17 year old learner driver/ insurance queries!

[allo2101]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section! My dd is 17 on Saturday and has saved up for a car which she now has sitting on the drive. She will be having lessons but wants to be able to practice with me at other times as well (help!)

Anyway the problem is I have a motability car so don't have my own insurance policy any more. The learner driver plans only insure for the learner which means we can't do things like she drives to college and then me drive the car home, on that basis.

If I get an ordinary insurance policy in her name with me as a named driver, then when she passes I know it will increase dramatically. The companies that do cheap insurance for provisional seem to go even higher once they pass the test. Conversely, the ones who are cheaper for full driving licence holders charge a fortune whilst they are on provisional. I hope this all makes sense!

Just looking for some advice really on the best way around this as I am a single parent, have said I'll insure her car for a year until she leaves college and hopefully gets a job, but some of the quotes are just plain ridiculous (£4,000!!!!) She doesn't mind having a black box fitted as long as it's not curfew restricted as she sometimes doesn't finish at her part-time job until 11 or after. I'm wasting hours on comparison websites when I should be working!

Meant to say the companies that are cheap on provisional are the ones who seem to escalate WELL into the thousands once they pass.

No advice here but watching with interest. My insurance fee is ridiculous.

We found Marmalade good for provisional insurance and Tesco black box were the best quote for when they've passed. That was for a Vauxhall Corsa parked on the drive at nights, 6000 miles. They give us bonus miles for good driving and it was, gulp, £1,100-ish. A friend's son got his from the same company for £800. Different car and postcode.

Abraid, thank you, will look into this, but if she passes in, say, four months time can I just cancel that policy or will they charge me a year's insurance?

If you do Marmalade it is a monthly or three-monthly policy usually, I seem to remember.

I've just looked at Marmalade and they won't insure anything over nine years old :( Her car has a 2001 plate. This is so complicated!!

I think you need to just get on the phone and ask different companies for quotes for lots of different options. We got a reduction of £300 for starting our DDs insurance a week after getting the quote. every other detail was identical. Even the insurance guy was suprised

We found it cheaper for DD to have a newish car and for her to be the only named driver.

I'm afraid it does cost thousands to insure a teen these days - that's why so many have to wait for some years after passing their test. It's not buying the car they can't afford, it's driving it once they've passed.

Might be worth going to an actual old-fashioned broker if they still exist. They used to tend to know which companies looked more favourably on the classes of driver standard companies didn't want.

DS2 passed his test in September. We went with Ingenie. We insured his Renault Clio 1.2 before he passed and it was about £1250 (it's got a high BHP), when he passed it went up by £30. He has a black box with no curfews and as he has driven well the cosr has gone down to £93 a month. DH& I are named drivers on the policy too, it makes it much cheaper.

Before he had a car he practiced in our Polo. That's insured in mine and Dh's name and we took out a learner driver policy on it. We did the same for DS1.

Is Endsleigh one you've considered? They do a student policy where you pay for 6 months, somewhat over half their 12-month rate, & then all being well they'll give you a 1-year NCD. You have to renew with them but the rate is much less & after that year is up you have a 2-year NCD you can take elsewhere.

No box required.

BUT I don't know if it applies to learners; we did it with DS2 after he passed his test. Worth asking though

Just don't go with GoGirl, a nightmare company who employ the rudest people I have ever met once you are signed up. My dd had paid a full years insurance, over £1700, when they phoned her to renew a week before the year was up she mentioned that her car was off the road due to needing a new clutch. They immediately cancelled the policy and she lost her first years no claims. Yet there was nothing in terms and conditions about saving for a new clutch. Outrageous, they might seem reasonably priced but you will pay for it.

why are you doing all the homework? Drivers need to know how to get insurance quotes so she should be doing it with your supervision.

and yes, it will be expensive to insure her as she is obviously a higher risk once you stop supervising. Girls are less lethal than boys but the EU stopped the cheaper premiums.

We used the comparison websites. DD1 got quotes both as a learner and on her future test date on the basis of her passing. That was BEFORE committing to buying a car she wanted, so no nasty shocks.
Found those that were reasonable for learner policy not same companies as those best later - so will need to cancel and change. But for us, that still works out cheaper than taking a short term policy (which as the OP says, does not allow a named driver). Doesn't work like this for everyone, as short term policies seem to be fixed regardless if where you live, so some win, some lose.
We have taken an annual learner policy with Collingwood, and have been told that when she passes, we need to cancel, but will get oremium returned on a pro-rata day basis, but there's a £50 ish brokerage fee that isn't returned. I am a named driver, so can take over or drive car to or from if dropping or collecting her - though must remember to remove/replace the L-plates.

Should have said, the learner policy is costing £540, expect to pay around £1250 when she passes. 1100cc car. Again with me as a named driver, which brings it down by about £300. Most competitive quotes (once qualified) are with black box, but not the curfew type.

Just remember if you already have a car insured in your name being a named driver on your DCs car might invalidate the insurance. It is seen as a scam by most companies.

Feellikescrooge Are you sure - that doesn't sound right to me?
I know insurance companies see 'fronting' as fraud, when you are the main driver with DC as a named driver, but they are driving the car more.
If you want to even occasionally drive your DC's car, it is advisable to be a named driver (a bonus that it often brings the premium down) as your own policy does not always allow driving of other vehicles. Even if it does, may only be 3rd party.
I'm sure its all above board as there are questions asking if named driver has use of or owns another vechicle.

Feellikescroooge it's perfectly acceptable to be a named driver on your dc's policy, it's not fraud. They are the main driver, they have the policy in their name, but you are a named driver to allow you to drive their car from time to time.

I have my own car and own policy, I am also a named driver on dh's policy and ds's policy so I can drive their cars if necessary.

Ds has a 7 year old 1200cc car. He is insured with Tesco and has a black box (no curfew). Car is kept on our driveway at night. It cost £850 per year.

Have to disaree with you there Feelslike - it's perfectly acceptable to be a named driver on other people's cars.

It's also perfectly acceptable to have DC as named driver on your car providing they are not the main driver.
I have had DS1 on mine since he started as a learner 2 years ago. It's my car but he gets to borrow it if I don't need it. He's at uni now but I keep him on so he can borrow my car when he is at home. It also means he can share the driving on long journeys.
DS2 is learning now so I am about to find out how much it costs to have two teenage drivers on my policy.

DDs insurance was cheaper if I wasn't named as an extra driver. Quite a bit cheaper too. (and I've a clean licence )

DDs learner policy same with me as named driver.
Quotes for when she passes around £250 cheaper with me named, but to name a 2nd driver (DH) puts it back up again.
Cheapest was also Tesco black box, but £1240 for 1100cc car. Must be where we live.

Tesco black box here. About £850 for £8000 miles a year. She is18 though which helped. No curfew.

I know it is not illegal but I also know of three friends of my DC who had claims refused because of this. Sadly insurance companies appear to use it as a get out clause. Insuring teenagers is a nightmare but it just seems you have to just accept the first year will be extortionate but after that it does improve.

You know three teenagers whose parents have crashed the teenagers' cars and had the claims refused?? My ds had a minor prang shortly after passing his test and the insurance comsony (Trsco Black Box) was brilliant, got everything sorted with one phone call. I havd no reason to believe that it would be any different if I had been driving the car.

The forms you fill out when insuring your teenager ask if you wish to add a named driver, so the insurance companies are aware and adjust the premium accrdingly. The only time I've ever known an insurance compamy to refuse a claim was when my friend insured a car in her name and put her ds as named driver, and yet he was driving it the majority of the time - she had her own car. That is fraud.

The premium for my ds' car didn't drop very much by adding ourselves as named drivers, but it's very useful to be on the policy. Dh used ds car yesterday as his was being serviced. I used it a couple if weeks ago when mine had a flat tyre.