Help! insurance question...

[Chazchuzzlewitt]

I just bought a new W116 car on weds to replace my other one, which is on classic insurance. I phoned my insurance company on Fri to change the policy, giving them all the new car's details, though I missed their return call comfirming the start date as I was at work.

My 124 is covered under a different standard policy, and also includes being able to drive another car with the owner's permission.

I got stopped by the police today in the 116 doing a spot owner/insurance check,and as since I just picked it up and the owner was still on holiday they show the car registered to the previous owner. I have the V5/2 new keeper supplement.

Should I be covered ok under my 'standard policy' as driving another vehicle with the owner's permission, since I don't technically own the vehicle yet?
I thought my other classic insurance had been changed ok, until I found the answer-phone message today asking me to ring them back to confirm the start date. I'm a bit worried now as I thought I was covered by at least one policy.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

right, thats a good one.

have them start the policy from the date you picked it up if you can, then you are covered and you can prove so if thats ok with your insurance people.

you may well be covered on your other policy but you will need to read your policy or ring your insurers to find out if you were.

insurance policys have changed a bit recently, some use to cover you up to 30days for cover to buy a new car and various other things. but i notice with mine at the last change, that it does not cover for anything other than my car, and of course the 3rd party arrnagement if i get to drive someone elses with permission.

If i remember correctly, the V5 is the registered keeper of the vehicle, so technically you dont need to be the owner to have it insured in your name as long as you have notified DVLA of the change of keeper! the person who owns it is the person who paid for it, where as the person who drives it must be insured to drive it. So if they back date your insurance start date, you will have been insured in it when you got stopped and you will be charged your annual renewal from that date. thus you can prove to the police you were insured when you got stopped, and if you had sent off the new keeper bit of your V5 and kept which ever slip you need to prove you have the V5, you should be okay! Your insurance company shoudl start from the date you tell them as thats what your were paying for, and i doubt if they will start it from Monday when you next ring them , I assume. give them a ring in the morning and see what they do.

Do you have a time to produce your documentation, or are they saying you are driving without insurance, or do they suspect you have taken the car without the owners permission? if the previous owner is a decent guy, they will provide a written staement to say they had sold you the car on the date in question, and you will be able to prove you were getting the insurance details updated before you got stopped. it would be the same argument if you gets a speeding fine by camera. It will go to the previous owner who will have to tell them he sold it to you. if you see what i mean.

you really need to talk with your insurers, best of luck.

 

[mlc]

I think this is easier than you think, and bad news.

Ownership of the vehicle normally transfers when you take delivery, or possibly earlier. The fact that the DVLA computer doesnt change immediately isnt relevant. You and the seller will have signed and dated the V5. You say that you have the new keeper supplement so that suggests the above occured. Its your car.

Your standard car insurance may allow you to drive other vehicles with 3rd party cover only, however it will specifically exclude vechicles owned or hired to you, you own this car and so are not covered. Again the fact that the DVLA records are out of date is not relevant.

Finally, unless the insurance company actually did the transfer anyway (unlikely) I dont believe they are going to back date the change for you. I think the reason for this is obvious, how do they know you havent had an accident and need to get cover for that.

Good luck.

Mark

 

[jberks]

I'm not certain you have a problem here. I would contact your insurance co and ask to confirm what they have the changeover down as. If, as they probably will, they say Friday, then appologies and tell them it should have been Wednesday - "sorry, I should have said that when I called"..etc. They may be lenient and change this on the system for you, as it makes little difference to them if you aren't claiming. Don't mention the police!.

As far as the 3rd party aspect is concerned, as I understand it, the rule is that it only applies if the car already has a valid insurance policy. So, if it belongs to someone else and is insured, then your policy will cover you to drive it. If not then it doesn't. Not sure about ownership rules but technically, if its yours and covered by a policy already I guess you don't need it anyway. The rule is to get around people who have 3 cars and insure 1.

 

[Chazchuzzlewitt]

thanks for you replies. I feel really stupid now, I should've checked I was definately insured with my classic policy before driving it.
The classic company I insure with are only small, so I don't think i'll be able to contact anyone there until tues which is frustrating.
I did get comfirmation from them on the quote on the new car on Friday via. the answer message, and they have all the vehicle details, I just didn't get to comfirm the start date so hopefully it will show as insured from Friday when I do call them.