What is life like with your car? Let us know and win £500 in John Lewis vouchers | No thanks
Understanding the insurance questions
I was born overseas but went to school (8-21) in the UK and passed my driving test in the UK 34 years ago.
Since then I have worked in a number of countries in between working in the UK. Total time living/working in the UK in the last 34 years is about eight years plus 4 weeks holiday p.a. when I returned there to see family and hired cars.
Total time living in other right hand drive countries (Hong Kong, Australia, Brunei) was another 23 years so all in all 31 years of right hand drive experience.
On my most recent move to the UK when I purchased and insured a car I was required by the broker/insurer to declare I had only been resident for one week!
Only one insurer accepted my O'seas NCB even though it had originated from the UK five years before so I couldn't shop around that hard.
Is the purpose of the residence question to ascertain whether I understand driving on the right and if so could I declare I've been resident all the time I've ever lived in the UK (21+ years) or is one week correct and I'm stuck with being insured and priced as if I've never seen a UK road before?
Since then I have worked in a number of countries in between working in the UK. Total time living/working in the UK in the last 34 years is about eight years plus 4 weeks holiday p.a. when I returned there to see family and hired cars.
Total time living in other right hand drive countries (Hong Kong, Australia, Brunei) was another 23 years so all in all 31 years of right hand drive experience.
On my most recent move to the UK when I purchased and insured a car I was required by the broker/insurer to declare I had only been resident for one week!
Only one insurer accepted my O'seas NCB even though it had originated from the UK five years before so I couldn't shop around that hard.
Is the purpose of the residence question to ascertain whether I understand driving on the right and if so could I declare I've been resident all the time I've ever lived in the UK (21+ years) or is one week correct and I'm stuck with being insured and priced as if I've never seen a UK road before?
Asked on 21 March 2011 by paulwhkh
Answered by
Honest John
Lowest common denominator insurance designed so that low paid clerks can administer policies without using any initiative that they are not paid to use. You need to get into your head that 'direct insurers' aren't. They are brokers, just like a high street broker used to be and independent brokers still are. So, next time, don't go for a heavily advertised 'direct insurer' staffed by goons. Go to a decent broker such at www.primoplc.com
Tags:
insurance
legal issues
We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.
Insurance group finder and how to save on insuranceSimilar questions
My daughter was involved in a minor supermarket car park incident three years ago. She denied responsibility at the time, which her insurers (Direct Line) seemed to accept, and the incident remained on...
I’ve bought a car through a salvage auction site. It's registered as a Category N write off, but upon inspection of the car at my local garage, the car has structural damage to the rear subframe and possibly...
I have a Ford Torneo that I bought in 2011. I have owned the vehicle for six years. When I bought the minibus, it had a V5 with two letters attached from the DVLA. The letters said their had been a discrepancy...
.jpg)
