Car insurance help

V_Rawlins · 24 May 2018 at 5:06PM

My partner of 20 years has been driving for about 15 years. He has only ever been a named driver on our insurance ( I’ve been main driver on 2 cars ) .
He had an accident and wrote the car off. Loosing all the no claims on that car as they were not protected.
I have 9+ years in my other car. (VW UP)
We are about to get a new car ( Aldi A4 Avent) the insurance for him as the main driver without no claims discount is over £100. A month.
My question is. ... can I swap and be the main driver on the Audi taking my 9 years no claims. And he become the main driver in the other car with no claims. As it’s a VW up will be cheaper to insure. The Audi could be registered in either name. As we haven’t purchased it yet.
We will both be driving both car.

Zorillo · 24 May 2018 at 6:25PM

You can be the main driver of either car, it's nothing to do with your insurer.

Once you've decided which car your OH is going to be the main driver of, you can then tell your insurer.

You must not tell your insurer fibs in order to get cheaper a premium though.

So if he's really going to be the main Up! driver, you could do what you're proposing to reduce the premium on the A4. If he's going to mainly drive the Audi, then he's going to need to pay the higher premium until he's earned himself some NCB.

V_Rawlins · 24 May 2018 at 6:58PM

What difference to the Insurance company does it makes?
And how will they know if I!!!8217;m the main driver or he is. ?
I!!!8217;m not intending on lying as he will generally use the smaller car for work. Just dont understand why it matters ?

Zorillo · 24 May 2018 at 7:13PM

It matters because there is more chance of an accident in the Audi as it's a more powerful car, and assuming it's newer it will also cost more to repair or replace in the event of a theft or an accident.

If you were tempted to lie, you might find they never find out and get away with it. Or you might find they're surprisingly good at finding things out in the event of a claim which could leave you in a difficult position.

Blondetotty · 25 May 2018 at 9:08AM

Exactly what Zorillo says. If you insure a car as a main driver but someone else is actually the main driver this is illegal, classed as fraud and is called fronting.

You may think that an insurance company can't possibly know and you'll just get your reduced premiums and in a lot of cases you're right, they probably won't find out but they may do and if you or your partner have an accident then it is possible your insurance company will launch and investigation. At best you'll have your insurance cancelled and will have to declare this every time you hunt for insurance in the future and at worst they can void the policy, refuse to pay for damage and try to recoup any expenses from you through the courts.

I worked for a large UK insurance company for 10 years and they took a zero tolerance stance to fronting.

My suggestion would be your partner registers the smaller car in his name and actually uses the car himself and builds his own no claims discount and you do the same for the Audi. Obviously you can drive each others cars if you're named drivers but stick to your "own" cars in the main. There again, it's up to you what you do, just don't say you weren't warned against it if you find yourself on the wrong side of the insurance company in a few months/years time.

Nasqueron · 25 May 2018 at 9:21AM

If you claim he's the main driver off the Up! and not the Audi but he drives the Audi all the time e.g. to commute and has an accident he'll have to admit what he was doing and they'll get suspicious that you're fronting given the expensive insurance quote and his accident. If he's genuinely using the Up! as his main car (the one he does most miles in) then put him on that and you on the Audi, just make sure you drive it most

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