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AIBU?

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Original poster

Just been pulled over by the police

259 replies

Outandabout43 · 10/08/2024 01:36

Fuming right now.

Been on a night out with work, partner picked me up, he is a named driver on my car.

Had issues with insurence when I renewed. Noticed policy was inactive after paying yearly fees. Spoke to insurence who apologised, stated the policy will be activated and gave £100 as a gesture of good will, this was in may

Police just pulled us over. Breathalysed DH driving the car and stayed we had no insurence. Checked policy and it's come up again as inactive. Have been told we have 7 days to prove insurence or DH will get 6 points in his license, this will effect his job.

I'm mortified. Obviously I'll contact insurence on Monday, but what if they say we are not covered. I've attached a screenshot of email provided by insurence but I'm really panicking now. What do I do??

Just been pulled over by the police
OP posts:
velvetcoat · 10/08/2024 08:16

3luckystars · 10/08/2024 08:10

Thank you. So when you take out insurance you just get an email or letter and you carry that documentation in the car with you.

No, you dont have to carry it with you, info is held on a database the police can check that. However, if you have certain types of business insurance it wont appear on there so if stopped you have to take in proof to police station within 7 days or something. My husband runs a garage and he was stopped once and it wasnt on the database so he had to take his business insurance certificate into police station to show them.

Original poster
Outandabout43 · 10/08/2024 08:14

So when taking out the policy I chose the pay monthly option, this included an initial fee of £168 and then monthly payments of £60.

After the forst month I noticed no money had been taken from my bank account. I checked my policy online and it states it was invalid ans I had an outstanding balance of just over £800 so panicking I paid it there and then but my policy still didn't become active.

I called them up and the lady apologised and said it was a computer error there side and that was a cancellation fee, she passed me onto someone else who explained it was a system error and I had now paid for the year and I was insured and always had been insured. They reimbursed my £168 from the initial DD payment and as a gesture of good will gave me £100 compensation.

Policy was then active online. No I did not receive a certificate as was available to view online (learnt my lesson from this one)

On checking policy today there is no record at all on the online portal, ot states my last policy was 2023 with no mention at all of current policy

OP posts:
WatchOutMissMarpleIsAbout · 10/08/2024 08:12

We had this. Was an admin error. Luckily we had the documentation to show the police on email.

I now always take a photo of insurance and it’s in ‘documents’ photo folder on my phone. Along with photos of passports, driving licence and NI numbers.

velvetcoat · 10/08/2024 08:10

@3luckystars - I just checked out of curiosity, tax discs stopped 2014/15

3luckystars · 10/08/2024 08:10

Thank you. So when you take out insurance you just get an email or letter and you carry that documentation in the car with you.

velvetcoat · 10/08/2024 08:07

3luckystars · 10/08/2024 08:05

What? They don’t have tax and insurance disks in the car window everywhere ? I didn’t know that!!

No, they stopped tax discs ages ago now and I dont recall ever having an insurance disc

Neveragain8102 · 10/08/2024 08:05

MrsRobinsonsHandprints · 10/08/2024 06:07

I'm also interested in what was refunded?

Also the wording 'I can confirm you have been' this could imply that you are no longer (hence the refund) as I would expect it to say 'I can confirm you are and have been'

For those saying about her partner having cover to drive on his own insurance, the car still needs to be insured by someone for his third party to be legal (in the vast majority of cases)

Anyway OP, I hope I have misunderstood the email and all is ok. I would also phone them this morning, someone will be able to look and see if your policy is active.

It’s not a ‘refund’ though? The £100 was compensation for the mistake made by the insurance company

3luckystars · 10/08/2024 08:05

What? They don’t have tax and insurance disks in the car window everywhere ? I didn’t know that!!

theDudesmummy · 10/08/2024 08:03

This sort of thing is why I think the system of having an insurance disc on your car windscreen (which we still have in Ireland) is better. No room for this kind of error.

Paperthin · 10/08/2024 08:02

saraclara · 10/08/2024 07:56

Don't wait until Monday. You don't need the complaints line, you just need to speak to anyone at customer services today who can check what's happened. You can make a formal complaint later.

This is true.
OP A COPY OF AN EMAIL IS NOT PROOF OF INSURANCE you must have an insurance certificate.
The police aren’t interested in an email.
As car driver(s) you must have insurance, so when you had the calls/ emails with the insurance company it’s your responsibility to make sure you have the insurance cert and the schedule that goes with it.

velvetcoat · 10/08/2024 08:01

VJBR · 10/08/2024 07:59

There must be an emergency number for the weekends. Try any you can find. Also
put it back in them that they record every call. Thank goodness you have the text.

Edited

Also this- they must have a claim line open or some way to report an accident as they always say you should report claims immediately and accidents dont only happen mon- fri 9-5 so there must be some kind of way to contact someone out of hours

3luckystars · 10/08/2024 08:00

Did you receive insurance documentation when you paid for it?
Did you get anything in the post from them?

Check your emails, it might be in there as an attachment.

Regarding ‘using Churchill or well known name’ the poster might not even be in England.

VJBR · 10/08/2024 07:59

There must be an emergency number for the weekends. Try any you can find. Also
put it back in them that they record every call. Thank goodness you have the text.

velvetcoat · 10/08/2024 07:59

frannygallops · 10/08/2024 07:46

OP - in the email it says something has been refunded AND they're sending you a cheque. Did they refund the insurance amount and stop your cover? I think, ultimately, it's up to you to check your policy is valid and given all the issues you've had with the insurance company, and the fact when you log in you can see it says invalid, I'm not sure you're going to be able to claim you didn't know.

This. It's not clear if they simply refunded you the initial fee and then stopped the insurance or if it carried on. You should have checked this- not to make you feel bad but this is your responsibility, did you get an insurance certificate- I presume not? are they taking payments currently?- you seem very vague about all of this which is a bit odd.

saraclara · 10/08/2024 07:57

Gettingbysomehow · 10/08/2024 07:51

First direct are awful. I'll never renew my insurance with them.

It's not First Direct. It's 1st Central

HowIrresponsible · 10/08/2024 07:57

Inlaw · 10/08/2024 03:23

So you would be following my advice 🤣

Honestly DFOD and please stop quoting me. It’s 3am. This is a car insurance thread. Hardly drama of the century.

Show quote history

God this is so funny what idiots some people are ... I'm not sure why you've had a pile on.

Tbh - the op said she has paid so all she has to do is call the insurance company and sort it out.

I don't know why continued supportive and constructive was needed as the first person who said call the insurance company nailed it.

I agree why keep using a shit insurance service

saraclara · 10/08/2024 07:56

Don't wait until Monday. You don't need the complaints line, you just need to speak to anyone at customer services today who can check what's happened. You can make a formal complaint later.

Gettingbysomehow · 10/08/2024 07:51

First direct are awful. I'll never renew my insurance with them.

wombat1a · 10/08/2024 07:50

I do wonder that wrt to your DH and the 6 points, if he states that you had informed him that as is partner you had included him as a named driver and you will willing to back that up with a letter/in court then it is possible for him to use that as a defence. In which case you are going to be in more trouble but him as unwitting partner mihgt come out okay.

Original poster
Outandabout43 · 10/08/2024 07:49

The refund was for the initial DD payment, however as ended up paying in full they reimbursed the initial payment for dorect debit

OP posts:
Tescovalu · 10/08/2024 07:48

Oh my GOD it’s INSURANCE . With an a

frannygallops · 10/08/2024 07:46

OP - in the email it says something has been refunded AND they're sending you a cheque. Did they refund the insurance amount and stop your cover? I think, ultimately, it's up to you to check your policy is valid and given all the issues you've had with the insurance company, and the fact when you log in you can see it says invalid, I'm not sure you're going to be able to claim you didn't know.

Beakersbottomlip · 10/08/2024 07:40

A similar thing has happened to me. I was buying a new car and told insurance. An admin error meant that my current car was deleted from the national database and we got pulled over by the police on the way to pick up new car.
The insurance company admitting being at fault but it was a big headache and stress getting it sorted out. We moved our insurance to a more reliable company. I think you should too.

Chester23 · 10/08/2024 07:28

I would assume they want to see something dated recently. As someone has said people buy insurance then cancel it so they have the certificate.
Just give them a call

woodlandstream · 10/08/2024 07:22

This is why you should ALWAYS insist on getting the insurance certificate emailed to you- even if you are paying and it seems fine. I've had insurers before who were slow at sending it out and I always demanded they send it immediately. If you have the certificate there can be no arguments and it gives you peace of mind. Also, check the details too- on two occasions my insurers have made a mistake with the reg number- getting the digits the wrong way round etc - ensure it's all correct.

Sounds like you'll be fine OP but always, always, demand they send the actual insurance certificate so you have it if needed.

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