:rant:

Hi all! Well, its another insurance rant unfortunatly - however I dont think this one has been asked before. ..

I am registered disabled, and because of this was able to get a provisional licence a year earlier, and passed my test aged 16. Totally legal. Therefore, I will have had my licence for 2 years. I am now 18. And, after reading this, you will probably agree with me that at about problem number 2, one will start to wonder if its worth all the hastle with insurance...:(

Heres problem 1...

If I try to get an insurance quote online it doesnt let me complete the quote as I get something along the lines of (and this is what I got 5 mins ago),

Direct Line... "We have detected 1 error which needs to be rectified before progressing.

You cannot have held a licence for 2 years at age 18 "

Others do the same and as of yet I have not found a site which allows me to get a quote.

Problem number 2...

Because of this I have to phone up the insurance companys (thus loosing any online discounts!!) and get a quote that way. HOWEVER, the same problem occurs as the people at the call center have a similar error checking system in place - getting the same error!

So, I then have to convince someone (who can barely understand English) that it is possible and that they will have to speak to their supervisor to get it authorised on the system (which takes about 2 hours) and I then get a ridiculous quote.

Problem number 3...

I wanted a quote for me to be added on to my mothers policy, and so my mother phoned up and same fiasco as above. However, the supervisior said that he couldnt actually put me down as being a licence holder for 2 years aged 18 so he has to put me down as being a licence holder for only 1 year!!

So, the following questions I put to you, which have been annoying me for a fair while...

Surely this is not right to be able to not provide a facility for disabled drivers who passed their test aged 16 to get insurance?

Surely, if the supervisor put that I only had my licence for one year, I would be driving round with insurance which has false information, therefore where would I stand?

Also, does this mean that all this time, my insurance has had me down as having my licence for only a year because the system wouldnt accept me? And if so, I have been robbed of a years driving "experience" discount.

So, Im wondering if anyone can enlighten me to their thoughts?

And if there are any other drivers who passed aged 16 out there who have similar experiences or who have found an insurance company that is easier? (ie, English staff, or allowing the information to be entered).

Sorry if Ive bored anyone,

Mike Pembo

It sucks, simple. However, I dont think that putting yourself as driving for one year would invalidate any insurance...?

It sucks, simple. However, I dont think that putting yourself as driving for one year would invalidate any insurance...?

I wouldnt like to try and find out the hard way :P I will phone my current insurance company and ask them some questions to find out where I stand when the sun rises and is high in the sky.

Im new to driving to be honest so like I say, I dont know where I stand with all this lot, but thanks for the advice Tom.

Unfortunatly, tis now the witching hour and there is one hour till I can go onto the "wait for it...wait for it" 2am thread but I doubt I will make it till then.Zzz

Nite all you night owls..

Mike Pembo

Andy Ellis is an expert on such, methinks, so hopefully he might be able to help if he reads your post.

I can only suggest that you could perhaps go through a local insurance broker, who would probably know the best companies to go to in the first place.

Regards

Mo

The mainstream insurers generally cant be bothered with unusual cases. I got a job on an airfield and my policy said I wasnt covered on an airfield - not good if someone hit my car or I crashed on the 3 mile perimiter road on the way to the office.

I called DL asking if I was covered and whilst they said I was covered, they failed to send written confirmation.

Direct insewerers aren't interested in anything that seems "complicated" to them as a rule. Try Liverpool Victoria, performance specialists like Adrian Flux, or a local broker.

D'oh reread original post! I'd ask them to give you the online discounts as their system doesn't work. Most can issue them at their discretion

Chris

D'oh reread original post! I'd ask them to give you the online discounts as their system doesn't work. Most can issue them at their discretion

Chris

Yep, I agree it's worth asking for that.

I've not done it with insurance, but I have with other online purchases (travel related) where the web site can't cope. As a supervisor at the call centre usually has to get involved to override the system restrictions, they can usually do the discount too (I've not failed yet)

How is insurance done for motability cars/drivers? Would they be able to point you in the right direction?

For mainstream insurers, can't help with the age/experience problem but I've been with churchill for 2 years and I've always spoken to someone I can understand, who I presume is uk based. At least you'll be able to explain your situation properly.

Fish insurance in Preston specialise in insurance for disabled drivers regardless of age. Also insure adapts and attempt to suply an adapted hire car in the event of an accident. Look up cobra school of motoring on yell CR2 and give us a ring if you want to chat, Im around tonight (Friday) and most of the weekend.

Andy

Disability Drving Assessor

Fish insurance in Preston specialise in insurance for disabled drivers regardless of age. Also insure adapts and attempt to suply an adapted hire car in the event of an accident. Look up cobra school of motoring on yell CR2 and give us a ring if you want to chat, Im around tonight (Friday) and most of the weekend.

Andy

Disability Drving Assessor

Thank you Andy for your reply, Mo suggested that you would have a good answer

I will give them a try as its very annoying the way that these mainstream companies are acting, and if I get stuck with anything I will look you up in the good book:D

I think the use of data validation on the systems really should include a addition so that the insurers can allow this situation to not become a situation! Or at least the guys and gals that work there should have this included in their training that the situation can and will crop up.

Even some of the staff at the DVLA struggled to comprehend that their policy is to allow a 16 year old who recieves full mobility classification to have a provisional licence - and it took them 2 attempts to get this bit right

Anyway, rant over

Thank you everyone for you help & comments

Just as a side if you vehicle adapted and Im guessing it must be to get your license at 16 most mainstream companies treat your adapts as per a boy racer with all the kit and hike the preminmum, also they wont cover the cost of the adapts in the event of a claim........

Fish are very competative, the wifes fabia is arounfd