Not A A Happy Bunny!

[Caran]

Had a letter today from Lloyds motor insurance. Thanking me for updating them on a recent claim. They are increasing my policy by another £105.
I phoned and told them I haven't made a claim. They say it was September last year.it turns out OH was driving his car and he slightly touched a car in Lidls car park. There was not much damage at all. He polished ours out.
Apparently the driver claimed £2100 off his insurance.
It seems so unfair it was his car he was driving yet I get penalised on my car because he was a named driver on my policy.
How can someone claim so much for a tiny scrape. If I want to cancel the policy it will cost me £55.

[Mamyalynne]

There's not much that seems fair about car insurance sadly Caran.

[TonyV]

Did he not take any pics then?

[ummmm]

It's not so simple. Scrape a car and it has to be blended in. That takes time and money.

[Caran]

No he didn't take any photos. It seemed so trivia at the time. But the point is it was in his car not mine, and I am being penalised for it.

[TonyV]

Do you have joint policy Caran?

[klazomaniac]

//named driver on my policy//

So it will be that policy that gets penalised for any claim.
It's how the system works.
The only way to avoid it, is to have separate policies.

Then that costs more for two premiums.
You have to go with what you think is the best option.

[Caran]

I insure my car, he is a named driver on the policy.
He insures is car and I am a named driver on his policy.

[klazomaniac]

Then that doesn't sound right, if you both have independent policies.
The claim should come from his policy without affecting you.

[klazomaniac]

Re-reading what you have put in OP.
I guess they now see him as a poor driver with the potential to claim again (whether on his own policy or yours)
Hence a possible reason that they are penalising you.

[Caran]

That was what I thought so I phoned them. They were adamant that I had to pay the extra cost as his insurance has gone up and as he is a named driver my cost for him will go up too.
It doesn't seem right at all.
And how someone can claim £2100 for a tiny Mark when OH Polished ours out, well I think someone was taken for a ride there.

[TonyV]

Caran providing third party can get a bill or quote from his / her friendly garage that's what insurance company will look at. But thinking out loud can you not ask for a copy of reciet or quote for the repair?

[Caran]

I did ask how come the bill was so high but was told they knew nothing about the details only the amount.
I might have another try tomorrow as it seems out of proportion.

[TonyV]

That seems strange Caran, how much would the insurance company have known what to pay? I would stick on the case, I'm sure there must be insurance ombudsman if all else fails.

[Canary42]

If he polished out the damage on his car and didn't tell you at the time, how can you be confident about his assessment of the other party's damage being "not much .. at all" ?

And garages are notorious for milking such cases for all they're worth, so the other driver is really only a helpless pawn in their skulduggery.

[Milo2]

The same thing happened to me. My husband’s car was bumped by a neighbour while it was parked outside our house. He wasn’t even in it! The damage was paid for by the other driver’s insurance. He is a named driver on my policy and my insurance went up as a result. As my husband wasn’t in the car, I argued that this was unfair but to no avail.

[dannyk13]

Caran, why have you put yourself and OH as named drivers on each others policies?. Surely your polices allow you to drive any other vehicle.

[bhg481]

danny - not all policies allow the insurer to drive other cars and, even if they do, it's usually restricted to 3rd party only (not even with fire & theft).

[dannyk13]

Ah! Thanks.

[Prudie]

I agree with danny, I thought the only time putting a named driver on was to reduce costs like a parent for example on a young person's to reduce the named driver's cost (or similar). I don't see the point of mature adults naming each other, you should both be insured to drive any car third party anyway.

[Peter Pedant]

took a taxi and the fella said
you were in the car that backed into mine a few years ago, what happened?

and I said she took £6 000 off the insurance for whiplash

and HE said - god she was only rubbing her wrist !

and I said I only found out when I read all his insurance policy and it said previous claims £6000. we said she was blagging and the company just paid.

[yes I realise that some Abers will find this sorry tale of a blagger ripping off an insurance company Very Difficult to follow]