Car registration and insurance

[stellar]

I have come into a fairly remote marina on the Shroppie for the winter and have decided to get a cheap little car which I will sell again when I set off in the spring. Trouble is that the insurance is costing nearly as much as the car as not having had one for 2 yrs I have lost the right to no claim discount (even after 50 years driving with very few claims) and I have 2 x SP30's from 2008. I generally use my son's central London address for official stuff so would normally register the car there. I don't want to insure the car at that address because if I do the price will go up even more. The car will be kept at the marina whilst I own it (when I travel to London during that time I will still go by train) so have given the marina address to the insurers. However, not sure if the marina owners will be happy for me to register the car here. Does anyone know if it matters if the insurance address is different to the registration address?

[Guest]

What matters to the insurance company the most is where it is kept most often, as this is how they asses their risk.

 

That doesn't have to match the registered keepers address (there will often be a huge range of reasons why this will be different, working away from hone being one of them, or indeed your circumstances).

 

Just explain the circumstances honestly to them.

 

Your SP 30's are effectively 'spent' now but carefully check what they have asked - some want to know about any up to five years ago.

[john6767]

I would second that, for insurance what matters to them is where the car is kept, and how it is kept ie. on road/off road/in garage etc.

 

You need to own up to the SP30's of course, possibly they will not make much difference anyway.

[stellar]

I would second that, for insurance what matters to them is where the car is kept, and how it is kept ie. on road/off road/in garage etc.

 

You need to own up to the SP30's of course, possibly they will not make much difference anyway.

 

Thanks for these replies, I have been getting quotes online, difficult to speak to insurance companies on the phone because have to go outside to get a signal and in anycase most call centres workers cant handle anything a bit different to the norm. The SP30's seem to count with insurance companies for 5 years even though they are off your license in 3 - I get loaded 20% for having 2 of them.

[jake_crew]

I came on this board last year to ask for suggestions on cheap van insurance for private use.

 

The recommendation for a proper old fashioned Insurance Brokers was just the ticket and I can heartily pass on the recommendation for Lewis Michael & Tollgate, DE11 0HP, 01283 222403 (M-F).

 

Everything done over the phone / fax within 48 hrs with no fuss.

[Tiggers]

Can I just say some insurance companies are a nightmare. I recently went to insure my car, and tried to explain that although my car is registered in Northampton, and that is where all my post goes to, the car is actually kept at Norbury (where I live on my boat), as I do not have a postal address so use my parents. Half of them wouldn't insure me!

[Sarah and Ian]

We are insured with the Red Phone Co. They were more than helpful with vehicle registered at one location kept at another and were by far the cheapest of the others as well for us anyway.

[stellar]

Can I just say some insurance companies are a nightmare. I recently went to insure my car, and tried to explain that although my car is registered in Northampton, and that is where all my post goes to, the car is actually kept at Norbury (where I live on my boat), as I do not have a postal address so use my parents. Half of them wouldn't insure me!

 

Thanks, that's what I thought might happen, nobody can cope with anything slightly out of the normal these days. I got a load of quotes online and thought I'd put the marina address and discuss the situation when I rang the company I chose. Did this about 1 pm today, they took details and "someone would ring me back in an hour". Well they didnt so I rang again at 2.30 and was told I would be contacted shortly. I then received a call from my credit card company to check that it was kosher and of course during that time the insurance company called back and left a voicemail message for me to call. I have been calling ever since and just keep getting held in a queue. As I have to outside to get a signal this is miserable as well as frustrating. I am rapidly losing the will to live. As they have put my credit card through I assume they are insuring me but cant collect the car without confirmation. aaaaaaaaaagghhhhh. I hate insurance companies even more than bankers

 

We are insured with the Red Phone Co. They were more than helpful with vehicle registered at one location kept at another and were by far the cheapest of the others as well for us anyway.

 

wish I'd seen this and Jakes reply before I'd committed.