whats with my additional insurance charge!?

[audi_driver]

Just got a letter from admiral, this is what it reads out :

I am writing to confirm the following changes to your policy will take effect from 26/09/07

Your motoring conviction details have been amended.

There is an additional premium due of 187.78 which will shortly debit from your credit card.

What the hell is all that about? i get motor conviction and they charge me 187.78? surely thats not fair?

 

[mattandrew]

Your motoring conviction details have been amended.

I get motoring conviction and they charge me 187.78? surely thats not fair?

What were the motoring convictions if I may ask, eg 3 points for speeding dont normally make much difference a policy.

Did you notify them or the police?

 

[Leon]

Is this mid-term? If so I thought they couldn't amend it mid-way through a policy, i.e. you agree a price at the start date and it has to stick to that (unless you modify the car).

 

[consilio]

Is this mid-term? If so I thought they couldn't amend it mid-way through a policy, i.e. you agree a price at the start date and it has to stick to that (unless you modify the car).

No thats not the case. If you get caught for dangerous driving, their insured risk has just changed and the premium should reflect that.

£187 does sound harsh though.... You must have been illegally parkedor something?

 

[davemk]

£187 sounds either like a clerical error or you've been a very naughty boy and got convicted.

Out of interest, what sort of percentage is £187 of your annual premium?

Speeding convicitions don't normally make a huge difference.

 

[Kontraband]

£187!!!! Phewww... what you do?

 

[audi_driver]

I knew that was way too much! I only got fined 3 points and 60 pound charge.. i think. I was caught speeding doing 53 mph in a 30 zone. I phoned up admiral saying why it was so expensive then they told me it was because i didnt tell them off the conviction from the start! what should i do?

 

[audi_driver]

oh, dont know about the percentage, but my annum premium is 800 pound

 

[I'mRonBurgundy?]

53mph in a 30mph zone. So nearly double the legal limit then.

I guess if you drive twice as fast as the legal limit than maybe you should pay twice the insurance premium!

Looks like you got off lightly.

 

[Amchlolor]

Did you just get an SP30 code?
Insurance companies usually pay no attention to them.
Last time I had one (5 years ago), it didn't affect any of my insurances at all.

53mph in a 30mph is a bit naughty, I can't condone that, but that's a whole different thread!

 

[audi_driver]

i know it sounds bad, but that area is a long straight road, not in a built up area. It was 11 30 at night as well. Well wont be speeding there again as thats the new police hang about every weekend! Everytime i see the police there, they catch about 3 to 4 cars at a time.

 

[audi_driver]

whats an sp30?

 

[Amchlolor]

The code allocated to your offence.
SP30 is (paraphrasing) "speeding on public highway"

http://www.licencecheck.co.uk/offense_codes.php

I always thought SP codes were pretty much universally ignored by insurance companies, so if you have an SP code I would shop around.
Let's face it, who doesn't have an SP code these days...
Well, me, actually, but you know what I mean
A huge proportion of the driving public have an SP code on their licence.

 

[andykn]

I knew that was way too much! I only got fined 3 points and 60 pound charge.. i think. I was caught speeding doing 53 mph in a 30 zone. I phoned up admiral saying why it was so expensive then they told me it was because i didnt tell them off the conviction from the start! what should i do?

So Admiral are saying that you are being charged extra because you got a conviction before the start of the policy but didn't tell them until afterwards, right?

 

[h5djr]

When I renewed my insurance earlier this year I had two SP30s on my licence but it made no difference to the premium. I did a check on their internet site and the price was the same with and without the two SP30s.
I'm down to one now and that expires in the middle of October!

Maybe they don't like the idea that you did not tell them BEFORE you took out the policy. I would shop around if I was you.

 

[Amchlolor]

If Admiral are classing this as some sort of fraudulent attempt to deceive them, my only concern with switching to another company would be that they will contact Admiral (normal practice) and Admiral may tell them?

Two SP30's, David...?
Tut tut...

 

[Khufu]

i know it sounds bad, but that area is a long straight road, not in a built up area. It was 11 30 at night as well. Well wont be speeding there again as thats the new police hang about every weekend! Everytime i see the police there, they catch about 3 to 4 cars at a time.

What road is it (in case Im in the area )

 

[h5djr]

If Admiral are classing this as some sort of fraudulent attempt to deceive them, my only concern with switching to another company would be that they will contact Admiral (normal practice) and Admiral may tell them?

Two SP30's, David...?
Tut tut...

I can only assume that, if you have a clean licence, you drive round sticking to the speed limit all time!!! There are an awful lot of speed cameras in Southern England. Mind you both of mine were from mobile camera vans. Don't remember seeing any when I spent a week north of Inverness earlier in the year. I now have a MicroPilot that warns me of fixed cameras but not vans unfortunately. Still clean licence again in October - unless of course I get caught in the mean time!

 

[Dandle]

Four years ago I gained an SP50 from a dual carraige way near me in Nov. When my insurance renewal came up the next April I just let it auto renew with Admiral and didn't even think to tell them about my points. The following year I started looking about for a better quote(declaring my points) and phoned Admiral to see if they would price match. As soon as I gave them the details of my points the woman said "oh you didnt tell us about these on your last renewal. There will now be an aditional premium on your current insurance" a few days later I got a bill through for £160.

On a side note people do realise that Admiral/Elephant and quite a few other insurance companies now class factory fitted optional extras as modifications and want an extra premium for them even though they wont cover them in the event of a claim? I moved to www.LV.com when i renewed my BMW this year as they dont mind anything fitted from the factory.

 

[newbiecrg]

I am with Norwich Union and so far service has been top class... will hardly change.

Got a speeding fine two years ago and informed them even before renewal and they just said for me not to worry... premium would not be affected.

Also when insuring my left hand drive car for the first time they gave me a great deal (half price when compared to other companies) so very happy with them.

Pedro

 

[jamiekip]

Funnily enough, I got an email through from my insurance provider thanking me for renewing and would I fill out this questionaire!
I hadn't had any of the paperwork through, so called them straight away to find out what the preimium was.... had gone up £210... no more points (in fact 3 had come off after 5 years and I'm completely clean again!), have turned 30, same address... etc.

Anyway, decided to shop around and I've ended up with Bell Direct (under written by Direct Line), with all declared mods for nearly £80 less than I was paying before.... MAGIC!

On the issue of points, I have my girlfriend as a named driver, I thought she had an SP30 that expired in a few months time (turns out the 5 years passed a couple of months ago) and the difference was £52 on the premium!!!

I think some insurance companies try to price out risk.....

 

[h5djr]

I am with Norwich Union and so far service has been top class... will hardly change.

Got a speeding fine two years ago and informed them even before renewal and they just said for me not to worry... premium would not be affected.

Also when insuring my left hand drive car for the first time they gave me a great deal (half price when compared to other companies) so very happy with them.

Pedro

I'm also with Norwich Union. The only thing I find with them is that when they send me the annual renewal notice I do a new quote on their website and it always workes out cheaper. So I cancel my existing policy and take out a new one. Last year I paid £365.24. This year it was £349.25 with a £40.00 cash back for which I received a cheque last week.

 

[golf]

All I can say is:

MoreThan >>>>>>>>>>> Every other insurance company

 

[audi_driver]

So Admiral are saying that you are being charged extra because you got a conviction before the start of the policy but didn't tell them until afterwards, right?

That is right. Is that right for them to charge me?

 

[MarcQuinlivan]

I can only assume that, if you have a clean licence, you drive round sticking to the speed limit all time!!!

Never had a point or fine in the 13 years since I started driving and I wouldn't fall into that category dave. I've come across the mobile detector units frequently, but always spot them well before they spot me.

 

[h5djr]

Never had a point or fine in the 13 years since I started driving and I wouldn't fall into that category dave. I've come across the mobile detector units frequently, but always spot them well before they spot me.

I've only had four in 43 years of driving and two of those were in the last three years. The last two were by sneakily 'hidden' camera vans. By the time I saw them it was too late. The previous two were many years ago both by unmarked police cars.

Probably the best time I got stopped was many years ago when I worked for a local authority. Our offices were next door to the police station and they used to come to our office quite often to get copies of detailed OS plans in connection with accidents. One day I helped out a Sergeant with some plans during my lunch break. Later that day I suddenly realised I should be picking my wife up at the station in a few minutes time and was driving rather fast towards the station when I was stopped by an unmarked car. The same Sergeant happened to be driving and he said 'You did me a favour earlier today, I'll do you one in return - Off you go'. Speed cameras don't do that!!!

 

[andykn]

That is right. Is that right for them to charge me?

Looks like they've done this before; I expect it's buried in the terms and conditions somewhere.

If you cancel the policy can you get a refund for the unused bit and get a quote elsewhere?