Starting Car Insurance a few days early?

Onawingandaprayer

I have a bit of a dilemma about renewing my car insurance. The current policy which only covers me for the UK expires on February 2. On January 27th i'm taking the car by ferry to Spain and travelling through Spain for some six weeks. The easiest thing but I'm sure not the cheapest is to change my policy with the current insurer to include Europe and then renew with them. But I'm pretty sure based on their renewal quote for the UK only that they're going to be very expensive. How can I shop around for a new Europe-wide policy bearing in mind that annoying five day gap between the old policy expiring and the new one starting?
Sorry, am I overthinking this!!!

maman

You don't have to continue next year with your existing company if you don't want to.

You can take out a new policy from February 2nd with the insurance company of your choice which includes European cover. Also update your current policy for that 5 days 

I'd check out prices first to see how prices compare as you might be worrying about nothing. 

Woodstok2000

There's nothing illegal about having two insurance policies at the same time, although it's generally not a good idea. Here though, I wonder if you could have a new policy which includes Europe cover which starts when you get the ferry. It shouldn't be duplicate cover if your current policy doesn't include driving abroad, and you could just let it lapse.

Definitely worth speaking to the new insurer to see if this is an option...

MyRealNameToo

Onawingandaprayer said:

I have a bit of a dilemma about renewing my car insurance. The current policy which only covers me for the UK expires on February 2. On January 27th i'm taking the car by ferry to Spain and travelling through Spain for some six weeks. The easiest thing but I'm sure not the cheapest is to change my policy with the current insurer to include Europe and then renew with them. But I'm pretty sure based on their renewal quote for the UK only that they're going to be very expensive. How can I shop around for a new Europe-wide policy bearing in mind that annoying five day gap between the old policy expiring and the new one starting?
Sorry, am I overthinking this!!!

Your main issue is that you cannot use NCD on two policies so unless you are getting quotes for 0 NCD your only real option would be to cancel the old policy before the new one incepts and so you will have to take the cancellation fees into consideration when working out what is cheapest to do. 

You could ask both firms about removing/adding the NCD but certainly from my experience many dont have the option to remove NCD from an existing policy other than for where the customer misdeclared their NCD and many can't add an NCD mid term but ultimately these are all separate companies so each sets their own rules

Onawingandaprayer

Thanks everyone, that provides a lot of food for thought. One other thing I considered was to start the new Policy on the 2nd and to include Europe in it but to take out a short term insurance deal for driving in Spain from the 27th to the 2nd. I gather from searching that there are companies that do this. Is it a truly bonkers idea? I guess until I do some calculations with the quotes who knows! (I have a full nine year NCD so don't want to jeopardise that anywhere!) 

TELLIT01

Take out the new policy with a start date of the day you will be leaving the UK.  Your existing policy doesn't cover European use so there is only going to be any overlap up to the time you leave British soil.

Lorian

I think it somewhat complicates matters if you need to make a claim during the overlap (check out any contribution clauses)

MyRealNameToo

TELLIT01 said:

Take out the new policy with a start date of the day you will be leaving the UK.  Your existing policy doesn't cover European use so there is only going to be any overlap up to the time you leave British soil.

So you proposing they do that with 0 NCD @TELLIT01? Their proof of NCD will show it's not available on the day of inception. 

Onawingandaprayer

Just got a quote for my possibly bonkers idea of getting a separate one-off policy for Spain covering the period when I drive off the ferry (29th) and new policy kicks in (2nd). Only £51! Which hugely surprised me! Are there any pitfalls in doing this option?

Woodstok2000

MyRealNameToo said:

TELLIT01 said:

Take out the new policy with a start date of the day you will be leaving the UK.  Your existing policy doesn't cover European use so there is only going to be any overlap up to the time you leave British soil.

So you proposing they do that with 0 NCD @TELLIT01? Their proof of NCD will show it's not available on the day of inception. 

Just answer the question honestly and say you have X years NCD, which you do at that point. You'll have a couple of weeks to provide the NCD evidence, and by that time you'll have it from the original insurer...

MyRealNameToo

Woodstok2000 said:

MyRealNameToo said:

TELLIT01 said:

Take out the new policy with a start date of the day you will be leaving the UK.  Your existing policy doesn't cover European use so there is only going to be any overlap up to the time you leave British soil.

So you proposing they do that with 0 NCD @TELLIT01? Their proof of NCD will show it's not available on the day of inception. 

Just answer the question honestly and say you have X years NCD, which you do at that point. You'll have a couple of weeks to provide the NCD evidence, and by that time you'll have it from the original insurer...

But with the wrong date on it, we've had other members stung with the big charge when the insurer removes the declared NCD because the NCD was in use on another policy at the inception date.