So you think you're insured?

[Old-Guy]

Had a conversation today with someone whose windscreen shattered only to discover that he was paying for cover on a car identical to his own but with a non-existent registration number. For all their fancy IT systems, it's remarkably easy (not to say common) for insurance companies to scramble registrations or vehicle details. You can argue with your insurance company, but if the police stop you because the ANPR system in their car flags your reg number as an uninsured vehicle, (because the insurance company screwed up), you won't be driving anywhere. Your car will be impounded on the spot and it'll cost you at least £150 for recovery and storage until you sort out the insurance!

If you don't reclaim the car, with valid insurance and payment of the charges, your car is forfeit. Your cherished Xantia will go to the crusher!

Both the police and the insurers will point out politely but firmly, that its YOUR responsibility to make sure your car is properly insured - the covering letter with your insurance certificate tells you to check the details carefully.

At any time, you can check the insurance details for your car as recorded on the Motor Insurers Database (which is where police systems get their data) at askMIDl.

If you discover a cock-up, do let us all know.

[oneday]

just checked mine all correct

[lurchy666]

i had this one of my old granadas, it was insured and i had the certificate with right reg everything except some numpty at the ins comp hadnt put it on the database so every time i went past a cop with anpr i was pulled over, took a few angry phone calls to sort out as ins comp tryed to say it wasnt there fault that they hadnt put my car on the database the coppers didnt believe i was insured untill i rang the ins comp to confirm the details (everytime i was stopped) with them on speaker phone so the cops could hear, sometimes the cops were havin a go at the poor lady/bloke on the other end of the phone,

eventually i got pulled 4 times in a week by same copper and everytime we had to ring the ins comp to confirm i was covered etc, then the copper actually sorted it for me by taking the phone off me and telling them unless my car goes on the database instantly that he was going to ask his bosses to bill the ins comp for the polices time for stopping me all them times,

after that i wasnt stopped anymore, see there are some good coppers out there

the ins comp was norwich union who i believe is now aviva

[citroenxm]

Check VERY easilly HERE with Reg plate

I regularaly check mine, well, only one on the road just now. But also check on the Tax Disc site for my SORNS..

[addo]

It's worse when you're dyslexic and quote it wrongly yourself. I check all that stuff three times, then put it down and come back later to check again.

[red_dwarfers]

An interesting read that.

While we're on the subject, any modification however silly is worth running past the insurance company. I've had to declare a towbar and my Michelin Alpin M+S tyres even though the Alpins are the same tyre size, speed rating and all that as my Toyo CF1s. The XM was the same with the alloys even though they were Citroen XM alloys. On the plus side, they're all no cost modifications in my case!

[CitroJim]

I declared my change of interior on the V6 - Cream rather than Black. No increase..

More disturbing but academic now but when I declared my XM LPG to Admiral it came back as 'Low Pressure Gas' Not the same thing at all...

Adrian Flux has it right though

[jgra1]

yep informed of leather and alloys in the xant.. and I think leather in the c5.. you cant be too careful these days..

I always wonder what the mileage restriction policies are about.. I often go for them but never have to prove current mileage.. maybe they look at mots and so on..

[CitroJim]

I have a limited mileage policy with Adrian Flux on the XM and I had to advise the mileage reading at the start of the policy and there's dire consequences apparently if you exceed it...

Admiral policies on the others are somewhat limited as they ask you your likely mileage but don't seem to ask any further details...

So they'd never know if you exceeded it or not unless they can get it from MOT information. Maybe that's it. They don't need to because it's available to them from a different source...

[spider]

I told mine about the dearmour, more accurately I said that the "pump immobiliser has been removed" , they said they did not really care about that which I suppose is a good thing although in theory it would of only effected theft cover (which I still have) although no doubt they might of used it as an excuse to wiggle out of something.

[dnsey]

Suppose the restricted mileage was exceeded.
How would the insurance company prove that the distance was driven by their client, and not by another driver under their own insurance?

[jgra1]

yes I was thinking that too...

[myglaren]

Why would they care when it is the car that has a limited mileage, not the driver?

[addo]

So you can have a high mileage woman in a restricted mileage car, then.

[Xantidote]

a high mileage woman

Now there's a thought