HELP - Why I Don't Have Car Insurance (Car Insurance Companies Won't Insure Me)

Lyzha3917 on 14/03/2021 - 14:59
Last edited 14/03/2021 - 16:28 by 1 other user

Ok, I saw the other post on why should have car insurances.

Let me share my problem on why I don't have car insurance and I'm hoping fellows in OzBargain can help me here.

Here it begins:

I do not have car insurance for my car, right now.

Why?
I could not find an insurer to insure my car (more precisely, on me.)

Last Sept, I switched my car insurance from AAMI to Budget Direct, considering lower premium.
However, I only mentioned two claims when I purchased the policy, whereas there were actually four in the past.

When I filed my new claim last Oct, Budget Direct denied the claim and refunded my policy, due to non-disclosure in the first place.

Honstly, I understand why Budget Direct did this, and I'm fine with their decision. I did forget to file the extra two claims, and according to their underwriting guidance, four past claims will put me uninsurable in the first place.

So, I fixed my car out of my own pocket, and I was ready to move on.

Appareantly, I underestimated the gravity of the situation.

I tried AAMI, Comm Insurance, GIO, etc. etc. No insurer is willing to insure me, due to I have been denied by an insurer before, under the ground of non-disclosure.
I tried couple of of insurance brokers as well, none of them even heard of this situation before.

I have two strategies here:
Find an insurer willing to insure me, or
Dispute Budget Direct's decision.

The latter one is ongoing, but not promising, Internal Dispute done, AFCA claim in progress, with slim chance (again, as it should be). Talked to lawyer even with no luck.

The former option is not much hopeful neither. Brokers have not heard of the situation, Insurance Council can only suggest use their website to find insurers and then call each of them individually. Insurance finder can only send insurance info close to my address. insurancelaw.org.au has been great help, but not enough to solve the problem.

Oh by the way, if i insure my car under someone else's name, when I'm in involved in the accident, the situation is still not insured.

So, fellows in Oz Bargain, any advices?

Automotive

Comments

            • newjerseydamo on 18/03/2021 - 08:32
              +1

              @picklewizard: Unlisted drivers don't get covered regardless of their past history. I.e. they won't cover an unlisted driver if their licensed is suspended.
              There are still stipulations.
              They're unlisted on the off chance someone may drive the vehicle unexpectedly.
              They're listed if they're frequent drivers of the vehicle.

              But you know. Again. I don't know what I'm talking about even though I've worked in insurance.

              As mentioned. Read your PDS. Most people don't.

              • picklewizard on 18/03/2021 - 10:12

                @newjerseydamo: Obviously not being allowed to drive full stop means you're not covered.

                I've read my PDS in response to this and no such clause exists.

  • SgtBatten on 16/03/2021 - 13:45
    +5

    Side point. Can we ask what kinds of accidents you are having so often? How are they occuring

    • Caped Baldy on 16/03/2021 - 15:38
      +5

      I got negged when I asked. We don't even know when and what country those crashes were.

  • Intoxicoligist on 16/03/2021 - 17:45

    OP (profanity) around…. and found out

  • Pufff on 17/03/2021 - 09:09

    The first rule of insurance is do everything they can to not pay out.

    So your record and non-disclosure raises a tonne of red flags.

    Only option is to wait out the question which asks have you been denied before in last 5 or 10 years or whatever and go with an insurer that asks for the shortest period.

  • OzzyOzbourne on 17/03/2021 - 12:59
    +1

    This is why 3rd party property insurance should be mandatory. With all the nanny rules we have in Australia, it beggars belief that you can drive a car, which is capable of so much personal and financial damage to other people and you don't need property insurance. Then, you don't even need a road worthy every year to make sure your car is safe (in Victoria anyway). So you get people who can't afford insurance and can't afford car maintenance driving 200bhp wrecks around.
    There's a correlation between paying higher and higher premiums until you eventually can't get insurance and driving more carefully in a 'slow' car.
    In the UK, tpp is compulsory and you basically can't afford the insurance on anything more than a 1l fiesta until you are 25 with 5 years good record. So you drive bloody carefully in a 'slow' car which gets an annual safety check. It's not rocket science.

  • Magus on 17/03/2021 - 14:32
    +1

    You start off rating 6.
    For every year without an accident, you advance one rating.
    For every accident, you loose one rating.

    So if you were insured in 2016 - Rating 6 (this is the lowest that will showup, but behind the scenes it can be lower.)
    1st accident - rating 7
    2nd accident rating 8
    Then 2017 - same rating as no accident free years
    3rd accident rating 9
    Then 2018 - still rating 9
    Then 2019 - Great - rating 8
    Then accident 4. Rating 9 and non disclosure. (about a -5 rating approx)
    2020 - uninsurable due to RISK (approx rating 14)

    Best option. Get specifically named on another policy. (and pay any additional cost) Remember if you do have an accident, this person's rating is also impacted.

    Every 2 yrs, you get one rating if you have not had an accident. (3-4 for third party)

    Spend the next few years ICUS - in command, under supervision.

  • petry on 17/03/2021 - 14:34

    you're not a pollie - if you were non- disclosure is a way of life….

  • lostn on 17/03/2021 - 15:02

    Find out if there's an expiry for the insurance ban you're on. Are you banned from being insured for the rest of your life? If not, find out when it expires, and just take public transport in the meantime. It's cheaper than owning a car.

  • TransportPosters on 17/03/2021 - 15:34

    I think you'll have to find a high-risk car insurance provider in your case, which are a bit more expensive.

    Even then, they may look down upon your nondisclosure of information, rather than number of accidents. Just give it a try and see. When enough years go by with no accidents, you can try and switch back to a regular insurer.

    • ATangk on 17/03/2021 - 16:07

      a bit more expensive.

      That reminded me of when youi's quote to insure my motorbike had an annual premium at the same cost of the bike itself. When they try to sell you their product as 'drive less pay less', the opposite means the prices go skyyyhighhh.

      • CocaKoala on 17/03/2021 - 20:28

        I had a similar experience, and some idiot on youi helpline told me that they don't compare themselves with other insurers as they are a "premium insurer", and I told them that meant jack sh*% to me because I was receiving absolutely nothing extra for actually more money (was comparing to AAMI).

  • Melong on 17/03/2021 - 19:25

    HRH phillip is that you?

  • syousef on 18/03/2021 - 07:23

    Don't know how to help OP. Thankfully beyond my expertise. I don't think insulting or abusing him is helpful. And unfortunately it's too late to see an instructor to improve his driving.

    Hopefully this is a good lesson to anyone who may have been thinking of lying on an insurance application. Though there is always an element of luck, OP's driving record is undeniably bad, but the omission on his application is what got OP unstuck. Without that he might have been able to get insurance again in a year or two. It's quite likely he's been blacklisted and I don't know how to get information on whether he is. Maybe request records from the insurer that refunded his claim, though I wouldn't hold my breath.

    OP is going to be tempted to drive uninsured, which is a real worry.

  • lint on 18/03/2021 - 10:08
    +1

    Why did you file a dispute on Budget's decision to rescind your insurance contract when you admit they were correct to do?

    I recommend you just stop driving until you're cleared from insurers' blacklists.

  • luffyex2010 on 18/03/2021 - 10:49
    +1

    There should be a bumper sticker/special licence plate rta gives out mandatory for any speed traffic offenders to put on their car as long as they are still driving.

    1st offence: I have the need to speed ! Report me!
    2nd offence:I am a reckless driver! Report me please!
    3rd and final offence: My final probation before I lose my licence, report me to make the road safer place!

    Rta should reward dash cam owners.
    Any person who submit a video of another person driving recklessly can get $100 rta money voucher.

    And successfuly another $75 for tagged bumper sticker/special licence plate drivers.

    I guarantee this will reduce speed traffic offenders for many years to come but most important making the road a safer place to be.

    • gtech on 18/03/2021 - 11:10

      Don't they have a similar system in some of the big Chinese cities (ie report a driver and submit your dash cam footage and get a reward), which gets abused/scammed all the time. (eg I or my mate cause you to drive recklessly and then I submit 'that' footage for a reward)

      • luffyex2010 on 18/03/2021 - 11:31

        ….ok lets up it by anyone with no history of speeding traffic offences can only apply for the reward and the rewards can only use to pay for your own private cars valid for the year.

        Plus the condition of those who harm others to get the reward if caught will

        Lose their licence
        Fine up to 10k
        Never able to drive again for life in Australia?

        That should fix it.

  • gtech on 18/03/2021 - 11:03

    Have you tried approaching the big Insurance Brokerage firms (Marsh, AoN, Willis and Gallagher) they may be able to assist you (ie use foreign UW, partial insurance etc).
    (Note that you will be paying $$$ for this kind of service)

    • yzha3917 on 19/03/2021 - 22:00

      Thanks for the advice!
      Will look into this.

  • love2buy on 18/03/2021 - 17:01
    -1

    Can he be a listed driver on someone elses policy?

  • Sean R on 18/03/2021 - 17:46

    Have you contacted every single car insurance company yet?

    If not, do that.

  • DJR9000 on 18/03/2021 - 18:01

    new name with deed poll, new car, new address.

  • mmd on 19/03/2021 - 01:24

    What car model do you drive?

  • nimnomnimy on 19/03/2021 - 06:58
    +1

    get an ebike instead

  • mousie on 19/03/2021 - 12:40

    This thread is more entertaining than the twilight series.

  • Eeples on 19/03/2021 - 14:03

    Were you mostly at fault on all 5 of your claims?

    …. because of your ‘bad habits’ ?

    Most ppl wait until they are at home or in a hotel.

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