Urgent Insurance Cover Query/advice

Widescreen

Apologies if this not the right place for this but I need some feedback as soon as possible.

My Insurance company closed and I suddenly have to travel to the UK for family emergency.

Query is "Can I drive my Father's Car whilst in England?"

My Irish policy is Allianz and cover includes.

-Driving other Cars(limited to 3rd party etc only)which is ok.

-Driving In Europe

My father's car is fully owned by him and he has his own policy on it. He is not driving as much now and it would really suit to have me driving it over for the next 4 or 5 days.

My gut feeling is I should be ok to drive it but the wording is never crystal clear on these things.

Thanks if anyone can help. cheers

Stheno

You'd need to check with your insurance. Could your father not just add you to his insurance?

cml387

No one on here can answer this question. It's down to your insurance company.
Is your father in England? Either way the insurance company in England is closed today as well.

Widescreen

Thanks for the feedback folks.

Yep my father is in England. It's one of those scenarios I suppose where you can almost be sure you're covered but that 10-15% of doubt exists.

Pity this all happened today!

Not to worry I'll make sure I know where I stand the next time I need to go over.

Atlantic Dawn

Is the car you are going to be driving Irish registered or UK?

wonski

I always thought that this extension is limited to Ireland only.

Your father can try adding you to his policy online maybe?

Widescreen

The car is UK registered owned by him. I'm afraid online not possible as he is not set up for that etc.

thanks

wonski

Just check your cert and any paperwork that came with it.

I thought it was only valid in Ireland but after having quick look at mine there is no mention of it.

I would if i had to given the info I have on my certificate and can't see any clauses there.

CiniO

Widescreen wrote: »

Apologies if this not the right place for this but I need some feedback as soon as possible.

My Insurance company closed and I suddenly have to travel to the UK for family emergency.

Query is "Can I drive my Father's Car whilst in England?"

My Irish policy is Allianz and cover includes.

-Driving other Cars(limited to 3rd party etc only)which is ok.

-Driving In Europe

My father's car is fully owned by him and he has his own policy on it. He is not driving as much now and it would really suit to have me driving it over for the next 4 or 5 days.

My gut feeling is I should be ok to drive it but the wording is never crystal clear on these things.

Thanks if anyone can help. cheers

Yes, you can drive your father's car and you are covered by your insurer third party. Your insurer will cover damage or injuries caused by you to others.
However your fathers car won't be covered on it, so if you crash it, you will have to pay out of your own pocket to repair it.

All clearly written in your policy document

Endorsement No 4 – Driving other Cars
We will insure You in respect of legal liability, as provided under Section 1 (Third Party
Insurance) whilst You are driving another Private Car, provided such Private Car:
1. Does not belong to You or Your employer.
2. Is not hired or leased to either of the parties described above under a Hire Purchase or
Leasing Agreement.
3. Is not the property of or in the custody or control of a Motor Trade business of which
You are a director, member or employee.
Cover under this Endorsement is limited to use within Ireland and the United Kingdom only.

CiniO

cml387 wrote: »

No one on here can answer this question. It's down to your insurance company.

I just did, so that's not exactly true.

And yes - I agree it's up to his insurance company, but they've already decided it when they prepared their policy document. No need to contact them directly- enough just to read what it says,.

Crumbs868

CiniO wrote: »

I just did, so that's not exactly true.

And yes - I agree it's up to his insurance company, but they've already decided it when they prepared their policy document. No need to contact them directly- enough just to read what it says,.

Don't be so cocky....

It's a very grey area in which the t&cs were never intended to cover (driving a uk reg car which you do not own in the uk using your irish insurance policy) OP id hold off taking advice from a stranger on the net and ring the insurance company in the AM

wonski

Crumbs868 wrote: »

Don't be so cocky....

It's a very grey area in which the t&cs were never intended to cover (driving a uk reg car which you do not own in the uk using your irish insurance policy) OP id hold off taking advice from a stranger on the net and ring the insurance company in the AM

If it says valid in Ireland and the UK then there is no grey area.

CiniO

Crumbs868 wrote: »

Don't be so cocky....

It's a very grey area in which the t&cs were never intended to cover (driving a uk reg car which you do not own in the uk using your irish insurance policy) OP id hold off taking advice from a stranger on the net and ring the insurance company in the AM

So would you trust more what you are told by someone from usually useless insurers phone helpline, compared to what is clearly written in their policy document?

coylemj

Widescreen wrote: »

My gut feeling is I should be ok to drive it but the wording is never crystal clear on these things.

Disagree, the wording usually is crystal clear. Check your father's insurance cert., if it says that other drivers (usually with the stipulation that they are aged between 25 and 70 with a full licence and driving with the insured's consent) are covered then you are good to go, otherwise you are not.

It's unlikely that your Irish policy will cover you to drive somebody else's car in the UK, you will probably need your father's policy to cover you.

CiniO

coylemj wrote: »

It's unlikely that your Irish policy will cover you to drive somebody else's car in the UK

If it's unlikely, then why is that written in OP's policy document?

Dozer Dave

CiniO wrote: »

Yes, you can drive your father's car and you are covered by your insurer third party. Your insurer will cover damage or injuries caused by you to others.
However your fathers car won't be covered on it, so if you crash it, you will have to pay out of your own pocket to repair it.

All clearly written in your policy document

You missed the piece under the contents,

important: Cover will only apply in respect of those sections which You have selected

We would need the ops insurance full documents to make that decision.

coylemj

Dozer Dave wrote: »

You missed the piece under the contents,



We would need the ops insurance full documents to make that decision.

I has second thoughts and deleted that post, you caught it before I did.

Crumbs868

CiniO wrote: »

So would you trust more what you are told by someone from usually useless insurers phone helpline, compared to what is clearly written in their policy document?

Yes because if they say yes then it's fact and you can rely on it. If not ask to speak to a supervisor.

Are the t&cs really that clear? Do they clearly satisfy this very unique situation (an Irish person driving a car in the UK which is UK registeted, UK insured and owned by a UK person).

To take these t&cs as literally as you are then you can drive a Russian registered Ferrari 355 around the m25 (3rd party obviously) and if stopped by the police it'll all be fine?

CiniO

Dozer Dave wrote: »

You missed the piece under the contents,



We would need the ops insurance full documents to make that decision.

OP already stated that fact.

My Irish policy is Allianz and cover includes.

-Driving other Cars(limited to 3rd party etc only)which is ok.

CiniO

Crumbs868 wrote: »

Yes because if they say yes then it's fact and you can rely on it. If not ask to speak to a supervisor.

No you can't rely on it for a very simple fact - because you have no proof what they said to you.
You are not allowed to record a call with them. And you can not trust they will record it, and even if they will, if there will be any problem, they will surely erase it.

In my experience (and I have plenty experience ringing insurers to ask about uncommon situations) they answer randomly.
I ring them and ask a question and get answer "yes".
I ring 5 minutes later, take to different consultant and get answer "no" to exactly the same question.

Absolutely no point clarifying anything with them over the phone.
Only what's in writing matters.

Are the t&cs really that clear?

Yes, they are.
It's plain simple English.

Do they clearly satisfy this very unique situation (an Irish person driving a car which is UK registeted, UK insured and owned by a UK person).

Yes, policy document clearly says that third party cover when driving other cars applies in Ireland and UK. It's as clear as it could be.

To take these t&cs as literally as you are then you can drive a Russian registered Ferrari 355 around the m25 (3rd party obviously) and if stopped by the police it'll all be fine?

Exactly.

coylemj

I was wrong ......

coylemj wrote: »

It's unlikely that your Irish policy will cover you to drive somebody else's car in the UK, you will probably need your father's policy to cover you.

and Cinio is correct, the OP has the 'driving other cars' clause in his policy and according to the current Allianz policy document, this is what it covers....

Endorsement No 4 – Driving other Cars

We will insure You in respect of legal liability, as provided under Section 1 (Third Party
Insurance) whilst You are driving another Private Car, provided such Private Car:

1. Does not belong to You or Your employer.
2. Is not hired or leased to either of the parties described above under a Hire Purchase or
3. Leasing Agreement.
4. Is not the property of or in the custody or control of a Motor Trade business of which you are a director, member or employee.

Cover under this Endorsement is limited to use within Ireland and the United Kingdom only.

So the OP will have third party cover to drive his father's car in the UK.

Del2005

Regardless of the OPs driving other cars insurance extentsion status I wouldn't like to be at the side of a UK road trying to explain all that to a police officer, they work on the confiscate it first till you prove it's legal to get back. Either get added to the policy in place on the car or use your own car.

BlatentCheek

I'm with Cinio on this. The extent of the OP's cover is whatever is written in his/her policy document.

OP read you policy document carefully. Any additional Terms & Conditions delimiting the cover should have been provided with it, possibly in a separate document or a link to standard T&Cs sent by email around the time of policy inception.

If you paid for cover then don't be afraid to use it.

Insurance companies don't have some secret black magic that allows them to wriggle out of their obligations, though they may have additional T&Cs that they provided you with at some time.

As for UK Police, simply bring over your Insurance certificate and they will be happy as long as it states that you are covered.

wonski

BlatentCheek wrote: »

I'm with Cinio on this. The extent of the OP's cover is whatever is written in his/her policy document.

OP read you policy document carefully. Any additional Terms & Conditions delimiting the cover should have been provided with it, possibly in a separate document or a link to standard T&Cs sent by email around the time of policy inception.

If you paid for cover then don't be afraid to use it.

Insurance companies don't have some secret black magic that allows them to wriggle out of their obligations, though they may have additional T&Cs that they provided you with at some time.

As for UK Police, simply bring over your Insurance certificate and they will be happy as long as it states that you are covered.

I would print the T&C's with the information Cinio linked just to be safer.

OP paid for cover in the UK so can't see a reason to pay to be added to another policy.

slimjimmc

CiniO wrote: »

No you can't rely on it for a very simple fact - because you have no proof what they said to you.
You are not allowed to record a call with them. And you can not trust they will record it, and even if they will, if there will be any problem, they will surely erase it.
:

Actually, you are. The law only prohibits recording a phone call without the permission of one of the participants involved, e.g. as in phone tapping. As one of the participants in the phone call you can record the entire conversation yourself without the permission the other participants.

CiniO

slimjimmc wrote: »

Actually, you are. The law only prohibits recording a phone call without the permission of one of the participants involved, e.g. as in phone tapping. As one of the participants in the phone call you can record the entire conversation yourself without the permission the other participants.

Are you sure about that?
I always though that without other person's permission, even if you record the call, it couldn't be used as a proof in any case.

CiniO

Del2005 wrote: »

Regardless of the OPs driving other cars insurance extentsion status I wouldn't like to be at the side of a UK road trying to explain all that to a police officer, they work on the confiscate it first till you prove it's legal to get back. Either get added to the policy in place on the car or use your own car.

Nothing to explain. You just show your insurance certificate, schedule and policy document which clearly state that you are covered to drive other cars in UK.