Insurance query

Sesshoumaru

Quick question someone might be able to help me with. My wife and I have 1 car at the moment. It is under my name and so is the insurance, with my wife as a named driver. In 2014 my wife had a small accident with no other people involved and we claimed off the insurance. I had NCB protection, so I did not lose my NCB.

Now we're thinking of getting a second car, probably under my wife's name with her own insurance policy and myself as a named driver. Now I'm wondering do I have a claims history over the last 2 years or does my wife have a claims history over the last 2 years? or does the one claim we made in 2014 on my policy for when my wife was driving mean we both have a claim? I'm just not really sure how it works and I want to fill in the quotation systems online correctly.

Thanks!

Nuw

As far as I'm aware, you should have receive a letter naming the driver involved for that claim. Only him/her would then be liable for the loss of the ncb.
At least, that's how it worked for me when I was in a similar situation. Best to check with your current insurer though, to be safe.

Especially if you add another policy with them, they should be able to sort this out for you.

Hope this helps

grogi

Sesshoumaru wrote: »

Quick question someone might be able to help me with. My wife and I have 1 car at the moment. It is under my name and so is the insurance, with my wife as a named driver. In 2014 my wife had a small accident with no other people involved and we claimed off the insurance. I had NCB protection, so I did not lose my NCB.

Now we're thinking of getting a second car, probably under my wife's name with her own insurance policy and myself as a named driver. Now I'm wondering do I have a claims history over the last 2 years or does my wife have a claims history over the last 2 years? or does the one claim we made in 2014 on my policy for when my wife was driving mean we both have a claim? I'm just not really sure how it works and I want to fill in the quotation systems online correctly.

Thanks!

NCB is independent from claim history. And you build that independently for each of the cars.

You get NCB certificate, but you also need to declare all claims that particular driver was involved in - regardless who the policy was named for.

Sesshoumaru

grogi wrote: »

NCB is independent from claim history. And you build that independently for each of the cars.

You get NCB certificate, but you also need to declare all claims that particular driver was involved in - regardless who the policy was named for.

So I personally still have my NCB as I paid the extra to protect it. But it was my wife who had the accident as a named driver on my policy. The car we currently have is considered pretty low risk, so we were thinking my wife would get her own insurance on our existing car and the second car we're thinking of getting would be under my name and I could use my NCB on this policy.

But in terms of applying for those quotes, do I have a claim I need to declare? or is it my wife who has a claim she needs to declare?

ironclaw

The cost of hiding, even inadvertently, an incident is far higher than the cost of declaring it. Be open and honest, its in the terms of any insurance policy. Simply explain what happened as this scenario is common, they'll likely ask for supporting documentation and all will be above board.

You're best move is what you are considering in that you both have a car and a policy, with one named on the other. This often brings down your premium if you are within the same company, I'd certainly ask about it when ringing around.

Nuw

I'd agree with Ironclaw on this one, just mention the situation when you ring around, insurers are (or at least should be) quite familiar with these situations.

I remember it being hassle free when the misus got her policy, we sticked with the same insurer for both policies though, so they were already aware of every details. Even offered a lowered premium on the first policy as the named driver got her own policy if memory serves me right.

To Elland Back

Sesshoumaru wrote: »

So I personally still have my NCB as I paid the extra to protect it. But it was my wife who had the accident as a named driver on my policy.

You have a claim on your record, your wife has an accident on hers. Both need to be declared to potential insurers, regardless of whether you have a protected NCB or not

grogi

To Elland Back wrote: »

You have a claim on your record, your wife has an accident on hers. Both need to be declared to potential insurers, regardless of whether you have a protected NCB or not

Check the fine print first - it usually asks for any claims particular driver was involved with. So if OP was insuring a car only for himself - there would be no claim to declare.

YMMV.

Corvo

grogi wrote: »

Check the fine print first - it usually asks for any claims particular driver was involved with. So if OP was insuring a car only for himself - there would be no claim to declare.

YMMV.

Not true. The claim happened on the insured's policy and was paid by his insurers. He needs to declare the claim and also point out it was the named driver on his policy that was involved. She will also have to declare it and any supporting documents she is using (such as a letter of driving experience) will note the claim and settlement.

ironclaw

grogi wrote: »

Check the fine print first - it usually asks for any claims particular driver was involved with. So if OP was insuring a car only for himself - there would be no claim to declare.

YMMV.

Why are people so against saying things to insurance companies? Because they might screw you? Such rubbish advice. Hate to tell you, but if you smash into the back of someone and they find out you didn't bother to tell them full facts, they'll definitely be having the last laugh and the hole in your pocket will be a lot deeper. In this instance, the OP has nothing to worry about and no reason not to at least mention it. It wasn't them driving but it was under their policy. They may not even care, but I'd rather take the 30s now to explain it to the insurance company that potentially be up in court for non-disclosure.

grogi

ironclaw wrote: »

Why are people so against saying things to insurance companies? Because they might screw you? Such rubbish advice. Hate to tell you, but if you smash into the back of someone and they find out you didn't bother to tell them full facts, they'll definitely be having the last laugh and the hole in your pocket will be a lot deeper. In this instance, the OP has nothing to worry about and no reason not to at least mention it. It wasn't them driving but it was under their policy. They may not even care, but I'd rather take the 30s now to explain it to the insurance company that potentially be up in court for non-disclosure.

I never told anyone to lie or keep the facts from the insurer. One should always answer honestly to the questions that are asked.

For instance the AA asks: "Have you had any claims in last 5 years". You can honestly answer that No.
If they were asking "Have you had any claims in last 5 years or were there any claims on policies hold by you" you need to answer Yes.

But to be honest - online quote calculators are more often than not rubbish and the conditions are often internally contradicting (exp. question states "Have you had any claims in last 5 years" and will refuse the quotation if you say yes, but T&C will state that Windscreen claims are allowed). AXA online will ask you for "Year of Manufacture". Take a car registered in January 2016. It was manufactured in 2015. If you answer 2016 - and majority of people would do this automatically - you're actually lying to the insurer and could be denied cover...

It is best to call the Insurance Company (having the call recorded) and discuss your case individually.

Sesshoumaru

I'm happy to declare whatever. I've no interest in potentially having an accident and suddenly finding I'm not insured. I just want to make sure that I follow the rules without screwing myself out of hard earned money

To Elland Back

People need to seriously understand the implications of having a named driver or open driving under their policy. It doesn't matter who had the accident while driving ing your car, it is always YOUR claim if anything is paid out. It's your contract with the insurer. You have the claim, the driver has the accident.

MojoMaker

Up to reading this thread I would have thought that was crystal clear, but I'm genuinely gobsmacked at the lack of understanding.

grogi

To Elland Back wrote: »

People need to seriously understand the implications of having a named driver or open driving under their policy. It doesn't matter who had the accident while driving ing your car, it is always YOUR claim if anything is paid out. It's your contract with the insurer. You have the claim, the driver has the accident.

As an experiment - go to AXA site, invent an identity of 39-year-old history teacher and get a quote. Don't forget to mention a claim caused by your nephew (a a named driver on a previous policy) with whom you got into a fracas and he will not be allowed to drive anymore...

Good luck...

To Elland Back

grogi wrote: »

As an experiment - go to AXA site, invent an identity of 39-year-old history teacher and get a quote. Don't forget to mention a claim caused by your nephew (a a named driver on a previous policy) with whom you got into a fracas and he will not be allowed to drive anymore...

Good luck...

I've no idea what you point is, sorry

Sesshoumaru

To Elland Back wrote: »

People need to seriously understand the implications of having a named driver or open driving under their policy. It doesn't matter who had the accident while driving ing your car, it is always YOUR claim if anything is paid out. It's your contract with the insurer. You have the claim, the driver has the accident.

When I originally rang my insurance company for a quote on a second car, I inquired on behalf of my wife. My wife had the accident, but clearly/possibly it is my claim?

The question asked of me was 'had my wife any claims in last X number of years?'. I said she had a small accident in car park, no one else involved, but we did claim to repair the car. The company I was ringing was the company I'm insured with now and back then when my wife had the accident. I explained all this to my questioner. My wife was refused a quote because they said she had claimed in the last 2 years.

But you are saying it is my claim, not my wifes. So that seems clear as mud to me.

To Elland Back

Sesshoumaru wrote: »

. My wife was refused a quote because they said she had claimed in the last 2 years.

But you are saying it is my claim, not my wifes. So that seems clear as mud to me.

Your wife would have been refused because she had the Accident, she didn't have a Claim under the policy, you did in respect of her driving under your policy

She had the accident, you had the claim. Both you and she are affected by the one incident separately, with possibly differing consequences

Sesshoumaru

To Elland Back wrote: »

Your wife would have been refused because she had the Accident, she didn't have a Claim under the policy, you did in respect of her driving under your policy

She had the accident, you had the claim. Both you and she are affected by the one incident separately, with possibly differing consequences

I understand what you're saying. But that is not what the insurance company said. They said because she had a 'claim' of over €2,000 in the last 2 years (€2,300 was the claim amount). I paid for the NCB protection, so it had no affect on me.

By all reasonable logic she did not have a claim of over €2,000, she had an accident and I had the claim. Just did not seem to work that way.

To Elland Back

Sesshoumaru wrote: »

I understand what you're saying. But that is not what the insurance company said. They said because she had a 'claim' of over €2,000 in the last 2 years (€2,300 was the claim amount). I paid for the NCB protection, so it had no affect on me.

By all reasonable logic she did not have a claim of over €2,000, she had an accident and I had the claim. Just did not seem to work that way.

I'd say you're right and the insurance handler used the wrong form of words

Sesshoumaru

To Elland Back wrote: »

I'd say you're right and the insurance handler used the wrong form of words

I just had a 10 minute call with a representative from Zurich. Essentially I had a claim because it is my policy and my wife also had a claim because she was the one driving the car. So in summary:

If calling around for insurance quotes I must state I had a claim
If my wife calls around for insurance quotes she also must state she had a claim

So I think in short if you have a named driver on your policy and the named driver has an accident which you claim against, everyone has made a claim.

To Elland Back

Sesshoumaru wrote: »

I just had a 10 minute call with a representative from Zurich. Essentially I had a claim because it is my policy and my wife also had a claim because she was the one driving the car. So in summary:

If calling around for insurance quotes I must state I had a claim
If my wife calls around for insurance quotes she also must state she had a claim

So I think in short if you have a named driver on your policy and the named driver has an accident which you claim against, everyone has made a claim.

The Zurich rep you spoke to is using the wrong form of words, as I explained previously. Only a policyholder can claim under any insurance policy, though others can be beneficiaries of the policyholder's cover if they have an accident

It's semantics and it hasn't disadvantaged you by their description