Update - Uninsured if SORN'd ? - Check yours !
- Thread starter Number5
- Start date
Same here Al, removed myself from my sons policy on his Astra VXR and the cost dropped. Consider yourself doddery mateNumber5 said:
ldman:What with the councils trying to get motorist off the road too, we will all be walking soon or returning to horse and carts :wink:
MrPT said:
Um, being kept in a garage at home is on my policy, if it's there for three icy, dark and slippery months, taxed or untaxed makes no odd's to the risk. Anyway checking my Saga policy there is a long list of obscure policy no-no's that are not covered or have to be notified (including stickers in a window being a modification!) but SORN isn't one of them.
srhutch said:Well I now have it in writing from Admiral that my car is insured whilst declared off the road.
:scratchhead: :idunno:
And I have the opposite in writing from Admiral!
The main crux of the email sent to me this afternoon, , :-
I have investigated the above and you called on 08/01/19 and spoke to our Renewals agent Andrea Pemberton to query if we would insure your vehicle 111OJX if it is SORN. Andrea confirmed 111OJX would need to be legally taxed for us to cover this as a vehicle cannot be SORN and taxed. There are other insurance companies who offer this, which is called laid up insurance. We have made a business decision not to offer this type of insurance. It is something we are looking in to, therefore may be changed in the future. I understand you may not agree with this decision however it is not something we currently offer.
As per our conversation dated 09/01/19, I confirmed your insurance is due on 31/01/19. This will be automatically renewed as per our renewal documents sent to you by e-mail on 05/01/19.
I would like to confirm I have not removed your vehicle 111OJX as you requested. However, if you wish to continue with the insurance for this vehicle, it will need to be taxed. If you wish to SORN this vehicle, the vehicle will need to be removed. Please contact us by 31/01/19 as we will need to amend your renewal if you decide to remove the vehicle.
Yours sincerely
Samantha John
Customer Assurance Executive
...So there you go !
North West Surrey
My first full-time job in 1977 was at Cornhill Insurance (that later got taken over by Allianz).
Back in those days they offered laid-up cover, and protected NCD at no cost after 7 claim free years. Windscreen cover with no effect upon NCD and no excess. Up to 4 cars on one policy (so multi-cover isn't exactly a new invention)!
But when my nephew had an accident last year in his E46 325i Sport Touring, Admiral declared it a Cat S based on the photos from his phone - they didn't bother sending anyone to look at it! Still he got a repair done for less than what they paid, so f**k them for being lazy/disinterested!
With the best will in the world it looks like Samantha John is just another call-centre monkey who has no knowledge of the business or any discretion to move away from the script - but at least you have it in writing!
It just makes me glad I left that "business" many years ago.
Surely it's time for searching alternatives?
Back in those days they offered laid-up cover, and protected NCD at no cost after 7 claim free years. Windscreen cover with no effect upon NCD and no excess. Up to 4 cars on one policy (so multi-cover isn't exactly a new invention)!
But when my nephew had an accident last year in his E46 325i Sport Touring, Admiral declared it a Cat S based on the photos from his phone - they didn't bother sending anyone to look at it! Still he got a repair done for less than what they paid, so f**k them for being lazy/disinterested!
With the best will in the world it looks like Samantha John is just another call-centre monkey who has no knowledge of the business or any discretion to move away from the script - but at least you have it in writing!
It just makes me glad I left that "business" many years ago.
Surely it's time for searching alternatives?
As my daily the Zed isn't SORNed but my Caterham is. Checked with my insurers this morning and its still covered fully comp which is good news. To be honest I wasn't happy with the idea of having to reduce cover to TPFT. I trip on the step into the garage and dent the bonnet and the fully comp policy pays repairs; TPFT and I have to pay.
For what its worth my insurers have no idea why cover is removed or reduced on SORN - can Chris Knott provide any explanation?
For what its worth my insurers have no idea why cover is removed or reduced on SORN - can Chris Knott provide any explanation?
This underscores what I have said all along in regards insurers, they make it up as they go along. Frankly a bit like speed camera's, insurance is legalised robbery.
Reminds me when my daughter had her car broken into, no claim made but advised the insurer nonetheless. Upon renewal and because of this solitary incident, the road had been classified as a "theft hot spot". Needless to say she moved on to another insurer.
Reminds me when my daughter had her car broken into, no claim made but advised the insurer nonetheless. Upon renewal and because of this solitary incident, the road had been classified as a "theft hot spot". Needless to say she moved on to another insurer.
Well.....
Complete U turn today. I referred them to SRHutch's email this morning and a few hours later I got a call from the very same Department at Admiral that turned me down yesterday, and they've now agreed to fully cover me, even whilst SORN'd. (Not even just Fire & Theft. I thought they'd at least exclude Third party road cover if it wasn't taxed!)
I asked if this was a general U turn across the board and they said, no. It was a one-off in light of the evidence I had provided, so it seems its each for their own now !
Complete U turn today. I referred them to SRHutch's email this morning and a few hours later I got a call from the very same Department at Admiral that turned me down yesterday, and they've now agreed to fully cover me, even whilst SORN'd. (Not even just Fire & Theft. I thought they'd at least exclude Third party road cover if it wasn't taxed!)
I asked if this was a general U turn across the board and they said, no. It was a one-off in light of the evidence I had provided, so it seems its each for their own now !
Unless it's stated in the policy, schedules or T&Cs that the car must be taxed I cannot see a refusal to pay-out on that basis could be upheld. They can't just make up exemptions after the claim or what next? The car wasn't clean, it wasn't serviced by BMW, I was wearing a hat? :?
ChrisKnottIns
Active member
Interesting one. I'm not aware of any hard and fast rules except that if you haven't got insurance on a vehicle it must be SORN'd according to the Continuous Insurance Enforcement. Additionally, most car insurance policies will state that not having a current MOT Certificate (if required by law) would invalidate any claims - nothing about VED though.
Certainly with us, insurance can continue even when a vehicle is on SORN but by definition there'll be no road risk cover during that period.
Hope that helps.
Certainly with us, insurance can continue even when a vehicle is on SORN but by definition there'll be no road risk cover during that period.
Hope that helps.