.

I realise it's, “Computer says no” and I won't be given a reason, but can any kind MSEer suggest what may be 'wrong' here?

Insurance is a complex beast with companies having to consider risk appetite, concentration risk etc... can simply be they've decided they've enough exposure to rural partially mad 75 year olds already. Or maybe they've seen a big spike in people from your area recently and have closed the door whilst they work out why/ are they underpricing it. Sometimes they are simply full (often insures capital requirements often exceed the premiums received so they can't write as much business as they can possibly sell)

It's a decline to quote not an insurance refusal... everyone gets declined by many companies each time they do a quote on an aggregator site like confused.com. Saga refuse every time for me as I'm not old enough yet to be one of their customers, bottom of the barrel scrapers often decline us as our sums insured are too high etc. None of these need to be declared. 

Dustyevsky

Thanks Dull Grey Guy, you've spelled it out well for me.