Common car insurance myths
Jason Barker • January 2, 2024
Every day, we have customers phoning up or coming in to see us, bewildered about things their insurance companies have told them. We endeavour to make sure everyone knows their rights when it comes to insurance issues, making for a stress-free repair process, should the worst happen.
- You must take your vehicle to a repair centre specified by your insurance company – False! Following an incident, your insurance company is likely to tell you that you must take your vehicle to one of their approved repair centres, regardless of the distance between your address and the garage itself! We’ve seen many customers sending their vehicles to towns and cities a substantial distance away from them for repair, when they didn’t need to!
In reality, it is your right to take your vehicle to any repair centre of your choosing. We always recommend doing your due diligence to select a reputable repair centre and staying local where possible – visit out blog ‘What are the benefits of using a local repairer?’ for further information. - Your insurance company will only repair your car with new and genuine parts – Not true! If you did decide to go with your insurance company’s recommended approved repairer, your insurer may have granted them the use of non-genuine and/or used parts. Whilst this may result in a lower repair cost, it may also compromise the safety of your vehicle.
It’s worth checking your insurance policy documents to see exactly what you’ve agreed to. - Personal car insurance covers business use – Many people are unaware that their insurance policy doesn’t cover them for business use in line with their job role. If you’re travelling to more than one place during a day for your job, you may need to purchase additional business coverage.
- Claiming on your insurance policy will always result in a significant increase in your premiums – Incorrect! We see so many customers here at CARS, and many are hesitant to claim on their insurance policies, even after major accidents! People tend to assume that making a claim will result in an extortionate rise in premium costs but in reality, the premium is likely to go up by a minimal amount, if at all. For example, we might estimate that it costs £2,500 to repair damage to your vehicle. It’s almost impossible for your insurance to go up by this amount. As a result, making a claim might be in your best interests.
- Your premium will automatically decrease each year
– Sadly, no. Many people assume that their insurance premium will go down on renewal each year. However, research has shown that insurance costs are on the rise – visit our blog ‘Is the cost of car insurance going up?’ for further information.
There are also many other reasons your premium may increase, such as change of address, change in vehicle or change in occupation, among others. We also encourage our customers to do their research before accepting the auto-renewal price supplied by their insurers, as there may be cheaper options available.
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Understand young driver excess and how it impacts your car insurance premiums. CARS of Grimsby offers expert advice to help new drivers make informed choices.
Many insurance companies use no-claims discount (NCD) to reward their drivers for not making a claim during a specified timeframe, usually a policy year. This, in turn, encourages sensible driving behaviour. For example, if four years pass by without a customer making a claim on their policy, they will have earned four years’ worth of no-claims discount. This discount usually results in a reduction in premium costs upon policy renewal. The discount will depend on the insurance company’s specific terms and the number of consecutive claim-free years. In some cases, there may be a maximum limit to the number of years of NCD that can be accumulated, and this should be checked with insurance companies on a case-by-case basis. Protected no-claims discount differs from standard no-claims discount in the way that an insurer may allow for more than one claim to be made before the discount is lost or reduced. A fee may be payable for this added layer of protection, commonly in the form of slightly higher premiums. We always encourage our customers to opt for the highest level of protection when it comes to their NCD. This will ensure that they have a greater level of cover if the worst happens. Always remember that if you’ve been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault, we have a method here at CARS which enables us to repair your car without impacting your NCD, even if it’s not protected. We also have various excess support options available to our customers. Call us on 01472 453622 for further information. Visit our blogs ‘ How do I choose the right insurance company for me? ’ and ‘ I’ve had an accident; do I have to pay my excess? ’ for further information.
A non-approved repairer excess is an additional sum that will be charged in the event that you do not use one of your insurer’s approved (preferred) garages when you make a claim. The non-approved repairer excess is commonly in the region of £250, and is charged on top of the compulsory and voluntary excess. Unfortunately, this additional excess is becoming more common and it’s increasingly difficult to find a policy without one. However, it’s important to remember that it is your right to take your vehicle to any repairer of your choice. Sometimes, a phone call with your insurer is enough for the additional excess to be removed but in more stubborn cases where your insurer is not willing to negotiate, we offer various excess support options to our customers to reduce the total amount payable. We feel that this is unfair, given that in most cases approved/ preferred repairers are allowed to fit second-hand or non-genuine parts. In comparison, here at CARS, we only use new and genuine parts. Additionally, we have an excess support package available to our customers, where the non-approved repairer excess may not be payable. If you need to make an insurance claim, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to see how we can help you.
CARS of Grimsby explain key fine print details in car insurance, from excess to non-genuine parts, helping you avoid hidden costs and protect your cover.
With the ever-increasing cost of living, we’re all on the hunt for ways to save money wherever we can. Car insurance costs have been on the rise for some time, especially for 17- to 24-year-olds. To ease these costs, it’s not uncommon for young drivers to add an older and more experienced driver, such as a parent or carer, to the policy. Listing the parent or carer on the policy as the main driver when they are not, is known as fronting and is illegal. Car insurance fronting is a type of insurance fraud and could result in a penalty such as points on your license, a fine or a driving ban. Unfortunately, fronting isn’t always detected by insurance companies. One of the main ways it could be discovered is when a claim is made, and an insurer identifies that the main driver has been disclosed incorrectly. This could result in them refusing to pay out for the claim, or they may even cancel the policy in full. You should always ensure that any information you disclose to an insurance company is correct. If you are a young driver and you’re looking at ways to lower your insurance costs, our blogs ‘ How can I reduce the cost of my car insurance as a young driver? ’ and ‘ What is black box car insurance? ’ may be useful for you. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for further advice.
Traffic sign recognition systems use camera technology to scan the road ahead for traffic signs. This then connects to image processing and recognition software which makes a note of any changes and potential obstructions, before relaying a signal to the vehicle’s interior control panel or dashboard. Whilst not a necessity, this is extremely useful when travelling in an unfamiliar area, or where you are unaware of the speed limit. Like other ADAS components, traffic sign recognition is not a replacement for human due diligence and attention.
Learn how blind spot detection works from CARS of Grimsby, your local independent accident repair centre. Stay safe with ADAS insights and driving tips.
Should I admit liability after an accident? When customers phone us after an accident, we always tell them never to admit liability in the first instance. Whilst you can try and predict how you’ll react after an accident, you’ll never really know for sure until it happens. It’s an extremely stress-provoking and emotional experience, so we always recommend taking as much information as possible from the scene and phoning CARS to find out what to do next. After the accident occurs, we recommend gathering the following information: Personal details and insurance policy information for all parties involved Personal details of any witnesses Details of all vehicles involved, including registration, make and model Date and time of the incident Images/ videos of all vehicles involved, with close ups of all damage where possible Images/ videos of any road markings Dash cam footage, where available A note of the weather conditions at the time of incident As above, we always recommend contacting CARS before your insurance company. This can help you to avoid any pitfalls, and ensure you receive accurate and non-biased advice, tailored to your individual circumstances. Remember, don’t apologise or admit responsibility for anything that has occurred until you are completely aware of what happened. This will protect you if the accident wasn’t your fault, and liability will be determined fairly via evidence provided. If you want to discuss an accident you’ve been involved in, regardless of whether you were at fault, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
