help please, this is giving me a head ache!

[Gouldy]

i would like your advice on whats been going on over the past 3 months, this is the story;

I had a golf GT TDI, was a decent run about and never let me down. i sold the golf at the beginning of august 2010 to a mate of mine. i rang the insurance company to inform them that i am no longer the registered keeper of the vehicle.

The insurance company informed me that there would be a penalty of £60 + VAT to terminate the policy. I asked if instead i could leave the policy running and if it was legal to do so. they informed me that i could leave the policy running and it would be legit and no bother. so i left the policy running and thought that would be that.

november 2010;

i return home one day to several letters from the insurance company informing me that my policy has been cancelled because i have let an uninsured driver crash my car into a ford focus.

obviously i was annoyed so i contacted the insurance company to see what has gone on.

it turns out that the insurance company have recieved a claim from a Mrs Penny Simpson who drives a silver ford focus. i explained my previous conversation with the insurance company about them saying the policy could be left running etc and that they should not pay out because i sold the car in August and someone else owns and insures the car now so its not my problem.

the insurance company said that because i left the policy running they will have to pay out on the claim on my behalf. i wasnt having any of this especially when i nearly have 7 years no claims bonus.

i rang the lad who owns the car now and he explained what happened;

he was at some lights when a silver ford focus reversed into the golf. my mate got out of the car to ask the young male driver of the ford focus if he was alright and to check the damage of the car and to get the young males insurance details as he made a mess of the golfs front bumper.

the driver of the ford focus got out, saw the damage and jumped in his car and sped off. my mate in the golf went after him but unfortunately my mate lost him and he got away.

then i got the letters from the insurance company and after nearly 3 months and hours on the phone this is exactly whats happened;

as above, the focus crashed into the car and drove off. the young male driver of the focus got the reg plate of the golf and told his mother that while she was on holiday a golf crashed into the focus when it was parked up and drove off.

also, my mate mentioned what has been going on to one of his work mates who happened to know Mrs Penny Simpson, he also knew where she lived.

so my mate went round to her house and paid her a visit to find out what exactly has gone on.

It turns penny simpson has been on holiday for 2 weeks, while she was away her 16 year old son and his mate have been driving about in her focus. my mate explained what has been going on and penny simpson rang her insurance company to cancel the claim there and then because she didnt want the police getting involved.

i thought that was that and it would be left at it is.

apparantly not, the insurance company are still trying to pay out on this fraudulant claim.

through this i have lost my no claims and 6 months insurance. here is why they should not pay out on this claim;

1. the driver of the focus was 16

2. the focus driver has no license

3. the focus crahed into the golf, not vise versa

4. i havent owned the car since august

5. technically the focus was a TWOC

6. there is no claim because its been cancelled.

all i want is my proof of no claims and the half of my premium back that i am owed. the insurance comany wont do this until the claim has been handed over to my mates insurance company, he has rang up 7 times and gave his insurance details to my insurance company and informed them that his insurance are dealing with the matter them selves.

my insurance informed me that it will now be sorted and to ring back in a week to sort out proof of no claims and send the cheque out for the amount that im owed.

3 months, 10s of phone calls later everytime i ring the insurance company im back in the same postion getting told;

" we need (my mates) insurance details to pass the claim over"

so my mate rings up again, we get told it is all being sorted and to ring back in a week to sort out my proof of no claims and my cheque.

a week later, i ring up and get told the same over and over again. im sick of it and its getting to me.

i cant believe the mess about that this has been!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

does anyone know where i stand and what i can do to sort this mess out?

 

[Willis]

Sounds like a messy one mate.

In all honesty, I think one call to the Police would sort the lot of it out. Wether Mrs.Simpson wants that to happen or not, you're going to end up getting shafted by your insurance company for something that wasn't you or your mates fault. Phone the Police or go down to your local nick, explain it all with as much info as possible, times and dates etc.. But, then of course you risk Mrs.Simpson denying all knowledge of it in an attempt to defend her TWOC'ing son. It's not a simple one whatever way you look at it.

 

[Jonesy]

insurance companies are ****ing stpuid, yet when u actually need them they **** you over!
Dunno if you know but all insraunce companies phone calls are recored, go get leagal advise and they will ask for a copy of your first phone call then job done!

 

[SnapMonkey]

Just go to the police. Your getting way too involved in something that simply doesn't concern you, or at least shouldn't have concerned you.

Who gives a monkeys about some 16yo scrote who nicked his mums car. Grass them up, explain the situation to them, and have the police write a letter to your insurance company. Hopefully that would then remove your liability. (even though your not liable for the above reasons!)

You are correct, it is TWOC and therefore a crime (obviously being 16 no licence etc etc is too!).

And just to clarify, my mum was an motor insurance underwriter for 10 years, and the insurance company shouldn't have agreed to let you keep the policy. You cannot legally insure a car you don't own. That is a fact, and I lost 11 months of a policy due to this a few years ago. You may want to point this out to them, and threaten them with the FSA for providing inaccurate information & services to your detriment.

 

[Arran]

I thought it was against the law to have 2 insurance policies on one vehicle unless the second policy is for an additional driver and therefore only driving the vehicle is covered?

 

[SnapMonkey]

I thought it was against the law to have 2 insurance policies on one vehicle unless the second policy is for an additional driver and therefore only driving the vehicle is covered?

Additional drivers would be on the same policy?!?

A car can't have 2 separate policies on it, which is why its illegal to insure a car you don't own.

 

[Paul]

Just go to the police. Your getting way too involved in something that simply doesn't concern you, or at least shouldn't have concerned you.

Who gives a monkeys about some 16yo scrote who nicked his mums car. Grass them up, explain the situation to them, and have the police write a letter to your insurance company. Hopefully that would then remove your liability. (even though your not liable for the above reasons!)

You are correct, it is TWOC and therefore a crime (obviously being 16 no licence etc etc is too!).

And just to clarify, my mum was an motor insurance underwriter for 10 years, and the insurance company shouldn't have agreed to let you keep the policy. You cannot legally insure a car you don't own. That is a fact, and I lost 11 months of a policy due to this a few years ago. You may want to point this out to them, and threaten them with the FSA for providing inaccurate information & services to your detriment.

Great advice there mate, Ryan you have your answer!

 

[Gouldy]

Just go to the police. Your getting way too involved in something that simply doesn't concern you, or at least shouldn't have concerned you.

Who gives a monkeys about some 16yo scrote who nicked his mums car. Grass them up, explain the situation to them, and have the police write a letter to your insurance company. Hopefully that would then remove your liability. (even though your not liable for the above reasons!)

You are correct, it is TWOC and therefore a crime (obviously being 16 no licence etc etc is too!).

And just to clarify, my mum was an motor insurance underwriter for 10 years, and the insurance company shouldn't have agreed to let you keep the policy. You cannot legally insure a car you don't own. That is a fact, and I lost 11 months of a policy due to this a few years ago. You may want to point this out to them, and threaten them with the FSA for providing inaccurate information & services to your detriment.

sound advice mate, i cant believe i didnt think of getting the police involved in the first place tbh.

thank you everyone for your opinion and advice, this has honestly been doing my head in for weeks running my phone bill up and giving me aggro.

i know this shouldnt have involved me, i know i shouldnt have had to ring loads of companies and people on the insurance companies behalf but it is me thats ultimately suffering and no one else.

i was also aware of the 2 policies situation which is why i questioned it and shocked when they said it was fine to leave the policy running. strange.

im unsure what to say to the police though, im thinking go in to the police station and explain whats gone on?

 

[SnapMonkey]

im unsure what to say to the police though, im thinking go in to the police station and explain whats gone on?

Yep. Take all / any paperwork the insurance company have sent you, and anything you feel is relevant. The more paper the better.

Just explain the story in full, don't omit details or add any to make it sound worse. Good luck, and keep us informed.

 

[slime]

...I asked the same question after I sold my Clio197....I was told it is illegal to keep insurance running on the car if I no longer owned it....the Insurer was prepared to suspend my policy whilst I waited for my new car but only for 2 months.....so I had to cancel.........

 

[Adamm]

Admiral let me suspend my policy indefinatley while I waited on the 200!

 

[Gouldy]

after further phone calls with the insurance company, every time i ring and speak to one of their employees i keep having to start again explaining what's gone on because the insurance company is retarded and cant write notes on my file correctly.

then they have the audacity to ask me to find out the 3rd and 4th parties insurance details again. Do they think my face is painted on or what?

im fed up of doing there donkey work, i cant believe the ****ing cheek of them tbh.

seen as they dont want to co operate because of their incompetence i think its time to get the police involved and prosecute the young lad that TWOCed his mums car

 

[Gouldy]

just been on the phone to the police, they dont want to know.

they said that its a civil dispute and i cant prove that the vehicle was a TWOC so i have to go through the citizens advice bureau.

WTF

 

[SnapMonkey]

just been on the phone to the police, they dont want to know.

they said that its a civil dispute and i cant prove that the vehicle was a TWOC so i have to go through the citizens advice bureau.

WTF

He is 16, therefore it is a Police matter, end of.

Ask to speak to the duty Sergeant, and not the generic numpty PC on the end of the phone. It is not a civil matter, and is actually an RTA (road traffic accident) which they obliged to investigate. If they carry on being unhelpful, write a letter to the Commander in charge of your local main Police station and things will happen. It worked for me.

As for your insurance company, take names of the dickheads you speak to, full names at that. Write down times and dates of when you speak to them so they can look back and search for the recorded phone calls (they record ALL calls). Politely tell them to do some f'in work, as your premiums are there to keep them in a job. Again, ask for the shift supervisor if you get nowhere, you are entitled to ask for one at any time and the generic call operator cannot refuse. If this doesn't work, write a letter and send it 1st class recorded.

Just keep on kicking off at people, but more importantly, the RIGHT people and this will get sorted.

 

[Gouldy]

Thanks for the info, im braying my head off the wall now tbh.

i just rang the insurance company again, they have gone back to square one and told me i have to wait for the 3rd parties insurance to get in touch with them before they can do anything.

they also mentioned if they do pay out on the claim, even though i have protected no claims, they refuse to pay out my 5 months premium that i am still owed

 

[SnapMonkey]

Thanks for the info, im braying my head off the wall now tbh.

i just rang the insurance company again, they have gone back to square one and told me i have to wait for the 3rd parties insurance to get in touch with them before they can do anything.

they also mentioned if they do pay out on the claim, even though i have protected no claims, they refuse to pay out my 5 months premium that i am still owed

I assume you have your current car running on a 2nd policy? If you don't need them, don't worry.

I'd take my business elsewhere. When the new company requests proof of NCD from your old insurer, chances are this will never get mentioned as it isn't finalised and paid out on yet.

 

[Gouldy]

i have a company vehicle aswell so the insurance on another vehicle isnt an issue