Insurance Question- Am I right?
Discussion
Hi,
My car tax is due, and I telephoned my insuarnce company because I could not find my Certificate of Insuarnce.
I phoned my insurace company, and they said
"Oh no, you only recieve it when all the payments have been recieved".
they sent me another cover note, but this was rejected by the Post Office- they need the Certificate.
Also, a temporary cover note is going to be useless if I ever need to prove my insurance- I can only prove temporary cover at the moment.
They still won't give me a certificate.
Is this legal? is this right? Can I demand my certificate?
I cannot get tax without it, and as I have never had this problem before, I cannot imaging the excuse holding water in court.
Any ideas??
My car tax is due, and I telephoned my insuarnce company because I could not find my Certificate of Insuarnce.
I phoned my insurace company, and they said
"Oh no, you only recieve it when all the payments have been recieved".
they sent me another cover note, but this was rejected by the Post Office- they need the Certificate.
Also, a temporary cover note is going to be useless if I ever need to prove my insurance- I can only prove temporary cover at the moment.
They still won't give me a certificate.
Is this legal? is this right? Can I demand my certificate?
I cannot get tax without it, and as I have never had this problem before, I cannot imaging the excuse holding water in court.
Any ideas??
Not sure on that one as you would also need an insurance certificate for a producer. I've never paid insurance by the month so not sure about this but like you I think its sounds fishy. In theory they would never send out a certificate as you would only finish when you were looking to renew (ie 12 months down the line).
A cover note has always been acceptable at the post office in my experience..
After all, what do you do if you buy the car on the day and need to tax it there & then?
If you've been to a high-street broker, you have a printed cover note, or as happens with when you buy from some dealers, the insurance company sends a cover note to the dealer, who will tax the car for you.
Or has that all changed for some reason? Probably a misguided attempt by the snivel servants to prevent fraud/avoidance of insurance or road tax, which only ends up hurting those of us who deign to bother with such garnishes. Same with SORN, AFAICS.
edit: Furthermore, what about my S2, whose tax runs out at the end of this month and which is temporarily covered as an addition to my existing policy?
After all, it's legally insured and roadworthy, with MOT etc, but if I can't buy road tax against a temporary insurance document, then it has to stay in the garage...
It surely cannot be true - sounds like an officious cretin in your post office to me..
>> Edited by CarZee on Monday 16th September 23:01
It's standard practice for companies not to release a full certificate until they've got their hands on the full price of the cover.
A cover note has always sufficed when I've taxed my cars. They won't accept faxed or photocopied notes, but an original cover note should indicate the period of cover the note gives you, which proves you're insured at the time you try to tax the car. If I remember rightly, they also say how long the insurance will run once you've got the full policy document?
May be worth trying a different post office? Or insisting on speaking to the manager at the one you've already tried? Sounds like a jobsworth at work...
Edit: Can't see why a cover note shouldn't be sufficient if you're asked to produce your docs down at the station. The car's insured - that's all they need to know. They can always call your insurers if they want more details!
>> Edited by SGirl on Monday 16th September 23:05
A cover note has always sufficed when I've taxed my cars. They won't accept faxed or photocopied notes, but an original cover note should indicate the period of cover the note gives you, which proves you're insured at the time you try to tax the car. If I remember rightly, they also say how long the insurance will run once you've got the full policy document?
May be worth trying a different post office? Or insisting on speaking to the manager at the one you've already tried? Sounds like a jobsworth at work...
Edit: Can't see why a cover note shouldn't be sufficient if you're asked to produce your docs down at the station. The car's insured - that's all they need to know. They can always call your insurers if they want more details!
>> Edited by SGirl on Monday 16th September 23:05
A cover note is a short period certificate and is just as valid as the annual certificate for its 30 or 60 day duration.. full stop .. end of story..
With regard to the withholding cert bit if youre paying by monthly direct debit to the insurer than you should get the cert soon after your bank pays the 1st payment. However if you have arranged an annual policy but maybe paid with couple post dated cheques to your broker he'll often hold on to the certificate untill all have cleared because if one bounced the insurance company would still demand full payment from him unless the cert could be returned.
>> Edited by moreymach on Monday 16th September 23:30
With regard to the withholding cert bit if youre paying by monthly direct debit to the insurer than you should get the cert soon after your bank pays the 1st payment. However if you have arranged an annual policy but maybe paid with couple post dated cheques to your broker he'll often hold on to the certificate untill all have cleared because if one bounced the insurance company would still demand full payment from him unless the cert could be returned.
>> Edited by moreymach on Monday 16th September 23:30
I pay for my cover with Privilege by monthly installments. I always get a full certificate. If you cancel they ask for it back.
Sure it's not a broker stringing you along? Have they really insured the car or would they just do it when you try to claim. Can you contact the insurance compay direct?
Sure it's not a broker stringing you along? Have they really insured the car or would they just do it when you try to claim. Can you contact the insurance compay direct?
All my cars have initially been taxed against a cover note only and in most instances this has been a faxed version due to the time delays involved.
It has never been a problem. Methinks that you have had a novice post office worker or jobsworth as previously mentioned.
Try the manager at the same branch or a different one as it seems they are the ones at fault IMHO.
It has never been a problem. Methinks that you have had a novice post office worker or jobsworth as previously mentioned.
Try the manager at the same branch or a different one as it seems they are the ones at fault IMHO.
Cover notes are legal tender both at the post office and at the nick provided they are within the relevant dates that you are required to produce them.
You should get a full certificate even if you are paying in instalments. Phone the underwriters of the policy and ask them why you are not being given the full document.
You should get a full certificate even if you are paying in instalments. Phone the underwriters of the policy and ask them why you are not being given the full document.
quote:
I pay for my cover with Privilege by monthly installments. I always get a full certificate. If you cancel they ask for it back.
Snap. Always get a full cert. from Priv.
Also, never had a problem taxing on a cover note.
A silmilar situation would be if your tax runs out a month before your insurance (or even a day before your MOT!) - they won't refuse to re-tax you then, so why not on a cover note?
Are you sure it was a pukka cover note and not just the schedule?
quote:
I pay for my cover with Privilege by monthly installments. I always get a full certificate. If you cancel they ask for it back.
Sure it's not a broker stringing you along? Have they really insured the car or would they just do it when you try to claim. Can you contact the insurance compay direct?
This is a fair point Ted. I've experienced this with Brokers from the other end where they haven't declared premium to us until a claim is made, and kept it if not.
The certificate should be sent regardless of instalments and I would ring the company to check.
>> Edited by Basil Brush on Tuesday 17th September 10:46
This is a fair point Ted. I've experienced this with Brokers from the other end where they haven't declared premium to us until a claim is made, and kept it if not.
>> Edited by Basil Brush on Tuesday 17th September 10:46
Very unlikely these days as most covernotes or certificates are generated by a brokers quoting system with the client details automatically transmitted to the insurer for policy issue whereupon the brokers account is debited with the premium. Those that are still hand written come from covernote books which have to be returned when empty to the issuing insurer for audit.
quote:
Very unlikely these days as most covernotes or certificates are generated by a brokers quoting system with the client details automatically transmitted to the insurer for policy issue whereupon the brokers account is debited with the premium. Those that are still hand written come from covernote books which have to be returned when empty to the issuing insurer for audit.
I don't know too much about motor. The lines we deal with aren't quite this high-tech so does happen from time to time.
Well, I they finally agreed to send me a certificate (and the other cover notes from June to present) however they insist I return the certificate.
If I don't, I wonder if they will threaten to cancel my insurance?????????????????
Still, the car will be taxed tommorow and The Porsche will be ready to take my girlfriend out for a drink.
And its ready just in time for autumn...
(The car, not the girl. She's ready anytime!!
)
If I don't, I wonder if they will threaten to cancel my insurance?????????????????
Still, the car will be taxed tommorow and The Porsche will be ready to take my girlfriend out for a drink.
And its ready just in time for autumn...
(The car, not the girl. She's ready anytime!!
)Willamp, good that you got the insurance and road tax sorted.
I may be wrong on this but when applying for road tax doesn't a cover note have to specifically apply to the car; ie refer to the reg mark of the car. Otherwise, the insurance policy to which the cover note refers may not apply to the vehicle being taxed.
Mike
I may be wrong on this but when applying for road tax doesn't a cover note have to specifically apply to the car; ie refer to the reg mark of the car. Otherwise, the insurance policy to which the cover note refers may not apply to the vehicle being taxed.
Mike
quote:
I may be wrong on this but when applying for road tax doesn't a cover note have to specifically apply to the car; ie refer to the reg mark of the car. Otherwise, the insurance policy to which the cover note refers may not apply to the vehicle being taxed.
Nearly right;
A Certificate of Motor Insurance has to have several things on it to make it valid - name and address of the policyholder, uses covered, exclusions (normally races, rallies, competitions, and trials) persons entitled to drive, signature (can be in facsimile) of the Chairman of the issuing insurance company to name a few. It also has to have a 'descrption' of the vehicle insured. Normally this is the reg index, but can it be a chassis number/VIN or anything else that uniquely identifies the vehicle insured. Gassing Station | General Gassing [Archive] | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff