Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Help, ex using me to reduce his car insurance

40 replies

MyCatIsAFuckwit · 19/06/2022 14:41

My ex has been using me as a driver on his car insurance, without my knowledge.
We split 3 years ago. While we where together I did this willingly to reduce his extortionate premium (due to his rubbish driving)
He has just called me to ask if I'm willing to be named for a new premium as it will save him £500.
I am furious. I had no idea he was still using me after 3 years. He obviously has been. I told him to use his AP instead as they are still together. He put the phone down in a huff.
My problem is I have no idea who he is insured with and who he may go with in future using my name. This will impact me if he has a crash.
Any knowledgeable folk out there that can help me find out if he is using my details for his own benefit?
Grrrrrrr, so fucking cross 😠

OP posts:
Burgoo · 19/06/2022 14:42

I'd just call around the big companies and find out. Its a pain and they may not give you info.

LongPath · 19/06/2022 14:43

Being named on his policy doesn't affect you if he has an accident. It's a bit weird but all it really means is you're insured to drive his car should the need arise.

SofiaSoFar · 19/06/2022 14:44

He could do it without asking you.

And of course it won't affect your own insurance!

I'm not saying it's right to do what he's doing but you're worrying about nothing.

KatherineofGaunt · 19/06/2022 14:47

Have you tried the Motor Insurers' Bureau? You may be able to do a request to find out the insurance details, although I've not tried. But they may be worth a call or they have different forms to fill in for different services. One may help you find out which insurer he's with.

Sapphirejane · 19/06/2022 14:47

Firstly it will not impact you if he has a crash. It will only impact the premiums of the person driving.

He probably has just auto renewed for the past three years and not thought about it, not that it makes it ok. Even if you knew who his insurers were I am not sure they would speak to you about his account anyway. I only speak from experience when I was named on a family members insurance and they got some of my details wrong by accident, but the insurers refused to let me make any changes or even open up the file.

Discovereads · 19/06/2022 14:48

Hm, I think it’s fraud honestly. By naming you as a driver, when you’re not ever driving his car he is defrauding the insurance company. The fact you have not consented and told him to stop means you cannot be held as complicit. But honestly, I’d call action fraud and ask for advice on how to proceed.

Scarlettpixie · 19/06/2022 14:49

I wouldn’t worry about this. If he has an accident it won’t affect you! You are just a named driver on his policy.

Discovereads · 19/06/2022 14:52

Yep,
see here, he is doing insurance fraud.
www.actionfraud.police.uk/a-z-of-fraud/insurance-fraud

“Insurance fraud could also be when a person provides false information to an insurance company in order to get insurance cover on more favourable terms, or deliberately under-insuring to reduce the premium. This type of insurance fraud could include motor vehicle, commercial, household and other personal insurance claims.”

He is falsely naming you as a driver in order to get cheaper insurance. That’s fraud. Report it to action fraud.

LongPath · 19/06/2022 15:00

I'm named as a driver on DS's car simply because very occasionally, if mine's in the garage, for example I might use it. It hadn't even occurred to me that this might be reducing his fee. Surely that's not fraud?

SofiaSoFar · 19/06/2022 15:02

LongPath · 19/06/2022 15:00

I'm named as a driver on DS's car simply because very occasionally, if mine's in the garage, for example I might use it. It hadn't even occurred to me that this might be reducing his fee. Surely that's not fraud?

Of course it's not fraud. It's perfectly ok.

Typically, threads like this bring out clueless people with 'advice'.

Shinyandnew1 · 19/06/2022 15:02

LongPath · 19/06/2022 15:00

I'm named as a driver on DS's car simply because very occasionally, if mine's in the garage, for example I might use it. It hadn't even occurred to me that this might be reducing his fee. Surely that's not fraud?

If you agree to it, of course it’s not fraud. The OP is saying she didn’t agree!

LongPath · 19/06/2022 15:05

Shinyandnew1 · 19/06/2022 15:02

If you agree to it, of course it’s not fraud. The OP is saying she didn’t agree!

Show quote history

I thought it was the fact that she doesn't drive the car that males it fraud, I.e. it's fraud whether she agrees or not?

Sapphirejane · 19/06/2022 15:07

It’s not fraud to add other named drivers as long as you aren’t fronting. This is where someone is listed as the main driver but a named driver is actually driving the car more. Normally a parent/teen child situation.

In fact adding additional drivers is often recommended by the insurance companies themselves!

balalake · 19/06/2022 15:10

If I knew the car registration number I would definitely report it. Obtaining services by deception it seems to me.

Too late, but you should not have supported his 'rubbish' driving as you term it.

bigbluebus · 19/06/2022 15:14

It's not fraud to be on someone else's insurance if you know about it, even if you never drive the car. I'm on both DS's and DH's car insurance as a named driver but very rarely, if ever, drive them. But I could if I needed to.
Totally different to someone who you now have no association with deliberately adding your name to their policy to reduce their premium. He needs to add someone else - friend or relative, who could be an emergency driver should the need arise.
I'd definitely be telling him no - in writing so you've got proof just in case anything ever came back to bite you - although I can't imagine what.

CatMum79 · 19/06/2022 15:27

I had an ex do exactly the same.... only found out when the police were trying to track him down a couple of years later and found my name on his insurance. This happened not once, but twice. My mum eventually had to contact him to request he removed me, as I didn't have his details and didn't want them!!

bellabasset · 19/06/2022 15:39

@MyCatIsAFuckwit As your ex is saying he'd save £500 by having you named I'm assuming he means as the policy is in your name. That clearly isn't the case and could affect any policy you might take out.

CloudPop · 19/06/2022 15:52

How can a named driver reduce your insurance premium? Surely it has to be that he's got you down as the main driver?

Sapphirejane · 19/06/2022 15:55

@CloudPop - very normal that named drivers can lower premiums if they are clean experienced drivers. It’s to do with spreading risk. They are normally people you actually know who may drive your car.

19lottie82 · 19/06/2022 15:58

As your ex is saying he'd save £500 by
having you named I'm assuming he
means as the policy is in your name. That
clearly isn't the case and could affect any policy you might take out.
not necessarily , you can save a fair whack if you are an insurance risk, by adding on a “safe” driver.

CloudPop · 19/06/2022 16:02

Wow. Never knew that!

Goawayangryman · 19/06/2022 16:05

I'd bet my bottom dollar that has you down as the policy holder and HE has been the named driver. That will be why he is able to save so much. If he takes out insurance on his own, with him as the policy holder, his premiums will shoot up. I know this because I had it the other way round but without the fraud element (!) in that when I split up from ex, I had to get a policy solely in my name. £800 to insure a 3k car. Despite fact I had been named driver (with him as policy holder) and no claims in 12 years.

But definitely do not have any part in this! I'd be tempted to pass his name, reg, and whatever to action fraud and they can locate his insurer to find out what is going on. If you are the policy holder that is definitely not on. You can't take out a policy in someone else's name.

Eightiesfan · 19/06/2022 16:07

I cannot understand how any of you are okay with this! It’s been 3 years since she split with XP after he had an affair.

OP has made it clear to him that he is not to use her name to reduce his insurance, but he sounds like the sort of person who would do it anyway. I would be contacting my own insurance company and tell them what he’s been doing. They share information so hopefully if he tries this on it will be flagged.

Kately · 19/06/2022 16:14

I thought this was fronting, have a look on google

Basically you put a safer/better/cheaper driver on the policy as the main driver and put the less experienced/more expensive driver as a named driver. The named driver is for all intents and purposes the driver but gets the insurance for less

It's fraud

You need to tell him to stop

Sapphirejane · 19/06/2022 16:15

I wouldn’t be OK with it but it is not going to affect her insurance in any way (assuming she is just a named driver). She has told him no and short of ringing round all of the insurance companies to let them know that if they insure a person named X Asshole with her as a named driver on his policy to take her off, not sure what else she can do. Personally it would irritate me but I have other ways to spend my time.

OP you could check your credit record to make sure he hasn’t got a main policy with your name on. to It may show monthly payments or if you are linked to his address.