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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:
thanksforallthewhales · 23/04/2021 13:42

Very nearly in the same situation a few years ago, I realised that dh insurance was probably for renewal but hadn't heard anything from broker so decided to ring that day as soon they opened, before I could dg rang me to say he'd had a crsh on the way to work, rang them and the insurance would have expired at midnight that day! Turned out an employee had filed the renewal letter instead of putting it in the post(before everything relied on email). If dh had crashed the next day he wouldn't have been insured.

SciFiScream · 23/04/2021 13:42

I don't understand how your DP can claim the amount of insurance was not noticeable. She's a teenager, in her driving probationary period - car insurance for that age and stage is extortionate. Normally at least £1000 per year. Which would mean monthly DD of over £80. That's not something "missable"!

Longdistance · 23/04/2021 13:44

Why is your dd not sorting her own insurance for her car? She’s an adult.

mrstea301 · 23/04/2021 13:44

I work in insurance - most companies are moving away from auto renewal to protect customers really. We have lots of instances where a policy auto renews then months later the client says they didn't want the policy or they have placed cover elsewhere, then it has to be cancelled, and it can cause a lot of confusion and hassle. It means that there has to be an actual instruction and intention to renew.

If your daughter is so young, presumably her premium is relatively high? Did no one notice that no payments were being taken for four months?

GillBungalow · 23/04/2021 13:47

I don't think you've got a leg to stand on regarding the insurance company bearing any responsibility, they can't force people to read the emails they send.

What's done is done- it's crap but it's not the end of the world, mistakes happen, and there are far worse ways you could have found out that she was uninsured.

Chickychickydodah · 23/04/2021 13:50

Mine auto renews with a best policy update every year, you just have to cancel if your not happy with new price. I get emails and texts to inform me.

denverRegina · 23/04/2021 13:53

"One wee email I found asking me to ring to renew but absolutely nothing else emailed it sent to me."

So they contacted you then? Why do you need them to contact you more than once?

Crinolinelady · 23/04/2021 13:57

It's nobody's fault but your own. The insurance company is in no way at fault.

Cheekyweegobshite · 23/04/2021 14:03

I do feel for you, because it's one of those things where a small oversight, that could so easily happen to lots of people, can have massive ramifications. I would probably feel like you in this situation, that the law should somehow discriminate between people who have a 'good' excuse and those who don't. But who decides what is a good excuse for breaking the law? Is the person who can't afford to pay their insurance but also needs to get to work any less deserving of leniency? Or the single parent who's sleep deprived? Or the wealthy person who had asked their secretary to sort it? I think in the eyes of the law, if your daughter is old enough and responsible enough to drive a car then they should also be checking that they're insured. If you feel that it's your responsibility then you should be making it right for your daughter (practically and financially) rather than asking the courts to let her off.

Graphista · 23/04/2021 14:06

I really struggle to understand how people miss stuff like this if only as the direct debit won't have been going out of your account - do you never check your banking? I check mine probably 2-3 times a week for various reasons but I'd expect most sensible people to check at least monthly to ensure it all balances with what you think you've spent

Your dd is also responsible as a driving adult. For both of you to have missed it this way is no excuse - ignorance is no defence

She has a responsibility to ENSURE she is properly insured, taxed and mot

Lesson learned. In future keep a closer eye on such things (mainly her but also you if it's coming out of your account)

Even WITH auto renewal it's far more sensible to have a reminder on calendar/phone/smart speaker the month before so she could shop around and get the best deal especially with prices so high for young/new drivers

This is on you (plural you and dd) I'm afraid

I can assure you all that I am very aware of all responsibilities here

But you're arguing it's the insurance companies fault which it isn't. For all they know you simply moved to a competitor, it's not their responsibility to ensure insurance is in place

As I say, in future set reminders for such important life admin. Both of you.

starfishmummy · 23/04/2021 14:10

I've never heard of car insurance auto renewing and I have been a car owner for 35 years.

rainbowthoughts · 23/04/2021 14:14

@starfishmummy

I've never heard of car insurance auto renewing and I have been a car owner for 35 years.
It's not uncommon. Equally neither is a policy that doesn't auto renew.
TheQueef · 23/04/2021 14:20

@starfishmummy

I've never heard of car insurance auto renewing and I have been a car owner for 35 years.
You'd better check you could have 15 different policies by now Smile
Lou98 · 23/04/2021 14:21

Sorry but the insurance company have no blame in this.
They did take "reasonable steps" by sending you an email to the email address that you provided them with. A lot of companies are now 'paper free' which means that communication is done via email, usually if you want paper communication instead you have to opt in for this when taking out the policy. Some companies will still send the policy documents out via post but if you've not opted for written communication then they wouldn't send anything else and renewals would be sent through email.

It's unfortunate that the email went to your spam folder but that is on you, not the insurance company. You could have added them to your 'safe sender' list so that didn't happen or regularly check your spam folder etc.
Hopefully your daughter doesn't lose her licence but there is no grounds for blaming the insurance company

Helloooitsme · 23/04/2021 14:28

@idontlikealdi

I'd be very surprised not to get a renewal letter / email, they want to keep your business. Have you checked junk email etc did you register it to her email?
This information is literally in op's post!

"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. "

Original poster
G3ntlemanJ · 23/04/2021 14:29

@Accentor

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.

Having a genuine belief that someone else is handling your insurance is indeed a defence, but it's really just applied in the employer/employee scenario. That said, ex has seen it used successfully (but v rarely) in similar cases to this one, but we won't be going down that route.

Her license will be taken back to a provisional one and she'll have to re-take her test to get it back. There's no minimum time period though.

OP posts:
Original poster
G3ntlemanJ · 23/04/2021 14:31

@SnowdaySewday

DD is the driver so her responsibility. End of.

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

She's the policy holder.
OP posts:
rainbowthoughts · 23/04/2021 14:32

Her license will be taken back to a provisional one and she'll have to re-take her test to get it back. There's no minimum time period though.

Her license will be revoked and she will have to apply for a provisional.

Chloemol · 23/04/2021 14:32

Sorry but it’s not the insurance company’s fault. You should have made a note when the insurance was due that’s what I do for all my policies

Original poster
G3ntlemanJ · 23/04/2021 14:33

@denverRegina

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?

You clearly haven't read the post where I expressly said that I wasn't looking for people to take the blame - I have fully accepted that it's my fault.
OP posts:
Original poster
G3ntlemanJ · 23/04/2021 14:35

@SciFiScream

I don't understand how your DP can claim the amount of insurance was not noticeable. She's a teenager, in her driving probationary period - car insurance for that age and stage is extortionate. Normally at least £1000 per year. Which would mean monthly DD of over £80. That's not something "missable"!
I can assure you it is completely missable, £7000/month goes into that account.
OP posts:
MyOtherProfile · 23/04/2021 14:36

OP I'm sorry you're getting so much stick here. It's easy to see how this can happen. You will all be doubly careful going forwards and I'm sorry the consequence is so tough for your dd.

LizB62A · 23/04/2021 14:39

Just letting it auto-renew (even if it did, which you now know it doesn't) would mean you'd almost definitely be over-paying for insurance anyway, especially due to your DD's age.
My son has been driving for 4 years and has changed insurer every year to get the best deal at the time (saving literally hundreds after his first year).

Original poster
G3ntlemanJ · 23/04/2021 14:41

Thank you to everyone who's posted with info/advice - gratefully received and I appreciate the clarity re. the insurance company's position.

OP posts:
GillBungalow · 23/04/2021 14:42

There's no minimum time period though

The problem is there's such a bloody huge backlog of people waiting to take tests that have been postponed/ cancelled Sad

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