£5,000 to Learn to Drive? UK Insurance Costs Are a Joke

MeteredOut

EmpireKicking said:

I'm 32 years old, and I’ve just hit a wall I didn’t expect. 

I suspect doing this is probably the reason for the high quote

Alongside what others have said (and there are people who work in the industry so it's best to take their advice) have you tried quoting for a newer car? Some insurers may think (via their pricing policies) that a new driver driving a 2008 car (16-17 years old) will be less careful than the same person driving a newer car.

EmpireKicking

born_again said:

If that is the case, then no wonder you are getting such high quotes. 80 YO, not driven for 7 years, Zero NCB & a additional driver just got a licence to learn to drive. 

Got it wrong, The main driver, who is 80 years old, has been consistently driving since the early 1960s and has never stopped. The second person listed as a backup driver, however, has not driven for the past 7 years, and she still holds a full license, and she passed her test when she was 17 back in the 60s

He's driving as of today to the store, with a good record.

I also looked at getting my new policy, however, the car is not in my name, and the costs are still over $5000 based on provisional learner.

I mean, how can it cost so much more? The insurance right now, for him with another full licensed driver, just without me being on it as a provisional learner, and he's paying around £520 this year, last year it was around £480 as he had discounts via going with Tesco.

Aretnap

Flugelhorn said:

Aretnap said:

Flugelhorn said:

EmpireKicking said:

The main driver has no bad history, and neither does the second name listed on the license. The higher cost seems to be due to the main driver being over 80 years old. As for the second person on the license, she hasn't driven in the past seven years but has chosen to keep her name on it.

So who were you going to have as your accompanying driver? I think it has to be one of these two, unless someone else is insured to drive the car.

There's no requirement for the supervising driver to be insured to drive the car, though it is probably a good idea for various reasons.

Even if it was, there are several million other people in the country insured to drive the car through the driving other cars extension on their own policies, so there would be no shortage of other potential supervisors. 

I thought that that "other car" extension was  only TP (and really only to be used in an emergency

Third party is all you need to drive, legally speaking. 

The original intention behind it might have been that it was for emergency use, but I've never seen a policy that stipulated that it could only be used in emergencies, and if it did the policy would have to define what it meant by "emergency" otherwise the clause would likely be void for uncertainty anyway. 

daveyjp

EmpireKicking said:

born_again said:

If that is the case, then no wonder you are getting such high quotes. 80 YO, not driven for 7 years, Zero NCB & a additional driver just got a licence to learn to drive. 

Got it wrong, The main driver, who is 80 years old, has been consistently driving since the early 1960s and has never stopped. The second person listed as a backup driver, however, has not driven for the past 7 years, and she still holds a full license, and she passed her test when she was 17 back in the 60s

He's driving as of today to the store, with a good record.

I also looked at getting my new policy, however, the car is not in my name, and the costs are still over $5000 based on provisional learner.

I mean, how can it cost so much more? The insurance right now, for him with another full licensed driver, just without me being on it as a provisional learner, and he's paying around £520 this year, last year it was around £480 as he had discounts via going with Tesco.

And what is the price with a learner insurance provider such as Marmalade?

Bigphil1474

OP, the 7 years without driving is irrelevant. The insurer won't know that the named driver hasn't driven for 7 years. My OH has been a named driver on my policy for the last 30 years but hasn't driven for the last 25 years. I actually thought I'd take them off this year, but it added £40 to my policy so kept them on. Mine went down this year to £300 for the year.

You seem to be saying that you are getting quotes for you on a new full policy? You only need to add you as a new named driver on the existing policy as a learner, or get an add on learner one as suggested above.

WellKnownSid

daveyjp said:

EmpireKicking said:

born_again said:

If that is the case, then no wonder you are getting such high quotes. 80 YO, not driven for 7 years, Zero NCB & a additional driver just got a licence to learn to drive. 

Got it wrong, The main driver, who is 80 years old, has been consistently driving since the early 1960s and has never stopped. The second person listed as a backup driver, however, has not driven for the past 7 years, and she still holds a full license, and she passed her test when she was 17 back in the 60s

He's driving as of today to the store, with a good record.

I also looked at getting my new policy, however, the car is not in my name, and the costs are still over $5000 based on provisional learner.

I mean, how can it cost so much more? The insurance right now, for him with another full licensed driver, just without me being on it as a provisional learner, and he's paying around £520 this year, last year it was around £480 as he had discounts via going with Tesco.

And what is the price with a learner insurance provider such as Marmalade?

Stop attempting to inject common sense into this thread 😂

I think it’s very clear that this is an edge case where a bolt-on or learner only policy could be significantly cheaper and simpler.  Other people’s experiences of adding learner drivers to their policies are interesting but you surely can’t make a direct comparison.  I’m assuming the “have you lived in the UK forever” question wouldn’t be a barrier.

GunJack

probably cheaper to buy yourself a banger under £1k, and insure it in your own name with a prov license. Pick make & model specifically to be low on insurance. Should come in at least a couple of grand less than you're stating, plus you can earn a year's ncd on a provisional (if you don't pass your test in the first year). Did this for our youngest - 700 to buy the car and 500-odd to insure in his name with me & mrs G-J as named drivers. Took him over a year bto pass but he got a year's ncd out of it which carried over to his first insurance after passing..

GeeGeeGiant

EmpireKicking said:

born_again said:

If that is the case, then no wonder you are getting such high quotes. 80 YO, not driven for 7 years, Zero NCB & a additional driver just got a licence to learn to drive. 

Got it wrong, The main driver, who is 80 years old, has been consistently driving since the early 1960s and has never stopped. The second person listed as a backup driver, however, has not driven for the past 7 years, and she still holds a full license, and she passed her test when she was 17 back in the 60s

He's driving as of today to the store, with a good record.

I also looked at getting my new policy, however, the car is not in my name, and the costs are still over $5000 based on provisional learner.

I mean, how can it cost so much more? The insurance right now, for him with another full licensed driver, just without me being on it as a provisional learner, and he's paying around £520 this year, last year it was around £480 as he had discounts via going with Tesco.

I would recommend a SAR at the MIB for the people on the policy. It could highlight inaccuracies, which could increase your premium.
One observation I have is that non-British nationals tend to receive a higher premium.

DullGreyGuy

GeeGeeGiant said:

EmpireKicking said:

born_again said:

If that is the case, then no wonder you are getting such high quotes. 80 YO, not driven for 7 years, Zero NCB & a additional driver just got a licence to learn to drive. 

Got it wrong, The main driver, who is 80 years old, has been consistently driving since the early 1960s and has never stopped. The second person listed as a backup driver, however, has not driven for the past 7 years, and she still holds a full license, and she passed her test when she was 17 back in the 60s

He's driving as of today to the store, with a good record.

I also looked at getting my new policy, however, the car is not in my name, and the costs are still over $5000 based on provisional learner.

I mean, how can it cost so much more? The insurance right now, for him with another full licensed driver, just without me being on it as a provisional learner, and he's paying around £520 this year, last year it was around £480 as he had discounts via going with Tesco.

I would recommend a SAR at the MIB for the people on the policy. It could highlight inaccuracies, which could increase your premium.
One observation I have is that non-British nationals tend to receive a higher premium.

MID wouldnt hold anything of interest
CUE could but it would be unusual for the majority of insurers to price based on CUE, most would check post sale and then raise questions on discrepancies rather than just assume CUE is accurate and the customer is giving wrong information. 

EnPointe

400ixl said:

Something is not right here. Even adding a 17 year old with a provisional license is likely to be 10% of what you have put. Either the main driver has a bad history and pays a significant policy amount, the named driver has a job that drives a high policy price or the license was put down as a full license which would have a much higher price than a provisional where supervision is required.

Whatever it is, either a mistake has been made or something more to this than being told.

we don't know what the OP does  as a job ? 

we don't know who the  car is currently insured with -  it;s looking / sounding  like the insurer doesn't want new drivers / people who do what the Op does as job ... 

there are some insurers who have some very  odd ideas aobut acceptable or otherwise  jobs 

we laso don;t know  where the OP lives ( just the outbound part of the Postcode please ...  if it's BBn , BDn   or  other  infamopus  postcodes for insurance  )