Morning all,

Back in 2007 I renewed my car insurance. The new insurers emailed me asking for proof of my NCB which I did. I also asked them to bring forward the start date of the policy by 1 day as the date on the paperwork they sent me was wrong. I was sent my documents through about a week later so assumed (stupid me) that all was now correct. I paid for the insurance in one go. I got stopped by the police a few days later saying I was showing as not having any insurance. I explained that I did and had recently changed provider. As it was before 9.00 a.m. they let me go and said they would check with the insurers when they opened. They rang me later that day to tell me I had been driving with no insurance as the policy didn’t start until the next day, they then, over the phone charged with me driving without insurance. I then rang the insurers who told me my policy didn’t start until tomorrow. I told them about they email but they denied all knowledge, despite the fact that they’d received proof of my no claims bonus within that email and they weren’t chasing me for that anymore. They then said that as I’d been charged by the police for driving without insurance they were cancelling my policy. Cutting a long story short I got found guilty by the courts and was fined £800 and given points.

Cut to now, whenever I use comparison sites or ring around to get car insurance, despite this happening over 12 years ago, one of the first questions you are asked is “have you ever had a motor insurance policy cancelled” – to this I have to answer yes.

My question is, do I have to for the rest of my life answer this question as yes? It seems very unfair that this was an admin error, I had paid my insurance in full and had nothing to gain by driving around for a day with no insurance and yet I lose out A LOT because a lot of insurers won’t insure me because I have to answer yes to that one question. Yes I know I should have re-checked the documents when they came through the post but because they’d got my no claims bonus I assumed they’d have amended the date. Someone who gets caught drink driving or driving dangerous etc. only have to admit their offence for 5 years but I forever have to answer yes? Is this correct? Do I still have to answer yes to this after all this time? I’m not sure who to get a definitive answer from, any help gratefully received.

Edited by Avant on 14/11/2019 at 14:42