No claim bonus expiry after 2 years nuisance

newbee78

Hi folks,

Would like to share with you my disappointment with current motor insurance practices and maybe some of you gone through similar road in the past and have some thoughtful advise on what to do here.
Anyways, here is the story: back in 2009 I had 6+ NCB. In Sept 2009 I went to college and declared the car off the road, its been parked at my house driveway since then. On the mean time I was a named driver on my sisters car for 2 years until Sept 2013.

Just recently I got an internship offer which would require me to travel to work, so I am trying to get the car back on the road. Rang couple of insurance companies, Liberty (who was my insurer in 2009), FBD, Liberty and brokers (123.ie, chill.ie).
First and most annoying problem is that I was told that my NCB expires after 2 years, so its no longer valid. I have to say that it takes a good bit of money to get to 6+ NCB to have this good record, so I naively thought it stays with the insured person, but I thought wrong, its insurance companies we are talking about - they like when you pay your premium and claim nothing back, an ideal customer business-wise.

Long story short, the quotes I am getting now are 3 times higher to what I was paying back in 2009 because my NCB expired and I am rated in hi risk area for them or something like that. I can't even insure my car at the mo, because its Jap import, Honda Integra (not a Type R), although I was able to get reasonable quote to drive this car back in 2009, it cost me €620 with Liberty. I've got hypothetical quote for Nissan Micra 1.0 L TPT at €1165. I personally finding it way too high proving the fact I hold full Irish license for the last 9 years, have 7 consecutive years of driving experience with intact NCB at the end, but after a cover gap as it was pointed out to me, conveniently to insurers, won't stand for me.

Is there any way around that ? Anyone ? Personally, I find this practice of NCB exipry after 2 years as a rigidly one sided avenue for insurers to rip off ppl. I simply don't believe that one may loose their ability to drive after 3/4 years and be treated as a newcomer to a market (btw, my first insurance was a nuisance at 3,5 grand on TPT driving old toyota corolla worth € 400).

It all sounds to me as they want to take me for a money racket once again and I am sure there are plenty of ppl like me. What you reckon folks ? Is there an avenue to get a fairer treatment rather then starting from the scratch. Sorry for ranting here, but had to get it out of my system as feeling really annoyed with these practices...Thanks in advance for any constructive suggestions...

beauf

Well it is a racket. No argument there.

Do some companies give you a discount for being a named driver?

Bepolite

Complain to the ombudsman but it's a non-starter (excuse the pun). My brother in-law was successful in forcing the AA to recognise his NCB after a similar situation but they had told him it was fine and issued a quote.

Have you tried a specialist insurance broker? First insurance on my car had a €3000 excess, for my exceptionally sporty Fiat 500

amkin25

I started a thread on a similiar issue,but i think you being a named driver for that period has saved you literally thousands to be honest,i have been priced off the road and hense priced out of work for this exact reason,me with almost 10 years ncb and full licence,it just seems to be an avenue the companies are able to use to exploit a certain market.
Although i was totally off the road for a couple of years and you being a named driver gives you something i didn't have but to me the different companies seemed to be in perfect harmony on prices give or take a 100.
Sorry that's not very constructive for your situation but good luck in doing better than me,i think being a named driver for the period gives you a lot more hope than me.

Foxhole Norman

Aviva should give you quite a reasonable quote on an Integra with your history, even with just the named NCD.

corktina

how did you declare the car off the road in 2009?

I would go to them and tell them that you have been continuously insured on your sister's policy since cancelling your own..would this not keep your NCB alive ?

.perhaps get a good broker.

stimpson

My missus went through Glennons last year after selling her own car 4 years earlier. They mirrored her NCB as she had been a named driver on my car for the time. She pays less than I do!

djimi

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Aviva should give you quite a reasonable quote on an Integra with your history, even with just the named NCD.

Worth a try but my experience is that Aviva have no interest in touching Japanese imports.

beauf

Might be cheaper to pick up a banger for the year to drop the insurance

Foxhole Norman

djimi wrote: »

Worth a try but my experience is that Aviva have no interest in touching Japanese imports.

My brother has his civic with them for the last 2 years, mind you it is still only a 1.3.

sebastianlieken

I asked my insurer here in the north this question.

They said NCB is valid for two years if I change insurers.

Or valid for three years if I return to them.

Have you tried ringing your original insurance company with whome you accrued the 6 years NCB?

djimi

sebastianlieken wrote: »

I asked my insurer here in the north this question.

They said NCB is valid for two years if I change insurers.

Or valid for three years if I return to them.

Have you tried ringing your original insurance company with whome you accrued the 6 years NCB?

The OP has been off insurance for the guts of 5 years; Im not sure even their original insurer will be able to help, although it is of course worth a phone call.

newbee78

beauf wrote: »

Well it is a racket. No argument there.

Do some companies give you a discount for being a named driver?

Yes, the quote I've got for Nissan Micra takes into consideration named driving experience, however, I haven't got full 2 years on named driving experience, its only 1 year and 10 month so they count it as 1 year. It is still way too high I reckon. IIF & III are absolutely on insurer's side in it, working in collusion....

newbee78

amkin25 wrote: »

I started a thread on a similiar issue,but i think you being a named driver for that period has saved you literally thousands to be honest,i have been priced off the road and hense priced out of work for this exact reason,me with almost 10 years ncb and full licence,it just seems to be an avenue the companies are able to use to exploit a certain market.
Although i was totally off the road for a couple of years and you being a named driver gives you something i didn't have but to me the different companies seemed to be in perfect harmony on prices give or take a 100.
Sorry that's not very constructive for your situation but good luck in doing better than me,i think being a named driver for the period gives you a lot more hope than me.

I hear you, and yes, you are right, different insurers give similar quotes +/- few hundreds, my named driving experience is under 2 years, 1 and 10 month, but they conveniently count it as 1 year, so discount is minimal, as i said the quote I've got Nissan Micra 1.0 L is a joke. What is the point of building this so called NCB, protect it and so on, if you can't keep it. It is a scam. I am going to take this issue to a broader public arena, ppl should start discussing it, its the only way to do something about it.

newbee78

corktina wrote: »

how did you declare the car off the road in 2009?

I would go to them and tell them that you have been continuously insured on your sister's policy since cancelling your own..would this not keep your NCB alive ?

.perhaps get a good broker.

I was only insured on my sisters policy for 1 year and 10 month, so they count it as 1 year. Being named driver on her policy would not keep my NCB alive unfortunately, the only way is to complain, start gathering ppl with similar situation as mine and try to do something about it as a group I think...

Henry Ford III

How long should a NCB last then? 3 years, 5 years, or longer?

djimi

newbee78 wrote: »

I hear you, and yes, you are right, different insurers give similar quotes +/- few hundreds, my named driving experience is under 2 years, 1 and 10 month, but they conveniently count it as 1 year, so discount is minimal, as i said the quote I've got Nissan Micra 1.0 L is a joke. What is the point of building this so called NCB, protect it and so on, if you can't keep it. It is a scam. I am going to take this issue to a broader public arena, ppl should start discussing it, its the only way to do something about it.

Its not a scam though, at all. You havent held a policy in nearly 5 years; its a bit rich to expect a NCB to last indefinitely. Named driver experience means next to nothing; for all they know you havent sat behind the wheel of a car in over 4 years.

newbee78

sebastianlieken wrote: »

I asked my insurer here in the north this question.

They said NCB is valid for two years if I change insurers.

Or valid for three years if I return to them.

Have you tried ringing your original insurance company with whome you accrued the 6 years NCB?

Thanks bro for advise, I did, but its been more then 3 years now, so I was told it did expire...

Zoney

Try 25plus.ie if over 25? Found it better than alternatives with little driving history.

oldyouth

Why should 1 year 10 months named driver experience be treated as 2 years?

Del2005

newbee78 wrote: »

I was only insured on my sisters policy for 1 year and 10 month, so they count it as 1 year. Being named driver on her policy would not keep my NCB alive unfortunately, the only way is to complain, start gathering ppl with similar situation as mine and try to do something about it as a group I think...

Since there's no legal basis for NCDs, they are a marketing gimic from insurance companies, how do you think you have a right to decide how long they are valid. The insurance industry could come out tomorrow and say that we are removing NCD from our policies and you can't do anything either. They allow you a discount if you don't make claims on a policy and they keep it active for 2 years.

As asked, how long do you think a discount for not making a claim on a policy should last when you don't have a policy not to claim from? Going to the extreme of your thinking then a first time policy should have full NCD as the person has never claimed on a policy that they had.

newbee78

stimpson wrote: »

My missus went through Glennons last year after selling her own car 4 years earlier. They mirrored her NCB as she had been a named driver on my car for the time. She pays less than I do!

Thanks for advise, will try them guys out...

newbee78

djimi wrote: »

Its not a scam though, at all. You havent held a policy in nearly 5 years; its a bit rich to expect a NCB to last indefinitely. Named driver experience means next to nothing; for all they know you havent sat behind the wheel of a car in over 4 years.

Are you protecting shady practices of insurers here, hope you are not the 1 who works for these scammers...

newbee78

Del2005 wrote: »

Since there's no legal basis for NCDs, they are a marketing gimic from insurance companies, how do you think you have a right to decide how long they are valid. The insurance industry could come out tomorrow and say that we are removing NCD from our policies and you can't do anything either. They allow you a discount if you don't make claims on a policy and they keep it active for 2 years.

As asked, how long do you think a discount for not making a claim on a policy should last when you don't have a policy not to claim from? Going to the extreme of your thinking then a first time policy should have full NCD as the person has never claimed on a policy that they had.

No point going to argument here, not sure which side are choosing and whom are you exactly working for ??? But 1 thing you are right, NCB is a scam in a way. You say insurance industry may 1 day decide and remove NCB. What happens the next day is riots outside IIF and III and people refuse to pay insurance all together because this whole market is rigged fom the very top, starting with government... I will leave it there pal...

djimi

newbee78 wrote: »

Are you protecting shady practices of insurers here, hope you are not the 1 who works for these scammers...

Predictable response... :rolleyes:

I ask again, how long do you think a NCB bonus should last? Its nearly 5 years since you held a policy. Do you think it should remain indefinitely?

newbee78

djimi wrote: »

Predictable response... :rolleyes:

I ask again, how long do you think a NCB bonus should last? Its nearly 5 years since you held a policy. Do you think it should remain indefinitely?

I personally think it should be honored indefinitely as it takes a good bit of money to get to that point. Why someone who's abroad or under other circumstances decided not to drive the car for a while and has a reasonable explanation for it, why should that person be a subject to exacerbated premiums simply because of "a gap in cover". Once you learn how to drive a bicycle, the skill remains with you for life - same principle remains with a car, if you are a careful and diligent driver, that should work in your favor. Hope that explains the point...

djimi

newbee78 wrote: »

I personally think it should be honored indefinitely as it takes a good bit of money to get to that point. Why someone who's abroad or under other circumstances decided not to drive the car for a while and has a reasonable explanation for it, why should that person be a subject to exacerbated premiums simply because of "a gap in cover". Once you learn how to drive a bicycle, the skill remains with you for life - same principle remains with a car, if you are a careful and diligent driver, that should work in your favor. Hope that explains the point...

Its not that simple though. As far as your insurer is concerned, you havent driven a car regularly in nearly five years. This has to place you as a higher risk than someone who has been driving continuously with no claims.

Im not saying that I disagree with you entirely; I think 2 years is probably too short a period of time. But to me its entirely unrealistic to expect that a NCB would last indefinitely. Does any country in the world have a system of insuance where a NCB does not expire?

challengemaster

newbee78 wrote: »

Once you learn how to drive a bicycle, the skill remains with you for life

You may still know the mechanics of how to drive, but if you haven't been on the roads in regular traffic in 5 years, you can be damn sure your awareness won't be the same as someone who has.

beauf

challengemaster wrote: »

You may still know the mechanics of how to drive, but if you haven't been on the roads in regular traffic in 5 years, you can be damn sure your awareness won't be the same as someone who has.

Its a valid point. But considering insurance companies quotes can vary enormously, even from the same company. I think we can assume that a significant part of their pricing is not based on risk assessment.

If the industry had a system for reducing excess, where people do a refresher course, after being off insurance for a while, in order to improve safety we might be a little less cynical.

That said I don't think you can be 5yrs away from driving and not expect to pay an increased premium.

ProudDUB

I agree that the two years is unfair. It takes you far more than 2 years to accumulate a full NCB, so to take it away from you after a couple of years is very unfair. I do think that if you have been not driving at all for something like 5 years, you should expect to pay more than someone who has been driving claim free for all that time.

But it is a bit mad to charge someone who has been off the roads for a few years, the exact same as someone who is starting their first policy for the first time. It is even madder if they had several years of claim free driving, when they did have insurance. There should be some sort of middle ground to accommodate people, especially if they were driving abroad & they can prove that they were claim free in that other country.

Cindianfod60

Hi
I am in same position to this driver,loss of NCB due to car off road over 2 years, but under 3 year. I have spent two full frustrating and upsetting days, lookig for insurance cover, thinking there was no hope. I actually got one quote of 3,200 !!! I cannot afford this so I declined the offer. Thank God I did.., in hindsight, because at the very closing hour of the 2nd day I got insurance cover for €875 - and they accept payment of a deposit of 275 and instalments over x9 Mrs of €75 approx..
From <snip>. Very friendly and helpful.