Had a phone call on Sunday from the local constabulary just before lunch / break time whilst at work delivering for Asda, with regards to my Zafira being in a collision, firstly I’m thinking it’s a wind up, then I’m thinking it’s some kind of scam until they tell me that it’s in the Asda car park in a multi car collision??? So I’m thinking someone’s foot slipped or similar and trashed a load of motors. They also want to know about the strange devises in my car ??? This I attribute to moisture catchers fixed in quality street sweety containers for stability. I get back there in an hour or so and once unloaded and reloaded, the buzz around the yard is about these ‘ collisions’ in the car park. I’m now chatting to our new boss who’s only just taken the reins two days previously and her car has also been involved! She tells me there’s still at least six police out there??? So I’m a bit more than intrigued now and March out there to see what’s happening. My car has been moved from it’s parking bay and is reversed out of its space and reversed down the road and side on into a blue Insignia a half a dozen cars down? The police tell me that my car was locked but now it’s not locked and ask me what has happened, I tell them that I was out delivering and this is the first I know of it. They tell me that my cars not insured, and I tell them it is, and they just say ok then, and tell us all that it’s now a civil matter etc etc etc The CCTV was useless, and I’m now thinking someone has tried to steal my car and got it out somehow and hit my new bosses car Skip past loads of things but it ‘ may’ be that I’ve not put the hand brake on, and it ‘ may’ be that I didn’t lock my car, and I’m guessing that’s possible but maybe not probable especially as it’s shown that I’m sixteen minutes early to clock in ? Don’t make real sense. We agree to let the insurance companies sort it out and my Mrs next day gets me a screen shot of my insurance details.This is where it goes really wrong. I’m not insured! My insurance for the last two years has had the wrong reg number, mine is EJ57HTF and the insurance is on a golf registered EJ57HFT, the last two letters are around the wrong way So my Mrs live chats them, masquerading as me and trying to get it sorted and from the sounds of it we are in the wrong for not checking the details once sent back. So she has paid to have the details changed to our Zafira. What do I do now? Do I just cough up for the repairs or do I get back on to the insurance company ‘One Call’ and run through what’s happened, if it hadn’t been for that accident or whatever it was, I’d still be driving around un insured. I was under the impression that I needed insurance to tax my car (twice) but apparently not nowadays. Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,any ideas on how to proceed, now it’s my day off?
I would suggest that you talk to your insurance company and ask why they have been taking your money for wrong information. If you have filled in the form correctly, make of car,registration number etc that may still be on record, ask them what they have on your account. I would have thought, if they had made a mistake (typo) it should be their responsibility, if you had then it could be yours. There is always the ombudsman to fall back on.
Gosh that’s a tricky one. Legally the onus is on you to check that your details are correct. Meltman has a point but so many things are automated today. Presumably your paperwork refers to the golf? Unfortunately I would expect that the insurance company will refute liability, I don’t think the Ombudsman would go against them if your paperwork refers to the golf. I would suggest that you would be entitled to a full refund of your premiums for the period in question. Contracts of insurance are based on Uberimae fideii ie you must show the utmost good faith , technically you haven’t breached this but they may raise this.
That’s where I was thinking of. There unfortunately is no paper trail as Mrs O, has done this all on line and masquerading again as me or doing it because I’ll be more inclined to leave it to the last minute or forget completely. I’d have thought there’d have been more information required than just a reg number for the description of the vehicle. But this was two years ago or at least eighteen months ago that we’d originally hooked up with this company. I’ll ring them after lunch to plead my case and see what can be done. If I get nowhere, then the ombudsman may be a brilliant shout. As I’m fully comp, I may actually be covered for third party things. Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,,just looking for ammo before I ring.
I have paperwork now, as in an insurance certificate, but this is the only thing my Mrs has printed off and this is after we’ve changed the details. I haven’t spoken to the insurance company yet and I’m putting it off until today when it’s my day off. So at minimum, the company may reimburse my premiums possibly? Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,any info might be good ammo
If they argue that you have not been insured then you have received no benefit under the terms of the contract. A mistake, probably a unilateral one ( ie your mistake) has been made and the legal position is that a court would so far as is possible put you both back in the position you were in at the point the contract was made ie. The contract would be null and void and you would be entitled to a full refund.
Here’s a screenshot of her screen, which does just show the reg until you scroll down to check all the actual details. As soon as you get past this bit, it says Volkswagen Golf. Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,, betterer eyesight might mean a bigger screen shot
Oh, that screen shot above is what I received when the penny dropped and I realised I was up that well known creek with limited propulsion. Honestly,,,, this sounds like a carry on movie. I had that on my mind for three days until I got to see our new manager and tell her about this. I’ve already agreed that I’ll pay for her repairs no matter what the insurance outcome is, but I still feel very awkward about it. Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,lunch in a bit then have a pho one with them.
Think your scuppered unfortunately. Try to discuss with them, as stated I don’t think you will have any success with the ombudsman. So refund may be the only possibility. You say that your car hit one other….your bosses insurers may try to claim off you. Gets a bit tricky then, technically as the owner of the car you have no liability purely as owner. They would have to prove negligence on you part ( eg. not applying handbrake etc ) I think that they may struggle given your details of when you parked it. edit. ……I see that you have agreed to pay for the damage….let’s hope it’s not too much
If they have been insuring a Zafira from your information, then the insurance company haven't been checking details at their end to see tha the reg and car make/model match up. I would question this (politley) and say that you have been fairly paying your insurance premium but both sidess have made an error and it should be wiped clean - you have NOT set out dishonestly to falsify anything or commit fraud.
Always worth a try , not sure about “the wipe clean bit” but presumably Ozzies wife mistyped the reg, probably then the golfs details came up and were ok’d . Inevitably there will have been a section requiring confirmation of the details. Post contract, almost certainly there will have been a communication from the insurers asking Oz to check all is in order. It’s an honest mistake by Oz but there is no obligation on the insurers. How would they have known Oz had a Zafira when probably all the information ( generated by the reg no ) the insurers had related to a golf ? It seems that only one party to the contract has made a mistake. Thankfully Oz hasn’t had a serious incident in the last 2 years otherwise that could have been disastrous.
^this, I'd think. Would've been several opportunities (and requirement) for the insured to check the policy details were correct.
O.k. Back from lunch, let’s try and give them a ring and see what’s what. My pal tells me that the insurers in principle have two main objectives. The first being to get money off of me, and the second is to not pay money out if at all possible. But that’s business I guess. Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,so here we go
He is very right. They don’t want to play nicely at all. Because my job is a van driver then my insurance would specifically not cover me for any other vehicle which would / maybe apply to the rest of the world. The under writers are now conferring with my insurer (on line broker) to work out how best to make sure I can’t claim anything at all. Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,, what a nice bunch
If the van was insured as a work vehicle (maybe I'm misunderstanding), then the insurance is unlikely to cover any other vehicle?
