Just been getting some quotes today and used the reg number entry to get the car details. Most came up correctly, some came up with a model option for me to choose but some just assumed the smaller bhp of the 2 same capacity engine options. When I manually corrected that item the quote went up a good 30%!! I know there's the opportunity to correct the details later (if spotted) but better to get the quotes sorted. So if you use the reg.no. entry check the details the DB uses, especially engine type/bhp before signing up.

Edited 22 November, 201015 yr by icarusi@hotmail

Thats nothing. According to some insurance DB's my wifes Fabia TSi 1.2 is in fact an Octavia VRs !! The DVLA confirmed that it hadn't grown when I wasn't looking and that it indeed is a Fabia.

I thought all insurance companies used the same database and I spoke to a broker about this. The Fabia was correctly identified on his system, but he said that insurance comapnies use all sorts of DB's and systems which can give different answers.

A couple of years ago my wifes premium almost trebled at renewal. When I challenged it, it turned out that an accident one of my children had been involved in (with their own car) had been flagged against my wife's record because he lived at the same address and has the same first initial. (The fact that there is a 30 year age difference, not to mention a sex difference was overlooked).

So you are right - keep an eye on what the insurance companies records say as they can be wrong - and it could cost you.

Edited 22 November, 201015 yr by Minimoke

Seconded. My old Fabia came up as the right engine size, but the wrong trim and as an automatic. :S

My Punto didn't show up at all, which was even worse (NI import).

I owned a Citroen some years ago that had been registered with the DVLA as the wrong version from day one by the original dealer. Was a right pain when getting insurance quotes as it came up every time without fail as the wrong engine (1.9D rather than 1.9TD, which made it two groups higher) and I had to explain to each broker that they had the wrong details.

Eventually I wrote to the DVLA and persuaded them to amend it on the V5, but it took years to filter through onto insurance companies databases as the correct version.