How to get markers off my car insurance database when car insurance companies deny they did it

Worried77

Dear Forum,

I would really appreciate it if someone can help. I will try to keep this succinct to not bore everyone but I can elaborate if more information is needed.

I have a screenshot sent by email by a We Got You Covered car renewals call handler showing I have three markers under "cancelled insurance".  This can only be from Hastings Direct, who i took out an informatics policy in 2023, and Acorn in January 2025. With Hastings, I cancelled the insurance in December 2023 (due to them informing me I or they would cancel due to me breaking too hard too often as per their informatics device).  At that time, I got my money back and took out a cheaper policy with Ageas. At renewal time, now January 2025, I tried to take a policy with Acorn. I couldn't find the box to add my speeding points so called them.  They wouldn't then insure me, although I had bought the policy twice in a panic when one policy disappeared.  I got my deposits refunded. 

Both Hastings and Acorn have sent me emails in recent weeks for these (effectively) three policies I cancelled stating categorically that I cancelled the policies, not them.  However, they deny putting the (black) markers on the insurance database.

In January 2025, I was panicking that Acorn wouldn't insure me so We Got You Covered categorically told me I had markers for cancelled insurance, having made their DVLA checks. I believed them and have been paying £2500 for my car insurance, only for Third Party cover, believing them that this was the only policy I could get.

I recently had a no fault accident but it has to be considered a fault accident until the claim is resolved. This prompted me to check with Hastings about the original cancellation and I am kicking myself for not realising I had cancelled the insurance, not them, in 2023, when I agreed to We Got You Covered selling me this expensive policy based on markers on the database added by someone in error.

Neither Hastings nor Acorn admit they put the markers on the database. I have never cancelled nor had insurance cancelled prior to December 2023. We Got You Covered say I could take insurance with a company that dont do their checks upfront but the false markers could invalidate any future insurance policies I have in case of future claims, etc.

My friend says ask Hastings and Acorn for a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR) to see if that makes them admit it.  However, Hastings and Acorn seem to be saying they have to be honest and will a DSAR prove who put the markers on or not?

Thank you

MyRealNameToo

Do the DSAR with the CUE database maintained by the MIB. It should show who loaded the markers and when.

flaneurs_lobster

So that's 3 cancelled policies, one for freaking out a telematics box with dodgy driving
Speeding points
An accident
All in the last 2 years?

Worried77

This is really helpful, thank you, I wasn't aware of CUE but of course hoped something like that would exist.

Just pre-empting another problem here, when I find out who put the markers on, there was a lot of confusion in January when I rang round insurance companies trying to get insurance whilst assuming i really did have cancelled car insurance. My worry is that the companies who put the markers on try to blame me for telling them I have had insurance cancelled. Would you say they cannot blame me as only the companies who think they cancelled my insurance can put those markers on i.e. if i try to get a quote and tell them, in error, I have had insurance cancelled, those other companies cannot treat my disclosure as fact and add a marker?

MyRealNameToo

Worried77 said:

This is really helpful, thank you, I wasn't aware of CUE but of course hoped something like that would exist.

Just pre-empting another problem here, when I find out who put the markers on, there was a lot of confusion in January when I rang round insurance companies trying to get insurance whilst assuming i really did have cancelled car insurance. My worry is that the companies who put the markers on try to blame me for telling them I have had insurance cancelled. Would you say they cannot blame me as only the companies who think they cancelled my insurance can put those markers on i.e. if i try to get a quote and tell them, in error, I have had insurance cancelled, those other companies cannot treat my disclosure as fact and add a marker?

Different firms use CUE in different ways, most use it in retrospect to check answers, some seem to use it during the quote phase. Generally people will look at the termination flag of prior policies rather than trying to look through declarations made at inception. That said, I've mainly seen Claims data from CUE than the Underwriting so dont know how well populated the data is if someone did want to go further.

Worried77

flaneurs_lobster said:

So that's 3 cancelled policies, one for freaking out a telematics box with dodgy driving
Speeding points
An accident
All in the last 2 years?

Both Hastings and Acorn have confirmed in writing that I cancelled the policies not them I.e the 2 Acorn policies were same day cancellations not classed as mid term or rejected / invalidrated insurance policies. So, yes, the informatics box meant Hastings no longer wanted to insure me for breaking too often but it was not classed as cancelled insurance. When I rang Acorn the same day to add my endorsements they did not want to insure me whilst also thinking I had previously had insurance cancelled, which wasn't true.

Worried77

MyRealNameToo said:

Worried77 said:

This is really helpful, thank you, I wasn't aware of CUE but of course hoped something like that would exist.

Just pre-empting another problem here, when I find out who put the markers on, there was a lot of confusion in January when I rang round insurance companies trying to get insurance whilst assuming i really did have cancelled car insurance. My worry is that the companies who put the markers on try to blame me for telling them I have had insurance cancelled. Would you say they cannot blame me as only the companies who think they cancelled my insurance can put those markers on i.e. if i try to get a quote and tell them, in error, I have had insurance cancelled, those other companies cannot treat my disclosure as fact and add a marker?

Different firms use CUE in different ways, most use it in retrospect to check answers, some seem to use it during the quote phase. Generally people will look at the termination flag of prior policies rather than trying to look through declarations made at inception. That said, I've mainly seen Claims data from CUE than the Underwriting so dont know how well populated the data is if someone did want to go further.

Thank you. Either way, I have to do the Subject Access Request to find out. If an insurer, at the quote stage, has added the marker that i have had cancelled insurance and alleges i disclosed it, rather than the insurer themselves doing the cancelling, then that is further evidence of wrong doing as surely only the insurer who has mistakenly thought they have cancelled my policy can do that, not an insurer giving me a quote and making me think I had cancelled insurance?

MyRealNameToo

It would be in a different place, there is a field which is effectively how did the policy end, thats completed by the insurer when the policy ends so the only way that gets populated as insurer cancellation is if thats what's happened. If you have declared prior policies were cancelled by the insurer then that declaration in theory would be elsewhere and in the policy termination field would be lapsed or insured cancelled or however that policy came to an end. 

dunstonh

It may be worth using a traditional broker for a couple of years.  Explain the situation and let them place it.    A computer based on policy is very black and white.   i.e. yes or no.  if yes, then reject.    In your case, you need an explanation to be given and that is where a broker can work for you.

Worried77

MyRealNameToo said:

It would be in a different place, there is a field which is effectively how did the policy end, thats completed by the insurer when the policy ends so the only way that gets populated as insurer cancellation is if thats what's happened. If you have declared prior policies were cancelled by the insurer then that declaration in theory would be elsewhere and in the policy termination field would be lapsed or insured cancelled or however that policy came to an end. 

Thank you very much (sorry for the late reply).

Worried77

dunstonh said:

It may be worth using a traditional broker for a couple of years.  Explain the situation and let them place it.    A computer based on policy is very black and white.   i.e. yes or no.  if yes, then reject.    In your case, you need an explanation to be given and that is where a broker can work for you.

Thank you, this sounds very helpful but who do you mean? I normally get my car insurance by using a price comparison site then calling the broker to finalise and pay...in this instance, my insurer broker was We Got You Covered who told me I had the cancellations and only Haven would insure me Third Party. It is only a recent none fault accident that made me realise I never had insurance cancelled and that these markers shouldn't be there. I am contacting CUE (MIB) as above regarding this.