Car Insurance Renewal

[Haliotis]

My car insurance expired on midnight 9 December.  I had already confirmed that I was renewing, and renewal is automatic unless I decide against it.  Checking it this morning on Askmid, it says I am not insured on the database.

I rang my insurers, who confirmed that I am insured, and they said not to worry and check it again in a few days.  Also, checking on line, the premium has not yet shown as being taken from my bank account.

Going on line to my account with the insurers, I can find the new documents, along with a copy of the new insurance certificate.  Unfortunately,  my iPad refuses to recognise my (fairly new) wireless printer, and there is no other way to get a print off.  I do have the emailed certificate on my iPhone BUT, if Sod’s Law stepped in and I was stopped by the police, would they accept the copy of the certificate on my iPhone, OR would they follow the database info and simply arrest me and impound my car?

I have always been meticulous with my tax, insurance and MoT validity, and cannot bring myself to trust any “word-of-mouth”, no matter what organisation (however much their integrity may appear to be unquestionable), so I dare not take my car onto the road.

[FROSTYBALLS]

It usually takes a few days for Askmid to be updated, whether you renew or take out a new policy. The Police know this, and if there were any doubt about your cover, they would, if within working hours, contact your insurer directly.

[davidif]

You generally have 7 days from being stopped to produce evidence of insurance if it's not showing on the database.

 

 

[Bper]

Hi Albert, You have an emailed copy on you iPhone which you could show if you wanted to, but as already been said by @davidif above you have seven days to produce.

Did you get a fair renewal price on your insurance?.

[Haliotis]

11 minutes ago, Bper said:

Hi Albert, You have an emailed copy on you iPhone which you could show if you wanted to, but as already been said by @davidif above you have seven days to produce.

Did you get a fair renewal price on your insurance?.

Bob, I suppose I did get a fair renewal premium at £865.97, if you believe the scaremongering about EVs (which I imagine includes hybrids) being pricey to repair.  The renewal was originally £1126.36, but this as reduced when I queried the reasons for the increase - £524.04 last year and with no change in circumstances.

Even the original price was hundreds of pounds lower than any of the comparison websites.  I think these are useless, and now prefer to approach insurers/brokers direct.

[Bper]

32 minutes ago, Haliotis said:

Bob, I suppose I did get a fair renewal premium at £865.97, if you believe the scaremongering about EVs (which I imagine includes hybrids) being pricey to repair.  The renewal was originally £1126.36, but this as reduced when I queried the reasons for the increase - £524.04 last year and with no change in circumstances.

Even the original price was hundreds of pounds lower than any of the comparison websites.  I think these are useless, and now prefer to approach insurers/brokers direct.

Albert, what was the insurance companies reason to lower the premium by £260 when the price was hiked in the first place to £11256.36 and you queried it.?

[Roy124]

They are increasing all insurance.   My home insurance has a 20% markup which I shall challenge especially as my no claims discount is one year more.

[Parts-King]

It's a bit late on the side of the road whilst with the old bill trying to explain you are actually insured. Your car will be towed and impounded, you don't get a producer these days, everything is online.  Any insurance company worth their salt will email a cover note, I don't fancy being on the side of the road and relying on getting hold of your insurance company after hours 

I have a company car and ALWAYS check the car status on MID, it does take several days to update

 

 

[Bper]

1 hour ago, Roy124 said:

They are increasing all insurance.   My home insurance has a 20% markup which I shall challenge especially as my no claims discount is one year more.

Hi Roy, I have had various discussions over the years with home insurance renewal and despite my attempts for them to lower the premium I have only been lucky once to get it for the same price.

This is with me telling them I have never claimed since first owning a property in the 1970s along with striking up a good conversation with the person on the phone.

How much of a reduction do you accept before looking elsewhere?

[Roy124]

My SiL in a brand new car was driving somewhere in the Midlands when she was blue lit and continued along the busy road to a safe spot. 

The car was 'untaxed/registered' 'uninsured' and presumed stolen as the plates were not recognised. 

She managed to convince them it was all properly documented,  but now in an unfamiliar part of the road, sans map and pre satnav (not that that would have helped her) and all of a fluster,  she got completely lost  😀

[Roy124]

Bob, they are £45 more expensive than Aviva though the excess is £100 less.  They have a good lost key system (£10 reward) and we have been with them at least 7 years.  I am happy to remain with them but happier if they make an offer.

I have been  with the same car insurance broker for 3 years as well.  They are consistently near best offer and beat LV easily though LV are the underwriters; go figure.

[davidif]

21 minutes ago, Parts-King said:

It's a bit late on the side of the road whilst with the old bill trying to explain you are actually insured. Your car will be towed and impounded, you don't get a producer these days, everything is online.  Any insurance company worth their salt will email a cover note, I don't fancy being on the side of the road and relying on getting hold of your insurance company after hours 

I have a company car and ALWAYS check the car status on MID, it does take several days to update

 

 

Under Section 165 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 a Police Constable can still issue a 'Producer'

[Cyker]

You'll be okay; Heck I was driving around for a full day with no insurance because my dealer 'forgot' to activate the 3 day drive-away insurance and not a single police car stopped me. (I made the mistake of assuming that, having spent ages on the phone giving my details to Toyota Insurance while in the dealership, that was  it all set up and done, but apparently not!)

Since you actually have insurance, just being prepared and having electronic copies ready to show them will be enough to prove you aren't wasting their time in the unlikely event they pull you, and although they might still call your insurer for confirmation, they won't just haul your car off.

Our police are generally pretty reasonable as long as you don't give them lip, unless you're unlucky and get one of the few bad ones! (A far cry from certain places in the USA  )

TBH I suspect very few police cars have access to the various databases - I've known a lot of people over the years who forgot to renew their insurance or tax and drove around for literally months before they realized, with no consequences. I do feel the roads would be a better place if they had better enforcement of these things, as I suspect a significant number of bad drivers would be quickly taken out...

 

[Haliotis]

I have a copy of the new certificate of insurance on my iPhone, and the premium has now been taken from my bank account.  So I think it is safe to drive - any delay in the update getting onto the insurance data base is not my concern.  I did inform my insurer that it was not recorded, but was simply told to give it about a week for it to appear.

The law says that it it’s a requirement to be insured - not that one cannot drive until the details appear on the data base.

[Rhymes with Paris]

Sure you will be ok Albert.

You sound a lot more organised than my pal who relied totally on " thinking" that he had renewed his car insurance.

Despite having no reason to assume that at all,he maintains that he was not insured for over 6 months, and it was all the fault of the insurance company who didn't hold his hand.

Mind you,he was the same person who drove back from Bawtry auction in a Citroen BX with a torch duct taped to the nearside wing as the front lights weren't working.

I reckon he might be the "Denzil" that the comedian Jethro referred to in his act.

[Haliotis]

Paul, the one thing that occurs too me is that, as most of the insurers work with programmable systems, why cannot the system be set such that, when the premium is paid and the certificate of insurance issued, the data base is automatically updated to show the vehicle as being insured?

[Cyker]

That would requite a level of competence and co-operation that would be rare in one company, nevermind multiples  

[Bper]

Could be to do with them making sure the funds clear first before updating the system.

[Rhymes with Paris]

8 hours ago, Haliotis said:

Paul, the one thing that occurs too me is that, as most of the insurers work with programmable systems, why cannot the system be set such that, when the premium is paid and the certificate of insurance issued, the data base is automatically updated to show the vehicle as being insured?

I am so old fashioned Albert that I prefer a paper certificate of insurance.

Even then with so many scams and frauds going on, that is no guarantee of insurance in itself.

I may be wrong, but I reckon that most police officers would be able to distinguish between law abiding pensioners, and scammers who think that they can beat the system.

If not, the ultimate proof can be provided, but you are right if the system is set up to provide instant results at the roadside, then it needs to be updated instantly.

So does a producer,ie a Horti 1 no longer apply?

 

[Cyker]

22 minutes ago, Rhymes with Paris said:

I may be wrong, but I reckon that most police officers would be able to distinguish between law abiding pensioners, and scammers who think that they can beat the system.

You might have to stop wearing gold chains, walking around with your trousers half-off and calling everyone Bruv, but I'm sure they can tell...   

[Rhymes with Paris]

Oh , I still do that Cyker, but I am down with the hood, and call everyone "cuz" now.

My Kevin Clean fashionable waistband on show is a reminder of the LA Compton vibe of the belt off when arrested.

 

[Haliotis]

Well, got my policy details on line and have printed off a copy of the certificate of insurance (I’m a bit old fashioned and like to keep my docs with me).  Another look on Askmid shows car now insured on the data base, so all’s well.

TBH, I don’t have the confidence that all police officers are rational and practical - a driver who can be wound up is a sitting target for relieving boredom!

[Benzowner]

On a semi serious note, unless you live in a dodgy area, when was the last time you saw a police car😂 

I have a personalised number plate which I have had for many years. After getting my Yaris Cross I transferred my number plate across. Although DVLA said ok move immediately it can take upto 96 days for them to register it. I don't think you'll have any problems.

[Haliotis]

I have never seriously considered a personalised number plate and my wife has always thought of one being a waste of money.  BUT, when I bought my current car, and my wife saw the last three digits “YUK”, her first comment was, “I think you need a personalised plate”.  I have dithered over it a bit, but getting more use to it as the weeks go by. 😟

[Paul john]

5 hours ago, Benzowner said:

On a semi serious note, unless you live in a dodgy area, when was the last time you saw a police car😂 

I have a personalised number plate which I have had for many years. After getting my Yaris Cross I transferred my number plate across. Although DVLA said ok move immediately it can take upto 96 days for them to register it. I don't think you'll have any problems.

Not sure where you got 96 days from. 
from my experience moving my plate from car to car in the last 15 years. 
The association of your plate to the VIN of your car is instant and can be done online these days. You get emailed a document that can be used to obtain plates once the registration is processed online. Insurance companies allow a two week grace period for putting the new plates on the new vehicle. 
delivery of the v5 to your address takes 2-6 weeks (42 days max)