Motor insurance with criminal conviction

[Ethel Street]

Before telling your current insurer I would find out if direct line or another insurer is willing to quote you a price that is acceptable.  If you decide to go to that insurer then you don't need to tell your current insurer about your conviction. You just tell them you don't want to renew.  You do not have to explain to your current insurer why you are not going to renew the policy.

 

The risk with telling your current insurer is that they will issue a formal refusal to renew the policy.  That refusal would have to be declared to other insurers for years to come and can make insurance harder to get or more expensive.

[Blackcat13]

How will do I know if they will refuse my insurance though? I have done a new quote online with them with the conviction on and it’s just more expensive.

[unclebulgaria67]

They would issue letter refusing to offer renewal.

 

If they quote with conviction, then this indicates they underwrite with just an increase to premium, rather than refusing to Insure. This assumes same underwriter for quote as current policy.

 

 

 

 

[Blackcat13]

Sorry. I really do not understand what that means. I haven’t told my current insurer at the moment because it states on my policy documents I didn’t need to tell them until renewal (which is at the end of the month).

I have done a new quote with them online to see how much it would be and it just comes up more expensive. I was going to call them and tell them about my conviction to see how much it would be as the price may be different online, but now if I tell them now they could possibly refuse the policy? 
is this correct? 

[Ethel Street]

How much a month are you paying now? I think you said £135 in your earlier thread.

 

How much per month was the premium from your current insurer when you did a new quote online?

 

How much per month is the quote from Direct Line?

[Blackcat13]

Hi, just doing an online chat with my current insurer and they’re asking for a conviction code held by the DVLA. I’ve logged in and cannot find one. There saying that this fraud conviction details will be held by the DVLA

[unclebulgaria67]

When I said assumes same underwriter I mean this.

 

Many companies have a brand name. Let's say Super Insurance Company.

 

Super Insurance Company are mostly just a retailer of Insurance policies. They have a list of say 10 Insurance Underwriters who could Insure the car for the year and each of the underwriters has a slightly different view on risks they are willing to accept.

 

So your current policy underwriter may be X company and they won't continue offer Insurance. The quote you have obtained appears to be with same company, but is with a different underwriters Y company who offers Insurance but at a higher premium.

 

In summary depending on the company you are with, can depend on whether it is safe to assume that because they have quoted on a new policy, that they will offer renewal at a higher premium.

 

Insurance companies can operate in fairly complex ways.

 

Always best to ask the Insurers based on your information.

 

 

[Blackcat13]

Did I have to tell DVLA about my conviction? 

[Ethel Street]

11 minutes ago, Blackcat13 said:

Hi, just doing an online chat with my current insurer and they’re asking for a conviction code held by the DVLA. I’ve logged in and cannot find one. There saying that this fraud conviction details will be held by the DVLA

 

Their chatline doesn't know what it is talking about. It isn't a motoring offence so there won't be a DVLA code and your licence wasn't endorsed.

 

No you dont have to tell the DVLA anything. It  has nothing to do with DVLA, it isn't a motoring conviction.

 

Like on your other thread you aren't listening to the advice you are being given and you aren't approaching this methodically. Asking you insurer to give you a renerwal quote now risks you getting a formal non-renewal that you will have to declare to other insurers. Your policy isn't due for renewal until 25th February. You have plenty of time to talk to them later after you have got quotes from other insurers.

[unclebulgaria67]

Not sure fraud conviction has a DVLA code.

 

DVLA is just motoring offences.

 

Chat line is outside of UK probably.

[Blackcat13]

Sorry, I’m just really stressing about the insurance. I’ve just had a quote and it’s almost £400. 

[Ethel Street]

Who is the £400 a month quote from?

 

You need to approach this systematically. 

 

Get a range of quotes from other insurers, insurers who are willing to quote. This will take time but that's what you have to do when you have a fraud conviction. 

 

And ask some of the insurance brokers that have already been suggested to you. 

 

Then come back here and tell us what quotes you have got.

[Blackcat13]

I will have a shop around and get back

to you. 
Thank you again for all your help

[Anawilliam850]

I'm sorry to hear about your situation. It can be challenging to find affordable car insurance after a conviction, but there are a few things you can try:

 

Shop around:

You may be able to find a more affordable policy by comparing quotes from multiple insurers.

 

Be honest about your conviction when you're getting quotes, as failing to disclose it could result in your policy being invalidated later on.

 

Consider specialist insurers:

There are some insurers that specialize in providing coverage for drivers with convictions.

 

They may be able to offer more competitive rates than mainstream insurers.

 

 

Improve your driving record:

While it won't erase your conviction, improving your driving record can help you secure better rates in the future.

 

This could include taking a defensive driving course or committing to driving more safely.

 

Opt for a higher excess:

Choosing a higher excess (the amount you pay towards any claims) can lower your premiums.

 

However, be aware that you'll need to pay more out of pocket if you do need to make a claim.

 

Ask for help:

If you're really struggling to find affordable insurance, you may be able to get help from organizations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau or a charity that supports people with convictions.

 

Remember to be honest and upfront about your conviction when applying for insurance, as failing to disclose it could result in your policy being invalidated later on.

 

Good luck!