Wasn't asked about cat n when insuring car

YikesSteveH

Asking for a friend…

Used a comparison site to insure car, don't recall seeing a question about a previous write off.

So do you have to insure your vehicle and then ring and tell them about car being cat N - which might then drastically alter the quote? Seems crazy.

Didn't even occur this might be an issue, was just a new wing and door scratch years ago.

I always thought this was part of the car's history and the insurer would know, but now it seems they won't check until claim time and might void the insurance.

*** My friend is worried that ringing the insurer to check he's covered will immediately get the insurance voided for non declaration and the world of pain that brings. ***

So the only option might be to cancel the insurance (so the insurer can't) and then use a phone quote (not a comparison site that doesn't ask about write off history).

Please note this is not about payout values or cost of premiums, only about being voided.

Please don't answer this unless you're really sure, seems to be a lot of differing advice out there.

Thanks

MyRealNameToo

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6681142/wasnt-asked-about-cat-n-when-insuring-car

CIDRA requires insurers to ask for anything they want to know (or source it themselves) or present an assumption that you agree to. They cannot rely on a catch all type question of "is there anything else you think you need to tell us" type thing either.

So if they arent asking about if the car has been a total loss prevously then either they are sourcing it for themselves from MIAFTR in which case they have the answer or its not something that they are going to rate the policy on and cannot decline a claim because of failure to declare it. A previous total loss will devalue the vehicle so if you set a crazy high excess then its possible it results in no payout because the vehicle is worth less than the excess but thats not a decline for non-disclosure.

In most cases where insurers do source their own data they present it to you for you to confim its correct like the address from the post code or the vehicle make, model, number of seats etch which they get from the registration so it makes it more likely that its not a rating factor than they are self serving.

Aretnap

The onus (for consumer insurance at least, insurance for businesses is a bit different) is very firmly on the insurer to ask about things that they are interested in. You do not have to guess at what an insurer might or might not want to know - you only have to answer the questions that they ask you.

So if they don't ask about the cars write off status you are perfectly entitled to assume that either they don't care, or that they have some other way of checking. Either way there is no need to phone them up and tell them.

Arunmor

I have bought and repaired salvage for my own and family use for 20 years and Have never mentioned nor been asked. Tell them nothig they don't ask for.

It is incumbent upon them they have all the information available about a car's history they need at their fingertips at the press of a button and if they press the right button they will know instantly. I don't know whether they bother though.

YikesSteveH

Thanks to all for the replies.

In case it might help anyone, the insurers confirmed I don't have to declare a write off unless the comparison site asks for that information.

paul_c123

Being Cat N is actually to the advantage of the insurance company because they'll (probably) ask for the same premium, but pay out less if the car is written off (again) since the Cat N marker devalues it.