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This is information you will required to know and should have to hand before picking up that phone or logging on to that
site for a quote.
This information affects your premiums and therefore you should never guess, as it may be costly
later on. Insurance companies have access to the Motor Insurance Database and the Claims Underwriting Exchange and is
unlikely that they will miss any information, or will discover it later. It is also common practice for insurance
companies to ask for proof of any or all of the following: driving licence; no claims bonus; proof of alarm/immobiliser fitment.
Also, if you make a claim, as part of the claim process, you may be asked to complete a DVLA mandate, allowing the insurer
to check your driving history. This will allow them to check all convictions in the last 5 years, even if they are no
longer on your licence!
There are three main catagories of car insurance: Third Party Only; Third Party, Fire & Theft; Comprehensive.
Third Party - This will not cover you for damage caused to your vehicle or theft of, or from your vehicle. You should
only really use this type of insurance if you are driving a low value car e.g. under 200.00 pounds
Third Party, Fire
and Theft - This will not cover your car in the event of an accident which is your fault, but will cover you if you car is
stolen or is burned out. It will also provide some stereo cover.
Comprehensive - This covers your car for accident,
fire, theft and malicious damage. It usually includes a better level of stereo cover and also windscreen cover.
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Car Details
You will be required to know the following information about your car. Most of this
information will be contained in the vehicle registration documents.
The person who will be the Registered
Owner and Keeper of the car.
The Make, Model and Designation of the car e.g. Ford, Escort, LX.
The Year and Letter of Registration e.g. 1995, N
The Engine/Cubic Capacity and the fuel type. e.g.
1795 c.c., Diesel
The Value or Purchase Price of the car.
Where will the car be kept?
e.g. garage.
Any Modifications to the Car, such as adding alloy wheels, altering the suspension, or adding
a body kit. If the modifications have altered the performance of the car you will need to supply an engineers report.
Driver Details
You will have to supply the following information about yourself
and any drivers you wish on your policy, even if they are only temporary drivers.
Full Name and Date of Birth
Sex and Marital Status.
Country of Birth, and if not the UK, how long they have been resident
in this country.
Their relationship to you, if any.
Any Occupations, including part-time
and voluntary work.
All Claims and Driving Convictions.
The purpose the vehicle will be
used for.
The expected annual milage.
Who will be the main user of the car.
Will any of the drivers have access to another vehicle?
Claims and Driving Convictions
Claims - You will have to notify all claims you, and any of your drivers have been involved in. This includes
both theft claims and any accidents, whether fault or non-fault and any claims which are pending or have not yet been notified
to your current insurer.
You will need to know:
The date of the incident
The
type of incident e.g. accident
The cause of incident e.g. Hit Third party in side
The amount
of any costs paid to you, and if applicable, to any third party.
Convictions - You will have to supply details
of ALL driving convictions, for yourself and any drivers on your policy, regardless of how long ago they occurred or are still
on your licence. If you have a S.P.35 (totting-up) conviction on your licence, you will be expected to provide details of
all convictions prior to the ban. This is the responsibility of the policyholder. Details can usually be obtained from the
convicting court.
The insurance company will require a copy of licences from all drivers on your policy, either
at the inception of the policy, or in the event of any claim made, so it important to get these details correct.
You
will need to know:
The date of the conviction
The conviction code
The amount
of any fine imposed(if any)
The length of any ban (if any)
No Claims
Bonus(NCB)
Also known as No Claims Discount(NCD). Basically, this is a discount given for claim-free driving
earned by the holder
of a car insurance policy. It cannot be earned by additional drivers on policy.
You
can get a discount of up to 65% depending on the number of years claim-free driving and the insurance company. For your NCB
to be valid it must meet the following criteria:
It must not be older than 2 years old.
It must
be supplied by the last insurer you were with.
It must be in your name.
A written statement
must be provided from the insurer to validate it.
NCB can, at the discretion of the insurance company,
be transferred, between a husband and wife, but only one of them can claim the discount. NCB cannot be split or apportioned
between cars or policies.
Some insurance companies will accept NCB from non-UK countries but if acceptable, you
will be required to translate this at your own cost. Check with the sales person that your NCB is definitley acceptable and
get it in writing if you are not sure.
If you have bought a second car, you may be able to get a discount equivalent
to your current level of NCB, called Second Car Bonus(SCB). You will have to supply a statement from your current insurance
company that you have X amount of NCB allocated to your policy with them.
If you have been driving a Company
Car, you may be able to claim a disount in lieu of NCB, called Company Car Bonus (CCB). You will need to supply a statement
from your employers, on company headed paper and signed by a director of the company that:
You are the sole driver
of the vehicle ( the discount does not apply to pool cars).
That you have X number of years claim-free driving.
Discounts
There are several types of discounts you can get. Below are the main ones, but you
ask what others you may be entitled to.
Pass Plus - Pass Plus is a motorway driving proficiency test (ask your
driving instructor for details). It is especially useful for young drivers with no NCB. You can obtain a discount of up
to 30% with some insurers. You need to pass this shortly before taking out your insurance.
Vehicle Security -
You can obtain discounts of up to 15% for upgrading the security of your car with an alarm/immobiliser. Usually the device
would have to be THATCHAM approved to qualify. This discount does not apply to devices fitted as standard to the vehicle.
You will need to provide a certificate of fitment/authenticity. Contact I.T.M on 0345 585541 for supply and supply/fit prices
or check out www.yell.com for fitters in your local area.
Occupation - if you have an occupation which supplies
a company car or works vehicle, make sure you mention this as you could avoid a loading on your policy.
Limited
Mileage - If you are a low mileage user and do less than 6000 miles per year, make sure you mention this. By restricting
your mileage, most insurers will give you a discount.
Lady Drivers Only - Lady drivers can get good discounts by
keeping the fellas off their insurance.
Drivers - try to avoid having an ANY driver policy. Restrict your policy
to as few people as possible and avoid young drivers wherever you can.
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