Car Insurance now changing policy after the cars written off!! Will they still pay??

[lisad123isgoingcrazy]

Right DH insuranced the big family car and I insurannced the little run about. As I often have the kids i would drive the big car if i was running round town and DH would take the little car to work (further miles)
Now the little car was written off 3 weeks ago by a man in a van, and i have rang insurance company to find out why its taken so long, still no car or no money :(

They have said because DH told them he drove the car alot that he was now classed as the main driver and they had to change the policy before they could consider paying out on car :(
Does that mean they are likely to get out of paying us for the car??
Help I need a car ASAP, and am in tears, I cant believe this!!

Were you driving the car or was DH?

I writ our car of in January, and DH was main driver, we wtill got the money back.

I don't understand why your insurance company would need to change the policy.

DH was driving it at the time. We are both insuranced under the policy so really dont see the problem, its just too stressful. Im trying to get DDs to appointments and its not working well :(
I have seen a little run about to drive for £595, but im sure its going to go quick as its a good deal but until they pay we cant buy but I really cant do without a car right now :(

Ask to speak to a supervisor and ask what the problem is. Seems very odd.

It could be that you declared yourself the main driver and therefore would usually be covered for commuting - some policies dont give commuting use to other drivers and you say your husbands was on his way to work. This may be what the query is.

Who is your insurer and do you have your policy book to hand?

If he declared he was commuting you may have an issue - normal policies won't cover this unfortunately unless specifically stated. Sorry...

Patricia. That sounds like nonsense to me.

I've never seen a policy which won't cover you for driving to work, or restricts cover for named drivers. Most people use their cars to drive to work surely!

The fact is most insurance companies will tell lies about what you are entitled to until you call their bluff.

DH was driven into by a foreign coach who admitted liability. Unfortunately the insurance company were unable to trace them and rang DH to tell me because they were unable to claim costs from the other driver that he would have to pay to repair his car himself. When he said " I don't think so, I paid for fully comp insurance" they immediately backed down.

OP, quote your policy document at them, insist they deal with this immediately and they will stop messing you about.

he was on way to work, he was going to hospital.
still waiting, its getting very upseting now, we need the car :(

DancingHippoOnAcid - commuting cover is extra on lots of policies, our car isn't covered for driving to work

should say wasnt on way to work.

do you know exactly what he said to them?

do you want them to switch the policy or not?

if not call them and tell them there has been a mistake you are the main driver and you do not want the policy altered

I recently reinsured my car (the big family one). DH is a named driver. But I was specifically asked who would be doing the bulk of the driving. In our case, is me, with dh nly driving at weekends sometimes. So that was no problem.

Equally, if I were to drive dh's car more often than him, I could imagine they would argue that I was the main driver and he was the additional named driver.

I'm not sure what impact this will have on your claim. Though TBH I would imagine the insurers would try and wriggle out of paying out, and the fact that your dh has admitted to them that actually he is the main driver (by saying he drove the car a lot) may give them the leverage they need. But then I am super paranoid.

OUt of interest, why did you do it this way round - makes sense for the one who drives the car the most to be the main driver/policyholder IMO.

Oh and my car is insured on the basis that it is not used for commuting (because it isn't) and dh's is insured as commuter car (it is usually, though he also cycles).

Social and domestic use of a car is a different category to commuting/business use.

well thats the intresting thing, I never told them DH used it more and DH hasnt spoken to them at all as its my insurance. We did it this way as previous to this I had a company car and I didnt want to lose my no claims bonus and DH insurance the big family car.
I could really do without this right now! I never asked them to change over the policy, are they allowed to do that without my sayso??

so when did he tell them he drove the car a lot?

well thats what they said but spoken to DH and he says he hasnt spoken to them at all, so really dont know what they are doing!

I have always had travelling to your normal place of work included in the basic policy. Never had to ask for it as an extra. It is a different category if you regularly use it to drive to different places on business as irish says. And I have usually gone for the cheapest policy. I am surprised so many people here have policies which don't include this as I have never seen even the cheapest policies not include it.

IF they change the policy, surely they cannot backdate the change in the policy terms. It just seems like timewasting tactics to me.

Here is what you do: For the car that was in the accident have a look at the certificate of Insurance, Does it say who the policy holder is? and does it also who else is a named driver of that car? Does it give the registration number or the car which was in the accident?

Have the Insurance company sent you an Accident Report Form?

If it was me, I would take a day off work to go and make a personal visit to the offices of thje Insurance company and try to sort it out face to face with one of their claims experts.