Car insurance marital status updating time frame?

[nicholab]

Does anyone know what seen as acceptable in updating your car insurance with with your new marital status? I am on my fiancé insurance as I named driver and she is on mine we both live at separate address? When we get married we will be at the same address with both cars. Edited April 14, 2019 by nicholab

[Jamman960]

I wouldn’t worry too much about the change of marital status but the change of address would need notifying ASAP

 

You’ll want to get hold of an official copy(don’t send original) or more of your wedding certificate in order for your other half to change her name with them and other companies

[Fazza]

They will happily take your money without you telling them of any changes, try and make a claim though and they'll tell you that your insurance is null and void as you wont have updated them. Tell them ASAP.

[nicholab]

What ASAP after honeymoon or before hand?

[Fazza]

What ASAP after honeymoon or before hand?

 

As soon as you get back off of honeymoon or before you next drive your vehicles after getting married as you never know when an idiot driver will pull out in front of you causing you to crash.

 

If in doubt, give your insurance company a call and ask them, also ask for confirmation in an email to you and a reference number for the call.

[jinnantonnixx]

They will happily take your money without you telling them of any changes, try and make a claim though and they'll tell you that your insurance is null and void as you wont have updated them. Tell them ASAP.

 

^^^ This.

 

Insurance companies will find any excuse to redact a claim. Any excuse. As soon as your circumstances change, update your insurance.

[HarryMonkey]

Insurance Person: Yes sir, we can change all of those details for you, oh did we also mention that there will be a £15 admin fee?

[Fazza]

Insurance Person: Yes sir, we can change all of those details for you, oh did we also mention that there will be a £15 admin fee?

 

No increase or decrease in premium as well?

 

A colleague had to change some details on his car insurance and it went down by 10p but had to pay a £25 admin fee so £15 is quite reasonable!

[jmak]

Usually being married reduces your premium (does that mean you're considered more boring? Or care more about living? Or become more scared of telling your partner you've pranged the car?)

 

But last time I had to change a policy, they charged £26. Annoying, but when I was involved in call centres, we worked on the basis of each telephone interaction costing £30 (salary + on costs) and that was over 12 years ago. (It was the basis of the business case for spending money on getting it right more of the time and investing in online self service.)

[HarryMonkey]

When I wanted to add my partner to my policy, it was going to be an extra £12/month plus a £15 admin fee. If I change it all online (which is quite simple), I still have to pay the damned admin fee ... Why? I've done all the work for you!!! What admin is there that I haven't done?

[chelleb]

Curious about what can and can't be charged. Daughter just called her insurance company and they have told her that it's mandatory that she changes her marital status - but they want £95 to do that!!! That's a whole months premium an she only has 2mth left to run on her policy.

[Ditto]

Curious about what can and can't be charged. Daughter just called her insurance company and they have told her that it's mandatory that she changes her marital status - but they want £95 to do that!!! That's a whole months premium an she only has 2mth left to run on her policy.

 

Is this through a broker or direct with the insurance company? There was a thread earlier this week about exorbitant admin fees for policy changes/cancellations - the sooner the industry clamps down on these sharks, the better. As an aside, is the SIL on the policy or being added? Personally, I'd keep quiet and let the policy get to renewal date - there's a small risk if you have a claim they might be awkward, but I don't believe they can invalidate the insurance in spite of popular belief. They could charge retrospectively at the point of claim though.

[HPlum78]

You need to tell em, as soon as that ring hits her finger and before the ink drys on the register. Else they are going to take your house and dog off you and charge you for the pleasure. :-p

[Ditto]

You need to tell em, as soon as that ring hits her finger and before the ink drys on the register. Else they are going to take your house and dog off you and charge you for the pleasure. :-p

....and that's the a fraction of the issues that are going to hit you . More seriously, here's an example of an insurer taking a pragmatic approach https://www.ageas.co.uk/solved/understanding-insurance/what-life-changes-do-i-need-to-tell-my-insurer-about/. Unfortunately I don't think I could find a broker with similar attitude.

[Davit2005]

Curious about what can and can't be charged. Daughter just called her insurance company and they have told her that it's mandatory that she changes her marital status - but they want £95 to do that!!! That's a whole months premium an she only has 2mth left to run on her policy.

 

Phone them up threatening to cancel the policy and see what they do. They might just well back off to keep you at renewal, then at renewal still shop around and don't take your current insurers renewal fee without first speaking to them to get it reduced.

 

18 months back I had a lease car delivered 1 month early so had 2 cars. My current insurer only charged me £70 quid to have my current car a temp policy and create a new policy for the new car, no admin charge. Since changed insurers as the price kept on going up even though NCB was accruing and hadn't made a claim.

[MatthewL]

My insurance company recommends you do changes online then you don't incur the admin fee and just pay any differences the changes make.

[Andrew_C]

Personally, I'd keep quiet and let the policy get to renewal date - there's a _significant _ risk

they'll wash their hands of you, and you will get done for driving without insurance.

 

Yeah, all in all NOT A GOOD IDEA.

 

Remember - these weasels exist to make money for shareholders, NOT to protect you.

[HPlum78]

Most of the time you will still be covered but will be third party only and you will be in a position where you are having to answer yes to the question of having ever been declined car insurance in the past, just get it updated. Thirty pound is far cheaper than the other options!

[jmak]

^^ This

 

I made a mistake on a form once and the insurance company spotted the discrepancy. They cancelled my policy immediately and warned that I would have to declare that I had been refused insurance.

 

I had to get specialist insurance which put my policy up from £300 to £1200 and had to get a taxi to work and back as I couldn't risk driving without insurance.

 

That was 10 years ago and I still have to declare it every year.

[Ditto]

they'll wash their hands of you, and you will get done for driving without insurance.

 

Yeah, all in all NOT A GOOD IDEA.

 

Remember - these weasels exist to make money for shareholders, NOT to protect you.

There are other perspectives. Ageas are a big insurer. See "Tying the knot".

https://www.ageas.co.uk/solved/understanding-insurance/what-life-changes-do-i-need-to-tell-my-insurer-about/. This unequivocally says for the change the OP is referring to, it is fine to wait until renewal. What I said issis what I would have done, I'm not recommending anyone does the same if they are not happy to do so, but my decision for me is based on first hand experience from working in the direct insurance industry. Most insurers are not "weasels", they provide an essential service. Sure, they need to make a profit, unless they are a mutual. Bankrupt ones don't provide very good cover. Excessive admin charges don't do their image any good, but I think the brokers are often more guilty here. Back to the OPs point, I don't think this is an option now as you have already been in touch.

 

 

*** EDIT - I would add however the address change is an important one to notify once it happens, so you're sort of left with little option this time ***

Edited August 28, 2020 by Ditto

[Ditto]

On fees, challenging them as unfair is an option - see https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2015/05/the-devil-is-in-the-details-insurers-charge-huge-fees-for-simple-changes/

[LukeRowberry]

We were in a similar situation with big admin fees for a name change with only a few months left on the insurance. We renewed early to avoid the admin fee and then had a 14 month policy.