Frequently Asked Questions
Below are frequently asked questions and answers about your insurance needs. You can also view our terms of business.
Q: Would I be better off remaining a named driver on my parents policy or getting my own policy? Short-term vs long-term?
It all depends on how often you're driving your parents car. If you are only driving it the odd time, then you'd be better off as a named driver on their policy. But if you take out a policy in your own name, then you will start to earn your own no claims bonus which will save you a lot after the first year. You might also be interested to know that if you are a named driver on your parents policy, then some insurers will give you a named driver discount for the number of full years you were named on their policy without any claims. This will stand to you when you take out your own policy.
Q: If I'm insured on my own car, can I drive another insured car?
There's no simple answer to this as it will vary from insurer to insurer and your own personal details such as your age, occupation or your type of licence. Some insurers may offer this cover as an optional extra, so it's worth checking out where you stand with your current insurer.
Q: Is having car insurance a necessity?
Yes, it's a legal requirement under the Road Traffic Act 1961 to have insurance for “your liabilities arising from the use of a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place. The minimum level of cover required is Third Party Only, which covers you solely for your liability to others in connection with the vehicle. Third party only cover does not provide cover for fire, theft or damage to your vehicle. For example, if you have a collision with another car, the insurer will pay for the damage to the other car but not to yours.
Q: Why do insurance companies automatically assume young drivers are bad drivers?
It may sometimes appear like that, but not all assume young drivers are bad drivers. As a general rule, insurers set their prices based on the claims experience of similar policies. Because young drivers have less experience on the roads, they have an overall worse claim experience than older drivers. There is some good news, however. When we set our prices, we take into account many factors other than just age. We reward you for the number of years you have held your licence, and also the number of years you have been driving. Your premium will also be reduced based on any claim free years as a named driver or as a policyholder.
Common Questions
Here you'll find a range of customer queries from the most common to the most obscure.
As well as discounts for having no previous claims, there are discounts available if you have an approved alarm system and if its monitored. Voluntary excess discounts are also available and may be of interest to you. Before renewal date we will compare prices over a wide range of insurers to get you the best home insurance quote.
Mortgage protection insurance, sometimes called decreasing term, costs less, as the policy is designed to cover the outstanding mortgage amount, and this amount would reduce over the term of the mortgage. However for what is usually a very small additional cost, level or convertible term may be available. Ask us how to save money on your mortgage protection insurance. You may be currently paying over the odds.
Simply call us and we will guide you through each step of the process. Our term have many years of experience and we will put that to good use for you.
Payments can be made at the office, or over the phone, we accept all major credit cards. Also we usually can arrange an instalment plan to spread the payments over a period of months.
If you unable to find the answer you seek please contact us and we will aim to respond to your email within 24 hours, although we usually respond much sooner.
