Vocal Voices

Just renewed the motor insurance - we have, for many years, used independent brokers down in the SW, no names, no pack-drill.

This year they have switched us between insurers, saving around £8 on the premium - fair enough. But I have had a bit of a game getting the new insurance certificate out of them ; phoned them up, they say it was posted, well I never received it, arrives last Saturday on a first class stamp with original covering letter dated two weeks ago attached ..... draw your own conclusions, but of course nothing can be proven.

But my grouse it this - looking at this years certificate and last:

Date of expiry of insurance - 2359 hours 14th September 2015
Effective date of commencement of insurance for the purposes of the relevant law - 1215 hours 15th September 2015

Note it's 1215, not 0001. So we are technically not covered for tomorrow morning. WTF?

Now, we have got a temporary cover note running from 0001 15/09/15 to 0001 15/10/15 issued while they sorted out the paperwork on the renewal, so it could be argued we are covered under that, but does the temporary cover note still apply in law now the new one has been issued? And what's recorded on the police computer?

I'm inclined to phone them up and shout at them, but I've already done it once this year, not sure I want to do it again .....

not good enough - simples

I would phone them and make sure that the original insurance cover commences as of 0001 tomorrow morning. Realistically you don't need the paper insurance schedule anymore - it's all electronic now-a-days. So as long as the insurance confirms cover is in place then you should be set without the need for that extra month. All a bit odd really

Yes, thanks, meriad. I think I will call them to "clarify" .....

Yes, a phone call should sort it!

They're referring it up the line and phoning me back. Definite hint of panic .....

"pigeons" "cat" "amongst" comes to mind .....

I'll be making a note to change brokers next year to somewhere more local, I think. I like to be able to go in and bang a desktop and it's difficult to do that at a range of 170 odd miles .....

One thing worries me. It is only a technicality and might not apply but I believe it is illegal, or not possible, to have two policies giving cover at the same time. Either, or both, could be declared null and void.

Workingman wrote:One thing worries me. It is only a technicality and might not apply but I believe it is illegal, or not possible, to have two policies giving cover at the same time. Either, or both, could be declared null and void.

Yes, you're quite right, that's my understanding as well. And we all know what insurance companies are like when it come to ducking out of responsibilities.

Anyway they phoned me back and said yes we were covered for tomorrow morning. The explanation I was given, however, didn't sound exactly plausible. I was told the 1215 time was because it was a "mid-term adjustment". Which seems rather ludicrous because it wasn't a mid-term adjustment, it was a flippin' renewal. Unless (and I've only just thought of this) they are saying that it was a mid-term adjustment to the temporary cover note, which is about the only plausible spin you can put on it .... I accepted their reason as I didn't want to get into a technical argument with them, but we've marked their card and we'll have a rethink next year.

And as for tomorrow morning, to be on the safe side, I think we're going to have a long lie-in ......

That might be for the best Ossie