Ok, i've been looking around alot of forums trying to find a solution to my current problem, but have now decided to join a forum full of bright people who may be able to help me out!
Basically, I recieved 2 convictions in Sept 2004 for a very silly offence the previous March. I had been driving about 6 months at the time. One night I went to the cinema with a couple of mates. Afterwards we were in a car park ready to go home at around midnight. Before we left a friend asked if he could practice a reverse in to a bay in my car, as he had his driving test a few weeks later. I agreed, at the time not believing we were committing an offence. To cut a long story short two police officers came over and asked what we were doing etc... very politiely I told him and they charged us with no insurance.
I recieved Aiding and Abetting no insurance, and an LC24. I went to court and did not get 6 points, instead I was banned for 2 months.
That silly incident has given me ridiculous premiums since '03 - but I take it as a lesson learnt. However, in September '08 i sent away my license to have the endorsements removed, as I had to change my address anyway. My license came back clean.
Since then I am due to re-new my car insurance, but as we all know, insurance companies want to know about any convicitions in the last 5 years...
So, I rang the DVLA and asked them the question. They said to me that as far as they are concerned, those convicitons are gone, and they do not understand why insurance companies want to know about these sort of convicitons if they are wiped from your license.
So I'm kind of confused, if I don't mention these wiped convicitons I can save myself about £500.
But if you have an accident does the insurance company go to the DVLA to ensure you have no convicitons, or do they check your previous insurers? Because from my previous insurer, then they would see that I have a conviction date which is not 5 years until Sept 09.
I could really use some information the clear this up, thank you for reading.
Ralshtovski
Edited by Pugugly on 02/03/2009 at 12:45
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DVLA have nothing to do with it. Insurance companies don't ask 'do you have a clean licence?'. They work on risk and they must believe five years is long enough for most drivers to learn their lesson.
When they ask "have you had any convictions in the last 5 years?" Answer honestly or expect bother should you need to claim. They can cross check with previous insurers.
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I think Norwich Union Direct only ask about the last 4 years.
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Insurers aren't interested in the convictions in the DVLA sense of whether not they appear on your licence; they want to know about your driving and claims records. Their actuaries tell them that a driver who has had a conviction in the last five years is a higher risk than one, ceteris paribus, who hasn't. They want the details because, I expect, they regard a four-year-old offence as less of a risk factor than, say, one six months ago.
So yes, you have to tell them so they can take this into account in calculating your premium. Not to do so would be as serious as falsifying any other piece of information in your application.
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Ok, so would either of you suggest that I re-newed my policy as it is, but after 6 months (When convicition date of 5 years is up) cancelling my insurance and changing my policy to get the cheaper rate?
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I had a minor claim for a parking scrape in what was then a company car in October 2003. When I bought the car a year and a bit later, and had to insure it myself, I arranged a first policy that lasted only until just after the anniversary of the claim, thus minimizing the period in which the claim affected my premium. You may find it's worth doing something similar with your anniversary in September, if you can arrange it.
Edited by WillDeBeest on 02/03/2009 at 11:10
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I checked the Norwich Union website. Claims and accidents are 4 years, but convictions are 5 years.
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Be sure if you took out short term insurance you'd get the balance back if you cancelled. But if you do cancel mid policy that year will not count towards a No Claims Bonus. Probably better to find a good deal, stick with it for the 12 months and forget about this.
You made a mistake 4.5 years ago and are still affected by it. That's how it's meant to work otherwise they wouldn't ask about convictions in the last 5 years.
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Just for clarity, I didn't cancel my policy - it was for ten months from the start. The effect was that my parking mistake (which wasn't helped - and I'm not making this up - by someone else having moved the wall I scraped the door against) haunted me for no more than the three or four years the insurer wanted to know about. Pretty sure the insurer was NU.
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Ok so would either of you suggest that I re-newed my policy as it is but after 6 months (When convicition date of 5 years is up) cancelling my insurance and changing my policy to get the cheaper rate?
It's an option, but check the cancellation penalties carefully.
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The DVLA disregard minor convictions after 4 years for totting up purposes etc however legally you still have to declare them for 5 years under the rehabilitaion of offenders act (Some motoring convictions involving prison sentances have a longer rehabilitation period).
If you do not declare these and the Insurers discover them (They can check with the DVLA) then they will either ask you to pay back dated additional premium to cover the conviction (The company you go with and ommit to declare may charge a lot more than the £500 difference of the cheaper company) or if they would not have accepted you as a client if they had known of the convictions they are entitled to Void the policy from inception and refund your premiums on the basis the contract is null and void. This could leave you to pay a claim at your own expense. In addition it would be on your record that you have had Insurance refused which then means most other companies will not insure you.
Have a shop around for the best deal including the convictions, it may be worth cancelling in September and starting a new policy when you do not need to declare the convictions but bear in mind if you do this Insurers normally have penalty charges for cancelling a policy so factor this into your calculations.
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If it asks for convictions within a period and you fail to declare them you commit another offence of making a false statement to obtain insurance. Answer the questions truthfully
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Yes I understand this and so I will ensure I tell the truth, thanks for helping me clear this up.
Only problem is I can't remember the exact date of my convictions as they are no longer on my license!
Guess I'll have to ask my previous insurer for the details I gave them originally...
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I agree with everyone who says you just have to tell the truth.
What puzzles me is why the poster got done for a licence offence if his mate was going to take a test in a couple of weeks. Mate would have been on a provisional and poster on a full.
Am I missing the point?
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I 'allowed' someone to drive my car without accordance of a licence, just like I aiding and abetted no insurance.
Plus I had no L plates on the car, I didn't realise car parks were considered part of the public highway at this point, but hey, I'd just turned 18.
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The Insurers will not mind if you are a few days out on the conviction date as long as you get the right month and year so they can charge the correct premium they will not object if you get the actual date slightly wrong. Although if you can put the correct date in its obviously better
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