Uninsured Drivers?

[Blobcat]

How accurate is the askMid webiste? If it showed a car as being insured last week but not insured today will that mean it's not insured or could it still be insured but the system being out of date?
I believe it's the same system as the police uses and wondered on the validity of the information

 

[A.J.]

I don't know if it still happens but these a-holes without insurance buy a policy, down load the cover note and then cancel the policy. Would possibly work when asked to produce a cover note but sure doesn't in the case of ANPR or the askMid website or similar!!

 

[turbopete]

I think the ASKmid site is pretty accurate. if something shows as uninsured, theres a good chance its uninsured (I think the site can be a maximum of 3 days behind, or something like that, as its mentioned somewhere on the site IIRC)

 

[EmilysDad]

EmilysMum drove for almost a year, effectively without insurance. I added her car to the policy over the phone, but somewhere along the line a U was changed into a V, I didn't notice until the following year when I came to gets renewal quotes. I know it was up to me to check, but I missed the error. The car was driven the length if the country but was never pulled

 

[AMGeed]

EmilysMum drove for almost a year, effectively without insurance. I added her car to the policy over the phone, but somewhere along the line a U was changed into a V, I didn't notice until the following year when I came to gets renewal quotes. I know it was up to me to check, but I missed the error. The car was driven the length if the country but was never pulled

Exact same thing happened to my son in law a few years back thanks to A Flux.
He got stopped and ended up with a fine and points for no insurance after paying for a car that didn't exist.
A Flux denied any wrongdoing and washed their hands of any blame. I wouldn't insure with them now on principle ,but it does reinforce the need to thoroughly check the certificate they send/email.

 

[EmilysDad]

...... after paying for a car that didn't exist..

Maybe that was the difference. The reg number of the car I insured belonged to a blue Mondeo whereas EmilysMum's car is a C3 in ASDA green

 

[AMGeed]

Maybe that was the difference. The reg number of the car I insured belonged to a blue Mondeo whereas EmilysMum's car is a C3 in ASDA green

Actually, I worded that incorrectly.
He had a black Mazda MX3 that blew its engine and he scrapped it.
He bought another black Mazda MX3 and informed A Flux of the new reg number.
A Flux ignored this and issued a new certificate for his scrapped car.
Son in law foolishly didn't check details. Son in law nicked, A Flux didn't want to know.

 

[M80]

Simi

EmilysMum drove for almost a year, effectively without insurance. I added her car to the policy over the phone, but somewhere along the line a U was changed into a V, I didn't notice until the following year when I came to gets renewal quotes. I know it was up to me to check, but I missed the error. The car was driven the length if the country but was never pulled

Similar thing happened when I insured Larisas car a couple of years ago.
The comparison site info checked ok so I selected the preferred quote. Somehow there was a corruption between the two sites and I hadn't noticed.
A month later when I did notice, can't remember but maybe when paper work arrived in the post, it was my / our fault. After some argument they changed for free. Never picked up by APNR and I must have driven past a few.

 

[Ch04dry]

Some insurance companies have right cow boys doing the job, I once sold a vehicle and an accident once came back to me because my insurance company didn't take it off their system even though I emailed and had proof of everything with a sales receipt and so forth.

Anyways sometimes as a trader I always manually add and remove vehicle and pretty much is accurate on askMID website. Does take a 1 working day or two showing up and removing.

 

[bob 6600]

Actually, I worded that incorrectly.
He had a black Mazda MX3 that blew its engine and he scrapped it.
He bought another black Mazda MX3 and informed A Flux of the new reg number.
A Flux ignored this and issued a new certificate for his scrapped car.
Son in law foolishly didn't check details. Son in law nicked, A Flux didn't want to know.

That's naughty of them.

I recently changed the plate on the wife's car. The DVLA stated do not need new MOT cert and the monthly tax details changed automatically. I forgot about notifying the insurance until last week when my renewal came through...I told the operator who said it's fine I'll update it now...if you got pulled no problem the police would call us and we can verify the car was insured.

Admiral get some stick but in this case were spot on and didn't even charge me to update (renewal not yet done)

 

[LostKiwi]

I always check askmid after renewing insurance. Its the only way to be sure your car is covered according to the police (same database I believe).

 

[L John]

My insurance notify me a week or so before it's due, when I renew, they go over all the details of me and the car to ensure nothing has changed or to update if it has and send a policy out. They inform me all details must be checked and any errors reported.

They are so thorough, I have no doubt that any errors left unchecked are my own fault even if they did send out a document with an incorrect letter in the reg number.
The call is also recorded. Staff sometimes hit the wrong key on the keyboard, it's easily done and the reason they tell you to check everything.
If someone checks their own details and misses it being wrong, it's their fault. They are the ones that are the most able to spot an error on the form, if they miss it what chance has anyone else got.
Yes it may be someone elses mistake but if it's unchecked or unnoticed the blame is on the customer and I have no problem with that.

 

[EmilysDad]

....
and I have no problem with that.

I do. I expect them to type up as per my verbal instructions. It shouldn't be up to me to check up on them. In my case someone had written V instead of U, if you do this kind of thing for a living, you should make sure you or others can read your writing. If I leave bits of machinery out when rebuilding/fixing it & it goes belly up, I expect the flack to fall on me .... not others.

 

[L John]

I do. I expect them to type up as per my verbal instructions. It shouldn't be up to me to check up on them. In my case someone had written V instead of U, if you do this kind of thing for a living, you should make sure you or others can read your writing. If I leave bits of machinery out when rebuilding/fixing it & it goes belly up, I expect the flack to fall on me .... not others.

Fair enough but they do tell you to check the policy is correct and they do thousands of them so a typo will happen as much as they try to get it right.
I check it because I know it may end up with me driving without proper cover if I don't do my bit which they are very clear about telling me.

 

[Frontstep]

Its quite well established that small errors don't affect your Insurance cover.
"where the fraudulent act or omission makes no difference to the insurer's ultimate liability under the terms of the policy, it should not entitle the insurer to 'forfeit' the policy or reject the claim"

 

[Frosty149]

We're all guilty I suspect, of not reading small print and the corporates are guilty of writing complex (and long, small print) to cover themselves, you would hope a genuine error would be seen as such, sadly, with loss adjusters and the current culture of 'evading' payouts where possible, I have some skepticism.

 

[L John]

We're all guilty I suspect, of not reading small print and the corporates are guilty of writing complex (and long, small print) to cover themselves, you would hope a genuine error would be seen as such, sadly, with loss adjusters and the current culture of 'evading' payouts where possible, I have some skepticism.

My advice is always read the small print, I went to a bank and they asked me to sign between the 2 X's.
I asked what I was signing for and they said it's just for ...
I said there seems to be a lot of text to just say that, I'd better read it first.
The way she acted made me assume I was the first to do this but she left the room while I read the pages of A4 papers.

 

[Frosty149]

My advice is always read the small print, I went to a bank and they asked me to sign between the 2 X's.
I asked what I was signing for and they said it's just for ...
I said there seems to be a lot of text to just say that, I'd better read it first.
The way she acted made me assume I was the first to do this but she left the room while I read the pages of A4 papers.

Now I'm reasonably educated, trouble is half of it it not clear cut or phrased in such 'legalese' that it's tough to understand or correctly interpret not withstanding the 'get out of jail free card' type disclaimer you would have to contest in the event of a contentious claim...
Respect to you, if you can decipher all that though!

 

[L John]

Now I'm reasonably educated, trouble is half of it it not clear cut or phrased in such 'legalese' that it's tough to understand or correctly interpret not withstanding the 'get out of jail free card' type disclaimer you would have to contest in the event of a contentious claim...
Respect to you, if you can decipher all that though!

I wish I could decipher it all, not a chance but I refuse to sign without reading it as I got stung once by signing on the dotted line for a pension many years ago. I was miss sold but the ombudsman said they were unable to take my side as I had signed the document. It's a case of once bitten.
As long as you get the gist of a document at least you have a good idea about it rather than not try at all.

Even when I get something delivered I read to see what I'm signing for.
Often it says signed to accept items received in good condition.
Many use electronic screens and pen but on paper documents I write "items unchecked" before signing it.
One guy scribbled it out but I told him scribbling it out made no difference.

 

[Frosty149]

In my old working life we would receive a lorry load of stuff and be asked to sign for it, I always instructed the additional "delivery content unverified" comment be added if this was the case. Drivers hated it!
You know what the alternative suggestion was!