LV Car Insurance A Cautionary Tale

Jim Jamieson · 25th February 2017, 20:20

With all my insurances, cars, caravan and house I use direct debit and for as long as I can remember they are automatically renewed unless I state otherwise.

A couple of weeks back I received a letter from MIB, Motor Insurance Bureau stating that our XF did not apppear on the data base so immediate attention was required.
I take pride in my paperwork and filing system so I thought "how could this be"
On checking through my bank statements I noted that I had changed from M&S to LV on 7th October 2015 so the renewal should have taken place 7th October 2016.
The strange thing was that I had no paperwork or insurance certificate from LV and not a single e-mail.
I telephoned M&S who were very helpful and could tell me that I had declined to renew on Oct 15. I then telephoned LV who could confirm all my details but could not tell me who I had been insured with.

How very odd that they could not or would not tell me so LV are now off my list forever.
I again telephoned M&S and got the car covered right away for approx £15 more than their 2015 quote.

What I find strange is why could I have been running with no insurance for almost four months and why was this not picked up by DVLA when I re taxed the car on line on 1st December.

I dread to think what could have happened had I been involved in an accident.

So much for the plethora of ANPR cameras.

Rooney · 25th February 2017, 20:25

You've been very lucky - L&V may well be incompetent but it would have been your license that got six points and your XF that would have been seized at the roadside.

An almost identical thing happened to one of my brothers, in his case it was a local broker who'd made the mistake - he still has the six points and was several hundred pounds lighter, as well as having increased insurance premiums.

Thank God that didn't happen to you Jim

Jim Jamieson · 25th February 2017, 21:20

When the tax disc was abolished I vowed to place a printed card inside the tax disc holder showing expiry dates for Tax, MOT and Insurance but never got round to it.
What really annoys me is that I did have this info on my files but for reasons unknown I had not updated it with the XF.

A lesson learned

murphyv310 · 25th February 2017, 21:29

Close call Jim.
Thank God you didn't have an accident and no one was hurt or even killed, that would have been a life changer for you.
Pays to be diligent and double check.
Perhaps a very good reminder for all of us.

sworks · 26th February 2017, 08:51

It's quite easy to do so don't feel bad Jim. Only last night I had to check online when three of my cars were due their MOT's as I know they are about now but not when the dates are. I think we get bombarded with so much junk emails that sometimes the important stuff slips through

Darcydog · 26th February 2017, 09:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Jamieson

How very odd that they could not or would not tell me so LV are now off my list forever.
s.

This is very odd - they have acted wrongly imo and have certainly "failed to treat their customer fairly" - which is an FCA requirement.

If it were me I would make a formal complaint in writing stating their failure under the FCA's treating customers fairly requirement and in that same letter submit a Subject Access Request under the Data Protection Act.

That will certainly get their attention because the SAR HAS TO BE RESPONDED TO WITHIN 40 days and any formal complaint has to be logged and dealt with by the compliance and complaints Dept.

The consequences for a customer NOT being advised that their policy has not been renewed could be catastrophic.

I really do suggest that they should not be allowed to simply state that they cannot provide you with any sort of reason why?

MSS · 26th February 2017, 10:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Jamieson

With all my insurances, cars, caravan and house I use direct debit and for as long as I can remember they are automatically renewed unless I state otherwise.

.........

On checking through my bank statements I noted that I had changed from M&S to LV on 7th October 2015 so the renewal should have taken place 7th October 2016.

The strange thing was that I had no paperwork or insurance certificate from LV and not a single e-mail..........

I have in the past had a "renewal offer" letter failing to arrive - probably went missing in the post. Some insurers will also send a letter once the insuance has expired without renewal (with them), but in my experience not all do and to be honest I consider it an unnecessay expense.

The key question is whether you had elected to renew automatically with LV. If not, it could be the case that the renewal offer letter went missing.

LV should be able to tell you whether your insurance was on auo-renewal. If it was, also why auto-renewal did not take place.

I don't think it is reasonble to expect them to tell you with whom your car is now insured (unless I have mis-understood your comment).

I would start by raising a complaint with LV that the insurance was on auto-renewal but this did not occur. I would ask for an explanatioon as to why.

neilb740 · 26th February 2017, 11:26

Had a similar situation with Churchill insurance.
I moved house, phoned them up to tell them and assumed everything was fine.

Turns out that they hadn't registered the address change on their system and because the information on the direct debit was now incorrect it was being refused.

Churchill sent numerous letters to my old address, which I obviously didn't receive, and eventually cancelled the policy.

I ended up driving around with no insurance for 2 months and was very lucky to not loose my car.

It also took a huge fight and threats of going to the ombudsman to get my no claims back and have the cancelled policy taken off my records!

Jim Jamieson · 26th February 2017, 13:44

Thanks for all your comments.

As for making a complaint to LV quite frankly I've got enough on my plate just now with the Jaguar MOT issue.
When speaking to the guy from LV, I was quite specific i.e. I wanted to know who I had been insured with 2015 to 2016 but he could not tell me.

When I said I will never insure with LV again he said he was sorry that I took this view. I mean I gave him several chances to give me the info which I'm sure would have been in front of him.

I still find it odd that DVLA did not pick up on it on when I taxed it on line.
When doing this it clearly states that insurance and MOT status has been checked.

Jim Jamieson · 6th March 2017, 21:34

Today while tidying up some files I was concentrating on some Nationwide stuff and shredding anything not required when I came across this,

It was a renewal notice for the XF car insurance and had been filed along with some bank letters.

Although it was headed as Nationwide further down the letter it stated insurance was by LV. I had to confirm if I wanted to re insure which obviously I had not done. I will be giving this a mention next time I'm in for my annual revue.

It still doesn't explain why it passed through DVLA's checks when taxed on line.

25th February 2017, 20:20	#1
Jim Jamieson This is my second home Rover less ! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Tarbolton Posts: 3,442 Thanks: 393 Thanked 888 Times in 542 Posts	LV Car Insurance A Cautionary Tale With all my insurances, cars, caravan and house I use direct debit and for as long as I can remember they are automatically renewed unless I state otherwise. A couple of weeks back I received a letter from MIB, Motor Insurance Bureau stating that our XF did not apppear on the data base so immediate attention was required. I take pride in my paperwork and filing system so I thought "how could this be" On checking through my bank statements I noted that I had changed from M&S to LV on 7th October 2015 so the renewal should have taken place 7th October 2016. The strange thing was that I had no paperwork or insurance certificate from LV and not a single e-mail. I telephoned M&S who were very helpful and could tell me that I had declined to renew on Oct 15. I then telephoned LV who could confirm all my details but could not tell me who I had been insured with. How very odd that they could not or would not tell me so LV are now off my list forever. I again telephoned M&S and got the car covered right away for approx £15 more than their 2015 quote. What I find strange is why could I have been running with no insurance for almost four months and why was this not picked up by DVLA when I re taxed the car on line on 1st December. I dread to think what could have happened had I been involved in an accident. So much for the plethora of ANPR cameras.

25th February 2017, 21:29	#4
murphyv310 This is my second home Hyundai i10 998cc Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Kilmarnock Posts: 6,602 Thanks: 2,088 Thanked 2,298 Times in 1,349 Posts	Close call Jim. Thank God you didn't have an accident and no one was hurt or even killed, that would have been a life changer for you. Pays to be diligent and double check. Perhaps a very good reminder for all of us. __________________ Cheers from Trevor MM0KJJ

26th February 2017, 08:51	#5
sworks Been absent for a while… Rover 75 Tourer, Classic mini Cooper S, Abarth 595 competizione, MG TF and a Hyundai Tucson PHEV Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cumbria Posts: 13,065 Thanks: 1,033 Thanked 1,686 Times in 1,040 Posts	It's quite easy to do so don't feel bad Jim. Only last night I had to check online when three of my cars were due their MOT's as I know they are about now but not when the dates are. I think we get bombarded with so much junk emails that sometimes the important stuff slips through __________________ ................................................. 'Marmite' Possibly one of the most famous 75 tourers produced! left the production line as the last of only Three Rover 75 tourers produced in Trophy Yellow. 48 hours later Longbridge closed. The last sold ordered 75 Tourer. Paid for by the Phoenix Four and handed over by John Towers to the Warwickshire Northampton Air ambulance service as a Rapid Response vehicle

6th March 2017, 21:34	#10
Jim Jamieson This is my second home Rover less ! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Tarbolton Posts: 3,442 Thanks: 393 Thanked 888 Times in 542 Posts	Update Today while tidying up some files I was concentrating on some Nationwide stuff and shredding anything not required when I came across this, It was a renewal notice for the XF car insurance and had been filed along with some bank letters. Although it was headed as Nationwide further down the letter it stated insurance was by LV. I had to confirm if I wanted to re insure which obviously I had not done. I will be giving this a mention next time I'm in for my annual revue. It still doesn't explain why it passed through DVLA's checks when taxed on line.

25th February 2017, 20:25	#2
Rooney Suspended MG ZT 135+ Rover 75 CDTi Tourer, 75 2.5 V6 Saloon Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: County Antrim Posts: 2,027 Thanks: 835 Thanked 882 Times in 557 Posts	You've been very lucky - L&V may well be incompetent but it would have been your license that got six points and your XF that would have been seized at the roadside. An almost identical thing happened to one of my brothers, in his case it was a local broker who'd made the mistake - he still has the six points and was several hundred pounds lighter, as well as having increased insurance premiums. Thank God that didn't happen to you Jim

25th February 2017, 21:20	#3
Jim Jamieson This is my second home Rover less ! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Tarbolton Posts: 3,442 Thanks: 393 Thanked 888 Times in 542 Posts	When the tax disc was abolished I vowed to place a printed card inside the tax disc holder showing expiry dates for Tax, MOT and Insurance but never got round to it. What really annoys me is that I did have this info on my files but for reasons unknown I had not updated it with the XF. A lesson learned

26th February 2017, 11:26	#8
neilb740 I really should get out more....... MG ZT 1.8 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Crewe Posts: 2,298 Thanks: 110 Thanked 362 Times in 237 Posts	Had a similar situation with Churchill insurance. I moved house, phoned them up to tell them and assumed everything was fine. Turns out that they hadn't registered the address change on their system and because the information on the direct debit was now incorrect it was being refused. Churchill sent numerous letters to my old address, which I obviously didn't receive, and eventually cancelled the policy. I ended up driving around with no insurance for 2 months and was very lucky to not loose my car. It also took a huge fight and threats of going to the ombudsman to get my no claims back and have the cancelled policy taken off my records!

26th February 2017, 13:44	#9
Jim Jamieson This is my second home Rover less ! Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Tarbolton Posts: 3,442 Thanks: 393 Thanked 888 Times in 542 Posts	Thanks for all your comments. As for making a complaint to LV quite frankly I've got enough on my plate just now with the Jaguar MOT issue. When speaking to the guy from LV, I was quite specific i.e. I wanted to know who I had been insured with 2015 to 2016 but he could not tell me. When I said I will never insure with LV again he said he was sorry that I took this view. I mean I gave him several chances to give me the info which I'm sure would have been in front of him. I still find it odd that DVLA did not pick up on it on when I taxed it on line. When doing this it clearly states that insurance and MOT status has been checked.