Have you ever been checked up on?

[Canalsman]

I

I had a similar experience on the M1 years ago. Multiple pile up - 11 cars locked together through driving too close.

We were the only car that didn't hit the car in front, we managed to stop with a reasonable distance between us. The car behind me slammed straight into the back of me and the rest followed suit behind him.

In my case though, even though I had not hit anything, the insurance decided to do a 'knock for knock' and I had to claim on my own policy and lost my NCD.

I argued it until I was blue in the face but they insisted it was common practice in such circumstances.

I would have referred the matter to the ombudsman. There are no grounds under which it is legal for you to suffer financially in a situation where you are the innocent party.

The alternative, which I have done successfully twice, is not to involve your insurers at all and make a claim directly with the insurers of the other party.

 

[Colinc]

I would have referred the matter to the ombudsman. There are no grounds under which it is legal for you to suffer financially in a situation where you are the innocent party.

It is a bit more complex.

In my case there was a claim as it was impossible to identify which of the 50 cars had hit me. So my insurance company had to pay. Hence there was a "claim" that potentially could mean loss of "no claims discount". That was probably the case in Robmac's multiple shunt too (?)

But as it was not my "fault" then it depends on wording of policy and if there is any NCD protection in place.

You also may not get payout straight away and so have to cover the cost of a new car somehow - even as a bridge. So insurance is not perfect protection at all.

 

[Robmac]

It is a bit more complex.

In my case there was a claim as it was impossible to identify which of the 50 cars had hit me. So my insurance company had to pay. Hence there was a "claim" that potentially could mean loss of "no claims discount". That was probably the case in Robmac's multiple shunt too (?)

But as it was not my "fault" then it depends on wording of policy and if there is any NCD protection in place.

You also may not get payout straight away and so have to cover the cost of a new car somehow - even as a bridge. So insurance is not perfect protection at all.

Absolutely so.

The driver behind me claimed he was shunted into me as did each driver behind him. It was highly unlikely that the last driver at the back of the queue shunted all 11 cars together so although he was the only clearly guilty driver it was too complex to sort out.

 

[Robmac]

I

I would have referred the matter to the ombudsman. There are no grounds under which it is legal for you to suffer financially in a situation where you are the innocent party.

The alternative, which I have done successfully twice, is not to involve your insurers at all and make a claim directly with the insurers of the other party.

We did refer to the Ombudsman at the time who was next to useless at which point I gave up.

 

[Wooie1958]

We did refer to the Ombudsman at the time who was next to useless at which point I gave up.

I found the same Rob

Not insurance but an " Ombudsman " of a different flavour and wish i hadn`t wasted my breath, the phrase chocolate fireguard spring to mind

 

[Robmac]

I found the same Rob

Not insurance but an " Ombudsman " of a different flavour and wish i hadn`t wasted my breath, the phrase chocolate fireguard spring to mind

I also had the same with another Ombudsman when an estate agent messed up Graham.

When I told them I was reporting them to the Ombudsman he simply said "Good luck with that!"

 

[RSD7a]

I also had the same with another Ombudsman when an estate agent messed up Graham.

When I told them I was reporting them to the Ombudsman he simply said "Good luck with that!"

Also had an encounter with ombudsman in relation to a property management company who were useless too (ie didn't find in my favour )

 

[wildebus]

The threat of an report can work well. When one of my pension fund companies messed up with delaying a transfer and costing many thousand of pounds they apologized and offered me £50 to cover my time and calls as a final offer. I suggested that it that was their final offer, that was fine but I would have to report this to the financial ombudsman. They wrote back with another offer and a cheque matching the losses.

 

[trevskoda]

Ombudsman here for misleading pension, a total waste of time, may as well pi--ed into the wind.

 

[jigarai]

As I was approaching my mileage limit a month before my renewal date last spring I called my insurance company to ask them. They said that once I went over I would only have basic 3rd party cover so still be legal, but not covered for any damages to self and my own vehicle.

 

[Alscottie]

I've just renewed my insurance and pondered briefly over my usual self selected 6000 mile limit for the year. Obviously the insurance companies can do a rough check on actual mileage in the event of a claim via MoTs and service records etc if they wanted to. My question is, do they?

They will if a claim is made and if you are liable will invalidate your insurance!

 

[V1nny]

We are changing our vehicle and as a result have had to change insurance company. I’ve just got the documents from AIB/Aviva this morning and the policy says if the premium is based on an annual mileage and that mileage is exceeded then the policy excess is increased to £350 up to 1000 miles over what was declared and to £600 if it’s more than 1000 miles over

 

[Carrerasax]

I would have had them in the courts, anyone hits you from behind its their fault, happened to me many years back at Sandyknows roundabout a mile from me, my nice complete rebuilt skoda and respray was bent like a camel, £17 grand came in handy, but still have a week back and sciatica in one leg.View attachment 111825

Wow , I knew skips were expensive these days , but didn’t realise they’d gone up that much!!!!
Seriously, nice that one.

 

[Nabsim]

Good luck, by the time they add the admin fee!!!!

During the lockdowns I actually got cheques back for car insurance as they assumed customers would not be doing many journeys so claims must have dropped. Nice to get something from a company without asking.

 

[trevskoda]

We did not in fact have any real lockdowns, problem was nowhere open when you got there, well some were, pubs back door springs to mind.

 

[bartman]

As far as I can see, the only way that the insurance company can check on the mileage covered is on the MOT online record.
At the beginning of this month, I noticed that the mileage meter on our car was blank. As this was less than a week before the MOT I looked up whether it was a requirement in order to pass the MOT - the answer was that it is not tested and therefore apparently not a requirement. I did wonder however what the examiner would record!
I discovered that the likely cause was a blown backlight bulb, a cost of only pennies in parts, but would take even a mechanic some hours to dismantle various parts of the dashboard to access it so would probably take me days to do myself. Happily, I then went back out to the car, gave a couple of sharp raps on the perspex cover with my fingers, and it came on!
So, if the information I found was correct and the MOT had been issued without the examiner being able to record the mileage, what would the insurer have said if I subsequently had a claim?

 

[RSD7a]

As far as I can see, the only way that the insurance company can check on the mileage covered is on the MOT online record.
At the beginning of this month, I noticed that the mileage meter on our car was blank. As this was less than a week before the MOT I looked up whether it was a requirement in order to pass the MOT - the answer was that it is not tested and therefore apparently not a requirement. I did wonder however what the examiner would record!
I discovered that the likely cause was a blown backlight bulb, a cost of only pennies in parts, but would take even a mechanic some hours to dismantle various parts of the dashboard to access it so would probably take me days to do myself. Happily, I then went back out to the car, gave a couple of sharp raps on the perspex cover with my fingers, and it came on!
So, if the information I found was correct and the MOT had been issued without the examiner being able to record the mileage, what would the insurer have said if I subsequently had a claim?

And, if you think about it, unless the MOT date is the same as the insurance renewal date, MoT mileages can never be totally conclusive proof of exceeding a mileage limit.

 

[Wooie1958]

I used to have unlimited mileage but my insurance company then decided that was not available anymore and automatically put me on 12,000 miles a year.

Pre-Covid our mileage was approx 10,000 - 11,000 miles a year, that included 2 trips per year to Johnny Foreigner land plus UK use.

Now things have opened up / eased off and 1 trip abroad the recent MOT showed we`ve done 5,400 miles in the last year.

 

[Geek]

I argued it until I was blue in the face but they insisted it was common practice in such circumstances.

Yes, when the insured person tries to bend the rules they refuse to pay and call it fraud. When the insurers bend the rules and commit fraud, they usually get away with it .
Knock for knock was always fraudulent. And it's commonplace.

 

[Geek]

We are changing our vehicle and as a result have had to change insurance company. I’ve just got the documents from AIB/Aviva this morning and the policy says if the premium is based on an annual mileage and that mileage is exceeded then the policy excess is increased to £350 up to 1000 miles over what was declared and to £600 if it’s more than 1000 miles over

Yes, it make a big difference which insurer it is. One year we were with a company that increased the excess it the limit was breached.

When I asked what it would cost to increase the mileage limit, the extra premium was about £50. I said I wasn't going to pay £50 extra to possibly insure the loss of a £250 excess on any claim that happened in the last few weeks of the policy. As it happened, I didn't exceed the mileage anyway.

You have to read the small print of the policy to find out what is on offer, but how many of us do that before taking out insurance policies? We foolishly assume that an insurance company is fair and honest.