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Original poster

I’ve been driving around without insurance since December.

79 replies

Userr46372644 · 27/02/2023 12:32

Please don’t come at me. I’ve been driving without insurance since December. I’ve just had a letter to say I’m not on some kind of car insurance database and if it wasn’t for that arriving I would have carried on being blissfully unaware.

Been with the same insurer until December for about 2-3 years and they’ve always sent out reminders about renewal by letter of post but had nothing - always checking emails and I open any post I get. Makes me wonder if a letter had been sent but lost.

I am mortified, mortified that if I had to make a claim I couldn’t - thankfully I have not had to. Mortified at I could have been done for driving with no insurance.

this is partly my fault. I should have realised that it had been 12 months but I’ve had a lot going on with my MH and the kids having complex needs etc.

obviously shopping around for insurance as we speak but Jesus, I feel an idiot. I just wanted to vent. I’ve been driving for 13 years and never been as stupid.

OP posts:
campaignforreasonabledebate · 27/02/2023 18:00

I found out my MOT had expired when the police pulled me over on the motorway. Frustratingly I had had the car serviced, but had omitted to arrange an MOT. £100 penalty notice and a fair cop, but I've remembered since!

ChocolatesAtDawn · 27/02/2023 18:10

stopringingme · 27/02/2023 14:09

@Userr46372644

I had this a couple of years ago, it turned out the company we used cancelled my insurance and kept the insurance on the car we had got rid of.

I think I was caught by a mobile camera van, never got a fine. I did ring the company and they agreed to pay any fines etc that I might have got.

They gave us a discount on my insurance and a couple of months free.

We moved all our insurance from them one by one on the next renewal.

Same here, had two cars on one policy sold one and the insurance company took it off the wrong car. It was a shared car between me and a family and we had both been driving around for months, I unfortunately got stopped and got 6 points a fine and the car was towed away. Insurance company denied everything and didn’t give a shit.

BlueThursday · 27/02/2023 18:13

back in the day (showing my age) when everything was due together it was a lot easier plus you had a physical
reminder of your tax disc in the window.

now with things not always aligning and the ability to pay monthly I can see how something can slip.

OldTinHat · 27/02/2023 18:15

This happened to me several years ago. I genuinely had no idea because I'd started a new policy with a different insurer but never got their requests to prove no claims bonus. Because they didn't receive it the proof, they cancelled my policy.

I found out when I got pulled over...

Original poster
Userr46372644 · 27/02/2023 18:18

Thanks all. Insurance has been taken out with a company who have an app (old one didn’t) so I’ll be able to keep a close eye!

I am pretty good at remembering usually. MOT was done a few days prior to the insurance running out.

I am mortified as I have been here there and everywhere recently and been using it more than usual.

I am good at remembering the MOT as it falls on a rememberable date for me. I get reminders for tax. I just cannot believe I was this stupid. I am appalled at myself for this tbh.

OP posts:
Original poster
Userr46372644 · 27/02/2023 18:19

Nomoreno · 27/02/2023 14:15

I wouldn't raise this with anyone.....it's entirely illegal. You could get in trouble if you're on a recorded call to an insurance company telling them you've been driving but it's their fault they didn't send a letter (it isn't their legal responsibility to do that). And the reason you have no insurance is because you didn't have an MOT....eek!

Mistakes happen but honestly just quietly and quickly sort some car insurance and your MOT. Then make a note in your phone dairy to remind you next year - don't rely on external reminders and count yourself lucky you haven't been picked up on it.

Definitely not one to be raising complaints about though.

MOT was done in the week before the policy ran out so it’s not due!

OP posts:
Original poster
Userr46372644 · 27/02/2023 18:20

OldTinHat · 27/02/2023 18:15

This happened to me several years ago. I genuinely had no idea because I'd started a new policy with a different insurer but never got their requests to prove no claims bonus. Because they didn't receive it the proof, they cancelled my policy.

I found out when I got pulled over...

Oh eck.. I hope they were not too hard on your. I guess I’ve been lucky it’s not been found out!

OP posts:
hourpoot · 27/02/2023 18:22

I drove uninsured for a month when I bought my car in June, I insured it but with one letter wrong in the database (which would have invalidated it).

I got a warning letter from the police which alerted me to it- god knows how long it would have been for me to find out otherwise!

FettleOfKish · 27/02/2023 18:24

Yikes, but mistakes happen OP and no harm done. Don't let it stress you out any more now you've sorted a new policy.

Interesting points upthread about auto-renew. I think mine does if I was paying monthly, but as I pay in full I guess they can't just take several hundred pounds, so I need to authorise the payment for the new amount each year.

Thankfully they remind with a combination of emails and letters - but also here in Jersey we have to display an insurance disc on the windscreen which shows the expiry date, so a daily reminder right there!

EarringsandLipstick · 27/02/2023 18:27

OP, as others have said, this makes no sense.

Firstly I don't know any insurance company that isn't sending emails as a minimum (most have an online portal) and who don't text, in addition to written communication where necessary.

Secondly, they cannot just cancel - it auto renews, and you have to actively cancel & ensure transfer of insurance. It's simply not possible to cease insurance by doing nothing.

I'm not sure what has happened, and I'm glad you are sorted now - but it's not happened as you described.

GrassWillBeGreener · 27/02/2023 18:28

Given that I received a christmas card a couple of weeks or so ago that had been posted in early December I can well believe renewal documents got lost in the post.

percypercypercy · 27/02/2023 18:37

There is a note on the MID website about people doing this. It isn't them.

LunaM · 27/02/2023 18:43

Really surprised you didn’t know the month your insurance was up. If you had been in an accident you would have been in so much trouble. Its your responsibility to ensure your car has up to date insurance. You have no one else to blame only yourself.

ILoveYourLittleHat · 27/02/2023 18:44

Set up an annual reminder in your Google calendar about a month before it's due to renew... I always shop around anyway so it prompts me to do that (one of the most boring jobs ever).

Something similar might've happened to me when I bought a "new" car - the dealer was supposed to set up temporary insurance, I signed all the forms but I'm not totally sure they completed the procedure... felt awful and got it sorted asap.

They really should email you though... did you miss it?

Original poster
Userr46372644 · 27/02/2023 18:46

LunaM · 27/02/2023 18:43

Really surprised you didn’t know the month your insurance was up. If you had been in an accident you would have been in so much trouble. Its your responsibility to ensure your car has up to date insurance. You have no one else to blame only yourself.

Thanks 🙄 I have already said I feel mortified by what I’ve done without being lectured for it, and 9 times out of ten they sent a renewal or renew automatically. Truth is you don’t have the slightest idea what I’ve been through over the last few months and sometimes it’s easy for things to slip through the net, yes it’s not ideal, my car is very road worthy otherwise, tax and MOT was all done in the month prior to the insurance running out. Thankfully I’ve not had an accident, I’ve never had an accident and I count myself very lucky that I have got away lightly with this and it will not be happening again!

OP posts:
Original poster
Userr46372644 · 27/02/2023 18:47

ILoveYourLittleHat · 27/02/2023 18:44

Set up an annual reminder in your Google calendar about a month before it's due to renew... I always shop around anyway so it prompts me to do that (one of the most boring jobs ever).

Something similar might've happened to me when I bought a "new" car - the dealer was supposed to set up temporary insurance, I signed all the forms but I'm not totally sure they completed the procedure... felt awful and got it sorted asap.

They really should email you though... did you miss it?

Nope. Regular email checker and I’ve searched through it all and not found a single email. Their last email was from the day the policy was taken out DEC 21 and nothing since, which is strange!

OP posts:
Original poster
Userr46372644 · 27/02/2023 18:50

EarringsandLipstick · 27/02/2023 18:27

OP, as others have said, this makes no sense.

Firstly I don't know any insurance company that isn't sending emails as a minimum (most have an online portal) and who don't text, in addition to written communication where necessary.

Secondly, they cannot just cancel - it auto renews, and you have to actively cancel & ensure transfer of insurance. It's simply not possible to cease insurance by doing nothing.

I'm not sure what has happened, and I'm glad you are sorted now - but it's not happened as you described.

It is a strange one. No letter, I open post straight away (we don’t get a huge deal of post so easy to keep on top of) and anyone who knows me I don’t miss anything usually. I’ve gone through and searched emails and nothing. I had been paying monthly and no payments were missed. But I hadn’t noticed when £20 a month had stopped coming out from December. I put my hands up and say this was partly my fault, I should have known but never had this problem before in 13+ years of driving.

OP posts:
LunaM · 27/02/2023 18:51

Userr46372644 · 27/02/2023 18:46

Thanks 🙄 I have already said I feel mortified by what I’ve done without being lectured for it, and 9 times out of ten they sent a renewal or renew automatically. Truth is you don’t have the slightest idea what I’ve been through over the last few months and sometimes it’s easy for things to slip through the net, yes it’s not ideal, my car is very road worthy otherwise, tax and MOT was all done in the month prior to the insurance running out. Thankfully I’ve not had an accident, I’ve never had an accident and I count myself very lucky that I have got away lightly with this and it will not be happening again!

Show quote history

Insurance companies don’t care what you have been through. Neither does the person your at fault at crashing into. Luckily for you there wasn’t a crash.

Nomoreno · 27/02/2023 18:53

OP, I'm sure it's not a conspiracy theory. We've had multiple royal mail strikes over recent months and that's without a simple error being made by a postie or the sender.

I would though double check your VC5.....just incase the car is registered incorrectly.

newtb · 27/02/2023 18:54

Same thing happened to me. I was with direct Line and only found out when I rang them to arrange cover for going to France. They told me that, as it was down to them, that had I had an accident I'd have been covered. I changed insurer I was so horrified.

PoorPensionerToBe · 27/02/2023 18:58

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LunaM · 27/02/2023 19:02

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Bet you have never been ina crash where the cause of it had no insurance 😃 you would change your tune then 🤗

Original poster
Userr46372644 · 27/02/2023 19:04

Oh @LunaM give it a break. I’ve had relatives in horrific crashes that were caused by terrible driving by insured drivers. Being uninsured for a couple months didn’t turn me into a bad driver overnight and more likely to crash. I have made one mistake not renewing insurance in my 13 years of driving - 18 years old to 31 years old, 13 years of no claims or incidents whatsoever. I’ve said that I’ve made a mistake over and over again.

OP posts:
LoveMaths · 27/02/2023 19:10

This almost happened to me. I was with direct line and so was my partner. Mine and his renew within days of each other. He had his documents and reminders through, I didn’t. I rang them and they insisted they sent them but said they would send them again. I still didn’t receive them. 🤷‍♀️

Original poster
Userr46372644 · 27/02/2023 19:11

@LunaM my relative was in a horrific accident by an insured driver but the driver was using their phone at the wheel. He spent weeks on life support in ICU on deaths door. Crashed right into my relative. Bad driving comes in all forms.

Being uninsured for a short time didn’t change my driving ability. If god forbid I was in an accident I would have taken full responsibility and whatever fine, points or prison term that would have given me but thankfully this was not the case and I feel fortunate I’ve gotten away with it lightly.

OP posts: