Hi,

Here is one for you. I have never claimed a penny in my life. This is my recent history of my car insurance renewals.

renewal from AA 30th October 2003 said 8 years NCB on it.

renewal from Hastings 30th October 2004 said 9 years NCB on it.

renewal from RAC 30th October 2005 said 5 years+ (should be 10 in my opinion)

renewal from RAC 30th October 2006 said 5 years+ (should be 11 in my opinion)

renewal from RAC 30th October 2007 said 5 years+ (should be 12 in my opinion)

I haven't used the car for 7 months, so my NCB is still totally valid.

When filling in the NCB discount box on moneysupermarket.com, do I put 5 or 10 years or more into it?

When I get quotes on moneysupermarket.com using 5 years NCB the premiums are generally £50 more than putting 10 years or more.

As far as I am concerned I have really got 12. But I am now back to only 5, just because the RAC can only count to 5.

The AA came out with the cheapest quote for my profile. I have rang up the AA twice to try and ‘clarify’ the position. One person told me I have to put 5 because that’s all my last renewal says. Another person told me to put 10 or more and ring up the RAC and get them to change my NCB to 12. Which I did. The RAC said they have never heard of this procedure.

I could just take the £50 hit and say I've only got 5 years NCB. But it’s not really just a £50 hit is it, It’s a £250 hit because I will be stuck paying this extra £50 for the next five years until I am back to 10 years NCB.

You’re the insurance expert. I have now only got 5 years or have I really got 12 years NCB? I have search the forum and I can't believe nobody has ever brought this subject up before. The AA told me that they get this query all the time. Pitty they can’t give a consistent answer too it then.

PS. This has happened to me twice now. I had 8 years NCB back in 1999, but it reverted back to 5 after taking a policy with NU, they can only count to 5 as well.

Thanks

You have maximum no claims.

The problem is that different insurers give different maximums. I would be inclined to put "12" in the quotes forms then, just to be sure, phone up the insurer who gives the best quote (or explain on the form) that you have been insured continuously for 12 years with no claims. The chances are that your next insurer will work out your premium using whatever their maximum is.

Thanks for such a quick response. But I don't think they will, you're assuming this industry and the badly trained people they have working in it, possess some common sense.

If I take this quote, the AA will ask me to provide proof of NCB. When I send in my last renewal from the RAC saying 5+ years. I just know they will say 'Sorry gov, you've only got 5 years, not 12 years NCB'. You owe us £50 plus an admin cost. This is what happened to me back in 1999 the last time I when I reverted back to 5 years for going to Norwich union for a couple of years.

Are you a car insurance expert?

I was hoping this Peter Gerrard chap could give me a definitive answer, may provide me with a rule number from the FSA car insurance NCB rule book to throw at them.

That’s what is needed here actually, the FSA need to smack all the insurance companies into line regarding the issuing of NCB. Either cap it at 5 year, 10 years or let it just go up by 1 each year. So everybody knows where they stand, instead of all this wishy washy, we do this, they do that stuff, like they do now.

They all know the rules alright, when it comes to a claim.

Thanks for such a quick response. But I don't think they will, you're assuming this industry and the badly trained people they have working in it, possess some common sense.

I take offence to that. I agree that there are some poorly trained people working within the industry but your comment implies that everybody lacks common sense. In actual fact, the customer is very rarely correct and usually those with little common sense. That comment is not aimed at you personally.

If I take this quote, the AA will ask me to provide proof of NCB. When I send in my last renewal from the RAC saying 5+ years. I just know they will say 'Sorry gov, you've only got 5 years, not 12 years NCB'. You owe us £50 plus an admin cost. This is what happened to me back in 1999 the last time I when I reverted back to 5 years for going to Norwich union for a couple of years.

Norwich Union Direct, RAC, More Than, etc. (majority of the over-rated companies) have a maximum of 4/5 years. In your case, you would need to speak to the RAC to provide you with a written letter stating the level of NCD you went to them with in October 2004, coupled with the amount of claim free driving. Whilst RAC are only giving you 5 years NCD currently, there are a lot of other (better) companies out there that give an added discount for 6-7, 7-9 years.

Are you a car insurance expert?

It would be a bit pretentious to claim being an expert, but a few people on here do know what they are talking about, yes.

I was hoping this Peter Gerrard chap could give me a definitive answer, may provide me with a rule number from the FSA car insurance NCB rule book to throw at them.

LOL. A rule number for NCD allowance? Discounts don't have anything to do with the FSA.

That’s what is needed here actually, the FSA need to smack all the insurance companies into line regarding the issuing of NCB. Either cap it at 5 year, 10 years or let it just go up by 1 each year. So everybody knows where they stand, instead of all this wishy washy, we do this, they do that stuff, like they do now.

I agree and disagree. Whilst I agree that every company has the right to alter their underwriting, I do think it should be made clearer RE NCD maximums at the inception of the policy; agreed!

They all know the rules alright, when it comes to a claim.

Typical comment from a customer with a grievance. In actual fact, it's the customer's fault for not reading the policy wording to find out it's full coverage. Why should a company that specifically exclude storm damage, then make an exception and pay out a claim when the premium being paid in the first place was sufficiently lower due to this policy exclusion?