Allianz being difficult over converting named driving experience into no claims bonus

14ned

My partner has been driving as a named driver under my policy since 2008. We have had no claims at any time, she has one old speeding ticket, otherwise no points. Due to extended lack of employment we emigrated to Canada in late 2012, but thing improved enough in Ireland we were able to return late 2013. For a very short period in Canada January to March we had no car because we couldn't afford one, but from March onwards she was insured as the sole main driver on our Canadian car until we returned home whereupon she went back as a named driver on my policy and car. Due to the short time away from Ireland, I recovered most of my NCB.

Recently we bought her a 2011 Focus with the intention of getting her out under her own policy. We have been with Allianz last two years, and they said they would convert her seven years named driver experience into three years of no claims bonus resulting in a premium of just under €1000. I mentioned during the call that we had emigrated to Canada and that the Canadian driving experience would be her as the main driver, and there was a short break in car ownership whilst we sorted ourselves out in Canada and on return to Ireland. They said all that was fine, just provide letters confirming the experience and lack of claims from 2009 onwards.

We did that, but now Allianz say that because there was a short break in cover between January 2013 and March 2013 in Canada that they will not consider any driving experience before that going back to 2009, and now can only offer a conversion to a single year of NCB based on the experience starting only from 2013. That means a €350 premium bump, not just this year but the next year, the year after that. Effectively they've just raised the cost to us by over a grand due to nitpicking over a two and a bit month gap which was exclusively due to us emigrating and not being able to afford to buy a car immediately in Canada (ironically it wasn't the cost of the car in Canada, it was the $2500 we had to pay in motor insurance there which meant we needed a few months to save up).

They are reviewing the recordings of my original call with them to see if it was agreed that the short gap would not be counted, but assuming they refuse because they are after all insurers:

1. Does anyone know of a motor insurer with a more reasonable attitude to converting named driver experience into No Claims Bonus? After all, if insurers will accept short gaps in insurance coverage by a main policy holder, there is no good reason to be so arsey with perfectly continuous named driver experience.

2. Does anyone know of a motor insurer with a better attitude towards returning Irish emigrants? I know that's a big ask, they generally seem to be treating returning emigrants as guaranteed claims, but I figured it would be worth asking.

3. Is there anyone we can ask to intervene to adjudicate on whether they are being unfair and force them to be reasonable? Like an ombudsman or something?

Thanks in advance.

Niall