Cancelled insurance

[Andrea]

Hello All,

I'm going to ask your advice as I’m struggling to get a motorcycle insurance and I’m not able to use my bike

 

I bought and insured my bike in October 2023. At the time I didn’t have a parking space for my bike and when giving my details to create the policy, I declared that it would have been parked at my home address. The company asked me to provide pictures of the parked bike; in the meantime, I found a space in a locked compound in another postcode and I took the pictures from there. I sent the pictures to the insurer and somehow (still don’t know how) they found out that the pictures wasn’t taken from the original postcode I provided.

I explained them that I found a new parking space and they asked me to provide the updated details and other pictures to prove the location.

Despite doing this (documented by pictures and emails), they have already started the cancellation process and I had my insurance cancelled.

Because of this, now I can’t even get an insurance quote, as I have to declare that I had my insurance cancelled in the past.

I understand that me providing the wrong postcode must have been perceived as dodgy and suspicious by the insurance company, but I don't think it’s fair that I will not able to ride and insure a motorbike ever again because of this technicality.

Do you have any suggestion to solve this situation?

Thank you in advance.

[Simon Davey]

If you had your mobile phone location switched on when you took the pictures, that will be in the EXIF data of the photo's.

 

As for what you can do, very little.

 

However, grab yourself a copy of MCN, or another motorcycle publication, and look through the advert's, there's bound to be one for young riders and difficult/custom insurance.

Edited March 31, 2024 by Simon Davey

[Andrea]

2 minutes ago, Simon Davey said:

If you have your mobile phone location switched on when you took the pictures, that will be in the EXIF data of the photo's.

 

As for what you can do, very little.

 

However, grab yourself a copy of MCN, or another motorcycle publication, and look through the advert's, there's bound to be one for young riders and difficult/custom insurance.

Thanks for the advice Simon 

[Stu]

I suggest you get in touch with the insurance ombudsman about it and ask their advice. 

 

In the meantime I would ring insurance companies directly for a quote and explain the situation and see what they can do as the online quotes are just automated and may well just refuse to quote 

[Andrea]

12 minutes ago, Stu said:

I suggest you get in touch with the insurance ombudsman about it and ask their advice. 

 

In the meantime I would ring insurance companies directly for a quote and explain the situation and see what they can do as the online quotes are just automated and may well just refuse to quote 

Thanks Stu, I’ll try that.

Regarding your other suggestion, I already rang all the main motorcycle insurance companies but they haven’t been very supportive, they just told me that the system couldn’t get any quote for me and they suggested which could be all the reasons for this. 

[Bender]

Once you have had insurance declined or canceled it is a pita and expensive, ideally you need the original decision overturned because the have you ever bit lasts for ever.

[Capt Sisko]

34 minutes ago, Bender said:

ideally you need the original decision overturned

That's going to be difficult, particularly if you take the insurers point of view. They'll look at it as they asked for photographic proof the bike was kept at address A. The client sent photos of a different place. That's not a technicality or like someone accidentality ticked the wrong box, in their eyes that's a deliberate attempt at fraud or whatever the technical term for it is. Insurance companies really don't like people who do that.

 

The OP needs to be grateful they hadn't had an 'at fault' claim against them. The insurance company would have had to pay out to the third party, but they could have come back the the policy holder to recover that money (plus expenses).

[bonio]

Sorry for your situation. It's not a great one...

Try to work with the company to get the cancellation reversed. Ask them what you would need to do to have a chance of reversal. You will have to be very polite and take full responsibility for your actions as any hint of making excuses for yourself will likely undermine your chances. 

Other than that you're in the hands of specialist insurance  companies who insure high risk people. But be prepared to pay a lot.

[Bender]

10 hours ago, Capt Sisko said:

That's going to be difficult, particularly if you take the insurers point of view. They'll look at it as they asked for photographic proof the bike was kept at address A. The client sent photos of a different place. That's not a technicality or like someone accidentality ticked the wrong box, in their eyes that's a deliberate attempt at fraud or whatever the technical term for it is. Insurance companies really don't like people who do that.

 

The OP needs to be grateful they hadn't had an 'at fault' claim against them. The insurance company would have had to pay out to the third party, but they could have come back the the policy holder to recover that money (plus expenses).

I agree but having that stuck on mid forever is going to be expensive 

[Blackholesun]

Give you mum and dad's address 

[Andrea]

Thanks everyone for replying and helping, I sent a formal request to the insurance asking if the cancellation can be reversed. I understand they might have seen it as fraudulent but that wasn’t really my intent and it would be great if they could give me a chance to amend this. Let’s see what happens and thanks again everyone!

[Simon Davey]

Good luck Andrea. 

[RideWithStyles]

yep

Edited May 14, 2024 by RideWithStyles

[Davidtav]

Have you tried getting a quote from Adrian Flux?  They advertise that they provide cover for people with cancelled car insurance. I think they cover motorbikes. Worth a try

[Andrea]

1 minute ago, Davidtav said:

Have you tried getting a quote from Adrian Flux?  They advertise that they provide cover for people with cancelled car insurance. I think they cover motorbikes. Worth a try

Hi David, yes I’ve called them last week but unfortunately they said they could not help me with this. Thanks anyway for suggesting this!

[Capt Sisko]

9 hours ago, Andrea said:

.......I sent a formal request to the insurance asking.......

I take it that because that was done on Easter Sunday, you did that online. Whilst that is functional may I suggest you might stand a better chance of success if picked the phone up and spoke to someone. At least you then can state your case person to person and they may have some sympathy rather than have some unidentifiable middle manager, bit of AI or the computer say no. 

[Andrea]

1 minute ago, Capt Sisko said:

I take it that because that was done on Easter Sunday, you did that online. Whilst that is functional may I suggest you might stand a better chance of success if picked the phone up and spoke to someone. At least you then can state your case person to person and they may have some sympathy rather than have some unidentifiable middle manager, bit of AI or the computer say no. 

Hi Sisko, thanks for the suggestion! yes I agree with you that phone call is always better. I called them last week but unfortunately the operator was quite adamant about their position, I explained the situation and tried to be cooperative but did not receive any support about this, once it’s cancelled it’s cancelled. I hope to receive a better feedback after my complaint, let’s see how it goes.

[bonio]

All the best.

[Capt Sisko]

Don't forget part of the job of the operators is to be a buffer and if the computer says no, often as not those operators have very little power but to do as the computer tells them, so don't be afraid to ask to speak to a Manager.

 

I also think you need to change your vocabulary if you are using the same terms with them as you are using with us. You've used the expression "somehow (still don’t know how) they found out" as if it's their fault you'd given them false information and how dare they check up on you. You've said, "I don't think it’s fair", "because of this technicality" and above "did not receive and support" & "after my complaint." You have to remember in their eyes you are the perpetrator of the crime, not a victim of it. That may sound harsh, but put yourself in their position. They have done nothing wrong.

 

Moving on, it's really time to start looking for specialist insurers. As I said, people who commit more heinous crimes are still able to find motor insurance, it'll just be a case of getting on the phone and talking to insurers & brokers rather than filling forms in online. Best of luck.

[Nick the wanderer]

As above, you got caught and now you'll have to pay the price £.