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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Car insurance during lockdown

92 replies

Bearnecessity · 09/04/2020 13:54

I am currently paying £85 a month car ins on DS car sat on the drive in lockdown potentially for months.Anyone managed to sort this problem out?

OP posts:
Tish008 · 09/04/2020 13:56

You could sorn it but if its stolen you'll have wanted to keep it insured

Wynston · 09/04/2020 13:58

I called my car insurance....i only have 3months of payments at 40pcm.
The admin fee was 40 plus loss of years no claims.
I made the decision to let the insurance run.
Im lucky i have a drive where i could have sorn the car and left behind the other car.

barnabybenny · 09/04/2020 14:00

What problem? DS has a car, it needs to be insured so if it isn’t stolen you won’t be out of pocket. The only other option is to cancel the premium and risk being out of pocket if it is stolen.

You could sorn it but then you would still need it to be insured.

Bearnecessity · 09/04/2020 14:00

I don't mind paying insurance £30 a month even...I just think £85 for a car not being used and when we are not rich is a rip off.

OP posts:
Greggers2017 · 09/04/2020 14:01

But how do they know you're not using it? They can't just take your word for it and reduce your payments.

OhNoNoNoNotThatOne · 09/04/2020 14:02

Call the insurance company and ask what your options are? They may well be able to offer you so sort of solution.

vanillandhoney · 09/04/2020 14:03

Get it SORN'd then.

You can still drive around at the moment, so why would the insurance be a waste? How do they know he's not still driving to work?

PawPawNoodle · 09/04/2020 14:03

How is it a rip off? It's the terms that you agreed to.

Wynston · 09/04/2020 14:04

How long do you have left on the policy?

CantSleepClownsWillEatMe · 09/04/2020 14:06

You must have at least third party insurance, even if the car is just sitting in your driveway. If the policy is currently comprehensive then you could consider reducing cover to third party only but bear in mind that it won’t then cover you for any damage to your car, nor for theft. There may be an admin fee to amend cover but it’s worth phoning to find out.

londonrach · 09/04/2020 14:10

My dh has sorn his car pretty much day 1 of lockdown but is on the driveway not public road but he keeps paying insurance on it. My car is still insuranced and taxed and is the car we use once a week to buy food. Maybe something like that op.

perniciousdot · 09/04/2020 14:10

Anyone managed to sort this problem out?

Why is he not paying it?

If you are 'not rich' why are you paying so much money for someone else's car insurance? I would consider that to be the main problem.

Meantime if the car isn't being used you can SORN it, but I wouldn't want an uninsured car even if it was SORN in case of fire or theft.

Tell your son to contact his insurance company and ask if they have any options.

Bearnecessity · 09/04/2020 14:17

They know car usage through the black box.It's got 5 months left on the policy. I don't want to cancel it because I would like DS to get the year's no claims. Pot noodle it is the rip off terms I agreed to because there was no other choice and I thought at least my DS will have use of the car. Now use of the car has been taken away.

OP posts:
perniciousdot · 09/04/2020 14:18

.It's got 5 months left on the policy. I don't want to cancel it because I would like DS to get the year's no claims.

Well you will have to pay it then.

Bearnecessity · 09/04/2020 14:20

Pernicious I am paying the first year he will be paying it after that it was my mum gift to him. He is by no means a p / taker he works part-time and contributes.(Altho furloughed at the mo).

OP posts:
cardibach · 09/04/2020 14:22

Why has use of the car been taken away? I use mine to go for shopping and to go to work (teacher). I’m just glad for the savings on petrol because I don’t have to go to work every day.

FunkyKingston · 09/04/2020 14:23

I don't mind paying insurance £30 a month even...I just think £85 for a car not being used and when we are not rich is a rip off.

It's not a rip off, that you are choosing not to use the car is not the fault of the insurers.

Bearnecessity · 09/04/2020 14:25

Pernicious you have stated the obvious very well, the original question still remains.

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Bearnecessity · 09/04/2020 14:26

Funky it is not my choice it I still a government imposed lockdown.

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Bearnecessity · 09/04/2020 14:27

Auto correct...it is

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Bearnecessity · 09/04/2020 14:29

Cardi...my ds is following a lockdown. He is not at work or doing supermarket shops.

OP posts:
FunkyKingston · 09/04/2020 14:31

Funky it is not my choice it I still a government imposed lockdown.

Nor was it the insurance company's choice either. By your logic, the insurance company are ripping me off at the weekend or when I go on holiday? Your argument makes no sense and you're not making a reasonable demand of the insurance company, which is 'cancel the policy, pay no cancellation and keep a full year's no claims.'

So either cancel and pay the cancellation fee and forgo this year's no claims and hope it doesn't get torched or stolen in the interim or keep paying the premium and stop bellyaching.

menthollyinsane · 09/04/2020 14:32

£85 a month is cheap for a young driver. I don't really see that you have any choice but to continue paying. If you cancel it will end up costing you more.

hibbledobble · 09/04/2020 14:35

Either sorn, and lose no claims, or continue to pay. If you call and reduce the expected mileage they might reduce the premium a bit.

Bearnecessity · 09/04/2020 14:37

Funky you must be one of the few people in the world vehemently defending the rights of insurance companies to fleece people.Well done we all need a champion I wonder when mine will turn up?

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