JL have said they can’t renew my car insurance - does this count as refusing insurance?

[Hottytotty]

Car insurance due for renewal mid November but John Lewis have written to say that “having reviewed your current details, we won’t be able to renew your Car Insurance policy”. Nothing has changed so I don’t know why.
The price comparison websites ask if you have ever been refused insurance - DH says they haven’t refused me insurance as they did insure me and indeed are still doing so currently, so I should answer no. But I always worry about having to be accurate with insurance and technically they have refused to renew. But of course I’m worried I’ll never find a new quote if I say yes or it will be extortionate
Car is an ancient Land Rover Discovery if relevant - a quick google found another Land Rover owner refused renewal by JL who thought it was the car type that was the issue.
I’m on hold to JL at the moment to try to find out more and have been for 8 minutes and counting, hence thinking it might be worth seeing what MN thinks!

I would say I don’t think so. My normal insurance company once refused to insure a new to me (old classic) car as they didn’t insure cars over a certain age. So in my mind it wasn’t me personally. Just went to a classic car 8nsurance place. I’ve never said that I’ve had insurance refused.

Like pp says it sounds like they aren't able to insure the car, rather than not refusing you insurance.

When you do price comparisons there are always a few that won't provide a quote for various reasons, so technically it must happen to everyone at some point.

How old is ancient? Maybe ask them whether it's anything to do with it being a Land Rover? Quite a few companies have started refusing to insure them due to many of the models being so easy to steal

https://anthonyjones.com/land-rover-thefts-getting-insured/

I know someone with a new Range Rover and 7 insurance companies flat out refused to even give a quote

That's your problem , it's a Land Rover. I should think a lot of people will start experiencing this. We have a motor trader insurance policy from next year they're introducing a 15% excess on any Land Rover claims. Doesn't affect Ferrari, Porsche, M cars, Maserati etc. they're notoriously unreliable and very very easy to steal. I don't know how they get away with selling such crap to be honest for the price of the cars. It's a disgrace. In a lot of London boroughs now you wouldn't be able to insure one now at all. We can put a warranty on a Bentley or a Ferrari for half the price of a Land Rover warranty which carries a premium of 150% compared to other prestige brands.

I hope not - they wouldn't renew mine a couple of months ago either!

I went into full meltdown mode, assuming I had committed a heinous motoring crime that I wasn't aware of. Turns out it was nothing more sinister than them refusing to insure most Land Rovers (my model in particular). And no, I'm nowhere near London.

Eventually took out a Sheila's Wheels policy, and I am gobsmacked at the massive jump in premium from last year.

With an older vehicle (Land Rover or otherwise) you are always better off going to a specialist insurer rather than those on comparison sites.
Plenty of companies will cover your Disco and you will probably find the premium is cheaper.
Adrian Flux, Bennet's, Lancaster, even NFU (although they do tend to be the dearest of the bunch).

OH insures his old LR with AF, agreed value of £25k and the premium this year was under £250.

I think it’s due to being a Land Rover, and wasn’t one that caught fire at Luton airport, I think that was a factor too in JL not insuring?

Mine was due back in May and they let me know in April that they wouldn't be renewing.

Yeah - my current company refused to insure my old Discovery this year - I had a bit of a panic thinking I had been 'refused' insurance but it wasn't - it was to do with the car - they didn't word it very well to be honest.

There was an article the other day saying that Land Rovers were becoming uninsurable in London. Presumably this has a knock on effect everywhere.

This happened to me, not with JL though. I called them and asked why (I don’t have a Land Rover) and they weren’t able to tell me - as in, they didn’t know why but ‘computer says no’. I asked the specific question as I was also worried about being refused insurance and they said it definitely doesn’t count as being refused insurance.

My friends sister had this with her Aldi, she was refused insurance at renewal but they couldnt tell her why.

No; not offering a renewal is not legally the same as cancelled insurance, so you don't need to declare this.

You haven’t had insurance refused. If you now apply to them for your insurance they’d refuse you, but you won’t do that as it would be daft.

We had something similar to this from JL for our home insurance. They changed their underwriter and our profession was exempt. I found something better and cheaper.

I can understand that - I'd imagine Aldi would be quite costly to insure 😂

They normally are but this is about 12 years old so not even a new high end one 😂

But it's still a supermarket! 😂

Oh shit, didn’t spot that 😂😂😂😂😂 it’s an Audi not Aldi 😂😂

It brightened my dull afternoon no end. If I happen to spot a large supermarket hurtling down the M1, I'll be like "Oh look it's the lady who got a mention on Mumsnet!" 😂

You see it all the time on the M6 😂😂

I believe there's a (very slight) difference between them choosing not to renew your policy based on your car and them cancelling your policy based on you as a driver.

Sorry everyone - got distracted by general Halloween stuff…
Yes I got through to JL insurance (finally) and it is because it’s a Land Rover. And the lady said it didn’t constitute a refusal of insurance as several PPs have confirmed.
To whoever asked it is 12 years old and worth £3.5k on Webuyanycar so hardly worth insuring really (joke). It’s just really useful for ferrying 7 people on occasion, pulling a trailer, being stuffed with all our stuff to go on holiday, driving in snow etc etc, so we hang on to it. We live in the middle of nowhere with gates etc so very unlikely to be stolen and actually we haven’t had too much trouble with it mechanically…
Thanks for recommendations of other insurance companies - I’d love to hear of others who can help! There are quotes on the comparison sites but they are expensive!

Some companies class them as commercial vehicles so lots of van insurance companies will be able to help

My dh couldnt get insurance on his landrover defender about 5 years ago as the classification changed. Ended up going through NFU.

To whoever asked it is 12 years old and worth £3.5k on Webuyanycar so hardly worth insuring really (joke).

@Hottytotty I had my 15 year old defender stolen a few years ago from a padlocked HGV compound at the garage where the leaking fuel tank was being fixed. Only vehicle they stole - bent the massive padlock in two to get in so an intentional theft. Never saw it again. And the worst thing was the garage were deemed not liable so I had to claim off my own insurance! They are very stealable unfortunately. They gave me a poxy £3k for it 😡