Car insurance company changed my job title to another one I'd tried when applying, and charged me

cw8825

webmuppet said:

I suppose the question really is, can they take all your potential job titles and make you choose the one that has the most risk and therefore highest premium? Or if you choose a job title that is a fair representation of what you do then should they have to accept that?

what were the 2 job titles you choose between?

Mildly_Miffed

webmuppet said:

The issue is over me having a company directorship so I still do the same job but am also now a company director while doing it. They've insisted that the Company Director title gets used and said they have to take whichever is highest risk.

So you used to just be the widget-wangler, but are now a director of the company as well as still wangling widgets?

If the directorial responsibilities make you a higher risk (and clearly their actuarial statistics say they do) than you were before receiving that promotion, then that most certainly should be taken into account in the premium, should it not?

DullGreyGuy

webmuppet said:

I suppose the question really is, can they take all your potential job titles and make you choose the one that has the most risk and therefore highest premium? Or if you choose a job title that is a fair representation of what you do then should they have to accept that?

More broadly, were they to find out some aspect of your quote was inaccurate they are entitled to correct the answer to the real answer and reprice based on the revised information - obviously lots of times this is undeclared claims, with certain brokers it can also be date you bought your car or since when you've held a licence etc as they ask for your V5c 

Clearly "what is your occupation" is a woolier question but it's telling that the FOS seems to go by what's on your contract of employment. There was one case where the insured had declared they were a "Admin Manager" but was actually a "Housing Officer", another where they had said "Teacher" but they were a "Sports Coach", in each case the Ombudsman agreed it was a false declaration. 

jimjames

webmuppet said:

I suppose the question really is, can they take all your potential job titles and make you choose the one that has the most risk and therefore highest premium? Or if you choose a job title that is a fair representation of what you do then should they have to accept that?

I guess the issue is that Company Director can sit above a job description as it's a legal title rather than a job description - you can be a director and still a mechanic for example.

facade

webmuppet said:

<snip>

I was firstly absolutely furious about this (and still am about the admin fee) but now I'm more curious as to whether this is something we need to be warning people about.

We frequently warn people not to make speculative quotes using their own details (I would advise not to use the same IP address) precisely because it makes insurance companies suspicious.

For instance, they might be deciding whether to accept a speed awareness course or just take the 3 point endorsement, and run dummy quotes to see what difference the 3 points would make. When they don't declare their 3 points (that they don't have because they decided on the course in the end) that they were quoted on the insurer at best wants to know why, or at worst tries to void the insurance for non-disclosure.

400ixl

Which insurer was this, there are some bottom dwellers who look to find any opportunity they can to increase premiums post commencement.

user1977

Is there an implication that any company director must describe themselves as such? A large number of directorships are nothing to do with the policyholder’s occupation.

Iceweasel

Some people have two, three, or more occupations. 
Being a company director could be one of them.
But which to choose for car insurance purposes?
This thread makes me question how I should get quotes in the future.

DullGreyGuy

Iceweasel said:

Some people have two, three, or more occupations. 
Being a company director could be one of them.
But which to choose for car insurance purposes?
This thread makes me question how I should get quotes in the future.

Insurers ask you your main job and then if you have any others so if you have multiple jobs/occupations you just list them separately. 

The issue comes for those that have one job but that single job covers multiple aspects... my business card says I am a business consultant but I spend most my time as a transaction/project/programme manager as thats what they want to consult me on.