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Original poster

Any car insurance experts? I've fucked up massively :(

161 replies

G3ntlemanJ · 23/04/2021 11:44

And it's not me that's affected, it's my dd.

She's had her licence for 18m and from the very start I was in charge of her insurance, organising and paying for it. Direct debit set up for monthly payments.

Dd (19) was stopped on the motorway by police two days ago for not having insurance. Apparently the policy ended in January!! It didn't auto renew, which is what I had assumed. Stupid, I know.

After searching my email account I found one email from them saying there was a number to call to renew the policy, but it had gone into my spam and I'd totally missed it. We have otherwise had absolutely no communication from them. No letter to say it was going to be cancelled, no letter confirming it had been cancelled.

Because dd has had her licence for under two years she now faces 6 points on her licence and it being revoked and then taking her test again.

I am absolutely devastated to have done this to her and I feel so, so guilty.

But I can't help thinking that the insurance company are at fault too? Surely we should have had some further communication from them? From what I've read online they have to take 'reasonable steps' to notify the policyholder and this doesn't seem to have been done here, so we were reasonable to think it auto-renewed.

Does anyone have any advice at all??

Massive TIA!

OP posts:
Ilikewinter · 23/04/2021 12:55

Oh I didnt know there are rules in place for having a licence under 2 years. So I guess insurance will be impossible or very difficult to get then having lost a licence.

pumpkinpie01 · 23/04/2021 12:55

@G3ntlemanJ Hi, Op I work in insurance. I'm afraid you have to take the consequences here. The insurers told you the policy was up for renewal and told you how to renew and you didn't it's as simple as that.Forgetting/not realising/assuming is no defence.

Neonprint · 23/04/2021 12:56

The insurance company are absolutely not at fault. You're trying to shift the blame because you feel guilty. She should have checked as should you. Lesson learned for you both. Could you appeal based on it being your fault?

YesItsAPeacock · 23/04/2021 12:57

What does her being a full time student have to do with it? I have a full time job, I still have to sort out my own car insurance. As I did when I was a student.

Sure, pay for it, but why not let her learn how to organise these things herself? Driving a car is a big responsibility.

murbblurb · 23/04/2021 12:58

You may pay for it but if she's adult enough to drive, she needs to do her own admin. Does the car have an MOT and tax?

Btw it must have been a very quiet day for the police to be doing random checks. Perchance her driving attracted attention?

No one harmed, lessons learned, suck up consequences. This stuff is important.

rainbowthoughts · 23/04/2021 12:59

Could you appeal based on it being your fault?

No. Fault is irrelevant. It comes down to responsibility and that lies with the driver. Every time.

Lettuceforlunch · 23/04/2021 13:01

Unfortunately ignorance is not a defence. There are no mitigating circumstances here, OP.

dottydally · 23/04/2021 13:01

It's unfortunate but they did contact you re renewing so I don't think you can blame the insurance company. It's not their job to follow up and check you received it - as far as they are concerned if you haven't renewed you have just found it cheaper and taken out a new policy elsewhere.

I would have a bit more sympathy if you were only a week or two overdue but you're looking at 3 or 4 months if it expired in January. Sadly I also think if your daughter is responsible enough to drive, she should also have responsibility for arranging the insurance (and tax, MOT & servicing!).

Boatingforthestars · 23/04/2021 13:03

She wont necessarily lose her license but it's likely.
I'm pretty sure you can have a maximum of 6 points and keep it, if she holds her hands up and explains the situation they may take pitty.
You need to seek legal advice is the best thing you can do.

SeaTurtles92 · 23/04/2021 13:05

No the insurance company are not to blame for you not renewing a car insurance...

Surely you'd know the money wasn't coming out or are you generally just disorganised?

SeaTurtles92 · 23/04/2021 13:05

And she's an adult I'm pretty sure she can sort it out herself. Comes hand in hand when you pass your test. No point babying them.

rainbowthoughts · 23/04/2021 13:05

I'm pretty sure you can have a maximum of 6 points and keep it, if she holds her hands up and explains the situation they may take pitty.

No. If you get 6 points or more you have your license revoked.

As for holding her hands up, what should she say? 'Sorry I thought my mum had done it'

BuggerBognor · 23/04/2021 13:08

This reply has been withdrawn

Message from MNHQ: This post has been withdrawn

Accentor · 23/04/2021 13:12

Ex DH is a magistrate so I've already sounded him out about it. I just wanted the opinion of someone who knows more about car insurance than I do in case I can use it for mitigating circumstances.

I really hope that your ex DH told you that 'my mum didn't insure my car' is no mitigation.

SoAnn0yed393 · 23/04/2021 13:15

So 3 people are involved with paying for insurance
DD
DP
Yourself
Recipe for disaster

GingerGoose · 23/04/2021 13:16

The insurance companies can't win. If they auto renew people say they didn't want auto renew and are now paying for 2 policies, and are penalised if they try to cancel. if they don't auto renew people complain that they haven't done enough and its their fault mother and daughter are total morons who can't organise their lives.
Ultimately there is nothing you can do, your daughter is the driver and it is her responsibility to ensure she is adequately insured. If she chooses to go to court you may get a judge who takes pity and let's her off but unlikely as she has been driving for so little time.
At 19 I had my own house, a career and paid my own bills, no way would my mother have continued to baby me.

Accentor · 23/04/2021 13:19

If she chooses to go to court you may get a judge who takes pity and let's her off

God, I sincerely hope not. Why would they? Because she's a uni student with pushy parents?

Strawbfields · 23/04/2021 13:21

I'm so sorry that this has happened but I'm afraid you are completely to blame here. I passed my test at 19 and have dealt with my insurance, tax and MOT etc myself ever since.

You could try and have a lawyer argue that it was a mistake but I honestly don't think you'd have a leg to stand on. Thank god your DD wasn't involved in an accident during this time.

Strawbfields · 23/04/2021 13:29

Also, for what it's worth, this exact thing happened to my mum. She had switched bank accounts and forgotten to inform the insurer of her new details. She had her license revoked.

While I honestly do sympathise with you and your DD, ask yourself how you'd feel if she was at fault in an accident during the period of time she was uninsured? The stress she would cause the insured driver would be astronomical and I'm afraid the law is there to protect those who abide by it, accident or not.

FinallyHere · 23/04/2021 13:29

Oh, and the soundest advice anyone can give you is to apologise to the court for taking their time with this and avoid any suggestion that she is not taking responsibility.

That will get the lowest penalty.

Any whiff of blaming anyone other than the person the court holds responsible risks the court thinking rightly that a lesson still needs to be learned.

rainbowthoughts · 23/04/2021 13:31

Also, for what it's worth, this exact thing happened to my mum. She had switched bank accounts and forgotten to inform the insurer of her new details.

This is not 'the exact thing' that happened to OP/DD. They simply didn't insure the car when the annual policy ran out.

SnowdaySewday · 23/04/2021 13:33

DD is the driver so her responsibility. End of.

Was she actually the policy holder or a named driver on your vehicle?

Strawbfields · 23/04/2021 13:34

@rainbowthoughts

Also, for what it's worth, this exact thing happened to my mum. She had switched bank accounts and forgotten to inform the insurer of her new details.

This is not 'the exact thing' that happened to OP/DD. They simply didn't insure the car when the annual policy ran out.

Well it kind of is the exact thing - the insurance lapsed and the driver was uninsured, that's the way a court will look at it. In the OPs case, the DM/DP didn't check their account to confirm the insurance was still in place, in my DM case, she didn't check her account to confirm her insurance was still in place.
denverRegina · 23/04/2021 13:37

All these people with "oooh this happened to me" then going onto explain completely different circumstances 😂

OP since you're looking to put the blame on anyone other than yourself, your daughter or your boyfriend (why's he paying for her?!), why don't you try and find fault with gmail or whatever for having a too stringent spam checker?

FannyFifer · 23/04/2021 13:37

This happened to me with my car insurance.
I assumed it renewed automatically, it didn't.

Myself & partner driving around for a month oblivious.
Only that I was checking my direct debits I realised.
One wee email I found asking me to ring to renew but absolutely nothing else emailed it sent to me.

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