Continual insurance shock

[timwilky]

Just had a letter threatening me with a fine as the bike is not insured. Of course it is.

Off to askmid. no it isn't.

I go looking for certificate, all I can find is my renewal notification saying that if I do nothing it will automatically renew. So I know I am insured.

Phone them.......

Oh someone has gone into your file and cancelled it. We have no record of any cancellation notice so it must have been done in error. Can I assure you that if anything had happened we would have honored it. Yes like I trust a pit of rattlesnakes....


So just renewed over the phone.. surprise. it was 5 quid cheaper than the renewal notice.


Who screwed up.....1066.

[Grant66]

It's you that wasn't insured, you would have got the fine & your vehicle impounded.
So I would say it's your fault, if you do not check.
Assume all insurance company employees are incompetent and you can't be caught out.

Are you suggesting we as customers of insurance companies routinely phone up our insurers to confirm we're still insured, in the case of them accidentally un-insuring you?

Might you be referring to just in the case of renewing, confirming that your insurance did automatically renew for instance?

IANAL but I don't believe the first would hold up in court, I'm unsure of the second.

[jambo]

Tim,
I had the same a few years back. Had been cheerfully riding through the centre of London on an unisured bike for a couple of months before i found out via a letter from the MIB.


Squeek.

Jambo

[Jayneflakes]

I had this with MCE, who took my money and then refused to insure me. It all ended with a very unhappy complaint to the Financial Servces Ombudsman, a letter to the director of MCE and a demand for a full refund that included the costs of phoning them so many times.

Before it was finally resolved I was told my MCE that the fault was not theirs, but mine for requesting a policy that did not exist. This debacle did through their actions leave me uninsured twice with in a month and their response to this was "well you were not caught, so what are you worried about?"

I understand your pain Tim, I know how bad insurance companies can be. Riding with no insurance has such serious implications to honest legal riders like yourself. For a start it puts your insurance up!

I have insured with CIA ever since my issues with MCE because they always provide a cheap quote, cover my modifications and do not try to rip me off more than insurance should. I have however had two accidents in the last four years and CIA have always been helpful and polite, which was good because neither of them were my fault.

[timwilky]

Actually, I thought this continual insurance requirement a bit of a naughty scam cooked up by the insurance companies to make money and in league with government who get their policy tax. There were many who would lay up bikes/ fun cars etc for the winter and as a result not require insurance.

I hurt my hand in November and at the moment choose not to ride as I am not confident that I can use the front brake. Therefore I have not been exposed to a riding without insurance risk. I am quite please that I got the letter, at least the lapse has been exposed and I am now covered.

[MisterTommyH]

The problem with askMID is that it doesn't confirm whether you have a SORN in place - Just that there is not insurance. You then have to got to www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax to confirm if there is a SORN. Would be easier if it was all in the same place.

Also, I've just checked and one of mine is SORN'd with an expiry of May 2015... Since when did a SORN need renewing? Last I heard it was SORN'd until you taxed it again?

[jambo]

Originally Posted by MisterTommyH

Also, I've just checked and one of mine is SORN'd with an expiry of May 2015... Since when did a SORN need renewing? Last I heard it was SORN'd until you taxed it again?

This changed very recently, it used to only last 12 months which was daft. It is now open ended but you may still have to renew once more to go from the old 12 month version to the open ended status.

Jambo