Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To have forgotten who I insured my car with?

52 replies

Eastie77 · 20/08/2020 19:03

Whenever I renew my car insurance I usually print out a copy of the documents and keep them in my glove compartment. This year when I renewed (January) I forgot to do this. Earlier today I had to give details of my car insurer when filling out some paperwork and I couldn't remember who I'd insured with. Literally drew a complete blank. I usually change provider each year or so as I use a comparison site to get the best deal. Last year it was Aviva but I changed this year and couldn't recall who I switched to. I eventually found it after trawling through my e-mails for a while.

Mentioned this to a friend and she said she found it "absolutely unbelievable" that I couldn't remember such an important piece of information and asked if I was stressed or taking medication/drugs as this kind of forgetfulness is very worrying.

Am I alone in thinking this is a slight over-reaction. It's not as if I forgot the names of my DC or my birthday?!

OP posts:

Nottobesoldseparately · 20/08/2020 20:06

My husband sorts my insurance out (shoot me).

I haven't got a fucking clue who I'm with.

I know I'm insured, that's all I need to know.

If I'm stopped, or need to fill a form in, the info is a phone call away.

PleasantVille · 20/08/2020 20:08

[quote Nosleeptilteenagers]@PleasantVille If you’ve ever used a price comparison site to find an insurer, or several price comparison sites then yes, you do get hundreds of emails than mention car insurance![/quote]
I do use a price comparison site for every insurance renewal but I certainly don't keep all the quote emails, why would you do that? I only keep the emails with the policy documents so maybe 5 per year in an email folder called (not surprisingly) insurance polices. I suppose it hadn't occurred to me that others would do much different although I should know from MN that people do all kinds of odd things

TableFlowerss · 20/08/2020 20:19

Look at your emails from the month you renew... that’s what I do

Waveysnail · 20/08/2020 20:20

That was me this year. Iv now made note in my phone which policy is with whom. Plus saved emails on a folder

PotteringAlong · 20/08/2020 20:21

I did this once and then DH had an accident in my car and I had to ring my online banking people (in tears ) from work to find out who I had paid so I could contact them and arrange to get the car towed

DappledThings · 20/08/2020 20:24

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

I'm not sure how you forgot tbh but I don't think its a big deal. Its just one of those 'brain like a sieve' moments, everyone has them.

I've not so much forgotten as never remembered to remember. I know where the email is if I need to look it up but off the top of my head I have mo idea who the insurer is for either of my cars or my house buildings and contents.

MatildaTheCat · 20/08/2020 20:25

I once discovered I’d been paying car insurance on a car I hadn’t owned for some years. Luckily the insurance company refunded me when I gave them evidence of this.

Call the DVLA and they will be able to tell you who you are insured with (I think)

zingally · 20/08/2020 20:42

I also tend to change mine every year!

I only know mine because I've recently sorted it out, and the new one comes into effect midnight tonight. :) The last couple of years I've taken to writing it on a slip of paper in my purse so that I at least would have a bit of a clue if I needed to know quickly or when out and about with the car.

LakieLady · 20/08/2020 20:47

I've forgotten, and quite recently, too.

I always get breakdown cover in with my insurance, so when my battery died in the underground car park at work, I really needed to know. I had to access my online banking on my phone and go back through the statements to find who I'd paid, then google the insurance company to get the number, and ask them who the breakdown cover was with and get the number to ring for recovery.

I felt such a fool, and told them so. The call handler assured me that people do it all the time, so it's not ridiculous at all, OP!

LakieLady · 20/08/2020 20:48

Oh, and the phone numbers are in my phone now!

Findingapath · 20/08/2020 20:51

Haha I was wondering this week who I’d insured with in March, completely forgotten, I’m fairly certain it was a well known one but I still can’t remember who. I could find out if I needed to though.

MotherForkinShirtBalls · 20/08/2020 20:59

Are your insurance company details not printed on the disc in the windscreen? I'm not in the UK so maybe our process is different but the disc has the insurer company (not broker) and policy number, so it's right there in an emergency.

BackforGood · 20/08/2020 21:01

I couldn't tell you who we are with.
I trawl through to get the best deal, for two cars each year, and I also change utility companies, house insurance, etc.

It isn't that I have a 'brain sieve' moment, it is that it just isn't something I try to hold in my memory from the beginning.

@PleasantVille - that's what I do with my e-mails too.

EarringsandLipstick · 20/08/2020 21:02

@MotherForkinShirtBalls

I started to post this exact thing!

Could it be just in Ireland? Insurance disc on front windscreen with all details.

And going against grain, I actually can't believe that you wouldn't know your insurer!

Camphillgirl · 20/08/2020 21:06

After a windscreen was smashed I couldn’t recall the insurer. The windscreen company went online and found out I had not cancelled my previous insurer when I took out a new policy and had paid both companies to insure me. The first company asked a few pertinent questions and gave me a full refund.

Happens a lot.

maddiemookins16mum · 20/08/2020 21:06

Yep, I end up searching my Bank statement every Feb.

AWaspOnAWindowReturns · 20/08/2020 21:31

DH insured his car with two companies for over 12 months - he changed his email address so didn't receive the renewal reminder for the first policy, and bought a new policy via a price comparison site. The first insurer automatically renewed and collected the full year's premium upfront out of his wage account, the new insurer collected a monthly premium by DD out of our joint bills account, and it just didn't occur to DH as we've got numerous policies for different things (his car, my car, the house, his business insurance, pet insurance, life cover and others I'm sure I've forgotten to list). When we realised, the first insurer agreed to refund half the premiums he'd overpaid and said it happened to a lot of people. The second insurer was a bit arsey about it and said tough luck, so they lost our custom (and we did have a couple of other policies with them so it would've been in their interest to keep a loyal customer happy).

Redcrayons · 20/08/2020 21:36

I’ve no idea.

I only renewed my house insurance last year and can’t remember who it is with.

I remember the dates All the important things are all due, mind you my bonus MOT months will grow my off schedule this year.

coconuttyhead · 20/08/2020 21:40

Massive and unbelievably weird over-reaction - maybe SHE is stressed or taking medication/drugs

muddledmidget · 20/08/2020 21:41

I forgot who I was with one year, and trawled through my bank statements to find out, but couldn't see anything that looked like an insurance payment.

I phoned the company I'd been insured with the year before to see if I'd renewed (I hadn't) but the man took pity on me and ran my details through his database and told me who I was insured with (turns out it was an Internet only ins company who'd never posted me anything, with a v similar name to me local garage so I assumed the payment was to them. I felt a right idiot

WoodenFox · 20/08/2020 21:47

I never know! I change every year. Never print everything off but I do save the emails in a 'receipts' folder in my email account. I won't know who I'm insured with till I get my renewal reminder next month now.

BackforGood · 20/08/2020 21:49

And going against grain, I actually can't believe that you wouldn't know your insurer!

But why would you need to give it memory space @EarringsandLipstick

There is so much info I am now supposed to keep in my head, stuff I don't need to be able to 'recall' drops off the bottom of the list.

planningaheadtoday · 20/08/2020 22:00

Put key words into your email finder.

(I forget every single year, house insurance too, it's because it's so much better to shop around and save £££)

fuckingcovid · 20/08/2020 22:05

Haha. I did that. Phoned up direct line as I'd changed my car, and spoke to a really nice lad who looked up my policy for me but it had lapsed. Moment of panic thinking I'd been driving without insurance for a year, when I remembered I'd changed to to the AA.

LizB62A · 20/08/2020 22:07

I change insurers most years to get the best deal and have to search my emails most years to find out who I'm with.
It's not important - don't worry about it

I figure people who can remember all that sort of stuff either have brilliant memories or aren't shopping around for the best value !!

Flip

1 2 3